Results 2,801-2,820 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (2 Oct 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has not directly funded the organisation to which the Deputy refers. I am aware that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has funded the organisation to which the Deputy refers in the past. As Tusla was established in 2014, no funding would have been made prior to that date. I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Any change in circumstance(s) that a Registered Provider proposes to make to their original registration (excluding temporary services) must be notified to Tusla prior to any change being made. This includes a change in service type, as noted by the Deputy. Officials in my Department have made contact with Tusla concerning the question raised by the Deputy. I can confirm that for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (2 Oct 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, my Department provided a capital scheme again in 2018 to assist providers improve the quality of their service or expand capacity. The response to the scheme was extremely positive. In order to facilitate service providers who were dissatisfied with the outcome of the appraisal of their application, a Capital Review process was offered to applicants. This Review...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (2 Oct 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla currently do not collate data on the number of assessments deemed to be ‘founded’ and ‘unfounded.’ Current Tusla policy “Policy and Procedures for responding to allegations of child abuse and neglect"(September 2014), outlines the policy basis for the use of ‘founded’ and ‘unfounded.’ Best practice in a number of other...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (27 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The subject raised by the Deputy is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Supports (26 Sep 2018)

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. However, I am pleased to confirm that 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 measure to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (26 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Authority of Ireland (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The agency the Deputy has referred to is accredited to undertake its work by the Adoption Authority of Ireland. I have asked the authority to respond directly to the Deputy on this issue.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that Tusla undertakes assessments on all potential general foster care applicants regardless of whether they are short term, emergency carers or long term foster carers.  The assessment process provides a framework to enable assessing social workers make recommendations in relation to their suitability to foster.  The requirement for assessment and approval is set out...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 428 to 431, inclusive, together. The Children First Act 2015, which was fully commenced in December 2017, provides for a number of key child protection measures, including raising awareness of child abuse and neglect, providing for reporting and management of child protection concerns and improving child protection arrangements in organisations providing...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The figures set out in the Mid-Year Expenditure Report in respect of my Department do not include expenditure savings targets. My Department is currently examining expenditure requirements across all programme areas, including expenditure trends in 2018, to identify how services can be delivered within the overall fiscal parameters for 2019. As the Deputy will be aware, this forms...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The preliminary Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) payment was sent out to service providers on the 24 August. Please see the following link below for the full ECCE payment schedule for the programme year 18/19.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Liability Insurance (25 Sep 2018)

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. However, I am pleased to confirm that 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 measure to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I will refer the Deputy's question to my colleague, the Minister for Health, for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: HIQA Inspections (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I will refer the Deputy's question to my colleague, the Minister for Health, for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 437 and 439 together. I can inform the Deputy that St Clare’s Unit operates independently of Tusla. I am informed by Tusla that if social workers are seeking a second opinion in relation to findings of an assessment completed by an organisation such as St Clare’s, it is generally Tusla practice to seek a second opinion from a similar...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: When a report of child sexual abuse is received into Tusla, the duty social worker screens the report to obtain more information and ascertain if it reaches threshold. Once the report is screened, a strategy meeting is held with the Social Work Department, An Garda Síochána and where relevant, the identified service which offers credibility and therapeutic services in the catchment...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse Reports (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Following the Deputy's original question, my Department forwarded the request to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for attention and direct reply. My officials have followed up with Tusla in relation to the Deputy's question, and have asked Tusla to respond to the Deputy with the requested information, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse Reports (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is referring to an independent review I commissioned , in agreement with the Minister for Justice and Equality, to examine and report on the management of a complex and serious case of alleged child abuse and neglect involving sixteen children in four families. While there is no evidence of any serious mishandling of the case by either Tusla or An Garda Síochána, I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (25 Sep 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I have referred the Deputy's question to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency , for direct reply.