Results 15,961-15,980 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Topical Issues: Youth Services (5 Mar 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue of support for youth services and I know the services to which he refers. I have been to The Base in Ballyfermot and I know the work of the Ballyfermot Youth Services and I want to support as much as I possibly can the work done by youth services in Dublin and throughout the country. I recognise its value and would like to be investing more in it if...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Home Schooling (5 Mar 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Recognising the constitutional role of the family as primary educator of the child, the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 provides for the right of every child to a “certain minimum education” and sets out the requirements for the registration of children as being in receipt of an education in a place other than a recognised school, including home settings. Parents/guardians who...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Provision (5 Mar 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: 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 inspections is to review compliance with regulations and standards for all children. HIQA's inspection methodology includes interviewing HSE managers and social workers, a sample of children, carers and birth parents and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: UN Convention on Children's Rights (5 Mar 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992. Ireland submitted our second progress report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2005/2006. A third progress report was due to be submitted in 2009, but regrettably this did not happen. Therefore, following the establishment of my Department in June 2011, I directed that a substantial progress report,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: After School Support Services (5 Mar 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As previously advised, the new School Age Childcare initiative, targeted at low-income parents availing of employment opportunities, was announced by myself and my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, as part of Budget 2013. Eligibility for the programme is a matter for the Department of Social Protection (DSP). Officials from the DSP and my Department are continuing to liaise...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Detention Centres (5 Mar 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware I announced in April 2012, following agreement with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, an investment package for the project to expand the detention places and facilities on the Oberstown campus, known as the national children's detention facility (NCDF) project. The main objective of this project is to meet the Programme for Government commitment to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (5 Mar 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. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foreign Adoptions (5 Mar 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 counter part, 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: Sexual Abuse Services (5 Mar 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Ferns Inquiry Report was published in October 2005 and contained 20 separate recommendations. The then Government accepted all of the recommendations. Many of the recommendations related to the provision of services and accordingly, from a child welfare and protection perspective, were taken forward by the HSE given its statutory responsibilities in this area. In this context the HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Bodies (28 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since the establishment of my Department on 2 June, 2011, there has been one appointment of an acting member of the judiciary to a body under its remit. The body in question was the National Education Welfare Board and the appointment involved Judge Ann Ryan who was nominated by the President of the District Court to sit on an Appeal Committee established by my Department under Section 15...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Child Protection (28 Feb 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: Foster Care Policy (27 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under Section 3 of the Child Care Act, 1991, the Health Service Executive has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection. Where a child is taken into the care of the state, the policy of the HSE is to place him/her in care settings, preferably in foster care, as close as possible to their home and community. The age for all young people to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Provision (27 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: 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 inspections is to review compliance with regulations and standards for all children. HIQA's inspection methodology includes interviewing HSE managers and social workers, a sample of children, carers and birth parents and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Policy (27 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the HSE that each local areas holds their own register of approved carers. A national register for foster carers is currently under development by the HSE. The HSE plans to pilot a register towards the end of 2013 in a number of sites across the country and subject to the findings of the review of the pilots, it is expected that the national register will be finalised in 2014 .

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 262 together. I presume the Deputy is enquiring about the use of agency or contract staff engaged to meet a short-term service need or where some flexibility in staffing a service is required. In that regard, I can confirm that my Department, the Family Support Agency, the Adoption Authority of Ireland or the Children Detention Schools do not...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff (27 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: No public sector workers who have retired in the last three years from my Department or Body under the aegis of my Department have been re-instated.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Policy (26 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Agencies (26 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since the commencement of the Adoption Act, 2010, in November 2010 three agencies have been accredited by the Adoption Authority to facilitate intercountry adoptions: ARC, Family Bridge Adoptions and Helping Hands Mediation Agency. To date there have been no adoptions entered on the register of intercountry adoptions in relation to these agencies. The Adoption Authority advises that ARC...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Education (26 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides for one free pre-school year for all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. The Government has made a very significant commitment in maintaining the pre-school year on a universal and free basis despite the current budgetary situation. The universal nature of this...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Education (26 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010, and a number of transitional measures were included to make it more acceptable to the childcare sector. One of these measures related to the number of weeks over which the free pre-school year could be provided. At that time, approximately 30% of children in the relevant age-cohort were in full daycare....