Results 5,101-5,120 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: International Bodies Membership (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) operates in a global context and framework, provided primarily through its membership of the United Nations, the European Union and the Council of Europe. International human rights norms ratified by Ireland, in particular the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and The Hague Convention on Adoption, provide a framework for domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €53.498m is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 242 and 246 together. 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. At this time, custodial accommodation for under 18 year olds is provided on the Oberstown campus, Lusk, Co Dublin and in St Patrick’s Institution,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Support Services (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The responsibilities of my Department encompass a wide range of policy and service activity, both direct and indirect, for children and young people in Ireland. It has a complex mandate, comprised of a number of separate, but interrelated strands including: - the direct provision of a range of universal and targeted services; - ensuring high-quality arrangements are in place for focused...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Youth Services (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has responsibility for a range of policy and service activities, both direct and indirect for children and young people in Ireland. This responsibility includes the provision of a number of services for children and young people and a comprehensive research programme that includes the Growing Up in Ireland Survey and the State of the Nations Children report which provide...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Poverty (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has been given lead responsibility for implementing a new Area-Based Approach to Child Poverty programme during 2013-2016. This initiative was announced as part of Budget 2013 and has a funding allocation this year of €2.5 million. The programme is being co-funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies and is expected to have a total funding allocation of €29.7 million....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse Issues (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Statutory responsibility for the delivery of child welfare and protection services rests with the HSE, which is the appropriate body to receive all reports of concerns relating to all forms of child abuse. My Department occasionally receives calls from individuals concerned about the safety and well-being of a child. In all such cases my officials provide whatever assistance is required to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mental Health Awareness (4 Jul 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: Child Poverty (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, improving children's outcomes is my primary objective. The development of the Children and Young People's Policy Framework as the overarching framework under which policy and services for children and young people will be developed and implemented in the State, is an important initiative for cross departmental collaboration to secure this objective....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €53.498m is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes by the voluntary youth sector to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (4 Jul 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 (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since the broadcast of the Prime Time programme, my Department has received a large volume of correspondence in relation to the events outlined in the programme. I recently announced a number of measures as part of my response to the distressing events highlighted in the programme. As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, driving the early childhood care and education quality agenda is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Juvenile Offenders (9 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Oberstown capital project is required in order to give effect to the Programme for Government commitment to end the practice of detaining children in adult prison facilities. I have outlined my commitment to this project on many different occasions and it remains at the top of my agenda. The Deputy will be aware that shortly after taking responsibility for the children's detention...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (9 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €53.498 million is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (9 Jul 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 must currently hold a qualification in childcare/early education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ), or a nationally-recognised...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (9 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department implements the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which provides funding to community childcare services to enable them to charge reduced childcare rates to low income and disadvantaged families. Community childcare services qualify for grant aid on the basis of the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. Parental...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Aftercare Services (9 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Inspections (9 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Pre-school services are governed by the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006 as provided for under the Child Care Act 1991. Pre-school inspections, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), are necessary to ensure compliance with the Regulations and the delivery of quality childcare services. In relation to the publication of pre-school service...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (9 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No. 2) Regulations 2006, which provide the regulatory framework for pre-school services in the State, were brought into effect in September 2007. New National Quality Standards for full daycare services have been prepared. Standards for the other childcare models, i.e. part-time, sessional, drop-in services, and childminders, will be available later...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (9 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The General Scheme and Heads of Bill of the proposed Adoption (Amendment) Bill was published in September 2012 in conjunction with the publication of the referendum proposal to inform the public of proposed changes to adoption law if the Constitutional amendment was approved. The draft Bill provides for changing the criteria, under section 54 of the 2010 Act, where the High Court may...