Results 3,881-3,900 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The statutory Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) is independent in the conduct of its investigations. The approach to publicising its work and gathering information are matters for the Commission to decide and progress. I do not have any role or influence in this regard. I am aware that the latest advertising campaign specifically seeks...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has advised that it is committed to the leasing of new modern office space at Shannonside Retail Park in Carrick-on-Shannon. These new premises will provide easy access to the public and will accommodate the expansion of Tusla staff and services for local communities. Tusla is currently finalising the design process for the building prior to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: From September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months will be eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE). This measure refines the development introduced last year, whereby three intake dates were adopted, and will increase the duration of each registered child on ECCE from a current average of 61...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Data (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware that my Department is managing the most significant reform of youth services ever undertaken. This will provide an opportunity to identify need and to focus the bulk of the €58.9m funding available in 2018 on young people most in need of intervention.  Last year, I approved funding for the establishment of new youth projects and for the augmentation of a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Scouting Ireland received €49,630 under the capital funding scheme for youth projects and services in 2016 to fund the improvement of disability access and security at its centre in Killaloe.  Scouting organisations were eligible to apply for capital funding under the local youth club equipment scheme in 2017.  Capital funding of over €1.4m was provided to scouting...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department does not set aside funding specifically to address loneliness and social isolation. However, my Department supports a range of targeted youth funding schemes that work with marginalised and disadvantaged young people as defined in the National Youth Strategy 2015. This term includes, but is not limited to, young people from ethnic or religious minorities;...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family, operate under the principle of equity of care, and do not make a distinction between EEA and non-EEA citizens when providing care. All children and families resident in Ireland are entitled to the same level of care from Tusla.  The figures to which the Deputy refers are not collated in the monthly performance data or quarterly reports which Tusla provide to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Signs of Safety forms part of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency's Child Welfare and Protection Strategy. A total of €984,000 was spent on Signs of Safety in 2017, which included training for 1,005 members of Tusla staff at €979 per head. Tusla have budgeted €1,180,800 for Signs of Safety for 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: HIQA Inspections (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the recently published HIQA Inspection Report of Tusla’s Child Welfare and Protection Service in Carlow, Kilkenny and  South Tipperary. As all three counties were integral to the inspection it is not possible to discuss the finding relating to County Kilkenny separately. I can assure the Deputy that Tusla’s action plan...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The matter raised relates to operations funded by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have asked Tusla to supply the relevant information to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 520 and 521 together. The upper age limit for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme was set in consultation with senior officials from the Early Years Education Policy Unit in the Department of Education and Skills. It ensures that children transition into primary school with their peers and limits the age range of children beginning primary...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Information about unallocated cases is published monthly on the Tusla website. The most up to date data available is for December 2017. I can inform the Deputy that there were 24,891 open cases nationally at the end of December. Of these, 4,892 were awaiting allocation of a social worker. This information is provided in the following table. Tusla does not publish data on average time...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 526 together. The Value for Money and Policy Review (VFMPR) of the Youth Funding programmes 2014 examined three of the targeted funding schemes, the Special Projects for Youth scheme, the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund, and Local Drug Task Force projects scheme. The schemes support the provision of youth services for young...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department does not have a designated Press Officer or stand-alone Press Office. One of my appointed Special Advisors, Mr Jerry O'Connor, has special responsibility for communications. He is remunerated at a point on the Principal Officer scale. Mr O'Connor took up the role after my appointment in mid 2016. Prior to that, a Special Advisor to my predecessor Dr James Reilly, Mr Mark...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Recruitment (8 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: No panel has been established in my Department for communications officers. My Department does not have a designated civil service role of head of communications or similar. I have no plans to make such an appointment. The day-to-day press office function in my Department has usually been serviced by an Executive Officer in recent years; in 2017, a clerical officer was assigned to assist in...

An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht 2018: An Dara Céim - Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018: Second Stage (9 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I am sharing time with Deputy Fitzpatrick. I am pleased to speak in support of this Bill to bring about a referendum on the eighth amendment. At the outset, I acknowledge the leadership and empathy of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to bring us to this point. For more than three decades pregnant women in Ireland have recognised and lived the restrictions imposed by the eighth...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (20 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The records referred to by the Deputy are held by Tusla. I have asked Tulsa to reply to the Deputy directly on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Banking (20 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department incurred negative interest charges of €4,598.52 in 2017. Negative interest rates are charges relating to depositing cash with a bank overnight. My Department's Vote administered over €1.2 billion during the period concerned.  Information relating to negative interest charges to agencies under the remit of my Department is an operational matter and I have...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (20 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested in relation to my own Department is set out out in the table. The Deputy might note that the overall objective is to keep costs of this nature to a minimum and that these services are only used when deemed necessary in the course of Departmental activity. Date Company Cost February 2017 Media Vest €32,773.01 March 2017 Media Vest €25,431.05 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Sector Staff Data (20 Mar 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department was established on 2nd June 2011.  Since that date, the staff who have entered the department of Children and Youth Affairs via a route other than through open competition are as follows. Following the dissolution of the Children's Act Advisory Board on 8th September 2011, three members of staff transferred from the Board to the Department and following acceptance by...