Results 3,961-3,980 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Education (24 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The minimum qualification requirements have, in fact, been increased for those delivering the early childhood care and education (ECCE) programme. During the 2010-2012 period, there was an interim qualifying period whereby a person who did not hold a recognised qualification at the equivalent of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ) but could demonstrate that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Children and Family Services (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The purpose of the proposed constitutional amendment is to recognise children in their own right within the Constitution. It also acknowledges that each child enjoys rights and deserves certain protections from the State by virtue of the fact that, as a child, he or she is vulnerable. The referendum will not address all wider issues that impact on children. This referendum is the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Children and Family Services (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I have often said, the referendum is one aspect of our serious intentions to deliver on children’s rights and services. The broader issue is how we deliver services and available funding. That is why I was pleased to get the additional moneys last year, such as the extra €13 million to provide an early intervention family support system for all three and four year olds. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Bullying of Children (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The scale of bullying in Ireland remains a matter of grave concern. This is borne out by recent research findings. My Department’s Growing Up in Ireland study found that more than 24% of nine to 17 year olds have reported being bullied. The Anti-Bullying Centre in Trinity College Dublin has found one in four girls and one in six boys have been involved in cyberbullying either as a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Bullying of Children (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 obliges all schools to have a code of behaviour. The National Educational Welfare Board, which comes under the remit of my Department, has issued guidelines requiring each school to have policies to address bullying and schools must make it clear in their code of behaviour that bullying is unacceptable. Compliance by schools with this NEWB requirement is now...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foster Care (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE has advised me that all foster carers are covered by an indemnity insurance scheme. The policy provides indemnity to the individual foster carers while engaged in the fostering of children under schemes operated by the HSE. The indemnity provided is restricted to legal liability for accidental third party bodily injury or third party property damage arising from their activities as...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foster Care (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I suggest that Deputy Mattie McGrath write to me specifically on that case rather than try to deal with it in the House by way of parliamentary question. I would be willing to take up the case and examine it. The series of events he describes sound very unfortunate. If such a situation arises for householders, they would most likely have to cover the damage themselves and it is not any...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I assure Deputy Troy that the adoption (information and tracing) Bill continues to be a priority of mine. The drafting of the heads of Bill is well advanced in my Department and consideration of the policy issues on all aspects of the proposed Bill is ongoing. As I stated previously in the House, it is intended that the legislation would provide for a structured and regulated way of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The staff of my Department have been doing a considerable amount of work on the referendum, on the adoption legislation which I published that will arise as a consequence of the referendum being passed, and on the establishment of the new agencies. I am pleased to say, however, that a considerable amount of work has been done on the adoption tracing Bill and, depending on the demands of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Primarily, this is impacted here by the Constitution. There is a balance here that people have spoken about traditionally, which is, as Deputy Troy correctly states, the adopted person's right to information but, equally, on the other side of the equation, the mother's right to privacy. One can argue, as Deputy Troy did, that both of those rights exist, but so far the Supreme Court has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Retail Guidelines (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Earlier this year I issued an invitation to Irish fashion retailers to prepare guidelines to address increasing concerns over the sexualisation of childhood and issues such as body-image. The invitation was taken up by Retail Ireland and on 28 June this year, I launched its new children's wear guidelines. It is important to note that these guidelines are not just about restricting what...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Retail Guidelines (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for his comments. The approach I have taken, in the first instance, is to have voluntary guidelines which are positive and constructive and the sector has responded well to that. This approach has also been taken in the UK. There are some extras in the Irish guidelines, however, including the central email address for complaints, the review of emerging issues and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Retail Guidelines (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: There has been some comment on that recently and obviously there are increasing concerns over the sexualisation of childhood. Many people would argue, and I would agree, that events such as the one the Deputy refers to encourage the early sexualisation of young children. That is something that can be very stressful and quite dangerous for some children. We have seen what is happening in...

Other Questions: Child Welfare and Protection Services (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I recently indicated to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, the audit report referred to by the Deputy is being submitted this week to the HSE’s National Director for Children and Family Services, Mr. Gordon Jeyes. It is planned to publish that report by the end of the year, which covers audits conducted in Roscommon, Waterford and Dublin. That report was prepared by...

Other Questions: Child Welfare and Protection Services (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I intend that the report be published. I will pursue it with Mr. Jeyes and as soon as I receive it from him I will publish it. There is no reason to believe there will be a delay. He only received it this week.

Other Questions: Departmental Staff Recruitment (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE compiles a monthly census of employment in the public health and social care sector. The most recent figures supplied by the HSE indicate that the number of whole-time equivalent social workers employed in the children and families service area of the HSE was 1,300 at the end of July 2012. The number of social workers employed in the children and families service area at the end of...

Other Questions: Departmental Staff Recruitment (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to report that the number of allocated social workers has increased over the past three years. The figures have improved substantially. There was a slight drop in 2011 but that can be partially explained by the difficulties surrounding resources arising from earlier budget reductions. I do not have figures on temporary and permanent positions but all 260 of the social workers...

Other Questions: Departmental Staff Recruitment (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Clearly the point is that we can provide the kind of services we require. That is the intention of the reform. Gordon Jeyes and his new management team, which has been reduced from 36 to 19, are working hard to manage their budget and provide the best possible service. Significant reform is under way and I believe it will support workers on the front line. However, we face huge pressures...

Other Questions: Youth Health Issues (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 37 together. On 15 October, I launched the report of a survey on young people’s body image, which marks an important milestone in giving young people a voice on this important issue. This survey was carried out directly on foot of a key recommendation from Dáil na nÓg 2010. At that assembly, the young delegates considered the...

Other Questions: Youth Health Issues (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is increasing international evidence that this is an issue. We did not have much research available in Ireland until this study - How We See It, Report of a Survey on Young People's Body Image - and there are disturbing findings from the point of view of young people. The young people who conducted the survey have said they want it to be a point of discussion for young people because...