Results 3,061-3,080 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (10 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Provision (10 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, in May I welcomed the publication of Dr Geoffrey Shannon’s audit into the use of section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991 by An Garda Síochána. The report was undertaken by Dr Shannon on behalf of An Garda Síochána and correspondingly most of the recommendations made by Dr Shannon relate to Garda practice and procedures. In my previous...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Youth Work Advisory Committee (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Sections 17 and 18 of the Youth Work Act 2001 provide for the appointment of a National Youth Work Advisory Committee. The Committee had an advisory and consultative role to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in matters to do with youth work, including the coordination of youth work programmes and services. In line with these provisions, a new National Youth Work Advisory Committee...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department is committed to the development and reform of the Capital programme in respect of the needs of children and providers, with the aim of providing childcare facilities of the highest quality. Capital Funding is made available by my Department on an annual basis at varying levels for particular projects. For example, the Early Years Capital 2017 programme focused on creating...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2018 provides for a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. In 2018, Tusla will have available to it some €753 million in funding, representing an increase of €40.6 million, or 5.7%, over 2017. The precise details of funding for Family Resource Centres will be considered by Tusla in developing its 2018 Business Plan, based on...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Data (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: After months of hard work I can confirm that 86% of eligible childcare providers have signed up to deliver these measures. This number equates to 3,156 of 3,705 eligible services providing a reduction to the tens of thousands of families that are now experiencing lower childcare costs. 51 childcare providers have signed up to pass on the savings to parents in the county of Westmeath. That is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that there were 26,192 open cases nationally at the end of July which includes children in care. An open case is one which is assessed as needing a dedicated (allocated) social work service. There were 5,524 open cases awaiting allocation of a social worker. Of these, 816 were designated as high priority, 3,609 as medium priority and 1,099 as low priority. A high...

Financial Resolutions 2018 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2018 will reduce poverty and deprivation. The €5 increases on the social protection side and the 3.2% increase in the national minimum wage will help to reduce poverty. The IMF and others note that significant increases in education, child care and health help to reduce inequality. Budget 2018 does this. These are all characteristics of a budget that is progressive. As a...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Care Costs (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I believe that budget 2018 marks another substantial further step forward in supporting families with young children. In recent years, I have secured significant additional investment in the early years sector, focusing investment on different but critical elements of early years care and education. The new measures announced in budget 2018 form part of a trend in continued growth and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Care Costs (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Those are very helpful questions with regard to the Deputy's original question. On subsidies provided for families to ensure that the cost of child care is more affordable, the Deputy's first question asked if we are on track to ensure that the affordable childcare scheme will be able to be delivered in 2018 in light of the ICT issues. As I understand it, that process is continuing within...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Care Costs (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I know the Deputy is aware of this, but it is important to put on record that significant increases to reduce the cost of child care for families are being put in place and have begun to be delivered since September. There is a significant sign-up rate for those various schemes, including the universal scheme for under threes, which was the first time that the Government has put in place...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The reduction of child poverty and supports for homeless children and families are key political priorities for the Government. My Department works closely with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection which has lead responsibility for child poverty in informing the development of this cross-sectoral priority. My Department administers a range of funding schemes...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I agree with the Deputy that the number of children in emergency accommodation is unacceptable. I indicated in my speech in response to the budget that the Government could be doing more, particularly in regard to preventative measures, in order to prevent as many people and families as possible moving into the emergency accommodation. One of the difficulties is that many children and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for the excellent question. As the Deputy will be aware, I was able to secure funding in budget 2018 in order to ensure the continuation of the area-based programmes that are going on in different places throughout the country. As the Deputy indicated, there are different models being employed in that regard, but they certainly are all focused on prevention...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Expenditure (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I recently announced my intention to commence the mandatory reporting provisions of the Children First Act 2015 with effect from 11 December this year. It is not possible at this stage to be precise about the amount of funding to be allocated to a specific area such as Children First. Children First mandatory reporting, for example, could benefit from social workers who are dealing in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Expenditure (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am open to correction, but it is my understanding, based on communications with my Secretary General, that Mr. McBride indicated that there could be a significant increase in the number of referrals to Tusla as a result of the roll-out of mandatory reporting. I understood it to be a 50% increase, as distinct from 150%, but we can take another look at that matter. It is Mr. McBride's job...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Expenditure (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy has asked some excellent questions. In announcing the resources I shared a platform with Mr. McBride and we had a lot of discussions in that regard. He has identified that there are 305 people at various stages of recruitment; that Tusla is in the process of recruiting and ultimately employing the people concerned. In that context, there has been a lot of positive action in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I acknowledge that the recruitment and retention of social workers are among the biggest challenges for Tusla. Working in child protection is one of the most difficult tasks and I welcome the dedication of all professionals in Tusla who undertake this extremely important task. Tusla has worked hard to retain staff by developing a supportive working environment. Its overall turnover rate...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I will be happy to supply the Deputy with the details, but I do not have the specific information to hand. Picking up on his point about the system in place in England, I will also be happy to compare this jurisdiction with others, although I do not necessarily agree with him on the matter. The fact is that Tusla has been able to retain social workers. The current turnover rate is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is certainly a suggestion that could be entertained and I will be happy to communicate it to Tusla. The Deputy has clearly already raised the matter with the CEO, Mr. Fred McBride. His focus is on considering additional ways by which staff working on the front line with children who have experienced significant harm can be supported, which is good. Some of the questions have focused on...