Results 5,301-5,320 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: I am on the record of this House as encouraging any person with information which may be relevant to the investigation to contact the Commission directly. All relevant information is on the Commission's website and can be accessed at www.mbhcoi.ie. Following the public consultation process to inform the development of the Commission's terms of reference, my Department passed on the...

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

Katherine Zappone: The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation was established by Government in 2015 with office accommodation provided in 73 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2. The building had previously accommodated a public health body but was empty prior to the Commission's tenancy. I am advised that the floor coverings in the building were aged and in poor condition generally. Wear and tear to...

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

Katherine Zappone: At the outset it is important to state that the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes (and certain related Matters) is independent in the conduct of its investigations. Therefore, the advertising strategy is a matter for the Commission to decide and I do not have any role or influence in this regard. The Commission has written to a range of Irish groups in the UK and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Measures (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill was published on 25th November 2016. The Bill provides at Section 14 that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, shall establish and maintain a register to be known as the Register of Adoption Contact Enquiries. The existing National Adoption Contact Preference Register (NACPR) will be discontinued. However, all information relating to the NACPR...

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

Katherine Zappone: Adoption records are currently held by the Adoption Authority of Ireland, Tusla and agencies accredited under the Adoption Act 2010. Under the proposed legislation, the Authority will have overall responsibility for the safeguarding of all adoption records, including information relating to informal adoptions and persons whose birth was incorrectly registered. All adoption records, which...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill was published on 25 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: Adoption Authority of Ireland (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In 2003 the then Minister for Children, Brian Lenihan, TD, launched a consultation process in regard to adoption. As a result of this process, in January 2005 the Department of Health and Children published "adoption Legislation: 2003 Consultation and Proposals for Change". The Report has served to inform the legislative developments that have taken place since then in particular the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Freedom of Information Data (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There have been no legal fees incurred on Freedom of Information requests received, my Department does not collate the number of staff hours involved in the processing of Freedom of Information requests.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As I outlined in this House on 14 February 2017, I heard first hand of the file referred to by the Deputy from the persons concerned on 25 January 2017. This meeting was arranged with the person referred to by the Deputy after they had contacted my Department on 18 January 2017. At my meeting on 25 January I received a number of queries from the family and responded as quickly and as...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have forwarded the information provided by the Deputy to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency for immediate attention.

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

Katherine Zappone: To date 67 childcare services have joined the special provision of the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme for homeless children. The number of homeless children who have registered under the programme is 14. This is only a small portion of those who are eligible. While uptake of new schemes can be low in the early stages, I am keen to ensure that a lack of awareness is not...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Board of the Child and Family Agency appointed the current Chief Executive Officer in February 2016, in accordance with Section 28(1) of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013. The appointment followed a competitive selection process run by the Public Appointments Service on behalf of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and in accordance with the Public Service Management (Recruitment and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Investigations (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for the information provided and have referred it to Tusla for attention. I asked them to contact the family directly in order to avoid disclosing identifying personal information in this forum. I would advise the Deputy that the family in question should contact the Gardai in relation to this matter referred to in the question.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: This PQ has been referred to Tusla, The Child and Family Agency, for direct reply to the Deputy.

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

Katherine Zappone: At the outset it is important to state that the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes (and certain related Matters) is independent in the conduct of its investigations. Therefore, the advertising strategy is a matter for the Commission to decide and I do not have any role or influence in this regard. The Commission has written to a range of Irish groups in the UK and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Commissions of Investigation (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In accordance with section 9 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, it is essential to recognise that the Commission is independent in the performance of its functions. Therefore, the precise approach to its investigation is a matter for the Commission to decide and progress. I do not have any role or influence in these decisions. If the Deputy, or any person, has information which...

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

Katherine Zappone: I am committed to publishing this Report. Given the scope of the Commission's work a number of issues in the Report extend beyond the remit of my Department and it has been necessary to consult with Cabinet colleagues and the Attorney General on these matters. I am sensitive to the concerns of former residents and their expectations for an early publication date. I hope to conclude this...

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

Katherine Zappone: I do not propose to request that a full audit of adoption records is undertaken.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Living Wage (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I would refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question 896 dated 21 July 2016 which provided material on the above question. Since that time and based on current staffing numbers, there has been no appreciable change in the estimated implementation costs for my Department and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I can also confirm that no additional cost would arise in respect of the Adoption...

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

Katherine Zappone: The policy paper for the introduction of the Affordable Childcare Scheme was approved by Government in October 2016. Since then, officials of the DCYA and Pobal have been working intensively to plan for the implementation of this Scheme. This is an extremely complex and ambitious project because of what is involved – legislation, new business processes, data protection and building...