Results 3,081-3,100 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Internet Safety (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Exactly. Who knows? Perhaps that is what we need. As stated, I am open to that and I am persuaded by some of the arguments the Deputy is putting forward. At the same time, although the Deputy does not have sight of it, there is an action plan that is coming out shortly in regard to a number of other measures that are going to be put in place in light of what is already going on. Are we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Care Orders (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The agreement on voluntary care is made between parents, Tusla and caregivers and can be positive for the child and the family. There is a new practice guidance to assist with the issues the Deputy identified. Voluntary care provides that the best interests of the child should be the determining factor. Voluntary consent should not be used indefinitely if that is not in the child's best...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Care Orders (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate the issues the Deputy raised, particularly about the length of time and the number of children in care. She stated that they have not been successful. While I appreciate the sentiment she is expressing, circumstances change and family units are different. We do not necessarily know when a child will require support in the form of a voluntary care order, under which parents...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Registration (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: On 29 May, I announced that Tusla had identified 126 cases where births were illegally registered between 1946 and 1969. The cases were identified during an analysis of adoption records that were transferred to Tusla by the former adoption society, St. Patrick's Guild. As the information that an incorrect birth registration has taken place is life changing, the State has a responsibility to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adoption Registration (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy referred to a larger number of cases. I understand that it was from this number that, following Tusla's deeper analysis and cross-checking with the Adoption Authority and General Register Office, GRO, with a view to ensuring a high threshold of evidence of illegality was reached, the 126 cases emerged. Regarding a further analysis, I have asked the independent reviewer to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Care Orders (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: When Tusla takes a child into care it may do so either by way of a court order under the Child Care Act 1991, or by way of a voluntary care arrangement whereby there is consent from the child's parent or guardian. Every case is unique. There will be some cases where voluntary care is the most appropriate response and others where it will be necessary to have a more formal arrangement using...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: On foot of the recent discovery by Tusla of 126 cases of illegal registrations I moved immediately to inform the Cabinet. I also announced that a process has been put in place by Tusla to manage these cases. This is being led by experienced information and tracing social workers. As an immediate step Tusla put in place a Helpline which is operating from 10am to 4 pm Monday to Friday. Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Law Reporting Project (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the publication of the latest report of the Child Care Law Reporting Project, which deals with lengthy, contested and complex child protection cases in the District Court. The report’s author, Dr Carol Coulter, notes that the issues raised cannot be solved by one branch of Government alone. They require co-ordinated action from the Department of Justice and Equality, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Illegal Adoptions (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Deputy Wallace has raised the question of whether our further analysis of illegal registrations will also cover illegal adoptions. I have checked the UN definition of illegal adoptions. It is:  “Adoptions resulting from crimes such as abduction and sale of and trafficking in children, fraud in the declaration of adoptability, falsification of official documents or...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Policy (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for his important question. When an inspection is carried out by HIQA, the process requires the service inspected to develop an Action Plan in response to the findings made by Inspectors.  This Action Plan is agreed with HIQA in advance of the publication of the report. All elements of the Action Plans are time-bound, and a designated Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Illegal Adoptions (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware that I have commenced a further analysis of illegal registrations following on from the announcement that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency had identified 126 cases where births were illegally registered between 1946 and 1969 by St Patrick’s Guild adoption agency. This analysis will seek to establish if there is further evidence of illegal registrations in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homeless Persons Supports (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: While ultimate responsibility for managing homelessness rests with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Tusla, is determined to do its part to alleviate the difficulties endured by children and families experiencing homelessness. It works closely with my Department in this regard. Tusla has an important role to play in regard to a number of elements of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Child Care Act, 1991 applies to all children resident in the State, regardless of their immigration status. Under the Child Care Act, 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection.  The Agency is obliged to provide care for these children for as long as their welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the provision of care and protection to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. In 2018, Tusla is providing €23.8 million in funding to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services, an increase of €1.7m over 2017 funding. This includes funding for some 58 services throughout the country...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: A total of  2,805 children at services in Cork City and a further 12,557 children at services in Cork County have benefitted from the Early Childhood Care and Education scheme (ECCE) in the current year. My Department, in conjunction with Pobal, reviews ECCE capacity on an ongoing basis and while there can be pressures in some immediate localities, all eligible children have been...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Registration (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the information that an incorrect birth registration has taken place is potentially life changing, the State has a responsibility to reach a high level of certainty that this has in fact happened, before it contacts the individuals concerned.  This threshold has now been reached in the case of the 126 St Patrick’s Guild files. This is a very serious and sensitive issue....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Registration (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: On the 29th May 2018 I announced that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency had identified 126 cases where births were incorrectly registered between 1946 and 1969. The cases were identified during an analysis of adoption records that were transferred to Tusla by the former adoption society St Patrick’s Guild. It was during the course of working with these records and in particular...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Budgets (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2018 saw additional funding of €73 million being made available for child care and youth services bringing total investment by my Department in 2018 to €1.383 billion. The additional funding secures much needed additional resources for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and provides a full second year of the ECCE free pre-school scheme. It also recognises the importance...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: In view of what has been found in a subset of the St Patrick’s Guild records, those index cards marked ‘Adoption from Birth’, we need to know whether there may be similar evidence of incorrect registrations in the records of other adoption societies.  I have asked an Independent Reviewer to oversee a targeted sampling process of relevant records held by Tusla and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise the Deputy that Tusla services are divided into four regions nationally and within each region there are local areas, with a total of 17 local areas nationally. Tipperary is served by two areas: - Carlow, Kilkenny and South Tipperary - Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary Tusla has informed me that as of 31 March 2018, there was a deficit of 5 Social Workers in...