Results 6,101-6,120 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to take this opportunity to advise the House of the historic position regarding adoption in Ireland. The Adoption Act 1952 placed adoption on a regulatory footing in Ireland and all adoptions that have taken place since then should, in accordance with the law, have been in compliance with that Act. I am advised by the Adoption Authority of Ireland that 44,042 adoptions took place in...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: An audit report on neglect cases in Roscommon, Waterford and Dublin South East, 'A Review of Practice and Audit of the Management of Cases of Neglect', was published in June 2013 by the HSE. The audit was conducted on foot of an examination of the management of systematic and problematic neglect in a family known to the HSE Child Protection Services. Concerns had been raised that this might...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 187 together. The Child and Family Agency (CFA) was established on 1 January 2014 in accordance with the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 and has service responsibility for:- Child welfare and protection services formerly operated by the HSE including family support and alternative care services; - Child and family-related services for which the HSE...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government is giving particular priority to improving services for children and families. In accordance with the Revised Estimates for 2014 as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Child and Family Agency ("CFA") allocation is €609 million, including €7m in capital provision. This allocation is for the continuing provision of services previously...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The commitment to improve the quality of early childhood care and education for all children has been a key priority for me since becoming Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. My Department and I have been working on a comprehensive Pre-School Quality Agenda which aims to improve quality standards in pre-school services in Ireland. A key element of this Agenda is to strengthen the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ombudsman for Children Reports (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Ombudsman for Children Ms Emily Logan has initiated an investigation of the actions of the HSE in relation to these cases under provisions of the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002. The Minister for Justice and Equality has appointed Emily Logan in a personal capacity to undertake the inquiry into the taking into care of two children from two Roma families. In accordance with Section 42 of...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Last year I announced an 8-point Pre-School Quality Agenda to address issues of quality in the pre-school sector. There is clear evidence that the level of qualification held by childcare staff has a significant impact on the quality of the service provided. It was in this context that I decided to introduce a minimum qualification for all staff working directly with children across the...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 39 together. The staffing complement for the Child and Family Agency (CFA), which was established on 1 January, 2014 includes 1,385 social workers who transferred from the HSE. The complement was determined following a detailed census and re-classification process undertaken in 2013, through which social workers were formally assigned to particular...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Carers Strategy Status (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: A large number of children act in some capacity in a caring role. This was evidenced by the results of the Census of Population 2011, where over six thousand children indicated that they provided regular unpaid personal help for a friend or family member with a long-term illness, health problems or disability. Children and young people with caring responsibilities face particular...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children before commencing primary school. Approximately 68,000 children availed of the free pre-school year in the 2012/2013 academic year and €175 million funding was made available to support the provision. It is expected that similar numbers...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I am very much aware of the relatively high cost of childcare in this country. Significant investment, totalling more than €260m, is being provided this year by my Department to provide for a number of childcare programmes that assist parents with the cost of childcare. These programmes include the Free Pre-School Year, from which approximately 68,000 children benefit annually. The...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I share the Deputy's concerns and recognise that the scale of the challenge, particularly as the number of social media outlets, and platforms to use them, is ever increasing. Research on the problem shows there are no simple answers and there is no magic solution to tackling this complex social issue. It is important that a cross-departmental approach is taken to tackling this issue. In...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I am responsible for answering Parliamentary Questions pursuant to Standing Order 34 for the following bodies: the Child and Family Agency, the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the board of management with responsibility for the Children Detention Schools and the Ombudsman for Children's Office. In addition, I would note that under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, the Family Support...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Appointments (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Minister has the authority to appoint board members to the following bodies: the Child and Family Agency, the Adoption Authority of Ireland, and the board of management with responsibility for the Children Detention Schools. Gaisce, The President's Award is a limited company set up under the Companies Acts (in 1996) with a memorandum and articles of Association. The Articles of...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to inform the Deputy that, in the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 which was commenced with effect from 1st January 2014, I have made provision at Section 10 for public bodies, including local authorities, to make agreements with the Child and Family Agency (CFA) in respect of the performance by the Agency of the local authorities' functions and vice versa. Section 11 allows for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. Approximately 68,000 children availed of the ECCE programme in the 2012/13 school year. Children qualify for the free pre-school provision when they are within the qualifying age range which is 3 years and 3 months to 4 years and 7...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse Reports (12 Feb 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have noted the concerns raised by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in its concluding observations on the second periodic report of the Holy See. Reports such as these remind us once again of the scale of historical abuse and of past failures to protect children. As regards the issue of cooperation between the Irish church authorities and the relevant civil agencies I would like...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Considerable capital funding was made available to community and commercial mainstream childcare providers for the development and refurbishment of childcare facilities under the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006-2010, and previously under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP). Because of the economic situation, a review of capital expenditure was undertaken in...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: On 3 February 2014, in conjunction with my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, I launched the Youth Justice Action Plan 2014-2018. The overall mission statement of the Action Plan is to create a safer society by working in partnership to reduce youth offending through appropriate interventions and linkages to services. It is focused on continuing the downward trends in high...