Results 17,921-17,940 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: In January 2010 HIQA published Guidance for the Health Service Executive for the Review of Serious Incidents including Deaths of Children in Care. The Guidance became operational from March 2010. The Guidance required the HSE to establish a panel of appropriately skilled professionals, both internal and external to the HSE, to review cases under specified criteria. According to the HIQA...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Report into the Roscommon case was published by the HSE on 27th October 2010. Since its publication the HSE has given assurances that practice in assessing and responding to child welfare and protection concerns is being applied to the necessary standard across all regions. The HSE has already stated that it is committed to learning from this and other reports to ensure that services are...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care Act, 1991, the Health Service Executive has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection. In discharging this function the HSE has in place a network of special care and high support facilities for children with specialised care needs. Beyond that, the HSE is on occasion, required to make arrangements for the placement of...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: 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 than cannot be prevented or resolved without the child being received into care. My officials had a recent meeting with the Department of Social Protection at which...

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Review undertaken in respect of the death of a child known to the child protection system as Baby G was finalised on the 13th May, 2011 and concluded that, while there was no connection between any actions or inaction on the part of the HSE with baby G's death, compliance with Children First National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children 1999 was patchy and that the...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care Act 1991, a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) provides a service to the Courts. This happens where a judge requests that a Guardian Ad Litem be appointed to a child to represent the interests of a child who is the subject of care proceedings. They are always appointed where a child is subject to Special Care proceedings. The service is funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE)....

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has convened a Standards Advisory Group to advise on the development of National Standards for the Protection and Welfare of Children. The Advisory Group, which comprises a wide representation of people from the health and social care sector has met several times and continues to advise HIQA on the draft standards, prior to a wider public...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Draft Heads of Bill for a National Vetting Bureau were developed by my Department and following consultation with my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality we agreed that this legislation will be brought forward by Minister Shatter. A working group to progress this legislation has been established on which my Department is represented. In addition there continues to be regular and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) was introduced in January 2008 under the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) to enable community not-for-profit childcare service to provide childare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income families. Under the CCSS, community services were required to make an annual return to the Childcare Directorate which recorded the...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I established the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency in September 2011 under the chairmanship of Ms Maureen Lynott. The Task Force will advise my Department in regard to the necessary transition programme to establish a Child and Family Support Agency, and will base its work on best practice in child welfare, family support and public administration; consistent with the...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE compiles monthly performance reports which provide an overall analysis of key performance data from finance, HR, hospital and primary and community services. These reports include a range of statistics in relation to children in care. A new performance indicator was introduced in 2011 to collect information on the number of young adults aged 18-21 years in receipt of an aftercare...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 2011 budget allocation for the Youth Affairs Unit of my Department is €60.154m on current expenditure and €800,000 on capital expenditure. This funding supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities through grants-in-aid. Foróige is currently in receipt of €6.037m from Youth Affairs Unit...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148, 149 and 150 together. 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 and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, Youth Information Centres,...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151, 152 and 154 together. The Government is committed to a series of measures designed to significantly strengthen the existing legislative, policy and practice framework in the area of child protection. The intention is to ensure that child abuse in Ireland is strongly and decisively tackled and that children are properly safeguarded. A number of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Employees of my Department have access to an electronic Employee Self Service (ESS) feature as part of the payroll system. A limited number of hard copy payslips are provided to employees in circumstances where an employee does not have access to ESS through illness, off-site assignment or not being connected to the intranet network. As part of a shared service arrangement, the Department...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised that the majority of staff employed in agencies under the aegis of my Department utilise electronic payslip facilities. The majority of staff at the Adoption Authority of Ireland for example, are on secondment from other public service organisations and utilise the payslip facilities provided by their parent organisation. The National Educational Welfare Board has advised me...

Health Service Staff (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: In line with the programme for Government I am committed to delivering on the Ryan report implementation plan. Earlier this year I personally took over the chair of the Ryan report implementation group and I laid the second annual progress report before the Houses of the Oireachtas in July. While there are significant financial pressures on child and family services, my Department is...

Health Service Staff (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am committed to ensuring that the 60 posts are put in place. The Deputy's information is incorrect. To date, four of the posts have been filled, 11 candidates have accepted offers, in respect of which the necessary clearances are being processed. The remainder of the posts are at various stages of the recruitment process. As stated on the last occasion I answered the Deputy's question...

Health Service Staff (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The total number of social workers in place as of 31 September 2011 is 2,429. The remainder of the 60 posts will be in place by the end of this year, which fulfils the Ryan implementation group recommendation.

Health Service Staff (3 Nov 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will communicate with the Deputy on the matter.