Results 14,501-14,520 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Value for Money Reviews (16 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work on the Value for Money and Policy Review of youth work funding schemes is well advanced and nearing completion. This is a comprehensive review which deals with the complex matter of evaluating human services delivered to youth populations and therefore requires significant and detailed examination. The process includes engagement with the Steering Committee appointed for this review...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy at the outset that it is the policy of my Department to minimise to the greatest extent possible, professional fees. For the purposes of this response I have taken professional fees to refer to accountable persons from whom Professional Services Withholding Tax has been deducted in respect of professional services provided. The list provided contains a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies (16 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy that there are three agencies which are currently funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI), the Child and Family Agency (CFA) and the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO). Up to 31 December, 2013, my Department also funded the Family Support Agency (FSA) and the National Educational Welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (16 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programe was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children before commencing primary school. Approximately 68,000 children availed of the free pre-school year in the 2012/2013 academic year and €175 million funding was made available to support the provision. It is expected that similar numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Voluntary Sector Funding (16 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs provides funding directly to a wide range of community, voluntary and other organisations who have charitable status that are engaged in the provision of specific services to children and young people. The most significant share of the funding, which amounted to €249 million in 2011, €262 million in 2012 and €250 million in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Cafés Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In February 2013, I announced that my Department would be providing funding for youth capital projects in 2013. In this regard, total funding of €1.55m has been made available for my Department's Youth Cafe 2013 programme. Pobal assisted my Department with the application and evaluation process for the Youth Cafés 2013 Programme. Applications for new youth cafés were...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Work Projects Funding (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 715, 721 and 722 together. My Department provides funding to support the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. The funding schemes support the work of some 32 national and regional youth organisations and some 480 local youth work projects...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information sought by the Deputy is currently being finalised and I will forward the information directly to the Deputy this week.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Reception duties, including switchdesk operations, are performed by employees of my Department. As such, no agency staff have been used for the purpose of answering and transferring calls on the switchdesk.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Cafes Expenditure (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Information about the total amount of State funding, from all sources, that may have been provided to the Attic Youth Café, is not available to my Department. I can confirm to the Deputy, that an amount of €10,000 has been provided to the Attic Youth Cafe, Longford, under my Department's National Lottery Grant Scheme 2013. My Department’s records show that, prior to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Detention Centres (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Beginning in early 2013, the Irish Youth Justice Service commenced the collection of additional information on the admission of children into the children detention schools in Oberstown, relating to whether the child in question has an assigned social worker and whether the child is the subject of a care order under the Child Care Acts. For example, as of 13 January 2014 there were 29...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter for which the Child and Family Agency (CFA) has responsibility, I have asked the CFA to respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 723 and 724 together. My Department provides funding to support the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. The funding schemes inter alia support: - the work of 32 national and regional youth organisations funded under the Youth Service...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Child and Family Agency (CFA) provides a range of services aimed at addressing emergency situations in the area of child welfare and protection. At present out-of-hours emergency services for children at risk in the greater Dublin area are provided through the Crisis Intervention Service (CIS). Outside the greater Dublin area the service is provided through the Emergency Place of Safety...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Adoption Authority of Ireland advises that in 2013 a total of 116 domestic adoption orders were made. Of these, 87 were family adoptions and 29 were non-family adoptions. In 2013 the Authority made 74 entries in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions in respect of applicants resident in Ireland. I have been advised by the Child and Family Agency and the Adoption Authority that there are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Sector Pensions Issues (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The award of notional service (or added years) relate to either (a) professional, technical or other grades and intended to compensate for the inability of individuals in such positions to qualify for the maximum retirement age for a full pension based on 40 years service (due to the minimum preconditions for appointment); or (b) early retirement due to ill-health resulting from a permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy that since my Department was established in June 2011 and until December 2013, four non-commercial State agencies were funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These were the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children. With effect from 1...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Internship Scheme Placements (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: When the Department of Children and Youth Affairs was established in June 2011, three Job Bridge internships were in-place at the Office of the Minister for Children and these transferred to the Department on its establishment. As such, the last Job Bridge placement at my Department expired in January 2012. In addition to the Job Bridge Programme, my Department has facilitated three other...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Child and Family Agency (CFA) provides a range of services aimed at addressing emergency situations in the area of child welfare and protection. In the main, these emergency situations arise out of hours. At present out-of-hours emergency services for children at risk in the greater Dublin area are provided through the Crisis Intervention Service (CIS). Outside the greater Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Guarantee (15 Jan 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The youth sector, which is largely funded by my Department, offers a range of programmes and activities which aid and enhance the employability of young people. There is a growing body of research evidence which highlights how engagement in quality programmes helps young people to acquire important life skills such as confidence, problem solving, resilience and the ability to develop and...