Results 17,361-17,380 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 193 together. The 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 that care for or work with children should do to ensure...

Written Answers — Bullying of Children: Bullying of Children (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 188 together. I am aware that children and young people are susceptible to bullying which can emanate from a variety of sources. My Department funds, in association with the Department of Social Protection and the Central Statistics Office the National Longitudinal Study of Children "Growing up in Ireland". In 2009 the study published its report on...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 192 together. The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €56.626m is available in 2012 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The main objectives of...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I have an extensive legislative programme to address child protection issues which fall within my remit as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. It is my intention to bring the Children First Bill before the Oireachtas for consideration during 2012. This legislation is required to put Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, as far as practicable, on a...

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...

Children's Rights Referendum (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The referendum on children's rights is a programme for Government priority. The Government recently endorsed the holding of the referendum on a stand-alone basis during the course of 2012. Since taking office, both officials of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and I have had a considerable number of meetings and communications with the Attorney General and her officials to...

Children's Rights Referendum (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: This issue has been discussed for a long time. A referendum was first promised by a former Taoiseach on 3 November 2006 at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis; therefore, there were five years during which Fianna Fáil could have brought it forward. The Government recently endorsed the holding of the referendum on a stand-alone basis during the course of 2012. The precise timing depends on a number...

Children's Rights Referendum (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for his comments on his approach to the holding of the referendum. I acknowledge the work done by Mary O'Rourke as Chairman of the committee during the 64 meetings it held on the issue. There is a huge body of work in which we all took part. We are trying to draft a wording which will be as close as possible to the committee's wording. As Deputy Ó Caoláin was also a...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE compiles a monthly census of employment in the public health and social care sector. The latest data available is in respect of January 2012. This shows that the total number of social workers employed in the HSE and in directly funded agencies was 2,435 whole time equivalents, WTEs. The impact of recent retirements will be more fully reflected in future monthly employment returns....

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes, 31 had retired by the end of February. I will clarify it for the Deputy. The figures are for the period up to the end of January. Of the 31, some might well have retired before February. Those figures are still being compiled. The Deputy should accept that there is a fair amount of movement at present. I will come back to him as soon as I have the full figures. The figure is 31 at...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to make a number of points. A total of 262 extra social workers were recruited last year and the year before. It is, effectively, a 25% increase in the number of social workers dealing with child care, protection and welfare. If 25% more social workers were recruited in the child protection area prior to the retirements, it is important to acknowledge that. One can make the...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The number of social workers has increased in each of the years 2009 to 2010, inclusive. The other point is that while obviously numbers are important, how one organises the services is equally important. There is a reform programme under way. I can give an example. Some of the social workers who previously worked in adoption, an area where there is a changing scenario, will be...

Adoption Legislation (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy refers to issues relating to records created prior to, and post, the introduction of the statutory regime for adoption in Ireland in the Adoption Act 1952. Therefore, for clarity and to provide the Deputy with as much information as I can, I will deal with both questions separately. Prior to 1952, there was no statutory regime for adoption as we now understand it. Children were...

Adoption Legislation (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy quoted a figure of thousands pre-1952, but we must be careful of the numbers involved. The Adoption Board had 99 people coming forward who believed they were adopted, yet records could not be found. While that is the number of people who have come forward, I take the point that there may well be others who have not made themselves known to the Adoption Authority. Some 50% of...

Adoption Legislation (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I agree with the Deputy abut the importance of this issue. I completely share her views on the question of access to identity and having as much information as possible. We must have the strongest possible legislation to deal with this issue, although there are some constitutional challenges surrounding that. I want to make it clear, however, that if there are bodies out there holding...

Child Protection Audit (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE, which has statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, is in the process of finalising a national audit of child protection policies, procedures and practices in each Catholic diocese. There are essentially two elements to the audit: first, a retrospective aspect which examines how each diocese responded to allegations of child sexual abuse in the past and, second, a...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Family Support Agency, under my Department, operates the Scheme of Grants to voluntary organisations providing marriage and relationship, child and bereavement counselling services. Some 600 organisations receive funding each year, including the organisation in question, which is one of 28 larger organisations that receive multi-annual funding under the scheme. On 5 December 2011, the...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (21 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I forwarded the information requested in Parliamentary Question No. 211 of 12 January 2012 to the Deputy on 28 February 2012.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (21 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE did not collect information on the number of children who were discharged form care on reaching 18-years of age since 2005. A child may enter care for a short period of time or may have a number of entries into care during the year for short periods. Not all children leaving care are aged 18 years of age and children leave care for many reasons. The HSE has however provided a global...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (21 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I forwarded the information requested in Parliamentary Question No. 10 of 15 December 2011 to the Deputy on 30 January 2012.