Results 18,301-18,320 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Children in Care (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: We want to ensure an assessment is done for every foster parent and want to see that children who are in care have an allocated social work. There has been significant progress and extra resources in the past year. We will assess on an ongoing basis whether the numbers being recruited are adequate. A considerable number has yet to be recruited and all of the funding required is in place....

Early Childhood Education (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free preschool year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. Almost every preschool service in the State is participating in the ECCE scheme, ensuring that it is available to children in all areas, and 63,000 children, or 94% of the eligible age cohort, are...

Early Childhood Education (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy McGrath. It has been recognised throughout the country that this is a critical scheme. Many communities are availing of it and the take-up is very high. The take-up is not 100%, probably because some parents choose not to send children to early school education and because some children are included in community child care provisions. Terrific work is being done in...

Children's Rights (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The preparation of this report is being progressed within my Department in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNCRC, and in consultation with the statutory and non-statutoty sectors. The report will cover the period from 2005-10, inclusive. My Department is working to have a draft ready before the end of this year and submitted to the UN as soon as possible...

Children's Rights (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I share the Deputy's concern regarding the delay in responding to the UN. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which comprises 54 articles, is the most widely ratified international human rights instrument and the first legal instrument to focus solely on children's rights regardless of place of birth, sex, religion or social origin. The preparation of the report is a priority for...

Children's Rights (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will get back to the Deputy on the question of legislation.

Children's Rights (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I agree that early intervention is key. That is not in doubt. Last week I attended a meeting of EU health Ministers where it was emphasised that we ought to be thinking in terms of equal opportunities for children with communication disorders given that one in three, one in four and one in five children, respectively, will be born with a visual, speech or hearing difficulty. By the time...

Early Childhood Education (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free preschool year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. In September 2010, the first full year of the programme, 63,000 children participated, amounting to 94% of all eligible children. Some 4,300 preschool services, or 95% of all services, are...

Early Childhood Education (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I do not have those figures to hand. However, as I have said, the scheme has enjoyed a very high take-up rate, with 94% of all eligible children participating. The 17-month eligibility range was seen to provide a broad enough range to encompass the vast majority of children within the appropriate age cohort. It is legally permissible for children to commence primary school once they have...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (7 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 2011 budget allocation for the Youth Affairs Unit of my Department is €60.154 million on current expenditure and €800,00 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, by the voluntary youth work sector. Some €656,000 has been allocated to youth...

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (7 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The purpose of the 116000 phone number is to provide a contact number to families if children go missing. My Department is involved in ongoing discussions with other Government Departments in relation to the development of a hotline. The issue of missing children is a matter for the Garda Síochána.

Written Answers — Preschool Services: Preschool Services (7 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The principle vehicle for my Department, in developing and providing early childhood care and education, is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The pre-school year was introduced in January 2010 and provides early learning in a formal setting to children in the year before they commence primary school. In 2011, the ECCE programme is expected to...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (7 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (6 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The School Completion Programme which encompasses both primary and post-primary levels, entails targeting individual children and young people of school-going age, both in and out of school, and arranging supports to address inequalities in education access, participation and outcomes. It is based on the project model with an integrated approach involving primary and post primary schools,...

Written Answers — Child Poverty: Child Poverty (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Tackling child poverty is a priority for the Government and is a key goal of the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007- 2016 which is co-ordinated by the Department of Social Protection. Children are more likely to be poor if they live in unemployed households or households where there is a low level of paid employment. The Departments of Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise, and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The issue of local authority commercial rates comes within the remit of the Department of Finance, which has responsibility for fiscal policy, and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which has responsibility for the local authorities. Local authorities are obliged to collect rates on any property that is entered on the valuation lists and which is used for...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that the Review referred to by the Deputy was commissioned following commitments made by both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties in their 2010 Election Manifestos to deal with the issue of commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood. This commitment was subsequently reflected in the Coalition Agreement. The resulting Report of the Review "Letting Children be...

Written Answers — Guardianship of Children: Guardianship of Children (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care Act 1991, Guardian ad litem provide a service to the Courts, where a judge may request that a Guardian ad litem is appointed to a child who is the subject of care proceedings. They are always appointed where a child is subject to Special Care proceedings. There is a commitment in the Ryan Report Implementation Plan, to engage with my colleagues to agree a future policy...

Written Answers — Ministerial Meetings: Ministerial Meetings (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs was formally established on the 3rd of June and the Secretary General of the Department was announced last week. Until then, the only person at Management Advisory Committee level in the Department was the Deputy Secretary General, with whom I have had regular meetings since my appointment. I have also attended Department of Health Management...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs was formally established on the 3rd of June. Staff are currently in the process of moving from their current location in Hawkins House, as part of the then Department of Health and Children, to new premises at 43 Mespil Road, Dublin 4. The lease for the Mespil Road offices is held by the OPW. The Adoption Authority of Ireland (formerly the...