Results 16,481-16,500 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Numbers (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE compiles a monthly census of employment in the public health and social care sector. The most recent figures supplied by the HSE indicate that the number of WTE social workers employed in the Children and Families Service area of the HSE was 1,300 at the end of July 2012. The number of social workers employed in the Children and Families Service area at the end of February 2011 was...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department administers a range of services and programmes for young people through a number of different schemes. Funding of some €56.806 is available in 2012 to support the delivery of these services and programmes through the different schemes which include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young People’s...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: All foster carers must be assessed and approved by the Foster Care Panel prior to placement of a child in their care, except in circumstances where a child is being placed in an emergency with relatives. The placement of children with relatives in an emergency is covered by Part III of the Child Care (Placement of Children with Relatives) Regulations 1995. A preliminary assessment of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has begun work on Ireland’s first Early Years Strategy. I have received Government approval for the approach I am taking in developing to this Strategy as an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future development of Ireland’s Early Years sector aimed at providing a coherent approach to seeking to improve the lives of children from birth to age six. One of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The national HSE aftercare policy 2012 states that all young people are assessed for an aftercare service from 16 years onwards. The length of time an aftercare service is provided is dependent upon the assessed needs of the young person, but is generally provided for up to the age of 21 years or 23 if the young person is in education. Young people in special care and high support have an...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Benefit Payments (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, Budget 2013 will be announced later this year and in accordance with the engagement process all Ministers and their Departments will have responsibility, in the first instance, for evaluating those programmes and services for which they have primary responsibility. In addition to this, Ministers will have collective responsibility for decisions on the overall...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The capital investment programme includes proposals by the HSE to increase the number of special care beds. The HSE is considering improvements in the areas of management, development and the provision of National High Support and Special Care Services and the future direction of these services in the context of a major process of change and improvement for Children and Family Social...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Consultancy Contracts (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information sought by the Deputy is currently being collated within my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 to 211, inclusive, 214 and 219 together. It is clear from the wide range of investigation reports over many years which examined cases where children were not adequately protected, that there have been many failures of the past. These failures can be attributed to a number of factors including systemic issues regarding consistency, quality of service...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: National policy in relation to the reporting and subsequent handling of child protection concerns is set out in the Children First National Guidance. Work is ongoing in my Department to put the relevant elements of Children First on a statutory footing. The Deputy will be aware that Children First has operated on the basis of voluntary compliance since it was first published by the then...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE compiles monthly performance reports which provide an overall analysis of key performance data from finance, HR, hospital and primary and community services. In the area of children and family services this suite of indicators has recently been expanded to include new indicators aimed at capturing the responsiveness of services to referrals of concerns. These indicators include...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The purpose of child protection policy is to protect children from abuse and neglect. Key to the delivery of this policy is ensuring that society in general is aware of the possibility of abuse and neglect of children and of the reporting procedures available where concerns are identified. Child abuse takes place in a variety of settings. International research shows that most child...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Bullying of Children (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 218 together. I am aware that children and teenagers are susceptible to bullying which can emanate from a variety of sources and the management of this bullying will need to vary dependant on its severity and the supports available to the children, both the victim and the bully, at home and in the community. An unacceptably high proportion of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: In the area of youth, my Department has a specific role in providing youth facilities and in supporting and promoting non-formal education and developmental opportunities for young people in out-of-school settings through which they can enhance their personal and social skills and competencies. Particular regard is had to the needs of young people between the ages of 10 and 21, and to those...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The full cost to my Department for staff attending conferences, including registration fees and travel, amounts to €4,690.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Promotions (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since the establishment of my Department in June 2011 there have been no internal promotions. However, three members of staff have been awarded acting-up or higher duty allowances on a temporary basis. Each of the allowances were award this year and sanctioned by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform. The details requested by the Deputy in respect of these acting-up allowances are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Redeployment (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together. The establishment of my Department in June 2011 effectively involved the permanent redeployment of staff from a number of Departments: the Departments of Health; Education and Skills; Justice and Equality and Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs. In addition one member of staff was redeployed from a Non-Commercial Semi-State Body....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Remuneration (25 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Gaeltacht allowance is not payable any member of staff employed by my Department or by any of the agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies (24 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: While there is no dedicated North South Co-operation Unit in my Department, officials engage with their counter-parts in Northern Ireland on issues of mutual concern and importance. For example, there is a very positive engagement, both at Ministerial and at official level, in developing co-operation in the area of child welfare and protection services.Work in this area to-date has...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (24 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE provides a wide range of services to children and families in the context of the Child Care Act, 1991 and other child care and related legislation. Services are planned and delivered in the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and national child care policy which provides, inter alia, that services and staff will be: Child Centred: the best interests of the child...