Results 2,081-2,100 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Communications (13 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have ongoing dialogue with children's organisations in relation to issues that effect children and young people around the country. My Department provides annual funding to the Children's Rights Alliance, an umbrella organisation with over 100 members that advocates for children and young people in relation to legislation, policies and services. My Department has a good working...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Budgets (13 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy's question is broad based. It is concerned with the general adequacy of resources overall to meet existing and future issues facing children. I am very appreciative of the support which I have received from Government over recent years in increasing the Vote of my Department. Budget 2019 represented another very significant and visible commitment to children and families. In...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Self-Harm Prevention (13 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Where Tusla Child Protection and Welfare Services become aware that a child is self-harming they will refer the child to their local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). As the Deputy is aware CAMHS is a HSE provided service, and comes within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Health. Children can self- harm for a range of reasons and CAMHS are best placed to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children First Guidelines (13 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Children First promotes the protection of children from abuse and neglect, by setting out what persons and organisations need to do to keep children safe, and how to deal with concerns that a child may have been, is being, or is at risk of being abused or neglected. A Children First Inter-Departmental Implementation Group (CFIDIG) with membership from all Government Departments, the Health...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (13 Feb 2019)

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. I propose to reply in respect of children at risk who come to the attention of Tusla child protection services. The most recent data available from Tusla covers the period up to and including November 2018. Referrals...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (13 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department maintains close contact with the national youth organisations and I and officials from my Department meet formally with these organisations twice a year to share knowledge and information on developments in the youth sector. A separate meeting is held on the day of these bi-annual meetings with national organisations in receipt of targeted youth funding to keep them updated on...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (13 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 204 and 205 together. The Commission 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. Following a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse Reports (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 670 and 680 together. The Deputy is referring to an independent review of the management of a complex and serious case of alleged child abuse and neglect involving sixteen children in four families, which I intended to commission, with the agreement of the Minister for Justice and Equality. This review was intended to be a short, focused, independent...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Investigations (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I can advise the Deputy that I have referred the matter to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for their appropriate attention. I must remind the Deputy that I am not in a position to intercede directly as there is an obligation that Tusla performs its functions independently. I am also precluded from giving a direction to Tusla that interferes with the exercise of professional judgement...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Investment in early learning and care and school age childcare has grown over the last number of years; between 2017 and 2018 there was a 23% increase in expenditure across the childcare programmes referenced in the Deputy’s question. The following table outlines the amount spent on each programme across 2017 and 2018. Childcare programme* 2017 2018 Variance €m €m...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Policy (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, foster carers are no longer covered by a commercial public liability insurance policy. Attempts by Tusla to secure continuing commercial cover have proved unsuccessful. As I have mentioned in previous replies, pending a permanent solution, all foster carers have an indemnity on an individual basis where required. This is on an ex-gratia basis as a temporary...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse Reports (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I can assure the Deputy that my officials are receiving regular updates (on a monthly basis) from Scouting Ireland in respect of the historic file review. I met with representatives of Scouting Ireland on 28 January to be updated on the Independent barrister’s report into issues surrounding an allegation of sexual assault by an adult volunteer against another adult volunteer. My...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The new Affordable Childcare Scheme will launch in October 2019, replacing all previous targeted childcare programmes with a single, streamlined and user-friendly scheme. Ultimately, this streamlining will tangibly reduce the overall administration which childcare providers will be required to undertake. To allow for continuity of service, the existing childcare programmes will continue...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Advisers Data (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Following commencement of this Government on the 6th May 2016, I was appointed as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. I appointed two Special Advisers. Both appointments were made in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Instructions for Ministerial Appointments. Following the appointment of our current Taoiseach on the 14th June 2017, I retained my Ministerial...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I apologise for the delay in responding to the Deputy. I have received clarification from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, on this matter. Tusla has advised that information in relation to specific sporting bodies is not gathered routinely and referral data relating to individual bodies is not collated. The focus of data collected at referral is the child at the centre of the concern. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: With regard to boards or agencies directly under the remit of my Department, there is one official from my Department serving on the Oberstown Board of Management. The legislative basis for this is Section 167(4)(a) of the Children Act 2001 which states: "(4) Of the members of each board of management at least— ( a) one shall be an officer of the Minister.." My Department follows the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla has advised me that it is not possible to provide the number of social workers allocated specifically to the Ballymun area, given that the teams operating within this area also cover Dublin 1, Dublin 3 and Dublin 9. Tusla has provided me with a breakdown of social workers in the Dublin North City area covering the aforementioned districts. In the Dublin North City area there are a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Supports (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Every year more than 500 young people leave the care of the State. These young people are offered a wide range of services from different State actors including income supports, health supports, accommodation and education. The aftercare provisions of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 came into force on the first of September 2017. This means that there is now a statutory obligation on...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla advise that there are currently 21 private providers nationally who operate 90 children’s residential centres offering various placement types for children in the care of the State. As of 8th February, 2019, there were 224 young people in private residential care. In deciding to place a young person in a residential centre, Tusla must take into account a number of variables...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (12 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of Tusla has advised my Department that the EWS has not received a referral in relation to this student. The Educational Welfare Officer covering the region contacted the school principal and the principal has confirmed the school had not made a referral to Tusla EWS. The Educational Welfare Officer advised the school principal that she is available...