Results 4,941-4,960 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Health Services Provision (12 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested the information from the HSE and I will revert to the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (12 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care (Preschool Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006, the inspection of preschools is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE). It is important to realise that inspections alone are not the answer to improving quality. What is required is a multifaceted approach, and since this Government came to office we have been working to ensure issues relating to child...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Issues (12 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 203 together. In the first instance, I would like to clarify that the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) is a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS), a division of the Department of Justice and Equality. RIA is charged with providing accommodation and ancillary services to asylum seekers, that is, adults and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres Provision (13 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I assume that the Deputy is referring to custodial accommodation for persons under the age of 18 years, which corresponds to the definition of a child under the Children Act, 2001. This Act provides the legal framework for the operation of the criminal justice system in relation to children. At this time, custodial accommodation for under 18 year olds is provided on the Oberstown campus,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (13 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work is ongoing on the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill, which will provide for a structured and regulated approach to providing access to adoption information and will facilitate contact for those affected by adoption, including in circumstances where an adoption order was not effected. Complex issues have arisen during the course of the preparation of the Bill, including the criteria...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Standards (13 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The implementation of Síolta and Aistear is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Skills. The DES has an Early Years Policy Unit which is co-located in Mespil Road with my Department and is responsible for these areas. Síolta (the Irish word for Seeds) – the Childcare Quality Framework (2006) - is a set of National Principles, Standards and Components of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (13 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Workforce Development Plan for the Early Years Sector was published in 2010 by the Department of Education and Skills. The Plan acknowledged national and international research evidence which establishes a strong correlation between the availability of an appropriately trained workforce to staff early years services and the ability to deliver high quality pre-school provision. The...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006, the inspection of pre-schools is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE). It is important to realise that inspections alone are not the answer to improving quality. What is required is a multi-faceted approach, and since this Government came to office we have been working to ensure issues relating to child...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The employment of pre-school staff is a matter for each individual childcare service and therefore I do not have a role in this matter. The question of development of standard childcare sector contracts is a matter for consideration by the sector itself.

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme introduced the first-ever requirement for minimum qualifications for staff working in the childcare sector. Under the programme, the pre-school leader delivering the programme must hold a qualification in childcare/early education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ), or an equivalent...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: After-School Support Services (13 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As part of Budget 2013 I, together with my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, was pleased to announce a new After-school Childcare initiative which will be targeted at low-income parents availing of employment opportunities. Lack of access to affordable, quality childcare is a significant barrier to many low income and disadvantaged families seeking to avail of work...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Significant investment totalling in excess of €260 million is being provided this year by my Department to assist parents with the cost of child care. My Department provides two targeted child care support programmes - the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme and the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme - and also the universal Early Childhood Care and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Aftercare Services (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested the information from the HSE and I will revert to the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Poverty (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is implementing the new Area-Based Response to Child Poverty programme which was announced as part of Budget 2013. The programme is being introduced on foot of the Programme for Government commitment to adopt an area-based approach to child poverty, drawing on best international practice and existing services to break the cycle of child poverty where it is most deeply...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme introduced the first-ever requirement for minimum qualifications for staff working in the childcare sector. Under the programme, the pre-school leader delivering the programme must hold a qualification in childcare/early education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ), or an equivalent...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Relations Contracts Expenditure (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Names of External PR,Communications Consultants & Organisations Details of Services Supplied Date of Service Expenditure MKC Communications Service to assist with Information and Communications Initiatives including the Children's Referendum, Report of the Child Death Review Group and the Child Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (18 Jun 2013)

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. The programme includes a number of additional provisions to take account of children with special needs. These include an exemption from the upper age limit for qualification under the programme where a child is developmentally delayed and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work on the development of Ireland’s first Early Years Strategy for children aged from birth to 6 years, is underway in my Department. The approach I am taking in developing the Strategy has received Government approval. My intention is to create an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future development of Ireland’s early years sector and a coherent approach to seeking...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Health Services Staff Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I believe that the report the Deputy refers to is the report of the HIQA inspection of the Fostering Service in Dublin South/Dun Laoghaire LHA in the Dublin South/East Wicklow Integrated Service Area, published recently. HIQA undertakes inspection of foster care services against the National Standards for Foster Care, under Section 69 of the Child Care Act 1991. The purpose of foster care...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme introduced the first-ever requirement for minimum qualifications for staff working in the childcare sector. Under the programme, the pre-school leader delivering the programme must hold a qualification in childcare/early education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ), or an equivalent...