Results 5,241-5,260 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the the Service Executive has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. The majority of children in care are in foster care, one third of whom are placed with relatives. Foster care applicants undergo an assessment and training process to establish their suitability and competence. - Application - Assessment by a social...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The document referred to by the Deputy relates to a range of issues set out by the Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW). I do not intend to respond today to all of the specifics of that document. Overall I wish to recognise that the Child Welfare and Protection service is faced with considerable demands arising in part from the steady increase in referrals to the HSE social work...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE is responsible for funding this programme. I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly with the relevant information.

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE is responsible for running this programme. I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly with the relevant information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The total cost of all media advertising in my Department is detailed in the following table. I would note that my Department was only established in June 2011 and therefore the information relates to expenditure from that date. In respect of the use of media I can confirm that expenditure extended to the use of both local media as well national media over the period covered and included a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Appointments (18 Sep 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Appointments (18 Sep 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Appointments (18 Sep 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1250 to 1253, inclusive, 1258, 1262 and 1267 together. I have the utmost concern for the position that the prospective adopters who were close to finalising adoptions from Russia now find themselves in following the recent changes to the Russian adoption process. I have received a large volume of representations on behalf of the applicants involved and I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Declarations of eligibility and suitability (DES) to adopt which were issued under Section 63 of the Adoption Act 2010 are due to expire on 31st October 2013. Following consultation with my Department, the AAI and the HSE agreed a process whereby holders of valid Section 63 declarations, may apply to the HSE under Section 37 of the Act for an assessment review, which will not include a full...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the appointment of a guardian ad litem (GAL) in child care cases is a matter for the Courts. Under section 26 of the Child Care Act 1991, the Court may appoint a guardian ad litem to a child who is the subject of care proceedings, if it is satisfied that it is necessary in the interests of the child and in the interests of justice to do so. They are always...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1257, 1261 and 1266 together. In March of this year I travelled to Moscow, accompanied by Dr Geoffrey Shannon, Chair of the Adoption Authority, in order to discuss at a diplomatic level issues in relation to the potential for a bilateral agreement with Russia. My officials are in active discussions with officials in the Office of the Attorney General and in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Capital Programme Expenditure (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: In relation to funding for capital projects in County Cork and specifically in Kinsale, Bandon or Clonakilty, the following table details the name, location and cost of such projects. I would note that my Department was only established in June 2011 and therefore the information relates to funding from that date. Name of Project Location Amount Approved The Haven Montessori School Bandon...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. These schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2, Local Drug Task Force...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The free pre-school year commenced in January 2010, so this year is only the third full year of operation. At this very early stage, there has been no formal evaluation of its operation. There has been considerable anecdotal evidence from school principals, the National Education and Welfare Board and parents of the effectiveness of the year in preparing children for school. These views...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Budget 2014 Issues (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Funding requirements and how resources should be prioritised and allocated across each area of Government spending are generally considered as part of the annual estimates cycle and budgetary process. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time on any future decisions that may be taken by Government in the context of Budget 2014 on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services Provision (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information sought by the Deputy is not collated in the manner requested. The Adoption Authority does not break down declarations issued or adoptions registered by HSE region. In addition, the declarations issued in a particular year, for both domestic and intercountry adoption, bear no relation to the adoptions registered in that year, both domestic and intercountry adoptions. The...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: All prospective foster carers or applicants undergo an assessment and training process to establish their suitability and competence as future foster carers. The assessment is undertaken by a social worker from the local fostering team and includes Garda vetting, internal HSE checks to establish previous involvement with child protection services, a medical assessment, personal interviews in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Adoptions (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Adoption Authority of Ireland that there is a significant difference between the average ages of domestic adopters compared to those adopting from outside the State. Since the enactment of the Adoption Act, 2010 (1 November 2010), adopters within Ireland have all been aged between 35-45 years (100%), while the majority of applicants adopting from abroad are aged between...