Results 4,281-4,300 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff working in youth services and communities throughout the country. In 2017, €57.4...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Safety (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department does not collate the number of communications received by the Department in relation to children who may be at risk. Such communications received are referred to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency which has responsibility for investigative processes.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am satisfied that Department is adequately resourced to carry out its functions and services. Since my appointment as Minister, the staffing complement has grown from 181 to 236 people, with a further cohort currently being recruited which will bring the total staffing numbers to around 280 people before end 2018. The increase in staffing numbers reflects the continuing growth in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Agencies Staff Data (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, there are four agencies within my remit and I wish to advise as follows: - The Office of the Ombudsman for Children is independent in its function and reports to the Oireachtas on matters within its remit, as required by the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002. I have forwarded the question to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children and asked that they might correspond...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Safety (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Child Care Act, 1991 applies to all children resident in the State irrespective 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 requires it. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Functions (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is required under the Child Care Act 1991 to investigate allegations of abuse, including historical abuse, and to engage with An Garda Síochána where appropriate. Tusla provides a comprehensive rage of services and supports for vulnerable children and families. I have secured an additional €40 million for Tusla in the Budget, bringing...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Justice Strategy (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Children Act 2001, as amended, provides the statutory basis for dealing with children who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The key principle of the Children Act 2001 is that detention of a child should only be imposed as a last resort. When children come into contact with the criminal justice system there is an emphasis on the promotion of community based options in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Counselling Services Provision (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is required to support and promote the development, welfare and protection of children. Tusla provides funding to voluntary organisations offering a range of counselling and support services to children and families including: - Marriage and relationship counselling, - Child counselling, - Rainbows Peer...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: At the end of July 2017, the latest data available, there were 6,297 children living in care in Ireland. Of these, 5,801 children were living in foster care, and 368 in residential care. The remaining children are in other placements, such as supported lodging, specialist care facilities or long term hospital placements. The optimum provision of services for the care and protection of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection, and if necessary, to receive a child into the care of the State. The placement of children in care is governed by Regulations. These provide, inter alia, for the welfare of the child, the care practices, care...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff working in youth services and communities throughout the country. In 2017,...

Financial Resolutions 2018 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2018 will reduce poverty and deprivation. The €5 increases on the social protection side and the 3.2% increase in the national minimum wage will help to reduce poverty. The IMF and others note that significant increases in education, child care and health help to reduce inequality. Budget 2018 does this. These are all characteristics of a budget that is progressive. As a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Youth Work Advisory Committee (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Sections 17 and 18 of the Youth Work Act 2001 provide for the appointment of a National Youth Work Advisory Committee. The Committee had an advisory and consultative role to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in matters to do with youth work, including the coordination of youth work programmes and services. In line with these provisions, a new National Youth Work Advisory Committee...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department is committed to the development and reform of the Capital programme in respect of the needs of children and providers, with the aim of providing childcare facilities of the highest quality. Capital Funding is made available by my Department on an annual basis at varying levels for particular projects. For example, the Early Years Capital 2017 programme focused on creating...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2018 provides for a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. In 2018, Tusla will have available to it some €753 million in funding, representing an increase of €40.6 million, or 5.7%, over 2017. The precise details of funding for Family Resource Centres will be considered by Tusla in developing its 2018 Business Plan, based on...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Data (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: After months of hard work I can confirm that 86% of eligible childcare providers have signed up to deliver these measures. This number equates to 3,156 of 3,705 eligible services providing a reduction to the tens of thousands of families that are now experiencing lower childcare costs. 51 childcare providers have signed up to pass on the savings to parents in the county of Westmeath. That is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (11 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that there were 26,192 open cases nationally at the end of July which includes children in care. An open case is one which is assessed as needing a dedicated (allocated) social work service. There were 5,524 open cases awaiting allocation of a social worker. Of these, 816 were designated as high priority, 3,609 as medium priority and 1,099 as low priority. A high...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (10 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department provides a qualifications assessment process for the Early Years sector, however my Department is not an awarding body nor an education provider. If a person is unsure about the level of their award, or holds a component certificate for a further education award, they can contact Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) - who are the arbiter of award standards in Ireland for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (10 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters was established by Government in 2015. Its objective is to provide a full account of what happened to women and children in these homes during the period 1922 to 1998. It is investigating the issues of significant public concern as set out in its terms of reference (S.I. 57 of 2015). The Commission is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (10 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 602 and 603 together. As I have previously stated to the Deputy, my Department does not hold any records from the institution known as St Patrick's Mother and Baby Home. A cohort of files from this former institution are held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and may be accessed by relevant parties through their Information and Tracing Services. In...