Results 1,981-2,000 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 578 to 582, inclusive, together. Tusla has informed me that the New Communities Partnership does not fund the Venezuelan Community in Ireland group. As the Venezuelan Community in Ireland group does not have a service level agreement with Tusla and does not receive funding from Tusla the question of the legislation does not apply. In respect of the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to assure the Deputy that all referrals to Tusla are screened in a timely manner. Where appropriate, the referral will be routed to family support services or, in the case of child protection and welfare concerns, to a social work service. It is important to stress that urgent and emergency cases receive immediate attention by the local duty social work team. Data on key...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My policy priorities in relation to supporting the provision of early learning and care is articulated in First 5, Ireland’s first ever whole-of-Government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families. This 10-year strategy sets out a roadmap for development and investment over the next decade and builds on recent and very substantial developments in early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has recently led the development of First 5, a Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families. First 5 identifies a range of measures to support families given their fundamental importance in shaping children’s experiences and outcomes. The vision for babies and young children articulated in First 5 is of a healthy childhood starting in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: When the Ryan Report was published in 2009 there were a number of calls for the Residential Institutions Redress Act to be extended to include additional institutions, including the Bethany Home. As the Deputy will be aware, my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills is responsible for the Redress Act legislation and related arrangements and that the scheme has been closed to new...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In order to best answer the Deputy's question, and to provide a context, my Department looked at both the number of early years services that closed over 2018 and to date in 2019 and the number of new services that opened for business in the same period. The following tables outline the number of service provider closures or those who have signalled their intention to close in 2019 notified...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was established by Government in February 2015 to investigate concerns related to the institutional care of unmarried mothers and their babies during the period 1922 to 1998. The Commission is tasked with providing a full account of what happened to vulnerable women and children in these institutions. The scope of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme is administered by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I am aware that the organisation to which the Deputy refers made an application for inclusion in the Programme last year but was unsuccessful. I have secured an increase of €34 million in funding for Tusla in 2019, which will include targeted funds for the further investment and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Remit (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Aftercare services are support services which build on and support the work already undertaken by many including foster carers, social workers and residential workers in preparing young people for adulthood. Everyone has a role to play in preparing young people to reach their developmental milestones. Thus the provision of aftercare services should not be regarded as an event, but as a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts Data (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that my attention has not been drawn to any cost overruns on contracts engaged within my Department that meet the criteria set out by the Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Chairman for the invitation to discuss Brexit and how it will impact on the workings of my Department and Tusla. It is great to be here. The number of Brexit-related matters that lie in the areas of responsibility of my Department or Tusla to address in their entirety are small. Of course, there is a multitude of issues raised by the Brexit process which may impact across all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Chair and his first question is a good one. In the context of a no-deal Brexit, the Department of Education and Skills is leading work, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other Departments, to ensure, as far as possible, the provision of arrangements with the UK for the mutual recognition of qualifications. Aspects of that work will be referenced in the Bill we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I do not think so, but I will ask Ms Fisher to respond further to the Chairman's question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I will bring the matter to the attention of my colleague. On the second question regarding PEACE funding, my Department's Vote for 2019 includes €2.1 million for PEACE funding. The PEACE programme is 85% funded by the European Union, 7.5% by Ireland and 7.5% by Northern Ireland. It is important to point out that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has informed us that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Yes, indeed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: That is right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The one with the Ombudsman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (19 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Those are excellent questions. Deputy Rabbitte was right when she stated that the concerns I referenced were expressed already by the young people themselves. Issues concerning child protection and the sharing of information, especially between the PSNI and An Garda Síochána, are critical. We discussed some of those issues today at Cabinet as a number are covered in the...