Parliamentary questions

Departmental Funding

Joe Higgins

21. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that funding will be made available for Rape Crisis Network Ireland, which provides rape crisis centres with vital specialist research and support and whose closure is imminent due to the fact that its current funding is scheduled to be terminated on 31 March 2014. [5328/14]

Youth Services Funding

Catherine Murphy

22. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether the current geographic spend on youth services is adequate to provide the same level of service on a countrywide basis; if her attention has been drawn to particular examples where organisations which received funding under the youth service grant scheme concentrate their activities in particular areas of the country and, as a result, funding is unbalanced around the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6642/14]

European Court of Human Rights Judgments

Thomas Pringle

23. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide details on the review of current and planned child protection systems; when this review will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6640/14]

Proposed Legislation

Robert Troy

24. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the Children First legislation will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6654/14]

Adoption Records Provision

Clare Daly

25. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in view of the undeniable evidence, in writing, that religious run adoption agencies participated in and facilitated illegal adoptions, the reason neither her Department nor the Adoption Authority of Ireland has carried out an audit of every adoption record held in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6523/14]

Departmental Funding

Pádraig MacLochlainn

26. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding funding for Rape Crisis Network Ireland; if it is due to end on 31 March 2014; if she will clarify what the process will then be; if she will indicate the consultation undertaken with those involved in the rape crisis sector; and if she will outline the groups which she has met to date to discuss funding. [5334/14]

Child Protection

Denis Naughten

27. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the discussions she has had with other Departments on foot of the publication of the audit report on neglect cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6495/14]

Child and Family Agency Remit

Thomas Pringle

28. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date on which all services are due to be transferred to the Child and Family Agency, including public health nursing and child mental health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6639/14]

Child and Family Agency Funding

Thomas Pringle

29. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way the €600 million budget for the Child and Family Agency is to be spent; if she deems this to be an adequate level of funding for the agency to function efficiently in view of its responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6638/14]

Garda Vetting of Personnel

Charlie McConalogue

30. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will amend the Child and Family Agency requirements under the Garda vetting standard of the child care preschool services regulations relating to students to allow a letter confirming clearance from training organisations to meet compliance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6655/14]

Child Care Services Inspections

Seán Kyne

31. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will report on the progress of her Department, Pobal and the other relevant stakeholders in implementing a digitised and online system of recording and disseminating inspection reports on child care and preschool facilities; the level of engagement between her Department, Pobal, the Health Service Executive and other stakeholders such as the child care committees; and if she will indicate the current rate of inspections being undertaken. [6608/14]

Ombudsman for Children Reports

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

32. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made by the Ombudsman for Children in the preparation of her report into the two cases of children of Roma families who were taken from their parents by the State; when she expects to receive the ombudsman's report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6644/14]

Youth Services Funding

Catherine Murphy

33. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by Kildare Youth Services and other such services around the country at present due to their inability to fund qualified youth social workers; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that such roles often bring inherent knock-on benefits to the youth of a community, resulting in decreased drug use and decreased instances of self-harm and bullying; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6641/14]

Child Care Qualifications

Seán Kyne

34. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in the context of the need to ensure an adequate qualification framework, the funding supports available to community child care providers, in particular, to meet the qualification standards that are rightly required for quality child care and preschool care. [6607/14]

Social Workers Recruitment

Mick Wallace

35. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on reports that at least 200 social work posts are currently vacant even though there have been significant increases in the number of reports of children at risk of abuse or neglect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6635/14]

National Carers Strategy Status

Clare Daly

36. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the plans she has to support the thousands of children in the State who are currently acting as carers. [6524/14]

Preschool Services

Éamon Ó Cuív

37. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the money being provided for the provision of the preschool year; the number of children being catered for; the number of these preschools being operated through Irish and the number being operated through English, with the number of children in each category; her policy regarding same in view of the 20-year strategy for the Irish language; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6493/14]

Child Care Costs

Denis Naughten

38. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the additional steps she will take to address the availability and affordability of regulated child care services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6494/14]

Social Workers Recruitment

Robert Troy

39. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the action she will take to address the inadequate numbers of necessary social workers for vulnerable children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6653/14]

Social Media Regulation

Robert Troy

40. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures she will take to help young persons who may be at risk from irresponsible and reckless forms of social media; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6652/14]