Results 4,961-4,980 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (18 Jun 2013)

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. Gaisce also comes under the remit of my Department. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The ECCE programme provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children. Approximately 68,000 children are availing of the ECCE programme in the current school year. Children are eligible to avail of the free pre-school year where they are aged more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months at 1 September in the relevant year. Children born between 2 February 2009 and 30...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The free Pre-School Year in 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. In line with the Programme for Government, my Department has made a significant commitment to maintaining this universal programme and some 68,000 children are availing of it...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question Number 20006/13 of 30 April 2013 in relation to the progress of the proposed National Children Detention Facility (NCDF) project in Oberstown, Lusk, Co Dublin. The position is unchanged. In relation to the proposed amendments to the Children Act I can confirm that I obtained the approval of the Cabinet to proceed with the drafting of...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Further to my replies to Parliamentary Question Numbers 27791/13 and 28345/13, I can confirm that all three boys involved in this incident have now been apprehended and returned to Oberstown Boys School. I would like to record my appreciation for the work of an Garda Síochána in bringing this matter to a conclusion.

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 488 together. The adult/child ratios recommended for childcare services providing full day care, part-time care and sessional care are set out in the Explanatory Guide to the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme makes early learning in a formal setting available to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Sick Leave (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As my Department was established on 2nd June 2011, the information requested by the Deputy is provided from June 2011 onwards. Absenteeism information relating to staff currently employed by my Department for the years 2009, 2010 and up to end May 2011 will be included in the returns from the Departments where the staff involved were employed prior to transfer to my Department. YEAR...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Strategies (18 Jun 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 relevant to the Early Years...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The free Pre-School Year in 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. In line with the Programme for Government, my Department has made a significant commitment to maintaining this universal programme. Approximately 53,000 children, or 83%...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Issues (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: Departmental Agencies Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As there is no single approved definition of a regulatory body in terms of public service regulators, it is quite difficult to reply categorically to this question. However, an acceptable definition of public service regulator might be that it has functions in at least two of the following three areas of activities: the formulation of goals, the making of rules, [and/or] the setting of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Agencies Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can confirm that there are no semi-state organisations currently in operation under the aegis of my Department. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Agencies Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can confirm that no semi-state organisations come under the remit of my Department and no new semi-state organisations have been established since March, 2011. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: After-School Support Services (19 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: Missing Children (19 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 116000 Missing Children Hotline is operated by the ISPCC in liaison with a cross-sectoral Project Team, chaired by the DCYA. The ISPCC has been successful in securing EU Daphne funding to support the establishment of the line. The ISPCC also submitted an application for funding to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to cover the establishment and running of the Hotline. This...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (19 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 199 together. The School Completion Programme (SCP) aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to generally improve educational outcomes of its target cohort. The SCP is one of three services being integrated into a continuum of educational support services under the remit of the National Educational...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (25 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: In 2002, the Health Service Executive (HSE) agreed to fund a Childminding Advisory Officer post or provide a staff member in each county, who would work with the 33 City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) funded under the Childcare Programme, implemented by the then Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The role included notifying childminders of training opportunities,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Aftercare Services (25 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE National Aftercare Policy states that all young people in care are assessed for an aftercare service from 16 years onwards. The length of time an aftercare service is provided is dependent upon the assessed needs of the young person, but is generally provided for up to the age of 21 years or 23 years if the young person is in education. I have been advised by the HSE that the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (25 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The ECCE programme provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children. Approximately 68,000 children are availing of the ECCE programme in the current school year. Children are eligible to avail of the free pre-school year where they are aged more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months at 1 September in the relevant year. Children born between 2 February 2009 and 30 June...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (25 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides for a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. Almost every pre-school service (more than 4,300) in the State is participating with over 68,000 children, or 94% of the eligible age cohort, availing of free pre-school this year. Under the ECCE programme my Department...