Results 6,301-6,320 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Other Questions: Child Care Services Provision (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: We have begun to bring the local child care committees together and they have formed an umbrella group called Child Care Committees Ireland. This is a very positive development, and I thank the representative body for its work in this regard. It has made an input into the development of the new national quality support service. I will be holding a round-table meeting in the next two weeks...

Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for his question and endorsement of the importance of youth services. I know he has an interest in this area. I agree that funding schemes and programmes for the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country should continue in so far as possible. I have provided some information to the House already but I will summarise it. The schemes...

Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: That was the figure for 2013. The figure for 2012 was €56.8 million.

Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Obviously, my Department, along with all other Departments, has been required to deliver substantial savings in recent years, in line with the comprehensive review of expenditure for 2012 to 2014. In determining the annual allocations for youth programmes I must have regard to the savings required of my Department but I have sought to ensure that front-line services, particularly those for...

Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: On the second question, representations were made to me last year about the Galway youth service. We examined the particular points that were raised and were in a position to give some extra funding. If there are other issues arising now, I ask Deputy Ó Cuív to correspond with me in that regard and I will respond forthwith. We have directed funding at services which were at risk,...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Funding (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Significant investment is being provided this year by my Department for the two child care schemes that are currently operating, namely the community child care scheme and the childhood education and training support, CETS, scheme. My Department also administers the free preschool year scheme. The annual investment in the latter scheme provides a financial benefit to the parents of...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Funding (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will certainly be bringing forward a case for the incremental development of affordable and accessible child care services. I agree with the Deputy that this is a key economic and competitiveness issue. As the OECD report stated when it examined this area, it is essential that it be addressed for the future economic development of the country. I approach it from the point of view of what...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Funding (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: This country will have to deal with the issue of the accessibility and affordability of child care in the coming years. The precise mechanism and financial support to be provided will have to be examined. Research shows the provision of universal child care services, as opposed to using the tax system, is preferable if funding is available. However, there will be detailed budgetary...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy heard my earlier reply on this legislation. I am keen to progress it as soon as possible, as a lot of work has been done on it. Legal advice has been sought in detailed discussions with the Attorney General. I met her in recent weeks to consider how we could progress the legislation and what could be included in the heads of the Bill. I will have these finalised as soon as...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: New arrangements can be put in place, which is why extra staff have been allocated. Obviously, there are many demands on the Child and Family Agency and this is one of many. I have, however, identified it as an important priority area because the needs of those seeking adoption information are important. There has not been enough focus up to now on bringing the records together. It is an...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy's first question was whether there would be a line drawn in the sand in regard to the type of approach to be taken. The answer is "Yes." In the legislation I intend to introduce a change as regards how we deal with this issue of current and prospective adoptions. The legislation will change the approach. Second, the Child and Family Agency has started on its work, but it is an...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Thirty three City and County Childcare Committees were established in 2001 under the Office of the Minister for Children to help support the development of childcare locally. The current role of the Committees is to assist the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in improving and expanding the quality of childcare services available to parents in their area. The Committees offer...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: 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. Less than 1% of children in care with specialised needs are placed in a High Support or Special Care Unit. The Child and Family Agency informed my Department on 16th January 2014, that revised arrangements for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: International evidence tells us that raising the qualification levels of staff working with children is key to improving the quality of services. As part of the quality agenda, therefore, I announced last year that by September 2015 all staff working with children in early years services would have to have a minimum Level 5 (on the National Qualifications Framework) qualification in early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Proceedings (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I launched the Child Care Law Reporting Project in November 2012 to provide information on the circumstances that lead the Child and Family Agency to seek Care and Supervision Orders in Court. The Project provides a snapshot report of selected cases from courts around the country. It does not report on all cases. The majority of cases reported on to date were in Dublin. The report...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 20 together. The Child and Family Agency provides an Information and Tracing Service throughout the country to birth mothers, adopted persons and their families. The Adoption Act 2010, requirement that agencies providing Information and Tracing services would gain accreditation resulted in a number of religious orders deciding not to apply for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 25 together. The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is a multilateral treaty concluded on May 29, 1993 in The Hague, Netherlands. There are currently 93 contracting states to this Convention. Ireland ratified the Convention on 1st November 2010. Ireland strongly supports the principles of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ombudsman for Children Remit (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that I have already made significant changes to the remit of the Ombudsman for Children and have no immediate plans to further extend the powers and remit of the Ombudsman for Children. The Ombudsman for Children produced a report in March 2012 entitled ‘A Report by the Ombudsman for Children on the operation of the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002’....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Proposed Legislation (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I share the deep distaste of colleagues for events such as child beauty pageants which are not at all appropriate for children. I have asked my Department to examine options which can be taken. My Department has commissioned and funded a research project which is being conducted by University College Cork and which is looking at the impact of commercialisation and sexualisation of children...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Garda Operations (27 Mar 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 24 together. I can inform both deputies that I have had no contact with the Department of Justice and Equality or with An Garda Síochána in relation to the matter outlined in the questions above. I have no function in this matter. I am aware that my colleague Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter has recently replied to similar...