Results 4,421-4,440 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: UN Convention on Children's Rights (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1989 and entered into force on 2 September 1990. The UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty, enjoying almost universal ratification by nearly all Member States of the United Nations. Ireland ratified the UNCRC in 1992. The third Optional Protocol to the UN Convention...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Responsibilities (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department was set up to drive the delivery of key commitments in relation to children and young people. The Department was established in June 2011 with a mandate to put in place a unified framework of policy, legislation and provision across Government in respect of children and young people. The responsibilities of my Department encompass a wide range of policy and service activity,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As part of the ongoing ‘change agenda’ in Child and Family services I am committed to developing the capacity of our child protection services to appropriately and effectively address the needs of children who present in emergency situations outside of normal working hours. What is important is that children in crisis, no matter where they are, have access to 24 hour social...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As part of Budget 2013 I, together with my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, was pleased to announce a new School Age Childcare initiative which will be targeted at low-income parents availing of employment opportunities. The initiative is expected to receive full year funding of €14 million to provide over 6,000 after-school places for children attending primary school...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Support Agency (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 44 together. Arising from the Government's consideration and decision with regard to the range of functions to be discharged by the new Child and Family Support Agency, it was agreed that an impact analysis be jointly developed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Health regarding the proposed future arrangements for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Meetings (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I met with a delegation from the Council for Marriage and Family of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, led by Bishop Christopher Jones, on 14th December last. I updated the delegation on progress relating to the establishment of the new Child and Family Support Agency and the range of services which it will encompass. From its establishment the Child and Family Support Agency will...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Inspections (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy should be aware that statutory remit of the Health Information and Quality Authority does not include investigating allegations made against foster carers. Under Section 69 of the Child Care Act 1991, HIQA inspects foster care services. The statutory responsibility to investigate any allegations, including those made against foster carers, lies with the Health Service Executive...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Homelessness Strategy (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has engaged the Centre for Effective Services (CES) to undertake a high level review of the implementation of the 2001 Youth Homelessness Strategy. The purpose of the review is to establish the extent that the strategy has been successful, to identify blockages and challenges to its implementation in respect of any outstanding actions and to make recommendations for future...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department currently provides support to parents to assist them with the cost of childcare. This support is provided through the provision of two targeted childcare support programmes - the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, which provides funding to community-based childcare services to enable them to provide childcare at reduced rates to low income and/or parents on social...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 118 together. Budget 2013 provides for an allocation of €443 million for my Department. This level of funding represents an increase of €16m over 2012 allocation and consists of €417 million in current expenditure and €26 million in capital expenditure. In addition, Budget 2013 provides for €546 million in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children's Rights Referendum (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The judgement in McKenna stated that the Government has a duty to give information to the electorate as well as to clarify issues which may arise in the course of the campaign, and must do so without advocating a particular position. Governments have in fact carried out this role in other Referendums since the McKenna Judgement, including in the Lisbon and Stability Treaty referendums. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Hospital Services (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that the Deputy is referring to Our Lady`s Children`s Hospital, Crumlin, and the Children`s University Hospital, Temple Street. The allocation of specific hospital budgets is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Health and the Health Service Executive to determine and I understand that the process of agreeing final allocations, within the resources available for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Strategy (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is currently developing a new Children and Young People’s Policy Framework which will set out high-level goals for both my own and other Departments for the next five years. The Policy Framework is expected to be published in mid 2013 and will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland’s first Children’s Strategy which was published in 2000. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Proposed Legislation (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have an extensive legislative programme to address child protection issues which fall within my remit as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. I published the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2013 on 8th February and I will initiate it in Seanad Eireann later today. It will be brought before this House at the earliest possible date. It is my intention to publish the Child and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Support Agency (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am firmly committed to the transformation of Ireland’s child protection and welfare services, and to the establishment of a new Child and Family Support Agency. The Task Force on the establishment of the Child and Family Support Agency reported in July of 2012. The work of the Task Force informed the development of detailed legislative proposals to Government, covering a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Juvenile Offenders (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy that the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS) which is based in my Department and includes officials from the Department of Justice and Equality is currently developing a Youth Justice Action Plan which will sit within the Children and Young People's Policy Framework (CYPPF) 2013-2018 currently being developed in my Department but will also form part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 190, 191, 194, 198 and 200 together. Funding of €53.173m, including €1.75 for a new capital funding programme, has been provided to my Department in 2013 for the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country through a number of schemes. These schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mental Health Awareness (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The prime responsibility for policy in relation to the treatment and support for young people with depression currently lies with the Department of Health. The issue of depression in young people is a complex issue requiring inputs from a wide range of stake-holders including young people, parents, schools, the media, youth organisations and the Primary Care and Child and Adolescent Mental...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Unemployment Measures (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government is committed to creating the environment for a strong economic recovery to support employment creation and jobs growth. Youth unemployment is a particular concern because of the difficulties it poses for young people themselves, their personal development and for social inclusion. The Government has a range of measures in place to tackle youth unemployment and these include...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together. The Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, which I published in 2011, provides clarity and guidance for individuals and organisations in identifying and responding appropriately to child abuse and neglect. It also sets out what organisations that care for or work with children should do to ensure...