Results 5,401-5,420 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Data (26 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In relation to my Department, I can confirm that no staff attended the summit in question in 2017 or 2018. Furthermore, no costs were incurred by the Department in 2017 or 2018 for advertising or sponsorship of the summit. With regard to three of the agencies within my remit, I am informed that Tusla, Oberstown Children Detention Campus and the Adoption Authority of Ireland did not attend or...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (26 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla has confirmed that at the 31 December 2018, the most recent data available, there were 81 Social Workers employed in the Dublin North Area, which encompasses the Dublin 5, 13 and 17 areas. I am advised by Tusla that a breakdown of staff can only be provided by service area and not by service type or postcode.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (26 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that funding of some €18 million is being made available to the Family Resource Centre Programme in 2019, which is administered by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. This is an increase of €1.5 million over 2018 funding. The notification of 2019 annual funding allocations to individual Family Resource Centres is an operational matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (26 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am informed by Tusla that it does not fund the organisation referred to by the Deputy. Tusla has advised me that it purchases services from a similarly named company, which is a private provider of residential and community based therapeutic services to children and young people. The services provided by this company are procured in the normal manner through the public procurement process...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Inspections (26 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Assisting families to access high quality, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare is a priority for me as Minister and hence I take these issues raised in your question very seriously. My Department funds a number of early learning and care and school age childcare programmes. Given the large amount of public money that is used in funding these programmes, there...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: EU Funding (26 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The PEACE IV Programme is an initiative of the European Union, managed in Northern Ireland by the Special EU Programmes Body, SEUPB, which is designed to support peace and reconciliation through youth work in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of Ireland. The Programme is run primarily by SEUPB on behalf of the European Commission in conjunction with the Accountable Departments...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (26 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Assisting families to access high quality, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare is a priority for me as Minister and hence I take these issues raised in your question very seriously. My Department funds a number of early learning and care and school age childcare programmes. Given the large amount of public money that is used in funding these programmes, there needs...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (26 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Early Childhood Care and Education, ECCE, programme is a universal programme available to all children within the eligible age range. It was first introduced in 2010 as a one-year programme to provide children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school. In line with a commitment in the Programme for Government, the ECCE Programme was extended...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Child Abuse (27 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Like all in this House, I share the great concern of parents about safeguarding issues in Scouting Ireland. As Minister responsible for the safety, protection and care of children and young people, I have given the highest priority to the very serious concerns raised in 2018 about scouting. This has included face-to-face engagement with the leadership of the organisation to set out my...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Child Abuse (27 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate and acknowledge Deputy Sherlock's strong response. I have put Tusla's recommendations to Scouting Ireland on the record of the House in the context of its role in implementing the protections for children in terms of the Children First legislation. What the Deputy is referring to is what Tusla has stated. I have also indicated that there are a number of actions in which I will...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Funding (28 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility to support and promote the development, welfare and protection of children. In 2018, Tusla provided some €6m in funding to a range of organisations that provide child and adolescent counselling and psychotherapy services. Children and young people who have been exposed to domestic violence may access specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Detention Centres (28 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have been advised by Oberstown Children Detention Campus that the numbers of Residential Social Care Workers and administrative staff who have resigned from their posts from 2016 to date in 2019 are as follows: Staff Category 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total Residential Social Care workers 7 6 8 1 22 Administration staff 1 3 4 7 7 11 1 26

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme (5 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Community Childcare settings provide a valuable service to children and families across the country,  including the provision of vital services to vulnerable families in areas of disadvantage. Over the last four budgets, my Department has increased funding for early learning and care and school age childcare by 117%. A significant proportion of this funding has been targeted at...

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

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware that it would be inappropriate for me to comment on individual cases. I have referred the matter to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and asked for confirmation that the case is being dealt with appropriately.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (5 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 488 together. Children who are homeless are entitled to have the same level of safeguarding as any other child. Child protection concerns will be dealt with by Tusla with the same degree of diligence, care and promptness for any child in need, regardless of whether they or their family are experiencing homelessness. Any decision to take a child...

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

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, publish figures monthly  on the number of children placed with privately provided placements, by placement type. The most recent date for which information is available is November 2018. Table 1, below, lays out the number of children in private placements for January to November 2018. It should be noted that the figures...

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

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy may be aware that private providers do not place children in foster care. All children in foster care, regardless of provider, are in the care of the Child and Family Agency. If Tusla cannot source a placement within its own pool of foster carers, a private provider may be approached to provide a placement. All foster carers providing a foster care service, including those...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Oireachtas Joint Committee Recommendations (5 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 491 and 492 together. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory responsibility to provide alternative care services, including foster care services, under the provisions of the Child Care Act, 1991, the Children Act, 2001, and the Child Care (Amendment) Act, 2007. The majority of alternative care services are provided directly by Tusla. When...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (5 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Assisting families to access high quality, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare is a priority for me as Minister and hence I take these matters very seriously. My Department funds a number of early learning and care and school age childcare programmes.  Given the large amount of public money that is used in funding these programmes, there needs to be an...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (5 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: From September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. This measure refines developments introduced in 2016 and increases the duration of each registered child on ECCE from a previous average of 61 weeks, to a potential duration of 76 weeks (two...