Results 4,061-4,080 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (13 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Four agencies are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote: the Adoption Authority of Ireland; the Family Support Agency; the National Educational Welfare Board; and the Ombudsman for Children’s Office. I have set out in tabular format the amount being budgeted for by the State agencies under the remit of my Department for the current year. I am not in a position to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (13 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information sought by the Deputy regarding grant disbursements in the period March 2011 to September 2012 is currently being compiled by my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (13 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Nearly all pre-school services in the State are now participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. This programme requires that staff members acting as pre-school year leaders hold a child care qualification equivalent to FETAC Level 5 on the National...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services (13 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Adoption Authority of Ireland has had extensive dealings with its Indian counterparts (CARA). In 2011, CARA notified the authority that CARA was reviewing its intercountry adoption guidelines and would not be accepting dossiers from Irish applicants either until 30 September 2011 or until further notice. Following several attempts to get clarification from CARA in this regard, a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Lottery Funding (13 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has a funding provision this year of €500,000 in respect of the National Lottery Funding Scheme. Over 500 applications for grant support have been received from individuals, groups and organisations. The current value of these applications amounts to €15 million which far exceeds the available resources. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that, in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Bereavement Counselling Services (13 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 580 and 581 together. The Family Support Agency provides funding to voluntary and community organisations providing marriage, relationship, child and bereavement counselling services. Some 600 organisations are funded each year. These services aim to support people to deal with difficulties they are experiencing in their relationships, to help children...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Sector Reform (13 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The objective of the Public Service Agreement is to ensure that the Public Service continues its contribution to the return of economic growth and economic prosperity while delivering excellence in service to the Irish public. This is being achieved by staff and management, at all levels, working together to build an increasingly integrated public service which is leaner and more effective...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Educational Welfare Board (14 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been advised that the National Educational Welfare Board has recently appointed an Interim Chief Executive Officer on a fixed term contract. The Interim Chief Executive Officer had retired from his position as an Assistant Chief Inspector in the Department of Education and Skills prior to his consideration for appointment by the Board. The pension abatement rules with regard to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Referendum Expenditure (14 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: To date, an amount of €9,693 has been spent on the Department's Children's Referendum website which includes costs in respect of website development, maintenance, design and translation of material into the Irish language. An amount of €428,487 has been spent to date on the Department's Children's Referendum information booklet which includes costs in respect of design,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Sector Reform (14 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO). In July 2011, the Government decided that the Family Mediation Service should transfer from...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Promotions (14 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can confirm that there have been no internal promotions at my Department since its establishment in June 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts (15 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: An Post were awarded the contract to deliver the Department's Children's Referendum information booklet to all addresses throughout the State.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (15 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been advised by the HSE that there were a total of 5,739 children in Foster Care at end of August 2012. Of these 3,936 were in general foster care and 1,803 were in relative foster care. The following is a breakdown of this information by HSE area: HSE Dublin Mid Leinster Foster Care total care placements Dún Laoghaire 103 Dublin South East 79 Wicklow 111 Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Social Workers Deployment (15 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has sought the information requested by the Deputy from the HSE. I will provide the Deputy with the information when it becomes available.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Consultations (15 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has carried out two Public Consultations since the start of 2012. 1) A public consultation on "Improving the lives of children and young people". 2) A public consultation on "National Children Detention Facilities".

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence (20 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has brought this matter to the attention of the HSE, which has an established relationship with the organisation in question, and asked that it provide the Deputy with the information requested as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Education (20 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. Approximately 65,700 children are availing of the ECCE programme in the current school year and €175.8 million has been provided to cover the cost of the programme. Since the introduction of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (20 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme is implemented by my Department and provides support to community childcare services to enable them to provide childcare at reduced rates to low income families and to families where one or both parents is in receipt of a social welfare payment. The CCS programme provides support to all qualifying parents including those parents whose...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Programme (20 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government has approved the Heads of the Child and Family Support Agency Bill and has also agreed to the priority drafting of this Bill. The necessary legislative and organisational preparations are being prioritised so that the Agency can be established early in 2013. Drafting of the Child and Family Support Agency Bill is under way, in line with the policy decisions of Government. This...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services (20 Nov 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 66(2) of the Adoption Act, 2010 allows for the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) to delegate certain functions in relation to making arrangements for adoptions to the Health Service Executive or such accredited bodies as the Authority may specify. In the notice of 21 December 2011 published on the AAI website, the Authority noted that on 3 May 2011, pursuant to Article 22 of the...