Results 15,861-15,880 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Funding of up to €1 million is available in 2013 from my Department for fit-out, refurbishment works or building enhancement projects for the startup of new Youth Cafés. One of the core functions of a youth café is that it offers support to young people, ranging from practical support to advice through their participation in activities that are of interest to them and that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children and Family Services (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Area-Based Approach to Child Poverty Initiative was allocated €2.5m in Budget 2013. The amount allocated will rise to €4.75 in 2015. It is envisaged that this Initiative will be co-funded by a philanthropic partner and discussions are ongoing to this end. A Project Team, which is chaired by my Department and includes officials from a number of key Government departments...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Road Signage (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome any initiative which will increase awareness of child safety. Officials in my Department liaise on a regular basis with their counterparts in other Government Departments to discuss issues of common interest, and in this context I have asked officials to liaise with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I recently travelled to Moscow, accompanied by Dr Geoffrey Shannon, Chair of the Adoption Authority of Ireland, in order to discuss at a diplomatic level issues in relation to the potential for a bilateral agreement with Russia. During my visit I met with my counterpart, Minister Dmitry Livanov, Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. This meeting was productive and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Proposed Legislation (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work is continuing in relation to the preparation of the Heads of Bill of the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill. My view is that persons affected by adoption should be provided with a statutory right to as much information as possible within permissible Constitutional boundaries. The proposed legislation is intended to provide for a structured and regulated approach for applicants...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Funding (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 1089 together. The Childcare Capital Programme 2012, which provided €6 million for remedial, maintenance and renovation work and/or to purchase equipment for early education and childcare services, was implemented by Pobal on behalf of my Department last year. This capital programme was hugely oversubscribed with almost 90% of applicants...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children and Family Services (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Arising from the Government's consideration and decision with regard to the range of functions to be discharged by the new Child and Family Support Agency, it was agreed that an impact analysis would be jointly developed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Health regarding the proposed future arrangements for the provision of the community psychology service...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homelessness Strategy (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The definition of youth homelessness includes children that fall into three groups; (i) children who mainly reside with their families but due to an emergency, need care and accommodation immediately, (ii) children and young people who are defined as at risk of homelessness i.e. who may be staying with different friends and acquaintances, who do not have a stable base and (iii) children and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Death Review Group Report (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I indicated when I published the report of the Independent Child Death Review Group (ICDRG) that I welcome the findings and recommendations of this report, and that I accept fully the need for action in the areas identified. At an operational level the HSE has developed an implementation plan which responds to each of the recommendations in the Review Report. This plan identifies persons...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Anti-Social Behaviour (16 Apr 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 €53.173m 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: Departmental Strategies (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is currently developing a new Children and Young People’s Policy Framework which will set out high-level goals for both my own and other Departments for the next five years. The Policy Framework is expected to be published in mid 2013 and will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland’s first Children’s Strategy which was published in 2000. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Death Review Group Report (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I indicated when I published the report of the Independent Child Death Review Group (ICDRG) that I welcome the findings and recommendations of this report, and that I accept fully the need for action in the areas identified. At an operational level the HSE has developed an implementation plan which responds to each of the recommendations in the Review Report. This plan identifies persons...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department implements the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which provides funding to community childcare services to enable them to charge reduced childcare rates to low income and disadvantaged families. Community childcare services qualify for grant aid based on the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. Parental...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Travel (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As part of the Government's St Patrick's Day Programme, which presents a significant opportunity for the promotion of the country, including with respect to tourism and trade: I visited the four cities of New Delhi, Calcutta, Pune and Chennai in India. The cost incurred by my Department to date is €5,746.07. The trip took place between the period of 13 March 2013 to 21 March 2013. I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: In September 2012 the AAI and the Vietnamese Central Authority for Adoption signed an Administrative Arrangement for intercountry adoption. The Administrative Arrangement is the first international arrangement for intercountry adoption entered into by the AAI and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam since both countries ratified the Hague Convention. One of the agencies accredited by the AAI...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been successful in securing €2.75m in capital funding in Budget 2013 to support the ongoing improvement of the childcare sector. Community/not-for-profit and private childcare providers/childminders that are currently providing services under one or more of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs funding programmes - the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (16 Apr 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, which also includes the Home School Community Liaison and the Education Welfare Service, being integrated under the remit of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Childminders who take care of less than three children in their own homes are exempt from the Regulations provided under the 1991 Childcare Act. A number of initiatives were introduced to encourage childminders exempt from notification under the Regulations to voluntarily notify their services. In 2002, the Health Service Executive (HSE) agreed to fund a Childminding Advisory Officer post...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (16 Apr 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The latest available information available from the HSE indicates that the HSE West Regional Director of Operations and the Regional Director of Children and Family Services requested HSE's Quality and Patient Safety Audit unit to undertake an assessment of progress to provide assurance to HSE senior management regarding the extent to which recommendations arising from the Roscommon Child...