Results 14,061-14,080 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services Provision (10 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter for which the Adoption Authority has responsibility, I have asked the Authority to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Remit (10 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Responsibility for the funding of the Rape Crisis Centres and Refuges previously funded by the HSE became the responsibility of the new Child and Family Agency upon its establishment on 1stJanuary, 2014. In 2013 the HSE spent over €17 million on the provision of domestic and sexual violence services. This included the funding of 60 services throughout the country comprising:- -...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (10 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 169 together. Pre-school services are governed by Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 and by the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006. The Explanatory Guide to the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006 will be replaced by new National Quality Standards which are being introduced later this year. The new...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (10 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Years Capital Programme 2014, which I recently announced, provides €2.5 million for maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit child care services. The new capital programme, which will be administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department, opened for applications on the 7th April 2014 and the closing date for applications is the 7th May 2014. Full details of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Lottery Funding Applications (10 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The operational arrangements including eligibility criteria for the administration and implementation of the National Lottery Scheme in 2014 is being finalised by my Department at the present time and the related information will be available on the Department's website (www.dcya.gov.ie) in the near future. The overall allocation for the scheme in 2014 is €910,000.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Cafes Expenditure (10 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In recent years there has been a significant investment in the development of youth café facilities in Ireland which has been made possible, in the main, through the provision of capital funding to my Department. In 2013 a capital allocation of € 1.5 million was made available to my Department for the Youth Café Scheme and some 30 new youth café projects were approved...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (9 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Child and Family Agency, TUSLA, was established on 1 January 2014 and operational arrangements were completed in advance of this date to ensure the smooth transition of services provision, staff and service management. This included the transfer of staff from the Health Service Executive, the National Educational Welfare Board and the Family Support Agency. I am informed by the Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Remit (9 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Child and Family Agency which was established on 1 January, 2014, is in the process of consolidating its services. The provision of counselling services is currently under consideration in the context of services previously provided by the Family Support Agency and which now come under the remit of the Child and Family Agency. In this regard, the Agency intends to review and streamline...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education (9 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Prior to the introduction of the free pre-school year under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme in 2010 there was no qualification requirement for staff working directly with children in the childcare sector. The current requirement under the ECCE programme is that pre-school leaders must hold a major award in early childhood care and education at FETAC Level 5 or...

Topical Issue Debate: Home Care Packages (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I also wish to highlight that in the funding decision announced last week, €250,000 each will be made available to parent and toddler groups and to the childminding development grants scheme, which also are two highly important initiatives. If I may, I will reframe the manner in which the Deputy is describing the scheme by stating the Government is targeting a sector that requires...

Topical Issue Debate: Home Care Packages (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Minister is not available.

Topical Issue Debate: Home Care Packages (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Troy. I wish to put the facts on the table. All capital funding for child care services was cut in 2008 and no new child care capital funding was made available in that year, 2009, 2010 or 2011. It was not made available until 2012 and 2013 when I reopened the child care capital funding schemes. Absolutely no capital went into child care in recent years. Fortunately I was...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Policy (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 515 and 516 together. Responsibility for the funding of the Rape Crisis Centres and Refuges previously funded by the HSE became the responsibility of the new Child and Family Agency upon its establishment on 1stJanuary, 2014. The funding allocation by the HSE towards domestic violence, refuge and support services in County Louth, in the period 2009-2013, and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Establishment (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Child and Family Agency was established on 1 January, 2014. It involved bringing together nearly 4,000 staff from three separate organisations, the HSE, the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board. The establishment of the new Agency with a budget of over €600m represents one of the most ambitious and far reaching public sector reforms undertaken by the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Establishment (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The new Child and Family Agency, TUSLA, was established on 1 January 2014 and operational arrangements were completed in advance of this date to ensure the smooth transition of service provision, staff and service management. In the South Region, there are a total of 1,047 people employed, equating to 918.1 whole-time equivalents (WTE). Of these, 236 are employed in the Waterford/Wexford...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Community Services Programme (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 519 and 549 together. 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: Child Protection (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In June 2009 the Health Service Executive established the Emergency Place of Safety Service (EPSS) whereby Gardaí, acting under the provisions of Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991, can access an appropriate place of safety placement for children found to be at risk out-of-hours (outside normal working hours, 6pm- 9am Monday to Friday and weekends and public holidays). The Emergency...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Motor Tax Exemptions (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 521 and 522 together. My Department does not hold any vehicles for official use; however both the Children Detention Schools and the Child and Family Agency hold vehicles on their fixed asset registers’. The Child and Family Agency are currently engaged in an asset reconciliation process with the HSE and any relevant information on motor vehicles...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Equality Issues (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Programme for Government commits the Government to promoting greater coordination and integration of delivery of services to the Traveller and migrant community across Government, using available resources more effectively to deliver on principles of social inclusion, particularly in the area of education. The Department of Justice & Equality, which has lead policy...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Residential Institutions Issues (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been advised by the Child and Family Agency that the national review of residential care is ongoing at present with the consultation phase to commence shortly. The review is due to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2014.