Results 5,141-5,160 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In 2017, funding of €57.4m has been provided to my Department for various youth schemes, an increase of €5.5m over 2016. The additional funding is being used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services. My Department has now notified projects and services of their 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Staff (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 45 and 63 together. It is my understanding that the Deputy is referring to the the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 which require that all staff members working directly with children in pre-school services must hold at least a major award in early childhood care and education at level 5 on the National Qualifications...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Juvenile Offenders (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Irish Youth Justice Service oversees a significant investment in community based programmes to divert young people from further involvement in criminal or anti-social behaviour. In 2016, approximately €17m has been allocated by the Department of Justice and Equality to the Irish Youth Justice Service to administer Garda Youth Diversion Projects, Young Persons Probation Projects...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I do not have any plans to make recommendations to Cabinet in relation the Congregational Indemnity Agreement. As the Deputy may be aware, this agreement was negotiated 15 year ago and relates to the contribution of 18 religious Orders to the cost of the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme. My colleague the Minister for Education and Skills is currently responsible for these...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age. From September 2016, children are eligible for the ECCE scheme if they are aged over 3 years and not older than 5 and a half years. The State pays a capitation fee to participating play-schools and daycare services. In return, they provide a pre-school service...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Staff (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is my understanding that the Deputy is referring to the the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 which require that all staff members working directly with children in pre-school services must hold at least a major award in early childhood care and education at level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework, or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Policy (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to confirm that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has recently revised its Policy, Procedures and Best Practice Guidance for Foster Care Committees. Following extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders to review the original policy and guidance document, which had been approved in 2012, the revised guidance was signed off by Tusla’s National Policy and Oversight...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children and Young People’s Policy Framework (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is recognised that particular groups of children and young people can face more challenges in achieving the five national outcomes set out in Better Outcomes Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020), and numerous specific commitments of the Framework reflect this. My Department identified prevention and early intervention as a key...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Area Based Childhood Programme (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a joint prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department. It was designed as a time bound co-funding arrangement in conjunction with The Atlantic Philanthropies, with resources of €29.7m from 2013 to 2017. The aim of the ABC Programme is to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches to improve outcomes...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Supports (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: At the end of December 2016, 82% (3,376/4,134) of foster carers had a link worker and 92% (5,374/5,817) of children in foster care had an allocated social worker. It is important to note that if a child has not been allocated a social worker, their needs are reviewed regularly by the principal social worker. The additional funding of €37 million which has been secured for Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 59 together. I recognise the heightened demand for a thorough and holistic understanding of events and experiences following confirmation of the discovery of human remains on the former site of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home. Before we commence such a process, it is important that we do not lose sight of the breadth and considerable scope of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am happy to report to the Deputy that, in keeping with good practice and the conditions set out in the Dail resolution from last November, a group of 19 young people have had their needs assessed and have been security screened in France, and a further 21 young people will be met and interviewed shortly. Tusla has advised that all 19 young persons interviewed to date have been approved for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the report “Dublin North Inner City – Creating a Brighter Future”. The report found that there was substantial funding being provided to support youth services in the North Inner City but it recommended greater integration of targeted approaches to at-risk young people in the area. Last month, I approved a further 5% increase in funding to each of the targeted...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: An Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) was established in June 2015 to design a model that would support access to the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme for children with a disability. The IDG included senior officials from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA), the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and the Department of Health (DoH). It also included...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 619 together. The service in question closed in February 2016 following a period of intensive support, where my Department made funding available on an exceptional basis to continue service through a crisis. The decision to close was taken by the management of this service. In a bid to ensure continued childcare provision in this disadvantaged...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department, Pobal and the County & City Childcare Committees (CCCs) work closely with services who are experiencing financial difficulty. As the Deputy knows, in Budget 2017, I was pleased to secure additional funding of €14.5m, to help ease the burden of administration on childcare providers by paying for 'non-contact time' on top of existing payments. Officials are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill was published on 25th November 2016 and it provides a statutory basis for the provision of information related to both past and future adoptions. The Bill is intended to facilitate access to adoption information and operates on the basis of a presumption in favour of disclosing information in so far as is legally and constitutionally possible. It...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Affordable Childcare Scheme will be open to all Tusla-registered childcare providers on an equal basis. In addition to more than 4,000 centre-based childcare providers, which operate independently in a market context, all Tusla-registered childminders will also be eligible to participate in this Scheme. It is acknowledged however, that the number of Tusla-registered childminders is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As I am sure the Deputy is aware the issue being raised is now the subject of a Tribunal of Inquiry, which is chaired by the Hon. Mr. Justice Peter Charleton. I would note that I addressed this matter as part of the statements made in this House on 14 February 2017, which were made prior to the setting up of the Tribunal. As the Tribunal is now at work, I will not comment further on issues...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Juvenile Offenders (28 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am very pleased to say that in the coming days I will announce the date on which the Oberstown Children Detention Campus (Oberstown) will commence taking 17 year old males who receive a sentence to a period of detention. This is the final step to end the detention of children in adult prison facilities. It is intended that Oberstown will take new cases referred directly from the courts...