Results 101-120 of 8,818 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Social Services Staff: Social Services Staff (30 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Social workers employed by the health service are deployed across a range of services, including hospitals, primary care, disability, mental health and the child welfare and protection service. The information which follows relates to the child welfare and protection service. The Implementation Plan which was prepared arising from the findings of the Report of the Commission to Inquire...

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...

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (5 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.End of Take

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs was formally established on the 3rd of June. The Secretary General for the Department was announced last week and he does not currently sit on State agency boards.

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 — 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 — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 73 together. I have an extensive legislative programme in 2011 and beyond. My priorities for 2011 are to progress the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009 to enactment and in that regard I would like to advise the House that the Bill will be reintroduced to the Dáil at Report Stage on Thursday next 14th July. My intention is to progress the preparation of...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government is committed to fundamental reform and transformation of the delivery of our children and family services. A number of significant structural and legislative changes are key to effecting such reform. This includes the establishment of a new agency with dedicated responsibility for the delivery of child welfare and protection services, separate from the HSE and reporting...

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The work of the North South Steering Group on Child Protection, which is jointly chaired by my Department and Northern Ireland's Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, includes a particular focus on the development of an inter-jurisdictional protocol for the transfer of child care cases between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A draft protocol has been developed...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am aware that an appeal is before the Supreme Court which relates to Section 3 of the Child Care Act, 1991. A judicial review was sought in 2009 and successfully defended by the HSE. The High Court ruling of May 2010 was then appealed to the Supreme Court. The HSE continues to strongly defend its position in relation to this matter. The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be...

Written Answers — Youth Justice Service: Youth Justice Service (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 45 and 46 together. My Department was established following a series of transfer orders on 3 June, and has taken on legal authority across a range of areas, including the functions of the former Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Functions of other Government Departments that have been transferred to the new Department are family policy...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Unaccompanied minors seeking asylum are in need of care and protection under the Child Care Act, 1991 and are entitled to the same treatment and rights as indigenous young people. The immediate and the ongoing needs of separated children seeking asylum (SCSA) relating to accommodation, medical and social needs as well as their application for refugee status are the responsibility of the...