Results 6,081-6,100 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am conscious of the efforts being made by Philomena Lee to highlight the issues relating to information on and tracing of adoptions and illegal registrations. This is an extremely sensitive matter, especially for birth mothers who may still feel the emotional conflicts associated with adoptions many years ago. I have not yet had the opportunity to meet Philomena Lee. I would welcome a...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will work proactively with Ms Lee and the Philomena Project, and will give it every assistance I can in terms of making data and records available. I have made such information available to this House in response to a number of parliamentary questions in recent months. We are still teasing out the complex constitutional issues that arise in regard to adoption tracing. I have previously...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Clearly the case to which the Deputy referred is central to the discussion, as are the European decisions on the right to identity. They vary. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is clear on the right to identity but the I. O'T. case and the European court judgments give a more nuanced response. I wish to state for the House the Supreme Court's direction on the...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 15 and 30 together. I am aware that a problem exists in respect of the sharing of student vetting information by training colleges with a third party. It is my understanding that timing issues between a student finding a placement with a service provider and the time they need to be on placement may not allow for the service provider to obtain Garda...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is crucial that the integrity of the vetting procedure be maintained. If there is any question of the Data Protection Commissioner feeling this will not be the case and there is not a separate vetting procedure, I will have to resolve that with him. If he is satisfied with that, it is a question of us further examining the preschool regulations to see if the resolution suggested by the...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy. Clearly, this is an urgent issue. If the Garda vetting clearance given to colleges is not deemed sufficient for the placements, the vetting unit has additional staff. Many Members have raised the issue of delays in securing Garda vetting clearance. The delays have been reduced considerably but I take the Deputy's point. My staff are in contact with the Data Protection...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that a significant number of staff have been appointed to the Garda vetting bureau. As the Deputies are aware, delays in vetting were previously of the order of 14 or 15 weeks. The most recent information I received indicates that these have been reduced to five or six weeks, which is a substantial change. It is all very well for Deputy Troy to refer to the sharing of...

Other Questions: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will.

Other Questions: Children in Care (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 197 together. Under the Child Care Act 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, the newly established Child and Family Agency has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. The placement of children in care is governed by regulations. These provide for the welfare of children and for...

Other Questions: Children in Care (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes. The definition is very broad and once a child is in care of the State, it is effectively acting in loco parentis. Essentially, what is involved here is promoting the safety, well-being and welfare of children. That is very clearly spelled out in the legislation and it guides the work being done in respect of children in care. It is important that the Deputy has highlighted this...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Establishment (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I take it that the Deputy's question relates to the work of the new Child and Family Agency as my Department does not procure social work services. The Child and Family Agency, which was established on 1 January, 2014, is continuing to avail of contracts entered into previously by the HSE for the provision of social work services. Contracts are in place with two companies for the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 21 and 26 together. The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) is an information and resource centre on rape and all forms of sexual violence. The organisation is the representative body for member Rape Crisis Centres in Ireland that provide free advice, counselling and support for survivors of sexual abuse. The Rape Crisis Centres are separate entities...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 13 together. Children who are unable to live with their parent/s for their welfare and protection are taken into the care of the Child and Family Agency and placed mainly in foster care. For approximately 5% of all children in care, residential care is considered the most suitable option to meet their needs. Less that 1% of children in care with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: European Court of Human Rights Judgments (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 23 together. I have been in direct contact with the Minister for Education and Skills on the matter following the recent European Court of Human Rights judgment. The Minister briefed Cabinet on the 4th of February last on the O'Keeffe judgment. Further consideration of this complex judgment is ongoing and I anticipate that there will be further...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 19 together. The Republic of India has ratified the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. As a contracting state under the Hague Convention, the Adoption Act 2010 provides that adoptions by Irish prospective adoptive parents may be made subject to Irish and Indian requirements being satisfied...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Functions (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department was established in June 2011 with a mandate to put in place a unified framework of policy, legislation and provision across Government in respect of children and young people. In fulfilling this mandate, my Department engages in a wide range of policy and service activity, both direct and indirect, for children and young people through a number of separate, but inter-related...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Pre-school services are governed by Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 and by the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006 and the Child Care (Prescribed Service) Regulations 2014. I am in the process of introducing a number of key reforms as part of the Pre-School Quality Agenda with the objective of improving the quality of childcare services. I have outlined to this...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Social Media Regulation (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government is very concerned generally about the issue of the level of alcohol consumption among young people, but specifically about the recent tragic death involving a young person participating in the 'Neknominations' trend. Both the Taoiseach and I have condemned the craze and called on individuals not to partake or to encourage others to partake in such reckless and life-threatening...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department administers a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. In 2014, funding of €50.530m including €750,000 for a new capital funding programme has been provided to my Department for these schemes. The schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, under which funding is made available on an annual basis to 31 national and major regional...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Proposed Legislation (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In July 2013, the Government approved the revised Heads and General Scheme of the Children First Bill, which will put elements of the Children First National Guidance on a statutory footing. Officials from my Department are continuing to liaise with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel in relation to the drafting of the Bill, which is now at an advanced stage. The Bill is included in the...