Results 14,021-14,040 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (30 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The new Child & Family Agency brings together family support services previously delivered by a number of different agencies. The establishment of the agency allows for the provision of a more integrated service than heretofore to those families that require support. There are currently 106 Family Resource Centres funded by the Child and Family Agency, including six in County Cork...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Costs (30 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am aware of the relatively high cost of child care in this country and of the difficulties that this presents, particularly where both parents are in employment outside of the home. To help address the issue, funding of €260 million is provided annually by my Department to support a number of targeted child care support programmes that assist parents in accessing quality and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am responsible for accountability for the agency in legislation. I would like to continue to do that. If the committee wants to invite the agency on particular issues, I am happy for that to happen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: We should tease out this matter because it is easy to look at legislation and say that sanctions are missing and should be included. I would like a carefully thought-out discussion on Committee Stage, and I am sure we will have it. One should not automatically jump to the conclusion that including sanctions, other than those included, is the way forward. We could arrive at the situation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In governance terms it is to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The authority is a quasi-judicial body. Therefore, it has a quasi-judicial responsibility towards individual cases and is accountable in how cases are handled and managed. From a governance point of view, it comes under the remit of my Department. I have covered many of the areas mentioned by Senator van Turnhout....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Deputy Fitzpatrick asked about Dundalk. I understand that its two local councils have made a contribution this week which will help funding. I take the point he made about ongoing funding. I will ask the Child and Family Agency to send him a report on the funding situation going forward, which I hope will satisfy the Deputy. I know there has been a delay but this week a decision was made...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Much of it is modular and weekend work. We believe and have evidence that the sector will have time before September 2015 to upskill. We are introducing some transitional arrangements for staff who have been in the sector for a long period which will not be quite as intensive as the requirements to be met by those who are new to the sector. Six to eight months, perhaps up to one year,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputies and Senators for their interest and questions. I will respond first to the issue raised by Deputies Troy and Ó Caoláin and Senator van Turnhout and touched on by Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, namely, the Children First legislation. First, I am pleased to have delivered this legislation, which was first promised in 1997. No work on this issue had been done prior...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Legislation provides potential for civil action. A professional is legally bound by legislation to make a report. Where this does not happen, the professional is subject to disciplinary procedures. In regard to the legislation, what I wanted was a reasonable and proportionate approach. In the course of the ongoing discussions about the Bill, it was decided that criminal sanctions were not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Quarterly Update on Children and Youth Issues: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to have the opportunity to update the Joint Committee on Health and Children in support of its quarterly review of my Department’s work. I had the opportunity to update the select sub-committee in January on my Department’s Vote, which includes the expenditure allocation for the Child and Family Agency. Officials from my Department also recently attended before...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Childcare Education and Training support (CETS) programme, which is one of a number of childcare support programmes implemented by my Department, provides funding to support parents who are participating in Solas and the Education Training Boards training and education courses with the cost of childcare. Payments under the CETS programme, which are made by Pobal on behalf of my...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Guarantee (17 Apr 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 by the voluntary youth sector. The work of the voluntary youth work sector, in the provision of these services, has a significant contribution to make to the Government’s jobs agenda including the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services Provision (17 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have asked the Adoption Authority to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education Welfare Service Provision (16 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service issue, I have asked the Child and Family Agency to provide me with the information sought. I will respond to the Deputy on receipt of this information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (16 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested the information from the Child and Family Agency and I will revert to the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Guarantee (16 Apr 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 by the voluntary youth sector. The work of the voluntary youth work sector, in the provision of these services, has a significant contribution to make to the Government's jobs agenda including the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (16 Apr 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. These schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme under which funding is provided to support 31 national and major regional youth organisations. Targeted supports for disadvantaged,...

Topical Issue Debate: Children and Family Services (15 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Okay.

Topical Issue Debate: Children and Family Services (15 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for raising this issue. The report is an important and impressive evaluation of the Bringing It All Back Home project. As Deputy Ó Snodaigh said, it was a project of the canal communities family welfare initiative. This is an inter-agency consortium. I fully agree with what Deputy Ó Snodaigh said in respect of the inter-agency arrangement. It is...

Topical Issue Debate: Children and Family Services (15 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can only agree with Deputy Ó Snodaigh that this type of early intervention project yields great results. There is no question of that. It could prevent young children going into care if the right support is available for families and parents. This is one of the reasons the Government has committed €30 million for the area-based childhood, ABC, programmes which are similar to...