Results 3,301-3,320 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I have no plans at the present time to have a representative on the board of Scouting Ireland. Scouting Ireland is one of a number of youth organisations funded by my Department and each funded organisation must comply with strict governance standards including compliance with all legislative obligations. My Department has a duty of care with regard to public funding and to protect the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 provides for the first time a statutory entitlement to identity information for adopted persons. The legislation provides for structured and regulated access to information and tracing services for those affected by adoption. It sets out the information that can be provided, which includes early life information and medical information,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 386 together. Scouting Ireland is partly funded by my Department under the Youth Service Grant Scheme. The funding provided under this scheme is contingent on organisations meeting a range of governance requirements. This includes its commitment to and compliance with its legal requirements in the area of child protection as set out in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The issues referred to by the Deputy have been, and continue to be, the subject of investigation. I do not propose to comment on the specific matters raised at this stage.  I can, however, assure the Deputy that I have attached particular importance to allegations made regarding possible risk to children and I have sought, through a series of actions, to be assured that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Supports (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I would like to take this opportunity to assure you my Department is fully supportive of extending the State Indemnity Scheme under the State Claims Agency to foster parents. Unfortunately this is taking longer than expected due to technical issues associated with the approvals and statutory process involved. Work is ongoing to address these matters. While we remain confident that these...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As referenced in Parliamentary Question No. 12 of 22 February 2018, I intend to conduct a review of the systems and structures which operate nationally and locally to support childcare provision. This will include consideration of the role of 30 City and County Childcare Committees, various National Voluntary Childcare Organisations and Pobal. I am currently advancing a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Thank you Deputy Rabbitte. I would be delighted to update you on positive progress in preparing the new Affordable Childcare Scheme. Officials from my Department, along with colleagues in Pobal, have been working hard to develop the legal, technical and administrative infrastructure for the new Affordable Childcare Scheme. This scheme will provide financial support for parents,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Internet Safety (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Keeping children safe online requires a whole of government approach. I am committed to playing my part in a co-ordinated cross-Government approach. The Department of the Taoiseach is currently developing an Action Plan on online safety involving all relevant departments to ensure that our actions are coordinated, complementary and robust. Officials in my Department are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre Programme. Acting as a focal point within their communities, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families in their communities. At the end of 2017 there were 109 Family Resource Centres in receipt of funding from Tusla,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The safety of all children, and particularly those living in State care, is a key priority for me. On December 11 2017, I commenced the remaining provisions of the Children First Act, 2015. This saw the introduction of mandatory reporting of child protection concerns. The Children First Act 2015 places a statutory obligation on persons, who have been identified by virtue of their position,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Pobal administers many aspects of the Access and Inclusion Model on behalf of the Department. Pobal has advised that no application has yet been made under AIM Level 5 on behalf of the child in question. The pre-school service should apply for the specific piece of equipment by completing an AIM Level 5 application on the Programmes Implementation Platform (PIP) on the Pobal website....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The question of redress for former residents of Mother and Baby Homes is one which I have addressed on a number of occasions and I am happy to restate the Government's position for the Deputy. Mother and Baby Homes have not been central to any previous statutory inquiry so this Commission must be given the opportunity to advance its investigation and to establish the facts of what...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homeless Persons Supports (1 May 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. While no further studies on the impact of homelessness have been carried out by my Department, there can be little doubt that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homeless Persons Data (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As these are operational matters, I have asked Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware, all Private Emergency Accommodation service providers are required to have child protection policies in place. Furthermore, the DRHE requires that, in relation to service providers for emergency accommodation, all owners, managers and staff, contract or otherwise must undergo Garda vetting in advance of commencing employment. The service provider has...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I am committed to working with my colleagues in Government, and in collaboration with former residents, to take appropriate actions to address the issues which have already emerged from the work of the Commission. I believe that this is the best way forward in our response to what are hugely complex and sensitive matters. The principles of transitional justice inform my approach to these...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Communications (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I would like to inform the Deputy that a response was forwarded to the person concerned on Friday 27th April.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children and Young People’s Policy Framework (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) are a key structure identified by Government to plan and co-ordinate services for children and young people in every county in Ireland including County Sligo . The overall purpose is to improve outcomes for children and young people by enhancing interagency co-operation at a local and national level having regard to issues...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that an application for youth funding for 2018 has been submitted to my Department via the funding intermediary, City of Dublin Youth Service Board (CDYSB) on behalf of this organisation. The funding allocations for 2018 for all organisations funded to support the provision of youth services throughout the country are currently being finalised within my Department. When...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (1 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 383 and 385 together. Notwithstanding Ireland’s standing invitation to all United Nations thematic special procedures holders, I received Government approval for a specific invitation to be extended to the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence to visit Ireland in the context of our...