Results 17,681-17,700 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (11 Jan 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy that the position in respect of my Department is that four agencies are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Family Support Agency, the National Educational Welfare Board and the Ombudsman for Children. The Adoption Authority of Ireland has a total of seven board members, in accordance with...

Foster Care (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: In March 2011, the social services inspectorate of the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, carried out an announced follow-up inspection of the foster care service provided by the Health Service Executive, HSE, in the Dublin North-Central local health area. The inspection was carried out under section 69(2) of the Child Care Act 1991 and was done to assess progress in...

Foster Care (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The deficiencies in the system are being addressed. We are increasing the number of cases assigned social workers beyond the 88% of cases identified in the report. The assessments are ongoing. Clearly the level of family support required cannot be determined without assessments. If the Deputy wishes to bring individual cases to my attention or discuss them directly with the local HSE...

Foster Care (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department funds a number of projects targeted at families with drug issues. That will continue in the coming year. I am reforming the funding provision for youth groups to allow greater flexibility in grant applications.

Departmental Expenditure (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government has completed and published the results of a detailed comprehensive review of expenditure. This review examined all areas of Government expenditure in order to meet the Government's overall fiscal consolidation objectives and realign spending with the priorities set out in the programme for Government. Central to the review process has been the need to consider new ways of...

Departmental Expenditure (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Every Department faced a difficult budgetary outlook. No Department was exempt. What I and my Department had to do was to examine the various spending areas. The saving to which the Deputy referred is across a range of areas and is part of the reform programme, including various budgetary controls that have been established. It relates to a number of areas, which I can correspond with the...

Departmental Expenditure (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: To answer the Deputy's question about the establishment of the new agency, January 2013 is the indicative date at this stage, assuming we are in a position, during the course of 2012, to disaggregate from the HSE and pass the legislation to establish the new agency. With regard to children coming into the care system due to financial pressures on their families, it is hard to separate out one...

Child Protection (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I noted with interest the report Letting Children be Children, which was published in the UK earlier this year. I am also aware of, and indeed share, Irish parents' concerns regarding the increasing sexualisation and commercialisation of childhood. Since becoming Minister I have repeatedly stressed the need for a cross-community approach to protecting children and preserving the space of...

Child Protection (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I accept the points the Deputy makes. It is interesting to note, for example, the contrast between the UK and Ireland in the retail sector. The British retail consortium has already established basic guidelines on responsible retailing of children's wear, which has been signed up to by major retailers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and TK Maxx, all of which operate in the Irish...

Child Protection (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 12 together. The HSE, which has statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, has been conducting a national audit of all Catholic dioceses and religious orders. It expects to be in a position in the spring of 2012 to furnish a report to me on the diocesan element of this audit. The need for follow-up action will be informed by the...

Child Protection (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I already explained, if the previous Ministers had published this report earlier, as they said they would, we would not be in this situation. The reason I am in this position regarding the publication of the report is that a range of changes have been implemented, which were outlined in the dioceses report. To have an up-to-date report from the HSE that is relevant and speaks to the...

Child Protection (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is five years versus four months.

Child Protection (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I did at that time.

Child Protection (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is a difference between five years of looking at an audit and not publishing it and four months. That is the contrast and the Deputy's party must take responsibility for that. I have certainly taken hold of this issue. I have had a great deal of discussion about it. I am anxious to ensure that when the report is published it will be up to date and defensible in terms of the data it...

Child Protection (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: A great deal of work has been done on the Children First legislation. I said previously that the heads of the Bill would be referred to the Oireachtas committee in the next Dáil term. I will do that because it is important to get a response. As the Deputy would expect, it is proving to be complex legislation, but much progress has been made. I will be submitting a further memorandum to...

Child Protection (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am very pleased that by the end of this year the 60 additional social workers, to which I referred during the last priority questions when some doubt was being cast on the recruitment, will be in place. There is another question about the matter which we may not get to. They will have been recruited and some will have started work. They will start working in December and January. That...

Children in Care (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 places a statutory duty on the HSE to form a view on to each person leaving care as to whether there is a need for assistance and, if it forms such a view, to provide services in accordance with the legislation and subject to resources. All young people who have had a care history with the HSE, be it foster care, residential care, high support care or...

Children in Care (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I have made absolutely clear, I am deeply concerned when I hear that it has been decided to move young people from their current placements. The level of disruption that would cause would clearly be detrimental to them at a particularly challenging and crucial time in their life. I have contacted the HSE and asked that the decision be reviewed and that the young people concerned have...

Children in Care (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The policy is clear. When a young person reaches the age of 18 it has been policy and practice for him or her to remain in his or her placement if he or she is in a leaving certificate year. The vast majority of those doing leaving certificate examinations are aged 18 because of the slightly later school starting age. I have made it absolutely clear I am concerned about the decisions...

Children in Care (15 Dec 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I take the point the Deputy is making. We have a much better understanding of the after care needs of our young people who have been in care. It is important they are addressed and a proper assessment is done in each case. Financial resources come in to play as young people get older, as well as whether the service can sustain the kind of support suggested by the Deputy. I take the point...