Results 4,201-4,220 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Other Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am satisfied that the funding increase of €40.6 million which my Department is providing to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, will bring about positive improvements for vulnerable children and families. Tusla will have available to it some €753 million in funding next year. The additional funding will allow for the recruitment of over 300 new staff during 2018. With...

Other Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Deputy Wallace. In terms of the Shannon report and Tusla's response to it, the focus is on the extension of out of hours services, particularly in the critical phase of ensuring social workers are available to work with the gardaí in order to ensure that the situation of difficulty or trauma is responded to in the best possible way. There is a number of measures that Tusla has...

Other Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I cannot agree with the Deputy more in terms of the importance of family resource centres and the ways in which they provide the services that are required by children and families in a manner that is exceptionally efficient and that also truly respects the ways in which communities operate at their best. In terms of the talk of €10,000 in funding, through my budget negotiations I...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy. The measures that I introduced in budget 2018 were very strategic and came after much reflection on how, having introduced many measures in budget 2017 which are now beginning to kick in for families, we could focus particularly on quality issues in 2018, as well as looking at ways in which our quality focus can continue to ensure that the cost for families can be more...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I hope that is a measure that would support the community sector in the provision of child care, particularly, as the Deputy has identified, in light of the concerns around community employment. In response to another question, I indicated that there will be an additional €700,000 available to the community sector to help with sustainability and viability issues. I am doing a...

Other Questions: Early Years Sector (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 51 together. Child care workers play a critical role in delivering high quality child care services and they deserve to be recognised, valued and respected for this. My Department acknowledges that pay and conditions are major issues facing the sector and can lead to difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff. My Department is somewhat...

Other Questions: Early Years Sector (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Of course I agree with the Deputy's initial points. I have done a huge amount in terms of trying to identify, with the limited resources available to me, and I got more than others in this budget, where the resources should be applied. I have also indicated that investment into the early years sector in general has increased over the years. I am not disagreeing with the Deputy's point that...

Other Questions: Child Abuse (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I will address the One in Four report to which a couple of Deputies have referred. There is a key aspect that was most controversial. It is that the report makes it clear that Tusla could not proceed with 79 of 91 cases brought because the victim declined to meet a Tusla social worker. That is implicit in some of the Deputy's comments. Legally and in keeping with fair procedures, Tusla...

Other Questions: Child Abuse (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I acknowledge the Deputy's comments, but, with earlier questions in mind, I want to make it absolutely and perfectly clear with regard to the report that Tusla followed proper procedures. In following the law it must be fair to all parties. That is why we saw such a result. It followed proper procedures according to law. Much of the Deputy's questioning concerns how Tusla responds to...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 37 and 511 together. I am fully aware of the matters regarding pay for early years workers and have been an advocate for improved conditions for many years. That is why I increased the capitation rate for the first time since the ECCE programme was introduced in 2010. I have provided for a 7% increase from September next. The independent review of...

Other Questions: Child Protection (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy. She referred to the Laois-Offaly report. As the Deputy is aware, these are very complicated matters. I would be happy to share a table which identifies the number of open, unallocated and high priority retrospective cases for 2017. The number of unallocated retrospective cases is decreasing, although the number increased between June and July. In addition, the figure...

Other Questions: Child Protection (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy's first question was excellent. I have had many conversations with Tusla on the issue of the designation of a case as being unallocated and cases which are of high, medium and low priority. As the Deputy is aware, even though cases are unallocated assessments have been carried out by social workers. It is determined whether a child is at immediate risk and if he or she is a...

Other Questions: Child Abuse (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I expected several questions on Tusla. It is a primary focus and I feel very confident that we are moving in the right direction. I am pleased to inform the Deputy I have secured an additional €40 million for Tusla. This is the third year in succession that Tusla has received an increase in its funding, which now amounts to over €753 million. It has embarked on a...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I apologise for not having time to answer the Deputy's question in my previous reply. As I indicated in response to another Deputy, I have secured funding for 2018. The programme is under evaluation by the centre for effective services. I would expect a report to be delivered to me in the near future so I can review the evaluation of the impact of this provision. So far, the signs are...

Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs monitors the capacity of child care providers on an ongoing basis. In April 2017, more than 120,000 children participated in the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme at peak demand. While pressure on places was high in some areas, the system successfully accommodated all children for whom a place was sought. From September 2018, the...

Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I think we are both very committed to the sustainability issue. As the Deputy is aware, €1 million was provided in budget 2017 to ensure the sustainability of certain services. The Department has worked very hard to assist those who have come forward to work with us in this regard. I have secured an additional €700,000 in budget 2018 to continue this work. This will continue...

Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I would have been disappointed if the Deputy had not asked me that question. I know this is part of his vision. Speaking personally, I think much of that vision would make sense in some ways if it were possible. It would take a long period of time to translate or transfer the early child care and education sector into something that is a public service in the same way that our schools are...

Other Questions: Child Protection (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla has advised me that 1,949 historical or retrospective cases were on hand at the end of July 2017. This represented an increase of 51 on the number for June. Of the cases on hand, 1,370 were allocated to a social worker and 579 were awaiting allocation. The number of unallocated cases has increased by seven since June. All of these referrals have been reviewed by a social worker. As...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I will be happy to supply the Deputy with the details, but I do not have the specific information to hand. Picking up on his point about the system in place in England, I will also be happy to compare this jurisdiction with others, although I do not necessarily agree with him on the matter. The fact is that Tusla has been able to retain social workers. The current turnover rate is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is certainly a suggestion that could be entertained and I will be happy to communicate it to Tusla. The Deputy has clearly already raised the matter with the CEO, Mr. Fred McBride. His focus is on considering additional ways by which staff working on the front line with children who have experienced significant harm can be supported, which is good. Some of the questions have focused on...