Results 1,661-1,680 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise the Deputy that I have confirmed that protective notice has not issued to ancillary staff.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Juvenile Offenders (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Children Act 2001, as amended, provides the statutory basis for dealing with children who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The key principle of the Children Act 2001 is that detention of a child should only be imposed as a last resort. When children come into contact with the criminal justice system there is an emphasis on the promotion of community based options in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Funding from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency to Rape Crisis Network Ireland ceased during 2015. The background to this decision was the subject of Oireachtas interest and debate last year. Domestic and sexual violence services are being developed by Tusla as a specialist national service with a dedicated national budget and a single line of accountability. This is designed to ensure...

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

Katherine Zappone: Although my Department does not act as employer to childcare it does acknowledge that the sector is under cost pressure. To go some way towards addressing this, I have secured additional funding of €14 million in Budget 2017 which will enable ECCE providers to be paid for a 39th week and part of a 40th week (7 ECCE days in total or 1.4 ECCE weeks) where they will have no children...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homeless Persons Supports (14 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As part of a whole-Government approach to homelessness, I am committed to helping families by supporting implementation of Rebuilding Ireland: the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. In recognition of the burden that transport costs can place upon families The Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) is working to provide free public transport for those homeless families in the Dublin...

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

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 252 together. The most vulnerable children are those living with families experiencing difficulties. These include families where parents have drug or alcohol problems, or suffer mental ill-health. Children who live in homes where they are exposed to domestic violence are also at risk. I wish to assure the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family...

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

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 255 together. 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 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth...

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

Katherine Zappone: It is recognised that particular groups of children and young people can face more challenges in achieving the five national outcomes set out in Better Outcomes Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020), and numerous specific commitments of the Framework reflect this. My Department identified prevention and early intervention as a key...

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, the Child and Family Agency. Concerns about the welfare, safety or well-being of a child in direct provision are referred to Tusla, in line with Children First National...

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

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection and, if necessary, to receive a child into the care of the State. I am satisfied that Tusla takes its responsibility very seriously regarding the welfare of children in care and that there is a robust framework of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Expulsions (16 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: Ministerial Travel (16 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together. The Government jet has been used three times by my Department since 2011 as set out in the following table. The use of the Government jet in December 2016 relates to me accompanying the Taoiseach on his return flight from a British Irish Council meeting in Cardiff. Year Number of occasions Government Jet was used by Minister and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (16 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I am responsible for the appointment of members to the boards of the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), Gaisce (the President's Award) and the Board of Management for Oberstown Children Detention Campus. The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy. State Board Number of positions on each Board Positions Currently Filled Number of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Justice Strategy (16 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The development of a Bail Supervision Scheme on a pilot basis was identified as a part of the Youth Justice Action Plan 2014 - 2018. The Bail Supervision Scheme has commenced on a pilot basis and began to accept referrals of children from 12 October 2016. The Scheme will provide more therapeutic supports in the community for children who are subject to bail conditions by providing a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Area Based Childhood Programme (16 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a joint prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies. The ABC Programme commenced in 2013 and was co-funded for the period 2013 to 2017 in the amount of €29.7m. The programme is managed by the Centre for Effective Services and Pobal on behalf of the funders. The aim the programme is to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Reports (16 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The second annual report on Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020) was published in August 2016, and is available to the public on my Department’s website. This covers implementation for the second year of the framework, April 2015 to 2016. My Department has taken an innovative approach to development of the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Capitation Grants (16 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not available in my Department in the format requested. It is not possible to break this information down by month or calendar year but it can instead be provided by programme year. ECCE Capitation payments had been administered by my Department prior to September 2016 and by Pobal since September 2016. Officials in my Department are compiling...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (16 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Childcare Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations were published on 4 May 2016 and commenced on 30 June 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Measures (16 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware, the Children First Act 2015 was signed into law on 19 November 2015, in accordance with a key commitment in the Programme for Government, and provides for, inter alia - - mandatory reporting by key professionals, - mandated assisting, - comprehensive risk assessment and preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements by services for children, and ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (16 Dec 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The following table shows a breakdown of the number of children in care by area at the end of 2014, 2015 and at the end of September 2016: Area 2014 2015 2016 (end Sept) Cork 928 899 866 Dublin North City 626 625 609 Mid West 592 605 596 Dublin North 306 331 327 Waterford Wexford 497 447 436 Galway/Roscommon 484 407 436 Kerry 146 145 154 Dublin South Central 407 393 394 Dublin...