Results 17,301-17,320 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Child Protection Audit (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is clear that more information is being supplied to the HSE for the audit, which is important, and it needs to be assessed and published. It is being examined and incorporated into the report. There are also legal implications. When one rewrites a report, natural justice demands that one go back to the people who gave the information. That is also part of what has to happen and it is...

Child Welfare Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I have statutory responsibility for the child welfare and protection services. My colleague, the Minister for Health, in conjunction with the Minister for State with responsibility for disability, equality and mental health services and older people, has responsibility for mental health and disability services. I work closely with both, as I do...

Child Welfare Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: When we talk about Children First, it is important to be aware that a cross-departmental group is working on the issue. The Deputy is right when he says ensuring the safety of children involves cross-departmental work. We have a cross-departmental group working with the Garda and others are represented in the group which is looking at implementation of Children First. We must go right down...

Child Welfare Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I accept Deputy Boyd Barrett's point on working with other Departments. I assure him that I am doing that. I am taking an overview. The policy overview on these issues is extremely important. That is why we are having the interdepartmental meetings on mental health as well as on how Children First, for example, is being implemented. Deputy Boyd Barrett asked me also about child protection...

Services for People with Disabilities (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Chatterbox service, which facilitates early intervention in the area of speech therapy, is a successful collaborative social inclusion project between the Health Service Executive and the Cavan and Monaghan child care committees. The service was first introduced in 2004 and is funded under the health inequalities fund. It is proving to be an excellent early intervention tool, with a...

Services for People with Disabilities (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I knew Deputy Ó Caoláin would not delay in bringing the matter to my attention in the Dáil. I was very impressed with the service when I visited it on 17 February. I have spoken on the service since in the Seanad. As the Deputy is aware, county child care committees exist in every county. I spoke to the child care committee after I saw the service and suggested that the initiative...

Services for People with Disabilities (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I suggested to the Cavan and Monaghan child care committees that they circulate it and perhaps begin to have that discussion. If there is any way my Department can facilitate that, I would be happy for it to do so. As I stated, I was impressed with the project. It is similar to the CDI project in Tallaght from which I am awaiting results. I would be confident that this is the kind of...

Services for People with Disabilities (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Deputy McConalogue makes a good point on the transition point between early childhood services and primary school. That is something we need to manage. There is scope. I discussed this issue with the INTO when I met its representatives yesterday. They stated that in many instances, the preschool year is a considerable help because intervention is occurring at an earlier stage for children...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE provided for the recruitment of an additional 62 social workers in 2011. The recruitment process is being managed by the HSE national recruitment service. The executive indicated in December 2011 that all of these posts had been either filled or accepted. I am advised by the HSE that 51 individuals have taken up duty with the remainder expected to come on stream in the coming...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Deputy McConalogue is making incorrect predictions and assumptions, as he did in this House in July, September, November and December last. On each occasion he predicted that for 2011, the 60 posts recommended by the Ryan report and which I committed to recruiting would not be recruited and that the overall number of social workers would have gone backwards. On all four occasions and on...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Those are the facts. The Deputy said on four different occasions that I would not recruit the 60 social workers-----

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Some 51 out of 62 have been recruited and are in their posts. In other words, 51 of the 62 posts recommended by the Ryan report have been filled . I can confirm that there have not been 45 retirements but 31, and some of those retired in January. It is clear that the recruitment has gone ahead and, while a small number are still to be recruited, the commitment to 262 additional social...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have explained that with 31 retiring, given there is no moratorium in regard to the social work posts, the director of child and family services, Mr. Gordon Jeyes, has the discretion to assess, as he must, where those vacancies have occurred, to examine the need and to make appropriate decisions, based on the information he has, in regard to social work generally. He will make those...

Child Care Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I recently announced that 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 this strategy. I hope that, with all Deputies co-operating, it will be an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future development of Ireland's early years sector aimed at providing a coherent approach to seeking to...

Child Care Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Obviously, inspection of childminding facilities is critical and very clear rules are laid down in that regard. If the Deputy has information about any service which is not being inspected and which has been brought to his attention, I advise him to contact the HSE or my Department. We have very vigilant oversight. When I visit centres throughout the country, I hear of the ongoing...

Mental Health Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Child and adolescent mental health services are the direct responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Health, in conjunction with the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, equality, mental health and older people. I work very closely with both Ministers, as I do with all Government colleagues, in regard to children's matters. Nevertheless, specific responsibility in...

Mental Health Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: On the development of inpatient facilities, psychiatric bed capacity for children and adolescents has increased from 12 in 2007 to 44 at present, comprising 12 beds in Dublin, 12 in Cork and 20 in Galway, with a further eight beds planned to be commissioned in Cork during 2012. Additional beds will also be provided in the Dublin region. Work has already begun on the second phase of the...

Mental Health Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, is addressing many of the issues raised by the Deputies. I am also liaising with her in the context of my concern and interest in these issues. According to the HSE, one in ten Irish children and adolescents suffers from a mental health issue. As such, it is extremely important that resources are...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work on the National Vetting Bureau Bill, which will include provisions in relation to the use of so called 'soft' information is being led by the Department of Justice and Equality. This Bill forms part of a suite of complementary legislative proposals being brought forward by Government. In addition to the National Vetting Bureau Bill, this includes the Children First Bill being developed...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 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 incorporating key children's services will provide a focus for the major reforms already underway. This reform programme contains a number of critical elements: The continued and urgent implementation of a comprehensive change programme to...