Results 4,521-4,540 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Properties (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that my Department does not own nor use any land in Co Meath. The Adoption Authority of Ireland, Tusla, and the Oberstown Children Detention Campus have provided a similar clarification. The Ombudsman for Children's Office will reply directly to the Deputy.

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

Katherine Zappone: I am advised by Tusla that the estimated cost of each extra social worker and social care worker recruited in 2018 is as follows: Grade Pay ER PRSI Total Pay Non Pay Total WTE Professionally Qualified Social Worker 49,901 5,414 55,315 12,475 67,790 1.0 Social Care Worker (with Qualification) 39,049 4,237 43,286 9,762 53,048 1.0 The costings are based on the midpoint of the pay scale and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Law Reporting Project (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, on Monday 17 September the Child Care Law Reporting Project (CCLRP) published its latest series of reports on child care proceedings in Ireland, detailing 30 cases. This series is the first to be published under a new agreement between the CCLRP and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The agreement will run for 3 years. The Child Care Law Reporting...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: A child may be taken into care because they are at risk of physical, psychological or sexual abuse or because they have particular needs that their parents cannot meet, even when community based family supports are provided. The decision to remove a child from the care of its parents is not one that is taken lightly. Where the High Court deems a child is a serious risk to themselves...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The majority (92%) of children in care in Ireland are in foster care. Children, depending on their individual need, may be placed in foster care either with relatives, with general foster carers or with private foster carers. The recruitment and retention of foster carers is a challenge, as it is in all jurisdictions. According to Tusla's most recent verified data, there were 4,302 foster...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I can advise the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the appropriate body dealing with the protection and welfare of children. I am satisfied that the funding secured for Tusla in Budget 2018 has provided adequate resources to meet the demand for their child protection functions. Tusla act immediately if there is an immediate risk to a child. Children who are in a situation...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The most recent figures provided by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, indicate that there were 6,132 children in care at the end of June 2018. It is vital that all children in care, and their carers, receive adequate support to ensure a successful placement. Foster care is the main form of alternative care for children in need of care and protection, and is the preferred option for...

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

Katherine Zappone: I am informed by Tusla that as of June 2018, the most recent figures available, there were 5,856 cases awaiting allocation of a social worker. Tusla has confirmed that of these cases, 987 were categorised as high priority; 1,589 cases were low priority; and 3,280 were medium priority. The priority level assigned to the case is based on the resources required to address the case, rather...

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

Katherine Zappone: I am informed by Tusla that as of June 2018, the most recent figures available, there were 5,856 cases awaiting allocation of a social worker. An unallocated case relates to a case about a child that is deemed to need a social work assessment, but has not yet been allocated to a social worker. Of these cases, 987 were categorised as high priority; 1,589 cases were low priority; and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department operates a number of initiatives to support parents who may find themselves in a challenging situations due to financial or health issues. The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme, which is a prevention and early intervention initiative, targets investment in effective services to improve the outcomes for children and families living in areas of disadvantage. The programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Agencies Staff Data (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise the Deputy that this is an operational matter with regard to workforce planning for the two agencies within my remit that provide frontline services, namely Tusla and Oberstown Children Detention Campus. I am advised by Tusla and Oberstown respectively, that their Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) staffing numbers from 2015 - 31st July 2018, the most recent numbers available, are...

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

Katherine Zappone: I wish to assure the Deputy that all referrals to Tusla are screened in a timely manner. Where appropriate, the referral will be routed to family support services or, in the case of child protection and welfare concerns, to a social work service. It is important to stress that urgent and emergency cases receive immediate attention by the local duty social work team. Tusla, the Child and...

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

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, commissions services for children and families through voluntary organisations throughout the country. Tusla's priority is to improve outcomes for children and to ensure that services are provided in the most effective, equitable, proportionate and sustainable way. In 2017, Tusla issued some €140m to external organisations providing services to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Allegations of abuse of any child are taken seriously and treated with priority, especially where a child is in care. Any such allegation is dealt with under the Children First procedures. Following an initial assessment of the allegation, and where appropriate, a safety plan is put in place for the child's immediate protection. A notification of the allegation is sent to An Garda Siochana...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Illegal Adoptions (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption Authority of Ireland is the independent regulatory body over adoption in Ireland, under the Adoption Act 2010. As the Deputy will be aware, I announced in May of this year that clear evidence of illegal registration had been uncovered in records from St. Patrick's Guild former adoption agency. There have been suspicions about illegal birth registrations for a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (20 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Child Care Act, 1991 applies to all children resident in the State, regardless of their immigration status. Under the Child Care Act, 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection. In some circumstances a person seeking refugee in this country, with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Authority of Ireland (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The agency the Deputy has referred to is accredited to undertake its work by the Adoption Authority of Ireland. I have asked the authority to respond directly to the Deputy on this issue.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that Tusla undertakes assessments on all potential general foster care applicants regardless of whether they are short term, emergency carers or long term foster carers.  The assessment process provides a framework to enable assessing social workers make recommendations in relation to their suitability to foster.  The requirement for assessment and approval is set out...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 428 to 431, inclusive, together. The Children First Act 2015, which was fully commenced in December 2017, provides for a number of key child protection measures, including raising awareness of child abuse and neglect, providing for reporting and management of child protection concerns and improving child protection arrangements in organisations providing...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The figures set out in the Mid-Year Expenditure Report in respect of my Department do not include expenditure savings targets. My Department is currently examining expenditure requirements across all programme areas, including expenditure trends in 2018, to identify how services can be delivered within the overall fiscal parameters for 2019. As the Deputy will be aware, this forms...