Results 2,441-2,460 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I agree with Deputy Rabbitte in that regard. What I am trying to indicate is how to identify risk or possible risk to children and to protect them. Adults who request or who would benefit from counselling or other supports are directed to the HSE or other counselling bodies that support victims of abuse. I am keen to emphasise a point I indicated in my answer. If someone comes to Tusla...

Other Questions: Aftercare Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 12 together. Every year, between 450 and 500 young people leave the care of the State. Aftercare is the planning and support put in place to meet the needs of a young person leaving statutory care at 18 years of age to assist that person to make the transition to independent living. There has been widespread uptake of aftercare services by those...

Other Questions: Aftercare Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I will try to offer some answers to many of the key issues Deputy Broughan has identified. The Deputy may be aware that, in addition to the aftercare planning and supports provided by Tusla, under the Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness plan, Tusla commits to ensuring young people leaving State care who are at risk of homelessness are identified and catered for...

Other Questions: Aftercare Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have met some of those young people so of course I appreciate and understand what Deputy Broughan is asking for. My personal commitment is that it is so important to be able to deliver. I appreciate the point. I recognise Deputy Broughan has made his comments on aftercare within the context of that particular cohort of young people. In light of his comments, I will reflect on the matter...

Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to say that we are now funding a number of new projects as well as existing ones. This past year, since I became Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, is the first in over a decade in which new projects are being funded. Funding for youth services had decreased, as the Deputy indicated, by €10.4 million between 2011 and 2015. In recent weeks, I approved...

Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I agree with everything the Deputy has identified. To emphasise a couple of matters, the mapping exercise is critical in terms of ensuring that we are able to meet the needs of young people throughout the country in an equitable way because there are gaps. The exercise has highlighted areas throughout Ireland - particularly rural areas - with little or no youth service provision. It is my...

Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I accept those points and I will reflect on them. As requested, I will bring them into my own deliberations and debate at Cabinet and across Departments. I am absolutely committed to funding only those services that have indicated and identified their effectiveness in the provision they offer and where there is an outcome focus. We look at various ways to determine and define outcomes....

Other Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 32 together. The most recent recruitment and staff data from Tusla is for February and March 2017. At the end of February, Tusla had recruited 56 new social workers and this equates to a net increase of 28 whole-time equivalent social workers in March when attrition and flexible working arrangements are taken into account. To date, Tusla is on...

Other Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am deeply concerned about this issue, as is the Deputy, and I am aware of the figures he is citing. In addition to what I have already said, I have provided Tusla with the necessary funding to recruit additional staff in 2017 - an increase of €37 million in 2017 alone - building on significant funding increases in previous years. In addition to what I have already said about my...

Other Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: We are working on a protocol regarding mental health with the Department of Health and Tusla. We successfully negotiated a protocol of working together with the HSE and Tusla on disability services and this is what the group that gathered to do that is doing and focusing on now. To respond to Deputy Ó Laoghaire, it is clearly not just a matter of money - I acknowledge that. I am...

Other Questions: Child Care Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I recently announced a range of measures that will be introduced this September to make child care more affordable for thousands of families throughout Ireland. This honours a key commitment in the programme for Government. I am putting in place measures to ensure that parents of up to 70,000 children due to benefit under the affordable child care scheme will be given the opportunity to...

Other Questions: Child Care Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Let me be perfectly clear on this issue. From 2017, the majority of eligible families will benefit from significantly increased subsidisation of child care costs. From September, the promise of a subsidy for children under the age of 36 months will be kept. Families with one or more children under the age of three years who wish to use regulated child care services will be able to avail of...

Other Questions: Child Care Services (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I and my officials have deep concerns about community child care services, especially those which employ community employment workers. The Department has put in place a number of actions and supports for particular services that are finding their sustainability challenged. I hope these supports, which will be available in 2017 and 2018, will effectively assist all the services as they...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 20 and 21 together. Community child care facilities are important partners in the delivery of affordable, accessible and high-quality child care. The majority of community child care services are operating well and have been able to manage issues they face within the structures available, including by availing of support from county and city child...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate the Deputy's figures and would be happy to show them to my Department so that they can be fed into our analysis. The Department, Pobal and county and city child care committees are working intensely with these community services and engaging directly with any that is impacted negatively by the change in ratios. Moneys are being made available in 2017 to ensure the...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I want to be perfectly clear. I understand what the Deputies are saying and I understand the concerns and realities facing community child care. I have been identifying a number of actions, which the Department and county and city child care committees have taken. They are engaging. These actions are not enough, though, and we are considering additional actions. I have identified some....

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: First, it is good to hear all of these passionate arguments in respect of the issues under discussion. That helps me in my job in regard to this issue, so I thank Deputies for that. Second, if I heard Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan correctly, she suggested that the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs may take this up as an issue and bring some suggestions or recommendations to me. I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: At present, adoption information and tracing services are provided on an administrative basis by Tusla, the Adoption Authority of Ireland and by six bodies that have been accredited by the Authority under the Adoption Act 2010. I am aware of the expertise and professionalism of the agencies currently accredited for this purpose. However, the Bill is carefully balanced to allow a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Costs (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to confirm that major improvements in childcare subsidies will come into effect this September, including increases of up to 50% in targeted childcare subsidy rates and a new universal childcare subsidy for children aged between 6 and 36 months. September’s changes will be delivered through existing childcare schemes, pending the introduction of the Affordable Childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (11 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes is independent in the performance of its functions. The approach to its investigation is a matter for the Commission and I do not have any information on its engagement with the Adoption Authority or other individuals, groups or corporate bodies. In its Second Interim Report, which I published on the 11thof April, the Commission...