Results 4,721-4,740 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child and Family Agency (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I will do that if I can. I appreciate and value the Deputy's comments on the way forward for Tusla. I agree with her and it is what I am working towards. When we work with an organisation that has more than 4,000 employees, and which the Deputy knows is in transition with its leadership at executive and board level, the option is to work with the organisation and do the analysis. It is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Family Resource Centres (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla has an important role to play with a number of elements of Rebuilding Ireland, the national Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. As the Deputy knows, these include a number of areas where family resource centres, part-funded by Tusla, have a role to play, such as enhanced liaison on family support, child welfare and child protection, practical supports for daily family life and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Family Resource Centres (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: In the time available to me I will deal with two of the issues raised, including the final question about the piecemeal approach being adopted. In the past it was piecemeal, but we are trying to make it less so by focusing on the provision of supports for families within the hubs the Deputy identified. Tusla can provide services and operate in that context, but it also provides other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Family Resource Centres (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I am always so pleased to be asked a question about concerns about the mental health of children and the services required because I acknowledge that there are not enough such services provided. Tusla has to provide some of them, but other Departments also have to be called on. Some of my biggest concerns are in this area. I share them with the Deputy and others. On family resource...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Commissions of Investigation (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the submission made by the Clann project to the commission of investigation. I am not in a position to comment in detail on the report, as it was submitted in the context of the commission’s ongoing work, but I thank the Clann project for its work. It is important to recognise that a statutory commission is fully independent in the conduct of its investigations. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Commissions of Investigation (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The truth is important. As I indicated in my response to an earlier question, I spent the last week with many of these people and with all of the authors of the Clann project report and am very familiar with their recommendations. As I also said previously, an independent commission of investigation is currently operating. That said, I understand the desire to have some of the testimony in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Commissions of Investigation (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: One of the issues discussed towards the end of the aforementioned conference was whether the term "transitional justice" is appropriate in Ireland. I, too, have been using that language. Various stakeholders, researchers and experts, having spent two days discussing these matters at the conference, asked whether it would be more appropriate to talk about transformation as distinct from...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I fully support the inclusion of sexual consent courses in our schools, youth organisations and clubs. Through Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, my Department actively supports the Manuela Programme aimed at 15-16 year olds.  Developed in partnership with the Rape Crisis Network and the Manuela Foundation the programme focuses on healthy relationships, awareness and understanding of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, the Board of Tusla is responsible for the appointment of the new Chief Executive Officer. The Act requires my approval and the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for the terms and conditions of the job that the Board may wish to set. However, I have no function in the selection process. Following the resignation of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Reports (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Scouting Ireland commissioned Mr Ian Elliott to carry out a review into the organisation’s handling of an allegation of a serious sexual assault on an adult volunteer by another adult volunteer. While this alleged assault took place in 2009, it was only reported within the organisation in 2016.  Following on from Mr Elliott's report of his review, Scouting Ireland engaged a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 17, 26 and 32 together. I am delighted to report positive progress in relation to the development of the Affordable Childcare Scheme, and to confirm that I plan to introduce the Scheme in October 2019.  The scheme will open to applications in October 2019, with payments flowing from November 2019. The scheme will provide financial...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Data (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for his important question. Children in care are among the most vulnerable in our society. It is the role of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency to ensure that their needs - in some cases very complex needs - are met. Some  children in care demonstrate a range of  emotional, psychological and mental health problems. This is particularly the case where they...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the publication of a new report, ‘A Social and Economic Analysis of the use of Legal Services in the Child and Family Agency (Tusla)’, which explores the complex and sometimes fraught interaction of social work practice and the legal system. I believe that empirical research which contributes to our understanding of child care proceedings is vital in furthering...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware that I strongly welcome the report of the Disclosures Tribunal that has fully vindicated Garda Sergeant Maurice McCabe. I have been extremely disappointed by the findings in relation to Tusla. The Tribunal quite properly finds that the performance of Tusla and certain individuals within fell far short of the standard we should expect from a public body with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Once again, I can inform the Deputy at the outset that I strongly welcome the report of the Disclosures Tribunal that has fully vindicated Garda Sergeant Maurice McCabe, who has now retired. There is no denying of the facts or findings in the report. The mishandling of the referral that related to Sergeant Maurice McCabe was properly described by Justice Charlton for what it was -...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Costs (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As previously advised to the Deputy in Parliamentary Question 37905-18 (20th September 2018) my Department’s childcare schemes are run on a national basis and hence are available to all counties. The staff and Boards of 30 City and County Childcare Committees assist my Department in ensuring that schemes and other initiatives we operate nationally meet local need. The Government is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, in view of the information available to me relating to the governance arrangements within Scouting Ireland, I decided in April this year to withhold the drawdown of further funding by the organisation under the Youth Service Grant Scheme, until I could be satisfied that the organisation's governance standards were up to the required level. In May, I appointed Ms...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I have received correspondence from several members of the Oireachtas, regarding the organisation referred to by the Deputy. I have also received detailed correspondence from the management of the organisation detailing the nature of the valuable work that they do, the cost pressures they are under and the reasons they wish to receive State funding for their family support service in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The School Completion Programme (SCP) continues to deliver a valuable service for some of our most vulnerable young people at risk of early school leaving throughout the education process. It was established in 2002 and became a programme operating under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme in 2005. Responsibility for the National Educational Welfare Board...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Data (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Officials in my Department are currently in the process of developing the capital offering for 2019.  It is not possible at this early stage to give a precise figure as to what it will achieve in the coming year.  However, I can confirm that I have secured €8.86m in capital funding for childcare in 2019. This will be used, as ever, in meeting the most pressing needs of...