Results 5,261-5,280 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (8 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Absolutely. I would welcome the committee revisiting that issue with me. The Deputy will know that I have the same commitment she has identified. There are some in my constituency also. In fact, I started one. I understand it from the inside and these are the conversations I have been having in the Department. There is a challenge with the exit of Atlantic Philanthropies, but there is...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (8 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate the concern and feelings expressed and I know the view is shared by others. There are two aspects to the question. It is a lot of money and some of the commentators are wondering if that amount of money is being spent in the best possible way in supporting a guardian ad litemsystem. We all agree there is a requirement for it when it comes to the rights of children. Within the...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (8 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The early years strategy will be catered for under programme B. With regard to the commission of investigation, the diverse nature of the concerns to be examined requires that the commission has the financial resources to retain a multidisciplinary range of professionals deemed necessary, some of whom I have met, to assist its investigations. The budget of €6 million is available to...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (8 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: We will be happy to answer.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Aftercare Services (8 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 310 and 311 together. Tusla has advised that it does not collate data on waiting lists for the allocation of an aftercare worker for young persons over 18 years. Once the amendments to the 1991 Act are commenced there will be a statutory obligation on Tusla to have an aftercare plan prior to the young person leaving care. Table A provides a breakdown on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (8 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 312 and 313 together. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency provides financial support to some 109 communities through the Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme. This typically covers the employment of two to three members of staff and some overhead costs. In 2016, Tusla provided €13.5 million in core funding under the programme....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Aftercare Services (8 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that officials from my Department met with the organisation referred to in December 2016. At this meeting, my officials provided updates on a number of areas including children in care and forthcoming legislation on Children First and Aftercare and listened carefully to the views of the organisation referred to on the future development of aftercare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Commissions of Investigation (8 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In accordance with section 9 of the Commission of Investigation Act 2004, it is essential to recognise that the Commission is independent in the performance of its functions. The Commission's advertising strategy is a matter for the Commission to manage and progress and I do not have any further information relating to the matter. The Deputy may wish to contact the Commission directly at...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise the Deputy that there are currently just over 150 Non-DEIS schools supported under the School Completion Programme (SCP). The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) has advised that it does not intend to make any changes to the SCP for the 2017/2018 school year as the planning process for the 2017/2018 school year is already at an advanced stage....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Start Programme (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Ireland’s first ever Early Years Strategy is being progressed by my Department. This Strategy, which is expected to be published later this year, will take a whole-of-Government approach outlining Ireland’s vision for the coming decade in seeking to improve the lives of children from birth to 6 years. It will address a range of issues affecting children in their first years of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Since the Children First Act 2015 was signed into law on 19 November 2015, a number of provisions of the Act have already been commenced as follows: Sections 1 to 5 (Part I) and section 28 (Part V) of the Act were commenced on 10 December 2015 and Section 18 (Part III) and Sections 20-26 (Part IV) were commenced on 1 May 2016. I have recently committed to commencement of the remaining...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Commercial Rates Impact (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am very much aware of the issue of commercial rates and the impact it is having on early years services. It is my understanding that the valuation/rating code as it applies to early childhood care and education facilities was last altered following the commencement of the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015 in June 2015. In summary; 1. Group 1 type facilities referred to in the correspondence...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Pupil Data Collection (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table. 2013/2014 Post Primary Roll Number School Name Number of Suspensions 71750U Bush Post Primary School 4 63891T De La Salle College 19 63870L Drogheda Grammar School 14 63920A Dundalk Grammar School 27 71770D Ó Fiaich College 8 63850F Our Lady’s College 12 63860I Sacred Heart Secondary School 9...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Child and Family Agency (Tusla) has advised that at the end of January, 2017 there were 3,616.02 whole-time equivalent staff directly employed. The numerical breakdown of staff by region and category is set down in tabular format : Tusla Census by Staff Category January 2017 WTE Social Work 1467.45 Social Care 1114.99 Psychologists & Counsellors 23.4 Other Support Staff inc...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Guardians Ad Litem (7 Mar 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 of the 1991 Act also obliges the Child and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Relations Contracts Expenditure (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department had no spending on public relations consultants or on any matters relating to public relations in 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Community Services Programme (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have requested information from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I will forward the reply to the Deputy once I have been furnished with this information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Cyberbullying Issues (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In its appearance before the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on 22 February 2017, the ISPCC outlined and discussed with the Committee a number of concerns about online habits and how young people interact with each other using modern technologies. Cyber bullying was one such concern, but discussions also took place around issues such as excessive time spent online, sexting,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (7 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The most recent figures disaggregated by abuse category published by Tusla in its Review of Adequacy Report are for the years 2013 and 2014, and are as shown in the following table. Abuse category 2013 2014 Total 19,407 18,676 Physical 4,330 4,066 Emotional 5,271 6,233 Sexual 3,385 3,114 Neglect 6,421 5,263 I understand that the 2015 Review of Adequacy is currently in preparation. I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (7 Mar 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.