Results 5,341-5,360 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Post-Adoption Contact Register (23 Feb 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: Adoption Legislation (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In 2003 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 Adoption Act...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Records (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that my Department has not incurred any expenditure for the past three years for the storage of data and or files on cloud storage or third party servers.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Regulatory Impact Assessment Data (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: A regulatory impact assessment (RIA) is prepared in respect of each Bill and is published in due course but not before the publication of the Bill. Each published RIA and its corresponding web address are listed below. Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill RIA Adoption (Amendment) Bill RIA Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 RIA Children First Bill 2014 RIA Children (Amendment)...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There are no staff in my Department suspended from work without prejudice and on full pay pending an investigation. With regard to the agencies within my remit: - Tusla has advised me that seven employees are currently on administrative leave on full pay pending an internal investigation; - Oberstown Children Detention Campus has advised me that one employee is currently on suspension from...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 239, 240, 247, 248, 255, 256, 283 and 284 together. An adopted person aged 18 years or over who was adopted before the proposed legislation comes into operation, will be provided with his/her birth certificate information, as held on record, following a request to Tusla, subject to certain conditions. Where an adoption order was made before the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 241, 242, 249, 250, 257, 258, 285 and 286 together. The Government approved the publication of the Heads and General Scheme of the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill and referred it to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children for pre-legislative scrutiny. The Committee issued its report in November 2015 and included reference to the issue of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 243, 251, 259 and 287 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244, 252, 260 and 288 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 245, 253, 261 and 289 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Authority of Ireland (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246, 254, 262 and 290 together. In 2003 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 293 together. The Press Office in my Department is part of the Governance and Performance Division which is staffed by civil servants. It does not have a specifically designated Press Officer. Tusla has advised that there are currently two senior press officers employed by them through their HR recruitment partners. I am further informed by Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware that some services have been impacted by the full implementation of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, which require that all staff should hold a minimum FETAC level 5 qualification, when working directly with children. In several cases, services have been utilising staff working on Community Employment (CE) schemes, Tús and Rural Social Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 to 269, inclusive, together. When introduced, the ECCE scheme provided free-preschool for 38 weeks of the year, the 38 weeks broadly mirrored the primary school academic year. When ECCE was expanded as a result of Budget 2016, it enabled all children to attend ECCE from the age of three, entering at one of three entry points after their third...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am committed to implementing the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 which entitles eligible young people to a formal aftercare plan, prepared by Tusla in collaboration with the young person leaving care. My Department is working closely with Tusla to ensure that the provisions of the Act can be fully implemented as quickly as possible in the coming months. In terms of funding, I secured...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am committed to implementing the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 which entitles eligible young people to a formal aftercare plan, prepared by Tusla in collaboration with the young person leaving care. I am pleased that the Act creates an explicit, as opposed to a current implicit, statement of Tusla’s duty to satisfy itself as to the young persons need for assistance and support as...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla has informed me that in 2015 a total of 542 young persons left care on reaching 18 years of age. In 2016, a total of 605 young persons left care by reason of reaching 18 years of age. Tusla has informed me that the data was not collated prior to 2015. The available data refers to all young persons moving out of care on turning 18 years of age and data is not returned by care...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Aftercare is a term used to describe the planning and support put in place to meet the needs of a young person who is leaving statutory care at 18 years of age, to assist him/her in making the transition to independent living. Every year approximately 450 young people leave the care of the State. These young people are offered a wide range of services from different sectors including income...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 imposes a statutory duty on Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, following an assessment of need, to prepare an aftercare plan identifying relevant aftercare supports for an eligible child or eligible young person. For young people with a disability, aftercare planning forms the basis of discussions between Tusla and the HSE to effectively manage the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (22 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board has requested funding from my Department for the provision of a full time youth officer for County Kildare. My Department is engaging with the ETB in this regard and I hope to be in a position to make a determination on this request in the coming weeks. In the interim, the ETB has a Youth Officer who is...