Results 14,101-14,120 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (8 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I fully appreciate that the desire to know one's identity, or to re-establish contact with a child, is very fundamental and entirely reasonable. I acknowledge that the existing procedures in the area of information and tracing, both legislative and administrative, are not ideal and I have been anxious to see improvement in this regard. As I have stated on a number of occasions it is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Services (3 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department does not receive payment for services provided to the public by way of debit or credit card.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (3 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which is implemented by my Department provides funding to community childcare not-for-profit services to enable them to provide quality childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents. The programme is also accessible to parents who have relatively average incomes on the basis of their entitlement to hold a GP...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (3 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Capital funding in the region of €420 million was provided to community and commercial childcare providers in the period 2000 to 2008 for the refurbishment and development of childcare facilities under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP). Because of the economic difficulties it has not been possible to provide any...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (3 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. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (2 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 to 212, inclusive, together. Pre-school services are subject to the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No.2) Regulations 2006, as provided for under Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991. The enactment, through the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, of amendments to the Child Care Act 1991 underpins a number of key reforms being introduced as part of the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Child Care Services Inspections (1 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Senator. The service referred to by the Senator is participating in the CCS programme, which is implemented by my Department. The objective of the subvention programme is to make child care accessible and affordable for disadvantaged and low-income families. Targeted payments are made to support parents who qualify on the basis of their social welfare status or income profile....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Child Care Services Inspections (1 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Just to make the point that at the time, the service argued that a substantial number of parents who had enrolled their children in the service did not adhere to their attendance schedule. Clearly, this can happen with services, and that is the reason we have oversight by Pobal and the reason we revert to services to ask them for greater details. At the time, in 2010 and 2011, there was no...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (1 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: Departmental Agencies (1 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The organisation that the Deputy refers to is registered to provide Children's Residential Services on behalf of the Child and Family Agency. It is monitored by the relevant Agency personnel in this regard to ensure they continue to provide services of the highest quality appropriate to the needs of children placed in their care. The Agency has advised that the Service Level Agreement with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (1 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that my Department has supported projects in County Mayo under a range of categories that include funding for Youth Organisations and Services, National Lottery Funding, Childcare Programmes, Youth Projects and Facilities, Comhairle na nÓg, capital grants to improve playground equipment and specific supports for the National Play Day and National Recreation Week....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (1 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In 2013, HSE Children and Family Services began a review of all agencies funded to deliver services on its behalf. Initial reviews focused on larger organisations, their project outcomes and administration costs. Regional reviews were undertaken for smaller organisations. This work is being built on as the Child and Family Agency develops a strategy for the commissioning of services and as...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (1 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The use of school buildings is a matter for the Boards of Management or the Department of Education and Skills and does not come under the remit of my Department. However, the City and County Childcare Committees assist my Department in supporting the development of child care locally, and offer information and guidance on a wide variety of issues including advice on establishing a new child...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (1 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The responsibility for facilitating intercountry adoption applications lies with the Adoption Authority, in its capacity as an independent, quasi judicial body established under the Adoption Act 2010. As such it is not open to me to intervene in individual cases. The Republic of India has ratified the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter-country...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (1 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 486 and 487 together. As these are service matters, I have asked the Child and Family Agency to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (1 Apr 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Capital funding in the region of €420 million was provided to community and commercial child care providers in the period 2000 to 2008 for the refurbishment and development of child care facilities under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP). Because of the economic difficulties it has not been possible to provide any...

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...

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...