Results 17,121-17,140 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. These include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund (Rounds 1 and 2) and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, Youth Information Centres, European Youth in Action Programme (administered...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 120 together. Under the Child Care Act 1991 children should, in the first instance, be supported to remain with their families. Children should only be taken into care where the HSE has identified abuse or the risk of abuse, including neglect that cannot be prevented or resolved without the child being received into care. The various factors which can...

Written Answers — Children's Rights Referendum: Children's Rights Referendum (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 130 together. The Referendum on Children's Rights is a Programme for Government priority. The Government is satisfied that the nature of this referendum is such that it will be conducted on a stand alone basis to support fullest debate and engagement by the public on the issue in the bests interests of children. A draft wording of the proposed...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware two policy developments the Youth Work Act, 2001 and the National Youth Work Development Plan 2003-2007 have provided the impetus for much of the development in the youth work sector in recent years. The Youth Work Act was introduced in 2001 and outlines a number of structural arrangements for the organisation and administration of youth work policy and provision....

Written Answers — Children's Residential Centres Inspections: Children's Residential Centres Inspections (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: All children's residential centres are inspected to ensure that the children living in the centre are receiving the care and protection that they require. The HSE registers and inspects non-statutory voluntary and private children's residential centres. Inspections are undertaken against the National Standards for Children's Residential Centres, which are available on my Department's...

Written Answers — Child and Family Support Agency: Child and Family Support Agency (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The commitment to establish a new Child and Family Support Agency is at the heart of the Government's reform of child and family services. The establishment of a single agency, underpinned by legislation and incorporating key children and family services, will provide a focus for the major reforms already underway. This reform programme contains a number of critical elements: · The...

Written Answers — Children and Young People's Policy Framework: Children and Young People's Policy Framework (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that my Department is developing a new Children and Young Peoples Policy Framework. It will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland's first children's strategy which was published in 2000 and will cover the period from 2012 to 2017. The new Policy Framework is being developed in a holistic way to comprehend the continuum of the lifecourse from infancy, through...

Written Answers — Adoption Legislation: Adoption Legislation (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I, and officials of my Department, are continuing a substantial engagement with the Attorney General and her officials to progress the Government's commitment to a referendum to amend the Constitution to ensure that children's rights are strenghtened along the lines recommended by the Joint Committee on Children and the Constitution (JCCAC). The immediate focus of this engagement is the...

Written Answers — Review Group on Child Deaths: Review Group on Child Deaths (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 123 together. The final report of the Independent Review Group on Child Deaths was sent to my Department in March, 2012. In line with my long-stated intention to publish the report, it was referred to the Office of the Attorney General for advice with regard to publication, bearing in mind the very sensitive matters being addressed in the report, and...

Written Answers — Missing Children's Hotline: Missing Children's Hotline (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under EU telecoms rules agreed in 2009, the 116000 number is reserved in all EU member states for a missing children hotline. My Department established and is leading a cross-sectoral Project Team, including representatives of my own Department, the Department of Justice and Equality, ComReg and An Garda Síochána to advance this matter. The position is that Comreg, who have responsibility...

Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection was received by my Department on the 7th of February this year. The report has been distributed to relevant Ministerial colleagues for observations on the range of issues highlighted by the report. Once this consultation process has been completed my Department will make the necessary arrangements to have the report laid before both...

Written Answers — Child Abuse Prevention Training: Child Abuse Prevention Training (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am aware of the Committee recommendation referred to by the Deputy. The revised Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, published in 2011, provides greater clarity and guidance for individuals and organisations in identifying and responding appropriately to child abuse and neglect. It also sets out what organisations which care for or work with children...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 126 together. The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. These include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund (Rounds 1 and 2) and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant...

Written Answers — Services for Children with Disabilities: Services for Children with Disabilities (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: While my Department has a role in working to harmonise a range of policies that impact on the lives of children, it does not have a function in relation to the provision of services or supports for children with intellectual or physical disabilities. At Government level, responsibility for such supports lies with my colleague the Minister for Health, and, in relation to education supports,...

Written Answers — Garda Vetting of Personnel: Garda Vetting of Personnel (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Vetting Liaison Office was established in the HSE in late 2007. Since that time, all employees recruited through the HSE National Recruitment Service are Garda vetted. The issue of retrospective vetting of employees will be addressed in the context of the forthcoming National Vetting Bureau legislation, currently being prepared by the colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Written Answers — Social Work Staff: Social Work Staff (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The latest information available from the HSE indicates that 45 HSE employees that are classified within the social work grades across all care groups have retired since the 1st January 2012. It should be noted that these figures cover HSE statutory employees only and do not include staff who may have retired from voluntary or nominated organisations. The HSE has informed me that it has...

Written Answers — Child Poverty: Child Poverty (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Tackling child poverty is a priority for Government and a goal of the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007- 2016, coordinated by the Department of Social Protection. Children are more likely to be poor if they are living in lone parent households with low labour market participation and dependant on income support. The departments of Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise and...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 125 together. The Adoption Act, 2010, which was commenced on 1st November 2010, coincided with Ireland's formal ratification of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The purpose of the Adoption Act, 2010, is to improve standards in both domestic and intercountry adoption. The Adoption...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government currently supports the provision of early childhood care and education through three support programmes - the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme. These programmes are administered by my Department. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)...

Written Answers — Child and Family Support Agency: Child and Family Support Agency (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Co-operation in the area of child welfare and protection services has been a feature of North/South engagement over the past number of years, and is reported on by respective Ministers to the regular North/South Ministerial Council Plenary and Sectoral meetings. To date work in this area has been concentrated on five areas: (i) the establishment of the North South Child Protection Hub, a...