Results 2,621-2,640 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Government agreed an approach to dealing with the site of the mother and baby home in Tuam, County Galway, at its meeting of 23 October last. I am committed to leading this project. It is my view that a phased approach will mean an informed and targeted approach to the forensic excavation of the available area. In this way the logical sequence of complex technical, legal and forensic...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: To answer the Deputy's first question, I have not sought nor received any contribution from any other religious orders. To be perfectly clear, the reason we did this in this circumstance is specifically related to the site and the remains of the children there and because knowledge and evidence of that was referred to the Government and it responded. That is why I looked for resources. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Services (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan. While I appreciate the concerns the Deputy brings with regard to the volunteers on whose behalf she speaks, and while I understand what the Deputy is saying, the example given is the person who has years of experience in volunteer work. Am I correct in hearing that even as we move towards having a system for the safety of young people and children of which Garda...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the gross amount of funding being made available to my Department in 2019 will be €1.511 billion, which represents an increase of 9% over its allocation for 2018. The allocation includes a current provision of €1.479 billion and a capital allocation of €32 million. Just over half of the total funding, or €786 million, is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for his thoughtful question. I can certainly say that I feel very assured that when a child comes to the attention of Tusla, in the context of what is going on within the family, and if there is an immediate risk to the child's safety, the processes are in place for supporting the child and that the risk is removed. Subsequent to that, and with regard to the second...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: There are two arenas. There is the retrospective abuse case allegation with regard to the McCabe issue. The disclosures tribunal reported on that. The statutory investigation by HIQA also reported on that. In both cases, and certainly in the statutory investigation, the board put in place an action plan. I have met the board recently and it is working through that. We identified a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 24 together. A key recommendation of the Value for Money and Policy Review of Youth Funding Programmes was that we should amalgamate four existing funding schemes into a single targeted youth funding scheme. To provide continued funding to the youth sector during this process, sample projects were established across the State. There are now 23 such...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Unfortunately, I cannot absolutely promise it right now, although I would like to be able to do so. Tusla and I acknowledge the excellent work of Cottage Home and the contribution it has made in providing residential and other services. Cottage Home came to Tusla with this request at a time in the year when resources had already been disbursed to other services Tusla provides in these and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I have tried to be very clear in my answers. I acknowledge the contribution Cottage Home has made. The organisation, or another or a combination of five or so organisations-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: -----may decide midway through the year that their funding resources are drying up and that they want the State to give them additional money, but there is a process for resourcing the services provided for children throughout the country, including in the Deputy's area. If they need moneys now which they did not need before, they have to go through the process Tusla offers. I have agreed...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Services (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I pay tribute to the fine work of the many thousands of volunteers within the youth work system. The contribution of volunteers to youth services, projects and clubs is very significant and their commitment is crucial to the strong and diverse youth infrastructure which has been developed across the country. In recognition of the contribution volunteers make for young people, I announced a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Services (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I always welcome the Deputy's passion for these issues, her commitment and the experience she brings. I acknowledge everything she has said about the contributions of volunteers and the additional burdens they face, some of which I understand are being addressed by my Department and the National Youth Council of Ireland. My Department met representatives of smaller national youth...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: On the Deputy's last point, if I said I hoped we could deliver it by August 2019, I would not meet that target. I know that right now. The Deputy is right as an Opposition Member to make critical comments on not meeting other targets. We know that because of the work that remains to be done, not only in relation to ICT but its underpinnings in the use of the mygov.iewebsite and the cards...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: In reply to the Deputy's first question, the single streamlined scheme will be implemented from November 2019. As the Deputy knows, families are currently accessing different schemes and providers are coping with administering those. From November, however, the scheme will be implemented and the new thresholds will apply. In light of the huge transition from one way of doing things to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for his question about the Cottage Home family support service, which provides family support services to children and families in the south Dublin area. The organisation also provides a residential care service for young people and, in 2018, Tusla is providing €1.6 million in funding for the residential component of this service. I have received correspondence...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aftercare Services (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Aftercare constitutes a key element of how we, as a society, help young people leaving the care of the State to make the critical transition into adulthood. Aftercare was one of the areas I highlighted when I secured additional resources for Tusla in 2019. The aftercare provisions of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 came into force on 1 September 2017. This means that there is now a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aftercare Services (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I have done so and I will continue to do so. Not that long after I entered my Ministry and having met Fr. McVerry and other representatives of the housing and homelessness associations, we identified the need for accommodation for young people leaving care. I indicated in my initial reply that, on foot of that, we got access to funding through CAS to set up suitable accommodation and that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aftercare Services (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: In my initial reply, I meant to say that I am very familiar with and have high regard for the work EPIC does in many different settings. In respect of the Deputy's question, we will continue to look at future resources or funding. I have spoken about the housing that will come on stream. What education supports are available? Encouraging and supporting young people leaving care who wish...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I am delighted to report positive progress regarding the development of the affordable childcare scheme and to confirm that I plan to introduce the scheme in October 2019. The scheme will open to applications in October 2019 with payments flowing from November 2019. The launch of this scheme will alter the landscape of childcare in Ireland. It will provide financial support for parents,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Services Provision (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has an annual service level agreement in place with the organisation to which the Deputy refers, YAP Ireland. Under the terms of the current agreement, the organisation is contracted in the Galway-Roscommon area to provide a support service to 18 young people in need. The young people are assigned an advocate that will work with them over six months....