Results 15,481-15,500 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Issues (25 Jun 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 to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (25 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: 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. As the implementation of these Regulations and the inspection of pre-schools is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), I have asked that it examines these matters and respond directly to the Deputy with the most...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (25 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme introduced the first-ever requirement for minimum qualifications for staff working in the childcare sector. Under the programme, the pre-school leader delivering the programme must hold a qualification in childcare/early education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ), or an equivalent...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: After-School Support Services (19 Jun 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: Missing Children (19 Jun 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 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 the Hotline. This...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (19 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 199 together. The School Completion Programme (SCP) aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to generally improve educational outcomes of its target cohort. The SCP is one of three services being integrated into a continuum of educational support services under the remit of the National Educational...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Significant investment totalling in excess of €260 million is being provided this year by my Department to assist parents with the cost of child care. My Department provides two targeted child care support programmes - the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme and the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme - and also the universal Early Childhood Care and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Aftercare Services (18 Jun 2013)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Poverty (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is implementing the new Area-Based Response to Child Poverty programme which was announced as part of Budget 2013. The programme is being introduced on foot of the Programme for Government commitment to adopt an area-based approach to child poverty, drawing on best international practice and existing services to break the cycle of child poverty where it is most deeply...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme introduced the first-ever requirement for minimum qualifications for staff working in the childcare sector. Under the programme, the pre-school leader delivering the programme must hold a qualification in childcare/early education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ), or an equivalent...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Relations Contracts Expenditure (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Names of External PR,Communications Consultants & Organisations Details of Services Supplied Date of Service Expenditure MKC Communications Service to assist with Information and Communications Initiatives including the Children's Referendum, Report of the Child Death Review Group and the Child Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (18 Jun 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 (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work on the development of Ireland’s first Early Years Strategy for children aged from birth to 6 years, is underway in my Department. The approach I am taking in developing the Strategy has received Government approval. My intention is to create an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future development of Ireland’s early years sector and a coherent approach to seeking...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Health Services Staff Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I believe that the report the Deputy refers to is the report of the HIQA inspection of the Fostering Service in Dublin South/Dun Laoghaire LHA in the Dublin South/East Wicklow Integrated Service Area, published recently. HIQA undertakes inspection of foster care services against the National Standards for Foster Care, under Section 69 of the Child Care Act 1991. The purpose of foster care...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme introduced the first-ever requirement for minimum qualifications for staff working in the childcare sector. Under the programme, the pre-school leader delivering the programme must hold a qualification in childcare/early education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ), or an equivalent...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children. Gaisce also comes under the remit of my Department. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The ECCE programme provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children. Approximately 68,000 children are availing of the ECCE programme in the current school year. Children are eligible to avail of the free pre-school year where they are aged more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months at 1 September in the relevant year. Children born between 2 February 2009 and 30...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (18 Jun 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: Child Detention Centres (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question Number 20006/13 of 30 April 2013 in relation to the progress of the proposed National Children Detention Facility (NCDF) project in Oberstown, Lusk, Co Dublin. The position is unchanged. In relation to the proposed amendments to the Children Act I can confirm that I obtained the approval of the Cabinet to proceed with the drafting of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Detention Centres (18 Jun 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Further to my replies to Parliamentary Question Numbers 27791/13 and 28345/13, I can confirm that all three boys involved in this incident have now been apprehended and returned to Oberstown Boys School. I would like to record my appreciation for the work of an Garda Síochána in bringing this matter to a conclusion.