Results 6,201-6,220 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Child Protection: Motion (5 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the motion that has been tabled by Senator van Turnhout and other Senators. The Government and I are happy to support it. I have been struck by the points that have been made. Like Senator van Turnhout said about what happened when the matter was debated last year, I also got a very big reaction from people. Many people were horrified that child beauty pageants could happen in...

Seanad: Child Protection: Motion (5 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are many challenges in this area and there is much work to be done but we putting building blocks in place that will protect some of those vulnerable children that, undoubtedly, we still have in this country. That statement of intent is based on an absolute acceptance of the proposition in the motion that "childhood, as a time-specific and unique period in a person's development, is a...

Seanad: Child Protection: Motion (5 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving me the opportunity. My response should be self-evident. I welcome Senators' comments. This has been an interesting debate and has sent a clear message about the House's opinions on this issue as well as on the importance of protecting childhood in the broadest sense. It was relatively recent in our history that we started valuing childhood. It would...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Work Placement Programmes (6 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Budget 2014 included the provision of €6.7m (€12m in a full year) to support the continuing implementation of the reform programme across children and family services. This additional funding will assist the new Child and Family Agency in meeting identified service pressures. This will include the filling of social work vacancies taking account of identified need, with a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (6 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is implemented by my Department and provides for one year's free preschool year for each eligible child before they commence primary school. The child referred to by the Deputy is availing of the full free preschool complement in this academic year and there are no circumstances where a second free preschool year is provided under the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Social Workers Recruitment (6 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: A total of 1,459 social work posts transferred from the HSE to the Child & Family Agency and 74 positions are currently vacant. The complement transferring was determined following a detailed census and re-classification process undertaken in the HSE during 2013 through which social workers were formally assigned to particular care groups, including child and families services. A...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Work Placement Programmes (6 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Budget 2014 included the provision of €6.7m (€12m in a full year) to support the continuing implementation of the reform programme across children and family services. This additional funding will assist the new Child and Family Agency in meeting identified service pressures. This will include the filling of social work vacancies taking account of identified need, with a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Establishment (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In preparation for the establishment of the Child and Family Agency on 1st January 2014 and in order to establish a single brand identity, the HSE Children and Family Services decided to formally engage external support. A tendering process was entered into by Children and Family Services and three companies were invited to make presentations. Creative Inc were selected and contracted for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme are implemented by my Department. These programmes represent an annual investment of approximately €260 million and benefits more than 100,000 each year. My Department has commenced an internal review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware the functions and operational responsibilities of the former National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) are now part of the new Child and Family Agency, which was established on 1 January 2014. Since this date the staff of the former NEWB, including its Educational Welfare Officers, have transferred to the new Agency. Within the Child and Family Agency, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is implemented by my Department and provides for one free pre-school year for each eligible child before they commence primary school. The child referred to by the Deputy is availing of the full free pre-school complement in this academic year and there are no circumstances where a second free pre-school year is provided under the programme.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Social Workers Recruitment (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Budget 2014 included the provision of €6.7m (€12m in a full year) to support the continuing implementation of the reform programme across children and family services. This additional funding will assist the new Child and Family Agency in meeting identified service pressures. This will include the filling of social work vacancies taking account of identified need, with a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Childcare services are governed by the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006. The Explanatory Guide to the Regulations recommends a range of adult/child ratios that reflect the age of the child and the level of care the child is receiving. These ratios are considered to provide the optimum level of adult participation needed to ensure the health and safety of each child. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foreign Adoptions (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Efforts are ongoing in my Department in relation to a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption between Ireland and the Russian Federation. Following my invitation to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science in August 2013, a delegation of Russian officials travelled to Ireland in October 2013 for discussions on a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption between Ireland and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Legal Costs (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is the policy of my Department, and bodies under the aegis of my Department, to minimise legal fees to the greatest extent possible, and to engage external law firms only as the need arises and where the required professional expertise is not available in-house or through another state body. All contracts entered into by my Department must conform to the relevant laws and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is continuing to work on the Heads of Bill for the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill and I hope to be in a position to seek Government approval to publish the Heads of Bill as soon as possible. As I have stated on a number of occasions it is important to note that complex legal and constitutional issues have arisen in the drafting of the Bill. A particular challenge has...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education Welfare Service Staff (11 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware the functions and operational responsibilities of the former National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) are now part of the new Child and Family Agency, which was established on 1 January 2014. Since this date the staff of the former NEWB, including its Educational Welfare Officers, have transferred to the new Agency. Within the Child and Family Agency, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Meetings (12 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Neither I nor officials of my Department have met with the company in question, or its representatives.

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Under adoption legislation, when a child is registered on the Register of Adoption the child is deemed to be the fully legal child of the adoptive parent/couple, having the same legal status as any biological child of the couple born to them within their marriage. Accordingly, it is open to any adopted child to access Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services operated by the HSE.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Reports (12 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In order to deliver key commitments in relation to children and young people and to put in place a unified framework of policy, legislation and provision across Government in respect of children and young people, it is necessary to commission reports from time to time. My Department ensures that all reports commissioned are of direct relevance to our operational and policy commitments. My...