Results 3,101-3,120 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: While there have been suspicions about the practice of incorrect registrations for many years, it has been extremely difficult to uncover clear evidence of the practice because of the deliberate failure by those involved to keep records.  This clear evidence has only been found in the case of the 126 St Patrick’s Guild files that I announced on 29th May last. On that date...

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

Katherine Zappone: Where a child is received into care, the first approach which is often considered is a voluntary care arrangement under Section 4 of the Child Care Act, 1991.  The section places an obligation on Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to take a child into care where it is unlikely that the child would receive the required care and protection in any other way.  It allows Tusla to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Internet Safety (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Internet Content Governance Advisory Group (ICGAG) was established in 2013 by the then Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The purpose was to assess existing provisions for safer and better internet strategies. The report of the ICGAG included a number of recommendations which have application across various Government Departments. ...

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

Katherine Zappone: Childminders who are registered with Tusla and have a minimum Level 6 qualification in childcare (a list of recognised qualifications are available on www.dcya.gov.ie) are eligible to provide the ECCE programme. Under the ECCE programme rules, there must be a minimum of eight ECCE-eligible children in an ECCE session. Childminders must apply for an exemption from this requirement and will...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Community Childcare Subvention Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Community childcare services has always been a key priority of my Department's capital programmes. This year, over €1.16m in capital funding was allocated specifically to community services nationwide for the purpose of creating new additional childcare places. Of this, €0.93m was allocated to community early years services, in twenty separate individual grants, as part of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51, 56 and 58 together. I am glad to report that my officials and I are making good progress in the development of the Affordable Childcare Scheme.  This development involves intensive work across legislative, ICT, administrative, governance and communications areas. With regard to the legislative progress, the Childcare Support Bill has now...

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

Katherine Zappone: While the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has ultimate responsibility for managing homelessness, as the Deputy will be aware, I am committed to helping children and families as part of a whole-of-Government response to the problem of homelessness. My Department is not currently undertaking any studies on the impact of homelessness. However there can be little doubt...

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

Katherine Zappone: Under the Child Care Act 1991, where it appears to Tusla that a child is in need of care or protection that they may not otherwise receive, Tusla may apply to the Courts for a care order. The care order, including the length of time the order is to be in effect, is a decision for the Courts.   Tusla does not publish data on the duration of individual care orders, and it is worth...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I am very conscious that the School Completion Programme delivers a valuable service for some of our most vulnerable young people. I am also conscious of the recommendations made in a number of reports, including the ESRI Report, in relation to the governance of the Programme.  With this in mind, the Board of Tusla convened an expert panel to identify and examine a potential revised...

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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (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. Services provided include emergency refuge and support services for individuals and families fleeing domestic violence, community-based domestic violence support services, and rape crisis centres around the country. I was pleased...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (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.Services provided include emergency refuge and support services for individuals and families fleeing domestic violence, community-based domestic violence support services, as well as 16 rape crisis centres around the country. Table...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (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. Services provided include emergency refuge and support services for individuals and families fleeing domestic violence, community-based domestic violence support services, and rape crisis centres around the country. The...

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

Katherine Zappone: I have written to Tusla for this information in the format requested by the Deputy. I can inform you that the following companies were engaged by Tusla for the provision of private foster care in the relevant timeframe - Five Rivers Fostering Ltd. - Fostering First Ireland Ltd. - Orchard Children’s Services Ltd. - Care Visions Fostering - Oaklodge Fostering Services - Sorcha...

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

Katherine Zappone: While there have been suspicions about the practice of incorrect registrations for many years, it has been extremely difficult to uncover clear evidence of the practice because of the deliberate failure by those involved to keep records.   On the 29th May 2018 I announced that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency had identified 126 cases where births were incorrectly registered...

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

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 186 together. My Department is not routinely informed of the neglect or abuse of children, and where such reports are made this information is passed immediately to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla is the statutory body responsible for supporting and promoting the development, welfare and protection of children, and for providing or arranging...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Data (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180, 181 and 184 together. I am pleased to confirm that an extra €1.5m has been allocated in current funding to support the provision of youth services in 2018. This will bring the total current youth funding available to my Department to €58.9m. The additional funding is being used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people. ...

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

Katherine Zappone: My Department maintains close contact with the national youth organisations and I and officials from my Department meet formally with these organisations twice a year to share knowledge and information on developments in the youth sector. A separate meeting is held on that day with national organisations in receipt of targeted youth funding to keep them updated on the ongoing work on the...

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

Katherine Zappone: Youth Officers of the Education and Training Boards, including Kildare Wicklow ETB, provide an important support role to my Department in the co-ordination and administration of youth services at local level across the country. In order to keep my Department informed of their ongoing work, officials hold quarterly meetings attended by all Youth Officers from across the country. These meetings...

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

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that according to Tusla’s most recent data (February 2018), there are a total of 6,161 children in care. Of these cases, 4,037 (65.5%) are in are in general foster care; 1,646 (26.7%) are in foster care with a relative; 357 (6%) are in residential care; and 121 (2%) are in other care facilities, e.g. special care. The following table will provide an insight into...