Results 15,421-15,440 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Support Services (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The responsibilities of my Department encompass a wide range of policy and service activity, both direct and indirect, for children and young people in Ireland. It has a complex mandate, comprised of a number of separate, but interrelated strands including: - the direct provision of a range of universal and targeted services; - ensuring high-quality arrangements are in place for focused...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Youth Services (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has responsibility for a range of policy and service activities, both direct and indirect for children and young people in Ireland. This responsibility includes the provision of a number of services for children and young people and a comprehensive research programme that includes the Growing Up in Ireland Survey and the State of the Nations Children report which provide...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Poverty (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has been given lead responsibility for implementing a new Area-Based Approach to Child Poverty programme during 2013-2016. This initiative was announced as part of Budget 2013 and has a funding allocation this year of €2.5 million. The programme is being co-funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies and is expected to have a total funding allocation of €29.7 million....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse Issues (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Statutory responsibility for the delivery of child welfare and protection services rests with the HSE, which is the appropriate body to receive all reports of concerns relating to all forms of child abuse. My Department occasionally receives calls from individuals concerned about the safety and well-being of a child. In all such cases my officials provide whatever assistance is required to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mental Health Awareness (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The prime responsibility for policy in relation to the treatment and support for young people with depression currently lies with the Department of Health. The issue of depression in young people is a complex issue requiring inputs from a wide range of stake-holders including young people, parents, schools, the media , youth organisations and the Primary Care and Child and Adolescent Mental...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Poverty (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, improving children's outcomes is my primary objective. The development of the Children and Young People's Policy Framework as the overarching framework under which policy and services for children and young people will be developed and implemented in the State, is an important initiative for cross departmental collaboration to secure this objective....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €53.498m is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes by the voluntary youth sector to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children. The programme includes a number of additional provisions to take account of children with special needs. These include an exemption from the upper age limit for qualification under the programme where a child is developmentally delayed and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (4 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since the broadcast of the Prime Time programme, my Department has received a large volume of correspondence in relation to the events outlined in the programme. I recently announced a number of measures as part of my response to the distressing events highlighted in the programme. As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, driving the early childhood care and education quality agenda is...

Topical Issue Debate: Child Care Reports (3 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is at least a 30 year legacy concerning Ireland not dealing as effectively as it should have with vulnerable children. My Department's goal is to ensure that children do not fall through the cracks. That is why we are changing the way these services are being delivered. We are developing a focused management team and national leadership which was not there before. I would point out...

Topical Issue Debate: Child Care Reports (3 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the publication by the HSE of the report entitled A Review of Practice and Audit of the Management of Cases of Neglect. The report was received by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in May 2013 and was published on the HSE website two weeks ago. The report follows the publication in October 2010 of the report of the Roscommon child care inquiry, which catalogued a...

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Hear, hear.

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Does he not want the answer?

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Missing Children (3 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The issue of human trafficking and the rights of victims of this abhorrent crime was a focus of discussions at the European Council during the Irish Presidency. The discussions centred on the Commission publication in April 2013 of a document entitled 'The EU rights of victims of trafficking in human beings' as provided for by Priority A, Action 4 of the EU Strategy towards the Eradication...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (3 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The School Completion Programme (SCP) aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to generally improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. The SCP is one of three service strands being integrated into a continuum of education welfare services under the remit of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB)....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (3 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. In line with the Programme for Government, my Department has made a significant commitment to maintaining this universal programme and some 68,000 children are availing of it...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: After-School Support Services (3 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As part of Budget 2013 I, together with my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, was pleased to announce a new After-school Childcare initiative which will be targeted at low-income parents availing of employment opportunities. Lack of access to affordable, quality childcare is a significant barrier to many low income and disadvantaged families seeking to avail of work...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (2 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 116000 Missing Children Hotline is operated by the ISPCC in liaison with a cross-sectoral Project Team, chaired by the DCYA. The ISPCC has been successful in securing EU Daphne funding of €141,422 to support the establishment of the line. The ISPCC also submitted an application for funding to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to cover the establishment and running of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Rehiring (2 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since its establishment in June 2011, my Department has not employed temporary clerical officers. Youth employment is a pressing challenge at present, domestically and across European Member States. My Department, through its focus on youth policy and youth work, is contributing to addressing this challenge on a range of levels. Through the Action Plan for Jobs 2013, my Department has met...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (2 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Workforce Development Plan for the Early Childhood Care and Education sector set out the key areas that emerged from an extensive programme of research and consultation. These key areas are: - The necessity for clearly articulated professional pathways into and across professional domains of practice related to the care and education of children. These include occupational role...