Results 16,981-17,000 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (3 Jul 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 568 and 570 together. The Deputy might note that there are four agencies currently under the operational remit of my Department that are funded by the Exchequer and these include the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Family Support Agency, the National Education Welfare Board and the Ombudsman for Children. There are no quasi autonomous non-governmental...

Written Answers — Foreign Adoptions: Foreign Adoptions (3 Jul 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to report that during a week-long visit to Ireland, positive discussions took place between senior officials from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Adoption Authority of Ireland leading to agreement on the contents of the final administrative arrangements for the resumption of adoptions between Ireland and Vietnam. I have invited the Vietnamese Minister for Justice, Mr....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 Jul 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Allowance Description/Comment Rate(per annum) Tax Status Child Allowance Payable to certain officers per child serving on 31 December 1978 in former marriage differentiated grades €112.78 Taxable Franking Allowance €1,701.13€895.28 Taxable Machine Allowance €850.56 Taxable Key Holder Allowance...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (3 Jul 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The total funding available under the programme was €6 million and following an appraisal process 290 applications were approved for funding. All programme funding is considered in the context of the annual estimates and budgetary process and it is not possible to advise the Deputy in advance of these discussions in relation to programmes to be funded in 2013. My Department currently...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (3 Jul 2012)

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 — Health Service Executive Funding: Health Service Executive Funding (3 Jul 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has sought the information requested by the Deputy from the HSE and I will provide the information to the Deputy when it becomes available.

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (3 Jul 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 576 and 577 together. Work on the development of the Youth Policy Framework is underway in my Department. To inform the process, my Department has commissioned a review of international best practice in the field of youth development and support and this will be available shortly. The findings from this review will be explored by practitioners and managers...

Written Answers — School Absenteeism: School Absenteeism (28 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 to 241, inclusive, together. Since the commencement of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 all recognised schools are obliged to submit an Annual Attendance Report to the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) on the levels of school attendance each year. An overall analysis and report derived from this data is produced by the Education Research Centre...

Written Answers — Court Procedures: Court Procedures (28 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Independent Child Death Review Group has highlighted in its report what it considers to be the restrictive nature of the in camera rule and the fact that court proceedings relating to child welfare and protection cases are held in private. The Review Group has called for a review of the operation of the rule. I believe there is scope for more transparency in this area. We need to put...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (28 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: A total of €1.7m has been allocated by my Department to support the provision of youth cafés, to date. The first tranche of funding was provided over 2010-11 under a dedicated competitive scheme operated for my Department by Pobal. As a result of that scheme a total of €1.5m was allocated for a specific measure to support the provision of Youth Café facilities in Ireland and a total...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (28 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Two out-of-hours pilot projects, one in Donegal and the other in Cork, were commenced by the HSE in 2011. The Donegal project started mid-year and the Cork project started in the third quarter. Both projects were internally evaluated by the HSE, which then commissioned an independent external assessment, undertaken by Trinity College Dublin. The outcome of this assessment process will...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Procedures for the management of sick leave in my Department are in accordance with Department of Finance circulars, in particular Circulars 25/78 and 09/2010. These arrangements recognise that staff may from time to time encounter challenges to their health and well-being and that management of sick leave must be done in a fair and consistent manner with the objective of addressing the...

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (28 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department recently prepared a Progress Report in relation to the Annual Review of the Public Service Agreement 2010-14. The Progress Report report covered the following areas: 1. Better Human Resource Management; 2. Better Business Process; 3. Delivering for the Citizen. For each of these areas, the report documents the progress in relation to the relevant activities/commitments,...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (27 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of my Department, as at the end of May 2012, is set out below in tabular format: Grade Number of persons employed Whole Time Equivalents Secretary General 1 1.00 Director 1 1.00 Assistant Secretary 1 1.00 Principal Officer 11 10.30 Assistant Principal Officer 19 18.13 Child Welfare Officer 1 1.00 Social Work and Child Care...

Written Answers — Ministerial Transport: Ministerial Transport (27 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department was established on 2 June 2011. In line with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines on ministerial appointments, I employ two civilian drivers on a week on/week off basis to drive my private car on official business. Each driver receives €631.75 per week in respect of these duties and are not entitled to claim overtime. A total of €40,179.30 was paid...

Written Answers — National Education Welfare Board: National Education Welfare Board (26 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is a statutory body established under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. Responsibility for the NEWB transferred to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on 11th May 2011 on the establishment of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The core function of the Board is to ensure that every child in the State, either attends school, or...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (26 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: In Budget 2012, the Government announced capital funding of €6m to fund a maintenance programme for childcare facilities. The programme was open to both community not-for-profit childcare facilities and private childcare facilities, that are currently participating in one of the three childcare programmes implemented by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA). The maximum...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (26 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 33 City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) were established in 2001 to advance the provision of childcare facilities in their local areas. They comprise local representatives from the statutory, community and voluntary sectors, social partners, childcare providers and parents. The role of the CCCs was expanded under the National Childcare Investment Programme to enable greater...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (26 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The issue of local authority commercial rates comes within the remit of the Department of Finance, which has responsibility for fiscal policy, and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which has responsibility for the local authorities. The Valuation Office, which comes under the remit of the Department of Finance, is responsible for the implementation and...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500, 508 and 509 together. Redeployment allows staff to be moved as a result of the rationalisation, reconfiguration or restructuring of public service bodies or where activities have assumed lesser priority arising from changing business needs. Similarly, where an organisation has posts in excess of its Employment Control limits, or has other budgetary or...