Results 5,221-5,240 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Guidelines (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Dr. Geoffrey Shannon is the current Special Rapporteur on Child Protection. The functions of the Rapporteur are: - to keep under review and to audit legal developments for the protection of children; - to assess what impact, if any, litigation in national and international courts will have on child protection; - to prepare, annually, a report setting out the results of the previous...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Standards (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 651 and 658 together. The commitment to improve the quality of early childhood care and education has been a key priority for me since becoming Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. This is why my Department and I have been progressing work on Ireland's first-ever Early Years Strategy and this why we have been working on a comprehensive Pre-School Quality...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Numbers (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Figures supplied by the HSE, from its census of employment in the public health and social care sector, indicate that the number of whole-time equivalent (WTE) social workers employed in the HSE Children and Families service area was 1,397 at the end of June 2013, which is the latest date for which figures are available. The census numbers reflect the outcome of a process of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Pre-school services are subject to the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No.2) Regulations 2006, as provided for under Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991. The implementation of these Regulations and the inspection of pre-schools is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Management reforms are underway in the HSE in advance of the establishment of the Child and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Justice (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The legal detention capacity of the Children's Detention School on the Oberstown campus comprises 24 male bed spaces in Trinity House School, 8 female bed spaces in Oberstown Girls School, and 20 male bed spaces in Oberstown Boys School. However, only 16 of the certified 24 male bed spaces in Trinity House School are currently available for use due to staffing shortages. The Irish Youth...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Proposed Legislation (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The General Scheme and Heads of Bill of the Children First Bill 2013 are to be submitted to Government shortly for approval to draft the Bill.. The General Scheme and Heads of Bill of the proposed Adoption (Amendment) Bill were 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...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I indicated when I published the report of the Independent Child Death Review Group (ICDRG) that I welcome the findings and recommendations of this report, and that I accept fully the need for action in the areas identified. The necessary actions are being implemented in the context of the Government's reform programme for children's services, the most radical reform of child welfare and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which 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....

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The quality assurance of the Further Education system in Ireland is the responsibility of Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), a recently established body drawn from the merging of the Further Education Training Awards Council, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland and the Irish Universities Quality Board. In 2011,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (18 Jul 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's Office (OCO). With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: To respond immediately to the question about Oberstown, I have received agreement from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for funding for a campus manager. The position will be advertised this month. Some legal advice had to be sought on the precise wording of the advertisement, as we will be introducing legislation during the year to provide for one campus. It is important...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: We did.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes, I understand. I thank the Deputies and Senator for their comments and questions. Deputy Ó Caoláin and Senator van Turnhout asked about Oberstown. When I came into office Oberstown was quite under-utilised but had a lot of staff and the beds were not used fully. As the members will know, many children are now diverted from detention to community placement and supervision....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: We have approval, in principle, for 67 new staff next year. An assumption was made by the board and everybody involved in the management of Oberstown that the new roster would provide the flexibility to open and use all of the beds there. There is much disappointment that it has not proved possible to do that. Sometimes there are historic practices in place in units which are very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I was very conscious of that. It was not due to start until later, but the other Bill finished two hours earlier. The McElfatrick report is clearly a question of due process. That has just gone to the board. It involves staff, so there is a due process issue. I will take advice from the board on whether it should be made available for publication. There may be confidential material in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Senator van Turnhout asked about the regulation of childminders and whether the new standards will continue to apply to registered childminders. The regulations apply to registered children and a particular section of the regulations will apply to childminders. The Senator also raised the issue of au pairs. I met representatives from the Migrant Rights association and I discussed their...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Strategy Implementation (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Early years services contracted to deliver the free pre-school year are required to use Síolta and Aistear to provide an appropriate educational and care programme for children in their pre-school year. Participating service providers may be supported in meeting this requirement by a range of designated support services and agencies, including their local City or County Childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1239 and 1264 together. Under the , has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. If a child is in need of care and protection and is unlikely to receive it at home, then the HSE has a duty to ensure they receive appropriate care. In cases where parents are unable to cope due to illness or...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children's Rights Referendum (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, the Children's Referendum was held on 10th November 2012. A challenge to the Provisional Referendum Certificate, by way of Petition, was lodged in the High Court on 19th November 2012 under the provisions of the Referendum Act 1994. The hearing of the Petition in the High Court has concluded and the judgement of the Court is awaited. Such judgement would be open to...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Since the broadcast of the Prime Time programme in May this year, I have outlined to the Dáil on several occasions, and to the Joint Oireachtas Committee, my responses to the distressing events highlighted in this programme. I have identified eight key areas of action which I believe need to be considered and addressed as a matter of urgency. These are: - Increasing the qualification...