Results 4,221-4,240 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1140 and 1141 together. A core principle underpinning child protection policy in Ireland is that all sectors have a responsibility to keep children safe from harm. In accordance with this, Government policy is that child protection concerns should be dealt with in the setting or sector in which they arise. The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 is the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: HSE Funding (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for raising this particular case with me. I am deeply conscious that giving testimony to a Commission of Investigation, or otherwise revisiting difficult personal experiences, can be distressing for many former residents and some may need to access various supports in dealing with these issues. I am aware that the Health Service Executive (HSE) provides counselling...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Information about cases awaiting allocation is published monthly on the Tusla website. The most up to date data available is for March 2018. I can inform the Deputy that there were a total of 4,662 cases awaiting allocation to a social worker at the end of March. Of these, 734 were designated as high priority, 2,968 as medium priority and 960 as low priority. An unallocated case relates to a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: AIM is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with a disability can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. AIM is a child-centred model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted. The level of support provided depends both on the needs of the child and on the strengths and needs of the pre-school...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware, funding requirements and how resources should be prioritised and allocated across each area of Government spending are generally considered as part of the annual estimates cycle and budgetary process. As part of the process and in accordance with the arrangements in place in my Department for evaluating yearly funding requirements, Tusla is required to submit a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: While my Department has received no specific correspondence from the Department of Education and Skills in relation to the School Completion Programme I am very conscious that the Programme delivers a valuable service for some of our most vulnerable young people. With this in mind, the Board of Tusla convened an expert panel to identify and examine a potential revised model of good...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Cúram agus Oideachas na Luath-Óige (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Is mór againn go léir sa Roinn seo cúnamh na seirbhísí chúram leanaí sa Ghaeltacht chomh maith leis an ról tábhachtach atá ag Naíonraí ar fud na tíre. San am a chuaigh thart, ní raibh na tacaíochtaí do sheirbhísí chúram leanaí a fheidhmíonn trí Ghaeilge i gcónaí chomh...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Roll-out of the Aistear curriculum framework is supported through initial education programmes for early years practitioners (including childminders) as well as through mentoring supports. The National Síolta Aistear Initiative provides funding for mentors in City/County Childcare Committees and Voluntary Childcare Organisations to offer mentoring and quality improvement supports to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform you that the €18m paid initially in 2017 and secured in my vote in Budget 2018 will be paid to childcare providers in June 2018 in the form of the Programme Support Payment (PSP), formerly referred to as the 'non-contact time' payment. This payment is in recognition of the important administrative role that childcare providers play in the delivery of childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Commencement of Legislation (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Children (Amendment) Act 2015, the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 and the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017 have provisions awaiting commencement as follows: Children (Amendment) Act 2015 Sections 6 (as it relates to section 88B), 8,9,10,16,18,19 and 26 of the Children (Amendment) Act 2015 relate to the introduction of a new system of remission in the children detention schools and a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Strategies (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Following a clarification, I understand the Deputy to be referring to the Baby Box pilot initiative. "Baby Boxes" for newborns are to be trialled in a pilot under the National Early Years Strategy that is to be published later this year. Piloting Baby Boxes is just one initiative which will be part of a wide ranging strategy that will address various aspects of the lives of babies and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Significant efforts were made this year to announce the successful applications for the Early Years and School Age Childcare Capital programmes earlier in the year to facilitate works over the summer. The appraisal process for applications has now been completed. Over 1,900 applications for funding were received by the closing date of Wednesday 14th March 2018. All applications were...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: In 2018, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency received a budget allocation of some €753 million from my Department's voted expenditure, which includes an extra €40.6 million over its 2017 allocation. Late last year, I issued Tusla with its 2018 Performance Statement in line with the provisions of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013. In the 2018 Performance Statement, I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: On the 29th May 2018 I announced that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency had identified 126 cases where births were incorrectly registered between 1946 and 1969. The cases were identified during an analysis of adoption records that were transferred to Tusla by the former adoption society St Patrick’s Guild. It was during the course of working with these records and in particular...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Budgets (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The National Development Plan sets out the Government`s capital investment priorities that will underpin the new National Planning Framework. My Department has been allocated €156 million in capital expenditure over the period 2018-2022 under the Plan as set out in the table below. The Deputy might note that the provisions for my Department in the year's post 2022 will be allocated...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: EU Data (12 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy might note that no EU fines were paid by Department in the years 2015 to 2017.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Care Orders (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: When Tusla takes a child into care it may do so either by way of a court order under the Child Care Act 1991, or by way of a voluntary care arrangement whereby there is consent from the child's parent or guardian. Every case is unique. There will be some cases where voluntary care is the most appropriate response and others where it will be necessary to have a more formal arrangement using...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Care Orders (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The agreement on voluntary care is made between parents, Tusla and caregivers and can be positive for the child and the family. There is a new practice guidance to assist with the issues the Deputy identified. Voluntary care provides that the best interests of the child should be the determining factor. Voluntary consent should not be used indefinitely if that is not in the child's best...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Care Orders (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate the issues the Deputy raised, particularly about the length of time and the number of children in care. She stated that they have not been successful. While I appreciate the sentiment she is expressing, circumstances change and family units are different. We do not necessarily know when a child will require support in the form of a voluntary care order, under which parents...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Registration (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: On 29 May, I announced that Tusla had identified 126 cases where births were illegally registered between 1946 and 1969. The cases were identified during an analysis of adoption records that were transferred to Tusla by the former adoption society, St. Patrick's Guild. As the information that an incorrect birth registration has taken place is life changing, the State has a responsibility to...