Results 5,921-5,940 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The National Adoption Contact Register (NACPR) was established in 2005 to assist adopted people and their natural families to make contact with each other, exchange information or state their contact preferences. They decide, through a range of information and contact options, how they wish to proceed. The Adoption Authority of Ireland has responsibility for the operation of the Contact...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Advisers Remuneration (18 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Advisers have all been placed on the Principal Officer standard scale, in accordance with Department of Finance instructions on Ministerial appointments.

Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second and Subsequent Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I thank Deputies from across the House for facilitating the taking of the Bill. The Bill addresses inter-country adoption and specifically the concerns of some people who have been unable to continue with the process of adopting a child from Russia because of an amendment to Russian adoption legislation which took effect earlier this year....

Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second and Subsequent Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank all Deputies who have contributed to this debate. I also thank all Members who have received representations on this issue and conveyed these concerns to me in a detailed way over the past few months. I prefer to be here introducing legislation we can stand over rather than making promises at an earlier stage. Quite a detailed examination was necessary to make this change to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Freedom of Information Requests (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: In 2012, 32 requests were received in my Department. Search and Retrieval Fees were sought in respect of four cases. The maximum fee sought in respect of search and retrieval fees was €628.50. One request did not proceed to completion as search and retrieval fees sought were not paid. In 2013 thus far, 39 requests have been received in my Department. Search and retrieval fees were...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Process RIA (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department was established on the 2nd June 2011 and since then I have published the Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012, the Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 and the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2013. A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) was not published in advance of publication of any of these. A RIA for the Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 was published...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Family Support Agency, the National Educational Welfare Board and the Ombudsman for Children’s Office. With effect from 1 January 2012, I also took responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided for in Part 10 of the Children Act 2001....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Family Support Agency, the National Educational Welfare Board and the Ombudsman for Children’s Office. With effect from 1 January 2012, I also took responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided for in Part 10 of the Children Act 2001....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to have the opportunity to update the Joint Committee on Health and Children in support of its quarterly review of my Department's work. Today’s meeting provides another opportunity to bring Deputies and Senators up to date on important developments in the work of my Department since our last quarterly review in October, as well as looking ahead to the immediate future. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the members. I will reply in a general way on the legislative programme because everybody has raised it. There were two legislative developments that were additional to the original legislative programme: the preschool changes in the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 and this week’s Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2013 to address an urgent situation regarding Russian adoptions. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Of course. I will not put it in the Deputy's pigeon hole. I will hand it to him directly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I do not know what happened to the pigeon. All the board positions have been filled. The Deputy also raised the Roma situation and the ongoing independent inquiry by the children's ombudsman. All the terms of reference and reports have been given to the ombudsman. It is an independent office. I have no doubt she would be keen to get the report done as quickly as possible but we have not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can only agree with the Deputy and I look forward to discussions with the committee. As Minister I will certainty be making this case, which is why I am very pleased to see references to children, families, early intervention and early years services in the medium-term economic strategy. We have a growing population of young people and there is no question that there are resource...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: It will be the child and family agency, and the Adoption Authority will continue to have a role to play.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I return the compliment and thank the Chairman for his leadership of the committee.

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (20 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish Senators a good morning. This Bill addresses the issue of inter-country adoptions, specifically the concerns of some people who have been unable to continue with the process of adopting a child from Russia because of an unexpected amendment to Russian adoption legislation that took effect earlier this year. The Adoption Act 2010 provides, inter alia, for inter-country adoptions...

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (20 Dec 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Senators for their responses to the legislation I have proposed today. I note the great care they have taken in their responses to the families that have been in touch with them. I pay tribute to the serious way in which Senators have approached the situations in which these families find themselves. They have approached this legislation in the same manner. I welcome the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Cafés Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In February 2013, I announced that my Department would be providing funding for youth capital projects in 2013. In this regard, total funding of €1.55m has been made available for my Department's Youth Cafe 2013 programme. Pobal assisted my Department with the application and evaluation process for the Youth Cafés 2013 Programme. Applications for new youth cafés were...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Work Projects Funding (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 715, 721 and 722 together. My Department provides funding to support 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. The funding schemes support the work of some 32 national and regional youth organisations and some 480 local youth work projects...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information sought by the Deputy is currently being finalised and I will forward the information directly to the Deputy this week.