Results 5,121-5,140 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald
- Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Issues (9 Jul 2013)
Frances Fitzgerald: I am aware of the case referred to by the Deputy. It is also my understanding that the particular case is currently the subject of ongoing legal proceedings. The employment of a teacher is primarily a matter for the management of the school concerned. Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. In the...
- Order of Business (10 Jul 2013)
Frances Fitzgerald: There is a well established precedent in regard to the publication of such reports, as Deputy Martin knows well.
- Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Young Carers (10 Jul 2013)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Study of Young Carers in the Irish Population, published by my Department in 2010, highlights the importance of creating a better understanding of children as carers in Ireland. It found that it is very difficult to identify young carers in the population. In order to learn more about children that undertake caring roles, my Department requested the Central Statistics Office to...
- Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (10 Jul 2013)
Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has not received a proposal from the co-ordinator of the Dominican Campus School Completion Programme. Following receipt of the Deputy’s question, my officials have established that the programme is seeking funding of €35,044.88 to create a new post of Traveller Education Support Worker to serve the primary schools in the project. I am also aware that this...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the select sub-committee for inviting me to discuss the 2013 Revised Estimate - Vote 40 - for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The Revised Estimate for 2013 allocates gross funding to my Department of over €439.1 million which includes over €413.346 million in current funding and €25.76 million in capital funding. When appropriations-in-aid receipts...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: Yes. All Departments have seen significant reductions in their Voted allocations in the past five years. As a result, there is increasingly little scope for Departments to deal with budget overruns, additional requirements or new initiatives. Despite this, the Government’s commitment to children and young people continues to be demonstrated through the new initiatives and additional...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: Yes; that is perfect. I thank all the Deputies for their comments. I will begin by responding to Deputy Troy. I would like to inform the committee that the child and family agency Bill was cleared by the Cabinet this week. It is a very large Bill with over 100 heads. I have consulted Deputy Troy on the Bill and discussed it with him. I thank him for his support for the legislation. It...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: In terms of the early childhood care and education scheme, ECCE, and disability issues, I agree with Deputy Troy that this area requires further discussion and attention. We speak a great deal about support services once children enter primary school. However, we must also consider the disability services children aged under five years can access in preschool settings. We have a process in...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Education and Skills established a working group some weeks ago with the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. My Department is represented on the group and the issue of access to preschool education for children with a disability is part of the agenda we will examine in the coming weeks to identify what further progress can be made in this area. In regard to...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: Some 55 service reports from 2011, 2012 and 2013 are to be published today. The services in question are from the mid-west region and the reports published will be the most recent available for each of the services inspected.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: Yes. It is important to get the message across to parents that if they read a report about the service they and their children use, they should discuss it with their service provider. The reports were available under freedom of information legislation in any case. It is important that they are published as quickly as resources permit and are made available in a form that is suitable for...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: The first point to be made is that the funding is in place. This is the first time any government has put funding aside in order to develop a new detention facility and take children out of St. Patrick's. There is no 16 year old child in St. Patrick's now. The Government has taken 16 year olds out of St. Patrick's and has made an announcement with regard to 17 year olds. I compliment the...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: Much work has gone on. There was a possibility of a change to the arrangements in the girls' unit, but although the numbers are currently low, it is not feasible suddenly to designate it as a male unit. We thought that might be a solution, but following further discussions with a number of bodies, it was decided not to go in that direction. We are relying on the resolution of the HR issues...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: I appreciate the urgency of this and I take it with the utmost seriousness when we cannot provide a bed for young people whom the courts wish to refer. Every effort is being made by the management team in Oberstown and by the IYJS, which has responsibility for this area in my Department, and by the board, chaired by Mr. Joe Horan. They have done a great amount of work with the staff. ...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: A total of 26,800 places are currently being subsidised under the community child care subvention scheme, or CCS. That is up from around 25,000 last year, in spite of the fact that the scheme overspent by €4.8 million in 2012. More children are being subsidised at the lower rate of €50 per week, instead of the €95 rate, because their parents are in low-income...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: This is an area that the working group set up to examine the issue of special needs can consider. More attention is being paid to the preschool sector, special needs and disability. It is hard to know what the complex reasons are for the figure of 250. It is interesting. Where else are these children accessing preschool services? Are they obtaining them privately or what arrangements are...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: On youth funding, I have been chairing the meetings of the EU Council of Youth Ministers in the past six months. It is very clear that, by international standards, our youth work sector is very well funded by comparison with those in some other countries. There is no indication in the feedback we get from youth services that fewer young people are accessing services. They have reformed and...
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: Yes, it is the overall figure.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: Yes, but let me double check. I beg the Deputy's pardon, last year's funding has gone out but this year's has not been opened yet. I thought she meant the one that I was reporting on.
- Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2013
Vote 40 - Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (10 Jul 2013) Frances Fitzgerald: There is €500,000 available this year.