Results 4,461-4,480 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Amendments Nos. 2 and 3 are Government amendments introduced in the Seanad. They both amend section 9 of the Bill. Section 9 provides that the Minister may make regulations to make provision for the procedures that are to apply to enable a child to present his or her views in person or in writing to the authority or court, as the case may be. It also provides that the Minister may make...

Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Amendment No. 6 was tabled by Senators Lynn Ruane and Frances Black on Committee Stage in the Seanad. It is an amendment to section 24, which inserts a new subsection (a) into section 54(1) of the Adoption Act 2010. This provision will present challenges and we have been working with Senator Ruane on it. Following the enactment of the Bill, I will continue to work with my officials, Tusla,...

Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I accepted Senator Alice Mary Higgins's amendment No. 7 in the Seanad. Like the Senator, I support the principle of open adoption and acknowledge its benefits. The amendment requires the initiation of a review and consultation process in respect of the potential introduction of open or semi-open adoption. Open adoption generally means a form of adoption in which the biological or adoptive...

Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: From the Seanad (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: These are Government amendments brought forward in the Seanad to amend section 9 of the Adoption (Amendment) Bill. Section 9 of the Bill amends section 19 of the Adoption Act 2010 by substituting a new section 19 to reflect Article 42A of the Constitution. This section provides that in the resolution of any matter, application or proceedings referred to in the section the Adoption Authority...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies Data (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1119 and 1120 together. The Advisory Council for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020) is made up of representatives from the community and voluntary sector, as well as independent experts with experience working with and for children and young people. The Council is made up of 16 members,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services Provision (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016 will address the issue that the Deputy has referred to. The Bill has passed all stages in the Dáil and the Seanad. However amendments were made in the Seanad, which must now be considered by the Dáil. This is scheduled for today, 13 July 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware, the Early Childhood and Education Programme (ECCE) programme was expanded from September 2016 so that children may start free pre-school from age 3, and can continue in free pre-school once the child is not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the relevant pre-school year. Three different points in the year - September, January and April – are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Learner Fund was established to provide access to appropriate programmes of learning for Early Years sector workers. The initial phases of funding released (Learner Funds 1, 2 and 3) focussed on those Early Years sector workers who lacked a qualification relevant to Early Childhood Care and Education or lacked a qualification in that area which was placed at, or equivalent to, Level 5 on...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Child and Family Agency business plan for 2017 includes reference to proposed actions in relation to outstanding actions under the Ryan Implementation Plan, specifically Action 75 and 76 which relate to the Agency (Tusla) as follows: - Action 75- a professionally managed national archive is to be developed as a central repository for the records for all children in care; and - Action...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The allocation of funds by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is a matter for that organisation, and my Department plays no role in signing off on, or approval of, grant payments that Tusla may choose to make. I have asked Tusla to revert to the Deputy with the details requested.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Remit (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla has provided approximately €7 million in funding to the Health Service Executive (HSE) on an annual basis for the provision of child counselling services. This funding is provided at the end of the year and reimburses the HSE for the services which it provides on Tusla's behalf. Ensuring the mental health and well-being of children and young people is critical to reducing...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Community Childcare Subvention Scheme is divided into two separate grant provision arrangements: the Community Childcare Scheme and Community Childcare Scheme Plus. Both community and private providers can sign up for the latter whereas only community providers can sign up for the former. The forerunner of the Community Childcare Scheme Plus was the Community Childcare Scheme private...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will have noted there are number of qualifications with regard to this figure, particularly, that it does not take into account: - 18% who availed of Scheme in the previous year - 15% who do not qualify for the scheme within the given timeframe It is worth noting that the growing up in Ireland survey reported that “95% of children who started school in September 2012...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has advised that there are currently 108 Family Resource Centres that are fully operational. Tusla values the work of Family Resource Centres (FRCs) and recognises the positive impact of their work in supporting families and local communities. FRCs provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that the following information is a breakdown of funding by the ABC Programme showing each county as requested. ABC is a four year time bound prevention and early intervention initiative which is co-funded between my Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies for the period of 2013-2017: ABC Programme ABC Grant to 31/12/17 Development Funding Total County...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy might note that the following amounts of capital funding were allocated to Tusla for the period 2014 to 2017. Included in the table are the amounts drawn down by Tusla in the same period: Tusla Capital 2014 2015 2016 2017 €m €m €m €m Allocation 6.841 12.386 16.060 13.560 Outturn 4.846 6.863 16.054 5.685* * year to date

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Aftercare Services (13 Jul 2017)

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 and Family Agency Data (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1133 and 1134 together. The latest figures from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, indicates that, at the end of April 2017, there were 6,291 children in care. Of these, 356 (6%) were in a residential placement of whom 214 were in a private residential placement. Latest figures received from Tusla state that there are currently 21 private providers under...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Guardians Ad Litem (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Section 26 of the 1991 Child Care Act provides for the appointment of a guardian ad litemin respect of care proceedings where a child is not a party to those proceedings and where the court is satisfied that it is necessary in the best interests of the child and in the interests of justice to have a guardian ad litemappointed. Section 26 also obliges Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Reviews (13 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department. The Programme commenced in 2013 and was designed as a time-bound co-funding arrangement for the period 2013 to 2017 in conjunction with The Atlantic Philanthropies. The aim of the ABC Programme is to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches to improve...