Results 2,141-2,160 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Seanad: Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Statements (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware of that.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Statements (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have brought all of those issues to the attention of my colleagues. I am explaining the decision but I am also noting that it is not a matter that is closed forever. I, too, have received a lot of representations from members of that institution, most recently, in the context of the collaborative forum's report. Senators will be aware that I established a collaborative forum to run...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres Staff (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Oberstown Children Detention Campus has advised me that in 2018, there were 25 incidents related to assaults on staff. 18 of the 25 incidents resulted in no days lost from work and 7 of the 25 incidents resulted in lost days from work. While serious assault is not defined by Oberstown, I am advised that the 7 incidents resulting in lost days from work could be considered as serious assaults.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres Staff (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Oberstown Children Detention Campus has advised me that in 2018, there were 103 incidents of injuries to staff. Staff members were threatened with a weapon in 6 of these incident as outlined in the following table: Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 1

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres Staff (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Oberstown Children Detention Campus has advised me that at 31 December 2018, there were 24 staff members on sick leave, 2 of whom were on sick leave related to an injury.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Costs (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In recent years, I have secured significantly increased investment in key early learning and care (ELC) and school age childcare (SAC) areas. The measures announced as part of Budget 2018 formed part of a trend in continued growth in early years investment. The increase in supports I announced in April 2017 represented a major step towards accessible, affordable and quality ELC and SAC after...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (6 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: It should be noted that the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE) is a two year pre-school programme. There is no routine provision for a third year which may not be in the best interests of a child and may lead to breaching the statutory school starting age. Overage exemptions were introduced at the onset of the ECCE programme in 2010. At that time ECCE operated for a 38...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I must inform the Deputy that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual cases. I have referred the matter to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for their appropriate attention. However, I have been informed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that, in keeping with their statutory obligations under the Child Care Act 1991, the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department's annual capital offering for childcare has supported the development of early learning and care and school age childcare services in terms of capacity, maintenance and quality. Each annual capital programme differs in priorities. In recent years, all providers could apply for grants relating to expansion and quality, while grants for essential maintenance were accessible to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I understand that the Deputy is referring to Social Workers in this instance. I can inform the Deputy that there are no key workers, within the meaning of the word, employed in my Department. However, regarding the four agencies within my remit, the information required by the Deputy is set out as follows: The Adoption Authority of Ireland: There is 1 Principal Social Worker and 5 Social...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Every year more than 500 young people reach adulthood and 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 1st of September 2017. This means that there is now a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Supports (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have no plans to change the rate of the Foster Care Allowance at this time. However, my Department has begun an extensive review of the Child Care Act 1991, and will examine foster care arrangements as part of this review. This will have regard to all relevant matters including income support measures available to foster families. I acknowledge foster carers as the backbone of our child...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (5 Feb 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I believe the Deputy is referring to HIQA’s inspection of child protection services in the Dublin South Central Tusla region, which was published on the 17thJanuary. I am concerned about the issues raised in the report, which found that most of the standards against which the area was inspected were not met. The report found that Tusla had identified the majority of problems that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (31 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The report concerned was an Internal Audit report and as audits are conducted by sampling it would not have examined the Youth Services Grant Scheme in its totality but would have been sufficient to indicate the level of assurance on the sufficiency and operation of internal controls to mitigate and/or manage one or more of those key inherent risks to which the activity under review is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (31 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I refer the deputy to PQ 51054/18 which was answered on 5th December 2018. With reference to our previous response, the Early Years Inspectorate continues to engage with the Registered Provider of this service with a view to processing their application for a change in service type to full day care. However, a number of supporting documents which are required to complete this application...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (31 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Yes. I appointed Mr Pat Rabbitte as Chairperson of the Board of Tusla following an advertisement and selection process run by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) in accordance with Government Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards. The role of Chairperson of the Board of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, was advertised on the PAS website on 30 October, 2018. The information...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (31 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department does not have a policy regarding meetings between the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Operations Officer of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and key stakeholders. Tusla's policy in relation to engagement of its officers with stakeholders is an operational matter for Tusla.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (30 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, publish figures on placement stability in the annual Review of Adequacy report. The most recent Review of Adequacy, for 2016, was published in 2018. At the end of December 2016, there were 169 children in their third or greater placement within the previous 12 months. This amounts to about 2.7% of children in care at the end of 2016. The comparable in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (30 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 246 together. I understand the Deputy to be asking about the number of children who have had a single foster care or residential care placement during their time in care. I therefore propose to answer on the basis of data available on placement stability. Depending on the reason for admission to care or the circumstances, a child may initially be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (30 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that data on the placement of children under 12 in residential care is published in Tusla's annual Review of Adequacy report, which is published annually in arrears. The most recently published Review of Adequacy relates to the year 2016. In general, Tusla endeavour to place children under 12 in foster care. I understand that in 2016 there were some 3,672 children...