Results 6,521-6,540 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (22 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 568, 569 and 573 together. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services.  If I, or my officials, become aware of a situation in which a child is considered to be  at risk, that concern is communicated to Tusla as a matter of urgency.  If a child appears to be at...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Bullying in the Workplace (22 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In the past 12 months there has been one allegation of bullying reported to the HR Unit in my Department. The HR Unit in my Department received no reports of bullying in the previous 4 years. It is a central policy of my Department to ensure that managers and staff encourage and maintain good employee relations in order to ensure a motivated workforce and an efficient service.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (22 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department received correspondence from Kildare Youth Services on 9th July of this year.  The reply, issued 23rd July, highlighted that my Department is currently managing the most significant reform of youth services ever undertaken, which is providing an opportunity to identify need and to focus funding on young people most in need of intervention.  The reply further...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (22 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Foster care is the main form of alternative care for children in need of care and protection, and is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their parents or guardians.  As of the 31 July 2019, of the children in care, 91% were in foster care nationally; there were 3,957 children in general foster care, 1,560 in relative care and 402 children were in a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (22 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department and I continue to engage with local and voluntary youth services in a range of ways which I happy to outline for the Deputy. My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country, including those from disadvantaged communities.  My Department also involves stakeholders from...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: A key priority for me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is to support the early learning and care and school age childcare sector through the provision of capital funding, where it is most needed.  Each year my Department reviews the capital programmes as a whole and determines the priorities for Early Learning and Care and School Age Capital grants for the year ahead. I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: One of the key priorities for my Department's capital programme is supporting private and not for profit childcare providers to extend their existing services, or to establish new services, where need or demand exists.  My Department has had an unprecedented increase of 137% for early learning and care and school age childcare in the past five budgets. This extra investment has...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: No.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I do not need to make an opening statement.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: To be clear, the Chairman has the Bills Office's rationale for disallowing the amendments.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: One of the key amendments has to do with the mandatory appointment of guardians ad litem. The Chairman will share that rationale with the committee.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate that the Deputies' amendments were proposed for the reasons they just outlined. I come from that same place. If the committee wishes, and apart from the rationale of the Bills Office, I would be happy to offer some rationale beyond the money issue for disallowing the amendments and why, from my perspective, they are unacceptable.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I hope to proceed with openness. I thank the Chair for sharing that advice. I cannot accept the amendment because I do not agree that the appointment of a guardian ad litem should mandatory in every case. That opinion is shared by many stakeholders who have engaged with us, including Dr. Carol Coulter, who as the Deputy knows is the director of the Child Care Law Reporting Project. I have...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: It is pretty straightforward. I am happy to hear the Deputy's response, but I am not inclined to accept the amendment because its insertion seems unnecessary to me as it essentially duplicates section 35E(1)(b), which reads, "having considered the views, if any, referred to in paragraph (a), to make recommendations to the court regarding what is in the best interests of the child". The Bill...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: How is that?

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I consider the amendment unnecessary, as the use of a report in legislation can be read effectively, as singular or plural as per section 18(a) of the Interpretation Act 2005. That is the primary reason I can see in terms of the change. Current practice is that a report would be prepared for every court sitting. There is no intention to change the current practice, where the guardianad...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am not sure whether these amendments fulfil the purpose which was intended. Having heard Deputy Funchion outline the intention of these amendments, which is to ensure that a party has sufficient time to read a report, in reality the wording provided could be interpreted as removing the right of an unrepresented party to receive a copy of a report furnished to the court. Under the proposed...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I accept that it is a possibility. The rationale still stands that it could be interpreted to remove the right of an unrepresented party. Also effectively in doing that in breach of the in camerarule, the judge of the court has a right to penalise in that regard as well.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Withdraw and reflect.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Okay. I will reflect on what the Deputies have said as well.