Results 5,941-5,960 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I have already acknowledged and agree with the Deputy on the pace of this process. I have also indicated that, unbeknownst to the wider public, in any one year Tusla receives 100 unaccompanied children. That is already going on, in addition to the other commitments the previous Government worked on and negotiated. It is important to put that on the record. To increase the capacity...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Abuse Prevention (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, holds the statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection. It is the appropriate body to receive reports relating to children at risk, whether in State institutions, foster care or in the home. Tusla provides the Department of Children and Youth Affairs with regular detailed reports on key performance and activity indicators relating to...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Abuse Prevention (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I indicated the percentages of decreases in the number of unallocated cases. Since 2014, a plan has been in place to ensure the processes will continue to be reduced. This is the second year of a three-year initiative to tackle the issue of child protection cases, such as, for example, awaiting an allocation to a social worker. In each case, the percentages are going down according to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Abuse Prevention (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: If there are serious concerns of abuse, neglect, etc., the children in question are dealt with immediately and taken away from the situation. Although they may not have an allocated social worker, that does not mean they are not being seen. There are various social work teams monitoring to the extent required. From the initial assessment, they will monitor the child's priorities and needs...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Traveller Accommodation (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I take an interest in all matters concerning the well-being of children. I am particularly conscious of the plight of vulnerable groups, including Traveller children, who we are committed to supporting. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has informed me that housing authorities are responsible for the assessment...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy's final point is an important one which I will take up. On the overall impact of the plan for rebuilding Ireland, I am aware that the number of children who are homeless is increasing. I am also aware of the efforts being made by the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to address this issue. He set a very ambitious objective at yesterday's committee...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am deeply concerned by the plight of the children who were in the Calais camp, particularly the many unaccompanied minors who were at the front line of this terrible situation. I have asked Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to review its ability to provide safety, protection and hope to greater numbers of unaccompanied children and assess the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I was aware of and acknowledge Deputy Burton's work on this issue and I appreciate her frustration. I, too, am frustrated and I have expressed concern about the slow pace of delivery of the programme to resettle 4,000 refugees. While the programme has made a slow start, I understand from the Tánaiste that it is increasing in rapidity. With regard to my responsibilities, as I...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Budgets (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy had a number of questions and I am with him in his sentiment in terms of his concerns. I hope that this will deliver what we are attempting to deliver. It is a first step towards introducing a radical new plan for child care. We have worked very hard to ensure it happens. I provided the Deputy with full-year costs. The year 2017 will be the first year of the full year of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Budgets (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: We need a lot of money for 2017 to cover the full-year cost of the two years of preschool plus the cost of the access and inclusion model, AIM. From September 2017, additional moneys will be available to introduce the single affordable child care scheme. This will include the targeted element in the new way that I am doing it as well as the subsidy for those under three years of age. That...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Budgets (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: We do need a lot more money and I trust the Deputy will continue to raise his voice as we continue to prepare for the next budget because I agree with him in that regard. In terms of his initial comments and concerns, I too am concerned about those on low incomes. This new, targeted single affordable child care scheme is streamlining and simplifying those other targeted schemes that some of...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Budgets (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I assure the Deputy that no one will be worse off. Most of them will be better off, but it will depend on what they are earning and the number of children, etc. This goes back to Deputy Anne Rabbitte's question. It is hard for people to understand fully how they will benefit because it will depend on their family type. However, the whole point of the single affordable child care scheme is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate Deputy Broughan's question. Homelessness among children and families remains a serious problem. In September there were 1,173 families in emergency accommodation, including 1,568 adults and 2,426 dependants. I am committed to supporting the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland: the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. We have made some progress in this regard, but...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: On Deputy Broughan's questions, the DRHE is best placed to advise on a safety guidance voluntary code for child safety in emergency accommodation. I understand it has worked with Tusla and that there is a draft national quality standards framework to cover this area of the action plan and that an information guidelines booklet is also being developed in line with this objective. We are also...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Care Costs (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The dual income trap which the Deputy mentioned refers, as he knows, is the subject of a popular book written by Senator Elizabeth Warren and her daughter. It discusses the financial difficulties experienced by American middle-class families with children due to the steady rise in many fixed costs such as health care, child care and finding a good home. Senator Warren and her daughter argue...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Child Care Costs (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: There are some good things going on in America. Reference is frequently made to Nordic countries. They are moving away from home care allowance type schemes due to their adverse impact on women's employability and financial independence later in life. I would encourage a vigorous gender impact analysis before importing such policies here. As I am sure the Deputy will remember, not long...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Departmental Budgets (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I was pleased that significant additional funding was allocated to early child care in budget 2017. The largest volume of additional funding was provided to enable the full year costs of the expansion of the ECCE scheme into a second year, and I provided €67.6 million for this. In addition, the full year roll-out of the access and inclusion model, AIM, within the ECCE scheme was...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Youth Work Projects Funding (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administered a capital funding scheme in 2016 for youth projects and services which was strictly limited to projects funded under a number of specific schemes. An application for capital funding was received from Kerry Diocesan Youth Service, KDYS, in respect of a European youth centre. Unfortunately, the application was found to be ineligible by the appraisal committee for...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Youth Work Projects Funding (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy notes, I visited KDYS during the summer and was impressed by the commitment, enthusiasm and professionalism I saw. Unfortunately, it was not possible to fund the European youth centre project as it did not fall within the previously established criteria for the scheme. That in no way takes away from the value of the work being done there. I am anxious to work with KDYS to...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Youth Work Projects Funding (8 Nov 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I remember almost every room I saw in that centre. It is an extraordinary place and I was very impressed with the leadership and management team and with what it is doing and how it is reaching out way beyond its base. It is unfortunate that in terms of the capital funding scheme for 2016 the centre did not fall within the criteria because it was not receiving funding in relation to the...