Results 2,221-2,240 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Deputy Healy-Rae for his question regarding the Early Learning and Care sector. I have been unequivocal in my support for better pay and conditions for Early Learning and Care staff. Early Learning and Care practitioners play a critical role in supporting young children's early learning and development and providing a safe and caring environment. They deserve to be recognised,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Schemes (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The 2018 parent and toddler grant scheme has now been completed and all available funding allocated. Consequently there is no option or plan to reopen the scheme at this stage. However, I have secured a similar level of funding to run the scheme again in 2019. Details of this scheme are currently the subject of discussion between my officials and Pobal and details will be announced as soon...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Registration (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware of this petition and am committed to the process of notifying people who are affected by illegal registrations identified on the files of St. Patrick's Guild and providing these individuals with as much information as possible regarding their identity. Tusla social workers are supporting these individuals as they deal with the news that they have been illegally registered at...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The cost incurred by my Department for the use of taxi services in 2018 amounts to €11,192.08. This amounts to an average of €0.70 per person per week based on headcount in my Department. My Department avails of a Public Service Framework for the Provision of Taxi Services in the Greater Dublin Area. This framework is expected to achieve significant cost reductions for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to enable children with a disability to access and fully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. It was introduced in June 2016 and is administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department. AIM supports children with disabilities to attend mainstream pre-school where they can learn and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, the provision of emergency accommodation to families experiencing homelessness is a matter for the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Housing Agencies and (in Dublin) the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE). My Department does not provide Children First Training for managers of emergency accommodation and is thus not in a position to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for her question. I met with Dr. Shannon after the publication of his report to better understand the intent of the report recommendations and seek clarity on the measures that would be applied to assess the implementation of his recommendations. Following these discussions Dr, Shannon and I agreed to the measures outlined in the Action Plan. I am pleased to report...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: If a foster carer does not have an allocated link social worker they should, in the first instance, make contact with their local foster care team leader or the duty team. Should the response or support needed be insufficient the foster carers may contact the principal social worker responsible for foster care. The line managers for the area including the the area and regional regional...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 977 and 978 together. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency administers the Family Resource Centre Programme. At the end of 2017 there were 109 Family Resource Centres (FRCs) in receipt of funding from Tusla. My Department provided Tusla with additional funding of €3.0 m in 2018 to expand the programme with the inclusion of 11 additional centres,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is responsible for the administration of the Family Resource Centre Programme. My Department does not conduct yearly evaluations of the performance of Family Resource Centres.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is responsible for the administration of the Family Resource Centre Programme. As the Deputy's question refers to an operational matter for Tusla, I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 981 and 985 together. The ABC Programme commenced in 2013 and was designed as a time-bound, co-funding agreement led by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) in conjunction with The Atlantic Philanthropies (Atlantic), originally in the amount of 29.7m for the period 2013-2017. In late 2016, my Department secured additional funding to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Poverty (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 982 to 984, inclusive, together. The ABC Programme was established in 2013 in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government to adopt an area-based approach to tackling child poverty. It was designed as a time-bound, co-funding agreement led by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) in conjunction with The Atlantic Philanthropies...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have not been informed of any perceived breakdown of the complaints system in Tusla, the Child and Family Agency's. As the Deputy's question refers to an operational matter for Tusla, I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 987 and 988 together. All social workers are trained in identifying signs of sexual abuse. This is undertaken as part of core social work training, which deals with signs and symptoms of abuse, including child sexual abuse. Social workers are trained in the building of relationships, especially with parents and children in times of crisis. Tusla social...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Family Resource Centre Programme is administered by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. At present there are 120 Family Resource Centres (FRCs) throughout the country. Funding to the Family Resource Centre Programme increased substantially in 2018. This allowed for the inclusion of 11 newly established Family Resource Centres within the Programme last year, as well as an increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested in respect of the expenditure incurred by my Department on marketing, media and social media in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018 are set out in the following table: 2016 2017 2018 Marketing €0 €67,618 €12,236 Media €50,523 €196,658 €194,062 Social Media €0 €29,722 €78 The Deputy might...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: One of my appointed Special Advisors has special responsibility for communications. In 2018 there were three civil servants in my Department who serviced the day-to-day press office requirements of my Department. The staff in question are remunerated at HEO, EO and CO level. A dedicated communications specialist is assigned to the Early Years Unit of the Department to support the roll out of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (15 Jan 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, I am committed to the enactment of the Adoption ( Information & Tracing) Bill 2016. This important legislation will give adopted people, people who have been the subject of an illegal birth registration, birth parents and relevant guardians a statutory right to an information and tracing service. It also provides that relevant records will be maintained by the...