Results 17,161-17,180 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald
- Written Answers — Foreign Adoptions: Foreign Adoptions (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Adoption Authority of Ireland registered 219 intercountry adoptions in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions in the year 2011.
- Written Answers — Adoption Statistics: Adoption Statistics (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: Since 1 November 2010, the Adoption Authority of Ireland has registered one intercountry adoption in respect of applicants who received new Declarations of Eligibility & Suitability under Section 40 of the Adoption Act, 2010. The Adoption Authority informs me that waiting times between the sending of an application pack and the actual completion of an adoption in sending countries may vary...
- Written Answers — Adoption Statistics: Adoption Statistics (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Adoption Authority of Ireland was established on 1 November 2010. The Authority has registered 280 adoptions in relation to declarations of eligibility and suitability which were issued prior to the establishment date of the Authority.
- Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: The following table shows the adoptions effected by Irish residents issued with Declarations of Eligibility & Suitability by country and year 2001-2010. It should be noted that these adoptions were registered in the Register of Foreign Adoptions in compliance with the Adoption Act 1991. It should also be noted that there was no legal obligation under the Adoption Act 1991 on adopters to...
- Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 443, 444 and 448 together. My Department supports the provision of a wide range of services and supports for children, young people and families. The overall budget for my Department for these services for 2012 is â¬406.407m in current funding and â¬8.350 in capital funding giving a total of â¬414.757m. As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs improving...
- Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE has statutory responsibility for the provision of child welfare and protection services. My Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure that the priorities set out in the 2012 National Service Plan are implemented where they relate to children and family services. The Government has made additional budgeting provision of â¬19m for child welfare and protection services...
- Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: Funding provided by my Department provides support to youth services which also offer a range of counselling supports to young people. Included in this is funding provided to a Teen Counselling service in Clondalkin which has been allocated funding of â¬53,329 for 2012. This funding is administered by County Dublin VEC on behalf of my Department. Teen Counselling aims to provide a...
- Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (15 May 2012)
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 — Children in Care: Children in Care (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care Act, 1991 the Health Service Executive (HSE) has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. If a child is in need of care and protection and is unlikely to receive it at home, the HSE has a duty to ensure they receive appropriate care. In such circumstances children can be taken into care on a voluntary basis...
- Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (15 May 2012)
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 — Child Protection: Child Protection (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: There are a range of legislative and policy provisions in place to protect children from sex offenders. A number of these, such as the Sex Offenders Register and the forthcoming National Vetting Bureau Bill, fall within the remit of the Minister for Justice and Equality. As regards the Children and Family Services of the Health Service Executive, under the Child Care Act 1991 an assessment of...
- Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, improving children's outcomes is my primary objective. Early childhood care and education programmes, in particular those that are aimed at low income families, are priorities to enhance children's opportunities for social and educational development, to support parents and to help to break the inter-generational cycle of disadvantage. The network...
- Child Abuse (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 96 together. The Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, which I published in 2011, provides for 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 should do to ensure...
- Child Abuse (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: I have to support the Deputy on that.
- Child Abuse (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I have said all along that reporting is just one aspect of this area. The Children First guidelines, which have been in place for ten years, and the proposed legislation are about working effectively with other agencies, having good quality interagency work and sharing information. That is the kind of culture to which we need to move to provide...
- Child Abuse (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: We want to prevent children coming into care. That is the key approach.
- Child Abuse (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy à Caoláin for his comments on this legislation at committee recently. I can assure Deputy McConalogue there is no charade going on. It is far from that. There is actually action for a change on this issue. Cross-departmental discussions are taking place on additional funding for training. It is one of the issues that will be addressed. Quite a bit of money has been put...
- Child Abuse (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: I agree completely with the Deputy.
- Departmental Programmes (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is developing a new children and young people's policy framework to cover the period from 2012 to 2017. It will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland's first children's strategy, which was published in 2000. This high-level policy framework will also facilitate the preparation of a number of more detailed strategies, including Ireland's first ever national early years...
- Departmental Programmes (15 May 2012)
Frances Fitzgerald: Of course, it makes absolute sense if we are forming a new strategy to review the old one, examine what has been implemented and consider outstanding issues. The new strategy will be more comprehensive, illustrated by the fact that there was not a focus on the early years which I am now establishing with the policy group; we will have a detailed strategy on those early years. We will...