Results 4,781-4,800 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (1 Jun 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have been advised by Tusla that the estimated cost of employing one allocated Social Worker is €49,188.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (1 Jun 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The recent report by Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, entitled "Audit of the exercise by An Garda Síochána of the provisions of Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991", examined records held by An Garda Síochána and completed questionnaires and interviews with members of An Garda Síochána. It is a valuable report and raises a number of issues that are of concern to us all....

Seanad: Report on Use of Section 12 of Child Care Act by An Garda Síochána: Statements (31 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important matter with Members of the Seanad and to set out the actions that are being taken. Following a recommendation by the Ombudsman for Children concerning the removal of two Roma children from their families, a report of the audit of the emergency removal of children from their families was commissioned by An Garda Síochána to review...

Seanad: Report on Use of Section 12 of Child Care Act by An Garda Síochána: Statements (31 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Senators for their reflections, all of which I will not have time to respond to today. Many Senators have referred to this as an emotional issue. It is emotional. The emotions are anger, disappointment and distress. If this about feelings and emotions, what do we do and how do we move forward? Senator Devine is correct that failings on the part of the State to protect our most...

Seanad: Report on Use of Section 12 of Child Care Act by An Garda Síochána: Statements (31 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As I said, I welcome the audit. I reappointed Dr. Shannon as special rapporteur. He has extraordinary expertise in this area, which he brought to the audit. Dr. Shannon has made recommendations and damning findings in regard to the Garda Síochána, Tusla and society as a whole. I take on board Senator Black's comments in terms of the great work being done by the RISE organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: HIQA Reports (31 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In the past month, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has not received a specific report on Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). My Department is routinely provided with HIQA inspection reports on the services provided by Tusla. These reports are published by HIQA on its website. As of 29 May, 2017, 16 inspection reports...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: HIQA Reports (31 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Earlier this year I directed the Health Information Quality Authority, under Section 9 of the Health Act 2007, to carry out a statutory investigation of Tusla’s management of allegations of child sexual abuse. HIQA published its Terms of Reference and methodology for this investigation on 25 April 2017. The HIQA investigation is to assess how local, regional and national governance...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (31 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table: County 2012 Funding 2013 Funding 2014 Funding 2015 Funding 2016 Funding Carlow 267,874.00 244,000.00 224,000.00 223,965.00 224,000.00 Cavan 268,000.00 248,000.00 234,000.00 234,000.00 234,000.00 Clare 310,510.00 306,670.00 289,524.00 272,387.00 296,290.00 Cork 769,927.00 785,000.00 756,395.00 780,981.00...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (31 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: A historical or retrospective disclosure is where an adult discloses abuse experienced in childhood. I understand that the overwhelming majority of such disclosures are about sexual abuse. I can advise the Deputy that the management of all referrals including retrospective/historical cases occurs at Area level. Tusla has advised me that a service improvement plan has been put in place...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (31 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the Child and Family Agency and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the information is received.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Work Projects Funding (31 May 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. Budget 2017 provided an...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Work Projects Funding (31 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 to 272, inclusive, together. 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 provision involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff and 40,000...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Capitation Grants (30 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As part of the introduction of a minimum qualification standard for work in the Early Years sector, my Department has put in place a range of supports for those working in the sector. This included the publication of the DCYA Early Years Qualifications list, which itemises qualifications that meet the required standards. Anyone with a qualification on this list is automatically approved for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (30 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information supplied by the Deputy has been raised with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The issue of data protection is of the highest importance, both to my Department and to Tusla. Tusla has advised that an apology and explanation will be issued to the person concerned, and that this is in progress. I have also requested Tusla to furnish me with a report into this matter as a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (30 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: €4m in funding has been made available under three funding strands to childcare services in respect of capital projects related to pre-school age children. I understand that there has been a large volume of applications and these are currently being evaluated by Pobal, with a view to making recommendations as to which of these are suitable for funding. Once these recommendations have...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes (30 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In the first instance, it is important to appreciate that these institutions ceased operating many decades ago. The reality is that many of the buildings and sites which accommodated Mother and Baby Homes and County Homes have evolved significantly in the intervening years. These locations are now being used for a wide array of different activities and purposes, ranging from housing estates...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Policy Reviews (30 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The definition of the child as used by my Department is that which is intended in relevant legislative provisions and in Article 42A of Bunreacht na hÉireann. The legislative provisions are outlined below and are engaged once a child is born. In the Child Care Act 1991a child is defined in section 2 in the same way as in the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 and the Children First Act...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (30 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In 1994 the Department of Social Welfare opened a grant scheme to provide counselling supports to children who had experienced bereavement or loss. This grant scheme then passed to the Family Support Agency (FSA) when it was established in 2003 and subsequently to Tusla on establishment in January 2014. Up until 2011 applications were invited through an annual public advertisement,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (30 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I recently announced a range of measures that will be introduced this September to make childcare more affordable for thousands of families throughout Ireland. This honours a key commitment in the Programme for Government. The measures I am putting in place will ensure that parents of tens of thousands of children due to benefit under the Affordable Childcare Scheme will be given the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (30 May 2017)

Katherine Zappone: On 11 April, I made an announcement that the Affordable Childcare Scheme would not commence this September but that a range of measures will be introduced by my Department to make childcare more affordable for thousands of families throughout Ireland. This honours a key commitment in the Programme for Government. I can confirm that these measures, which will benefit the families of tens of...