Results 16,021-16,040 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Other Questions: Child Detention Centres (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I was pleased to be able to maintain the budget in the face of huge difficulties nationally. The budget for the new child and family support agency was slightly increased in fact. It was very important to have that stability. There are approximately ten children receiving services abroad. This care tends to be very expensive as the Deputy knows. I have given him the details in reply to...

Other Questions: Child and Family Support Agency (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The new child and family support agency will be established by way of primary legislation and will assume full statutory responsibility for a range of services including child welfare and protection services which are currently provided by the HSE, the National Educational Welfare Board and the Family Support Agency. When the agency is established it will constitute one of the largest public...

Seanad: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second and Subsequent Stages (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 17 of the Child Care Act 1991 provides that the District Court may grant an interim care order in respect of a child on foot of an application by the HSE. The order may be made with or without parental consent in accordance with the section. The application may arise in circumstances where a child is being cared for under an emergency care order, often following a decision by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I published this legislation last year. I considered it important that the public be aware, in advance of the referendum, of the changes we would be introducing in respect of adoption. The Deputy asked about the period of time. Under the draft Bill, children will have to be at least 18 months in the care of those who apply to adopt them. Parents will have to have failed in their duty...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy knows my commitment to the issues raised in the referendum and the importance of this adoption legislation. As soon as all the proceedings and processes relevant to the referendum are completed, I will bring the legislation to the House as quickly as possible. Clearly, my Department has a number of significant reforms under way and there is a heavy workload relating to...

Other Questions: Child Detention Centres (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Special care involves the detention of a child for his or her own welfare and protection in a special care unit with on-site educational and therapeutic supports. Special care units provide secure residential services to children and young people who are in need of specialised targeted intervention. Children are detained in special care if their behaviour is deemed to pose a risk to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Years Strategy (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is not correct to state there has been no support for childminders. Clearly, a decision was taken to exempt childminders who are looking after fewer than three children. I take it from the Deputy's question that he and his party support the regulation of childminders and babysitters. Very different views have been expressed on this by parents. Many parents want to make their own...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Years Strategy (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is a key question to be considered. As the Deputy stated, it is a question of the type of regulation. Nobody in the country is exempt from reporting under the Children First guidelines. Childminders, given the work they do, have a serious obligation to report concerns in regard to child protection. If a parent has concerns about the childminder, the Children First guidelines clearly...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The general scheme and heads of the proposed Adoption (Amendment) Bill were published in September 2012 in conjunction with the referendum proposal to inform the public of proposed changes to adoption law envisaged if the constitutional amendment was approved. The Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children was established in 2007 to examine the proposals to introduce a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work is continuing in the preparation of the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill which will provide for a structured and regulated approach to providing access to adoption information and facililtate contact for those affected by adoption, including in circumstances where an adoption order was not effected. It is intended that the Bill will provide for the Adoption Authority to have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I take the point the Deputy is making. This issue has been ignored for decades, but I am determined to put an end to this. My view continues to be that an adopted person over the age of 18 years should have an unrestricted right to attain a copy of his or her birth certificate and that an adopted person under 18 years should have a qualified right, perhaps subject to the consent of his or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Legislation (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is my intention that the legislation will be brought forward this year. I do not have any doubt about this, but I am alerting the Deputy to the constitutional difficulties inherent in producing the legislation. Obviously, I will bring forward the strongest possible legislation, but there are clear constitutional constraints. Having access to medical records is critical, but whether this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Years Strategy (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work on the development of the early years strategy is under way and the approach I am taking has received Government approval. I want an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the development of Ireland’s early years sector and a coherent approach to seeking to do the very best for children and young people. A broad range of issues is being examined by the early years group. I want...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Support Agency (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is a huge amount of work being done in respect of the finalisation of the legislation. In view of the fact that we are close to completion, I am of the view that it would be preferable to publish the legislation in full. I appreciate the response of the staff involved to date. Last month we issued personal letters to almost 4,000 staff informing them of the plans to establish the new...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Support Agency (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: From the beginning of our discussions in respect of the establishment of the new agency, I made it clear that I consider the provision of family support to be an absolutely critical part of the new agency's work. Equally, it is clear that child protection is a priority. In order to ensure that child protection systems operate effectively, the efforts of the family resource centres and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Years Strategy (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is 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. This is relevant to the early years...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Years Strategy (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am very pleased to say a great deal of work has been done by the expert group I appointed and which is chaired by Dr. Eilis Hennessy, the head of the school of psychology at UCD. I reject absolutely the Deputy's remarks about implementation. This is the first strategy of its kind and we have had a series of meetings to examine very important issues. I am very pleased to say the members...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Years Strategy (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I established and selected such an expert group which represents a wide area. It includes people from local family resource centres, Barnardos, the DIT, child care committees and Childminding Ireland. I brought the group together in order to hear and take note of their expert views and experiences. The views of its members will certainly be taken on board. The reason for having an expert...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Support Agency (13 Feb 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am firmly committed to the transformation of Ireland’s child and family services and, in this context, the establishment as a priority of the new child and family support agency. The agency, on its establishment, will assume full statutory responsibility for a range of child and family services currently provided by three separate agencies, namely, the HSE, the Family Support Agency...