Results 6,801-6,820 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children and Family Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I completely understand that the Deputy wants the children to go to the playground. If it has worked in the past, it would be fantastic if it continues. What were the people's names?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children and Family Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy says they are currently supervising the children as distinct from my information that there is supervision of the play equipment. We can communicate to the development officer for youth and sports that the Deputy is claiming something different. I can ask Crosscare these questions. It could be raised with the county council as well to find out why this is happening. I have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a range of funding schemes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Both the targeted and universal youth funding allocations for 2020 for organisations and services are currently being finalised in my Department. These schemes have been subject to very significant review...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: No, I think it is great.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am laughing at the Deputy's passion about one application, although I am sure it is for many. The targeted youth scheme was reviewed a couple of years ago. There were four types of schemes and different groups could apply to them to get grants and funding. The review recommended bringing it into one scheme as that would be more efficient and effective. Three years of consultation took...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Absolutely, they need to know. I anticipate that most youth organisations and services that are currently getting funding will continue to get it, but through a new vehicle. The Deputy's question about awareness raising and communications is a good one. To be straight, I am not sure if it is my Department that will do it or the ETB, but I will raise that question. As to whether the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foster Care (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Children in care are among the most vulnerable in our society, and it is the responsibility of Tusla to ensure they are placed in safe environments. While it is not possible to remove every risk, Tusla makes every effort to assess thoroughly all people who wish to be foster carers. The approval process for general foster carers can take several months. The assessment is carried out by a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foster Care (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy mentioned the recent campaign Tusla conducted to see if it could get more people interested in providing foster care. As the Deputy indicated, it resulted in some 350 inquiries, which are now being followed up. That is substantial and I congratulate Tusla for doing that, in particular as it was the first time. One of the reasons it did that was in regard to resources and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foster Care (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As I have indicated, the child has a social worker and the foster carers have a link social worker, and those are considered to be forms of real direct support. I hear the Deputy's point that some foster carers may be making representations to her that they feel they could use more support. I will communicate that to Tusla. However, that should not stop Tusla from going out and looking for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Costs (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Childcare services in this country are provided by more than 4,500 private or not-for-profit services. My Department engages with the services regularly through a number of organisations and representative groups. Insurance costs and risks associated with this area for early learning and care and school age childcare services have very recently been flagged with my Department, and my...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Costs (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy said, the issue of insurance costs across a number of sectors is of great concern. As she will be aware, the Government is pursuing insurance reform, although perhaps not in the way in which Deputies opposite want it to. Another Minister is in charge of that. I will add to my initial information further information specifically about the childcare sector. My understanding...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Costs (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I agree with the Deputy. This is putting the childcare organisations in her constituency to the pin of their collar in terms of sustainability. The Department is available to work with, and support, these organisations through some kind of sustainability plan. If they have not asked, they should reach out. I have indicated that we have not heard concerns from many providers. If, however,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Last Thursday I attended an event hosted by Saoirse Women's Refuge and Women Together Tallaght Network as part of the 16 days of activism campaign. Before my time in government, I worked directly with the local communities in the greater Tallaght area. I strongly value the hard work and community spirit of the people of Tallaght. I understand that the networks to which the Deputy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am very much aware of the additional fundraising that domestic refuge shelters need to do because they talk to me too. I will answer the Deputy's questions in a couple of different ways. Regarding the ongoing resources they require, since the beginning of my Ministry, I have increased the resources to this sector by more than €5 million in recent years. I understand that is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I am aware of the interface between housing, homelessness and domestic and sexual violence. That is clearly an issue. Safe Ireland is one of our greatest organisations in this area and does excellent work. I am also aware of the issues that it raises and shares with the Deputy and I seek to address them. On the standards of the Istanbul...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware that it would cost considerably more money. One reason that Tusla and others are going with the first standard is because of the argument that we ought to spend our money to provide community services and integrate them into the community.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 83 together. The removal of crèches from the Register of Early Years Services is the ultimate sanction by Tusla, the independent statutory Regulator. It comes at the end of an enforcement process, during which a provider is afforded fair procedure, and generally provided with several opportunities to rectify matters and meet regulatory...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In 2019, I was pleased to be in a position to provide Tusla, the Child and Family Agency with €1.5 million in additional funding for the provision of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services. This funding allowed 12 additional domestic violence outreach workers to be employed in areas of need in counties Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Galway and Wicklow. Following an extensive needs...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased that Ireland ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention) on the 8 March, 2019 - International Women's Day. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the provision of care and protection to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla ensures counselling services are available through the provision of funding of over €6m to 250 voluntary organisations at national, regional and local level. These organisations offer a variety of counselling and support services including marriage and relationship counselling and child and adolescent counselling. Tusla also funds peer support programmes for children and, very...