Results 5,201-5,220 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (30 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department is not currently involved in any major State infrastructural projects. The Procurement Unit in my Department is a small unit that provides procurement advice and assistance to units as required. It also maintains a centralised register of all contracts with supporting documentation and ensures that Departmental policies and guidelines are current and updated as necessary.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (30 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: There are 7 Early Years Specialists, based in Better Start, assigned to services in north and south County Tipperary. Specialists work across a range of counties in response to service requests. Under the Access and Inclusion Model, the Better Start Early Years Specialists provide expert advice, mentoring and support to providers and practitioners in early learning and care for children with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (31 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The report concerned was an Internal Audit report and as audits are conducted by sampling it would not have examined the Youth Services Grant Scheme in its totality but would have been sufficient to indicate the level of assurance on the sufficiency and operation of internal controls to mitigate and/or manage one or more of those key inherent risks to which the activity under review is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (31 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I refer the deputy to PQ 51054/18 which was answered on 5th December 2018. With reference to our previous response, the Early Years Inspectorate continues to engage with the Registered Provider of this service with a view to processing their application for a change in service type to full day care. However, a number of supporting documents which are required to complete this application...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (31 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Yes. I appointed Mr Pat Rabbitte as Chairperson of the Board of Tusla following an advertisement and selection process run by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) in accordance with Government Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards. The role of Chairperson of the Board of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, was advertised on the PAS website on 30 October, 2018. The information...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (31 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department does not have a policy regarding meetings between the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Operations Officer of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and key stakeholders. Tusla's policy in relation to engagement of its officers with stakeholders is an operational matter for Tusla.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I must inform the Deputy that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual cases. I have referred the matter to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for their appropriate attention. However, I have been informed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that, in keeping with their statutory obligations under the Child Care Act 1991, the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department's annual capital offering for childcare has supported the development of early learning and care and school age childcare services in terms of capacity, maintenance and quality. Each annual capital programme differs in priorities. In recent years, all providers could apply for grants relating to expansion and quality, while grants for essential maintenance were accessible to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I understand that the Deputy is referring to Social Workers in this instance. I can inform the Deputy that there are no key workers, within the meaning of the word, employed in my Department. However, regarding the four agencies within my remit, the information required by the Deputy is set out as follows: The Adoption Authority of Ireland: There is 1 Principal Social Worker and 5 Social...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Every year more than 500 young people reach adulthood and leave the care of the State. These young people are offered a wide range of services from different State actors including income supports, health supports, accommodation and education. The aftercare provisions of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 came into force on the 1st of September 2017. This means that there is now a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Supports (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have no plans to change the rate of the Foster Care Allowance at this time. However, my Department has begun an extensive review of the Child Care Act 1991, and will examine foster care arrangements as part of this review. This will have regard to all relevant matters including income support measures available to foster families. I acknowledge foster carers as the backbone of our child...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I believe the Deputy is referring to HIQA’s inspection of child protection services in the Dublin South Central Tusla region, which was published on the 17thJanuary. I am concerned about the issues raised in the report, which found that most of the standards against which the area was inspected were not met. The report found that Tusla had identified the majority of problems that...

Children's Rights: Motion [Private Members] (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. All of us in this Chamber share a deep sense of duty to our children-----

Children's Rights: Motion [Private Members] (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am not. I apologise, I am moving the countermotion.

Children's Rights: Motion [Private Members] (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Yes.

Children's Rights: Motion [Private Members] (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I move amendment No. 2:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:“ — commits strongly to the principle of ensuring a fair start for every child underpinned by the principles of justice and equality; — endorses the objectives of the Democratic Programme of the First Dáil by supporting the development of all children...

Children's Rights: Motion [Private Members] (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: No, not at all. I am very happy to learn.

Children's Rights: Motion [Private Members] (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: All of us in this Chamber share a deep sense of duty to our children. With this in mind I welcome the tabling of this motion by the members, the gentlemen of the Labour Party. The Government's actions and commitment is reflected in the countermotion. We must invest if we want to deliver for our children. In the case of my Department, the gross funding being made available in 2019 is a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres Staff (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Oberstown Children Detention Campus has advised me that in 2018, there were 25 incidents related to assaults on staff. 18 of the 25 incidents resulted in no days lost from work and 7 of the 25 incidents resulted in lost days from work. While serious assault is not defined by Oberstown, I am advised that the 7 incidents resulting in lost days from work could be considered as serious assaults.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres Staff (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Oberstown Children Detention Campus has advised me that in 2018, there were 103 incidents of injuries to staff. Staff members were threatened with a weapon in 6 of these incident as outlined in the following table: Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 1