Results 1,641-1,660 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I think it is vital to emphasise that the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has never found, in all of the inspections that it has conducted, an instance where child protection services – when required – were not immediately available. Tusla has reiterated its position that all child protection concerns it receives are screened and assessed in line with Children...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has worked intensively on the expansion of the Early Childhood Care and Education scheme, which began in September of this year. As the Deputy mentions my Department projects that the expanded ECCE scheme will have a peak enrolment of 127,000 children in the April-June session in 2017. This is an increase of 60,000 children from the pre-expansion volume. In anticipation of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Measures (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I am working to introduce a new Affordable Childcare scheme from next September which will provide financial support for parents towards the cost of childcare. The new scheme will provide for both universal and targeted subsidies towards the cost of childcare. It will replace the existing targeted childcare programmes with a single, streamlined and more user-friendly scheme. I want it to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Refugee Resettlement Programme (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, there was a recent Dáil motion in respect of unaccompanied children who were previously living in the unofficial camps near Calais and work is ongoing. I am co-ordinating my efforts with the Tánaiste and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to ensure that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is in a position to play its part when the children begin to arrive...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homelessness Strategy (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Homelessness, whether for a child presenting alone or as part of a family, is a distressing experience. Children under 16 who present as out of home to emergency services without a parent or guardian are taken into care. Children aged 16 and 17 similarly presenting may be taken into care, or provided with a service under section 5 of the Child Care Act 1991 (accommodation for homeless...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) carried out an unannounced inspection of this residential centre, which is operated by Tusla, in August 2016. The report in respect of monitoring against national standards was published in November 2016. The inspection report identified a worrying level of high risk behaviours by some young people, which staff...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I think it is vital to emphasise that the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has never found, in all of the inspections that it has conducted, an instance where child protection services – when required – were not immediately available. Tusla has reiterated its position that all child protection concerns it receives are screened and assessed in line with Children...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people by approximately 1,400 paid staff and 40,000 volunteers. A number of these schemes focus on young people who are disadvantaged, or who are out of school....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Industrial Disputes (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Discussions are ongoing between Oberstown management and staff unions in relation to a number of issues and the Workplace Relations Commission is available to both parties to assist them in resolving matters. Oberstown management will draw up and put in place contingency plans in the event of strike action or other events occurring to ensure the safety and welfare of both staff and children....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 56 together. My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector, to young people throughout the country. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people. The voluntary youth sector involves approximately 1,400...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Poverty (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The reduction of child poverty is a key political priority for me as a minister. I am fully committed to working with my colleagues in Government, particularly Minister Varadkar, in ensuring a collaborative approach to tackle child poverty. In June, Minister Varadkar and I both addressed a conference on child poverty organised by the Children's Rights Alliance. Both Minister Varadkar and I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Industrial Disputes (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Discussions are ongoing between Oberstown management and staff unions in relation to a number of issues and the Workplace Relations Commission is available to both parties to assist them in resolving matters. In recent months the Oberstown Board of Management has commissioned an external independent review of operations and best practice of the Campus in the context of the many changes...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Costs (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Reducing the cost of childcare is a key priority for me and for the Government. We have a number of commitments in the Programme for Government relating to enabling access to high quality and affordable childcare. I am determined to deliver on these commitments. The introduction of the Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS) in September 2017 will provide more accessible and more affordable...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Refugee Resettlement Programme (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: My colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, has primary responsibility in the area of asylum and immigration. Policy responsibility for such refugee children travelling with their parents, whether they are living in the community or in the direct provision system, insofar as it extends to my Department, is in relation to providing care and protection for any children where their...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Addiction Treatment Services (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, under the remit of my Department, has a statutory responsibility to ensure each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The education welfare services of Tusla, comprising the statutory Education Welfare Service, the School Completion Programme and the Home School Community Liaison scheme are key supports for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, the direct provision system is under the policy remit of my colleague the Tánaiste, the Minister for Justice and Equality. Children living in direct provision are not in the care of Tusla. Concerns about the welfare, safety or well-being of a child in direct provision are referred to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in line with Children First National...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, local duty social work teams will put in place arrangements to appropriately monitor and action cases, ensuring continuity of service to vulnerable children during the Christmas period. Tusla also provides a range of services aimed at addressing emergency situations which arise out of hours. The Out of Hours Service is provided 365 days a year...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: 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. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000. The National Youth Strategy 2015-2020, published last October, sets out Government’s aims for young...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homelessness Strategy (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Homelessness, whether for a child presenting alone or as part of a family, is a distressing experience. My Department has policy responsibility for children under 18 who present as ‘out of home’ without their parent(s) or guardian(s) and any child welfare and protection concerns that may arise in the context of the Child Care Act 1991 . Children under 16 who present as out of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Refugee Resettlement Programme (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: In 2016, Tusla has received a total of 112 referrals of unaccompanied asylum seeking minors (UAM) up to the beginning of December. There are currently 66 UAMs in statutory care, and 74 young adults are accessing aftercare support with the assistance of an allocated aftercare work. 27 children who were received into care were subsequently, following full checks, reunited with their families....