Results 6,221-6,240 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Strategy Publication (13 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Years Strategy is one of a number of detailed strategies being developed under the National Children and Young People’s Policy Framework 2014-2018. This Framework, which is nearing finalisation, will set out the overall principles, vision and outcomes for children and young people and will guide actions across Government over the period 2014 to 2018. The Policy Framework...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (13 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In the periods September 2012 to June 2013, and September 2013 to June 2014, 261 and 232 children respectively were approved to avail of the free pre-school year over a two year period. All qualifying children who applied to my Department to avail of the free pre-school year on a pro-rata basis were approved for the provision.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Programme (13 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: Youth Services Funding (13 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 216 together. 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 support for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Community Care Issues (13 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department implements the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, with assistance from Pobal in relation to issuing payments. Community childcare services qualify for funding under the CCS programme on the basis of the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. The information provided in the parental declaration forms submitted to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (13 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 exactly the same legal status as any biological child of the couple born to them within their marriage. In effect, once an adoption takes place, all previous links to the birth family are severed and the adopted person is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Programmes (13 Mar 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 support for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through National Organisations such as Crosscare under Youth Service Grant scheme the Special Projects for...

Topical Issue Debate: Adoption Services Provision (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and I have listened to what he has had to say about it. I realise that he is concerned about this issue. Adoption can be, as he said, an emotional and sometimes traumatic experience and the effects can vary at different stages of the process. We know there are many successful adoptions - of that there is no question - but there is no doubt that a...

Topical Issue Debate: Adoption Services Provision (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

Topical Issue Debate: Adoption Services Provision (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would not underestimate the help that CAMHS and other specialist child and adolescent mental health teams can give.

Topical Issue Debate: Adoption Services Provision (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: A well-trained psychologist or psychiatrist should be able to deal with some of the issues outlined by the Deputy in terms of attachment difficulties and the problems children, adopted or not, show. They can be similar. I take the point about some specialist help being available for certain cases and we will examine with Barnardos whether there is a way to move forward on this.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The new qualification requirements are based on international evidence that says that increasing the qualification levels of staff in childcare increases the quality of childcare services and therefore improves the outcomes for children. However, I recognise that for staff who are planning to retire in the near future, it is not practical to commence a course at this stage. In these...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Child and Family Agency has advised that 719 applicants and/or couples have completed the Health Service Executive assessment for the purposes of applying to adopt a child since the commencement of the Adoption Act, 2010. This figure relates to intercountry adoption assessments up to 31/12/2013 as the Quarter 1 information for 2014 is currently being collated.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services Provision (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under adoption legislation, when a child is registered on the Register of Intercountry Adoptions 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: A care plan is an agreed written plan for a child placed in statutory care. It is drawn up in consultation with the child, his or her family and all those involved with his or her care, for the current and future care of the child, which is designed to meet his or her needs. It establishes short, medium and long term goals for the child and identifies the services required to attain these...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Child & Family Agency that there are currently 31 social worker posts filled by persons on temporary contracts.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: A total of 1,459 social work posts transferred from the HSE to the Child & Family Agency. 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 rigorous system of risk analysis is in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Staffing vacancies arise for various reasons, including retirements, resignations, career breaks and unpaid leave. In addition, gaps in service cover arise where staff are on paid leave. Vacancies are covered by temporary staff as required to ensure that staffing levels do not fall to an unsafe level. This is risk assessed by Area Managers. I am advised by the Child and Family Agency, that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Republic of India has ratified the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption, as such it is not necessary to have a bilateral agreement with India. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (25 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 936, 938, 941, 954 and 975 together. 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...