Results 581-600 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: UN International Conference on Population and Development (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Improving maternal and reproductive health is an important focus of Ireland's international development policy with health system strengthening at the heart of Ireland’s approach. Ireland works through the UNFPA, the World Health Organisation, with organisations such the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria and with civil society partners. Ireland does so to ensure access to essential...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency provides funding to a range of family support services throughout the country that provide services and supports to vulnerable children and families. The allocation of funding to services is an operation matter for Tusla. I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the application made by the service in question.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Assisting families to access high quality, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare is a priority for me as Minister and hence I take all questions and concerns raised by services very seriously. My Department funds a number of early learning and care and school age childcare programmes. Given the large amount of public money that is used in funding these programmes,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Bullying of Children (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: All of society should be concerned with child welfare and protection and it is important that concerns are dealt with as and where they arise. The primary responsibility for protecting children rests with their parents but parents are supported in this role by a range of service providers, state agencies, schools and professionals working with children and young people. Where bullying in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Budgets (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of children and youth support facilities to young people throughout the country. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the gross amount of funding being made available to my Department for 2020 is €1.60 billion which represents an increase of 5% over its allocation for 2019. The allocation...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 572 and 575 together. I thank the Deputy for his question. Tusla, The Child and Family Agency, is the dedicated State agency responsible for improving well-being and outcomes for children. Tusla’s primary objective is to perform the most comprehensive reform of child protection, early intervention and family support services. All child protection and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Once a child has been received into care, by way of a voluntary agreement or a court order, the most crucial task for the social worker is to find a placement that matches that child's needs. Ideally this is with foster carers in the communities in which they live. Social workers recruit foster carers on an ongoing basis and Tusla places over 91% of children in care in foster placements....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse Prevention (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is the statutory agency with primary responsibility for child protection in the State. In situations where abuse is suspected, there is a clear responsibility to report concerns to Tusla. In December 2017 I introduced the final provisions of Children First, which placed a legal obligation on key professionals working with children to report concerns of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department continues to invest significant resources in the childcare sector generally. Over the last five Budgets (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) investment in childcare has increased by 137% which reflects the emphasis being placed on improving access to affordable, high quality services. This increased investment includes funding of the After School Childcare (ASCC) scheme. ASCC is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Juvenile Offenders (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy refers to the Irish Prison Service which is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice. There are no children detained in prison in Ireland. The Irish Youth Justice Service in my Department, has responsibility for the governance and oversight of Oberstown Children Detention Campus. Oberstown provides places for children who are sentenced or remanded by the Courts....

Scouting Ireland: Statements (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome this evening's debate on Scouting Ireland. There are many in this House who, quite rightly, have remained vigilant in respect of Scouting Ireland. I will listen carefully as I value the knowledge and expertise of colleagues who bring an insight from meetings with survivors, children, parents and volunteers of Scouting Ireland. I understand that members of the Oireachtas Joint...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Youth Service Grant Scheme (YSGS) provides funding, on an annual basis, to 30 national and major regional voluntary organisations to support the provision of youth services nationwide. The continued funding of voluntary youth organisations through the Scheme is intended to ensure the emergence, promotion, growth and development of youth organisations with distinctive philosophies and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am currently working closely with Government colleagues and the officials in my Department to complete the final phase of preparation of the targeted youth funding scheme, with a view to launching the scheme before Christmas. The targeted youth funding scheme will streamline and strengthen four existing, overlapping schemes. The new scheme is designed to support for young people...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Climate Action Plan (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am proud of how young people have demonstrated passion, leadership and empowerment in amplifying the conversation on climate change on the national and international stage. At Dáil na nÓg, two topics were chosen for the two–year work programme of the Comhairle na nÓg National Executive, namely: - more climate conscious...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) is primarily a support and development tool for youth work. It provides a structured framework for organisations to assess, indicate and enhance their work and supports organisations to articulate their youth work practice using a common language. The NQSF operates on a 3-yearly cycle and was introduced nationally on a phased and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Youth Strategy (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Youth Strategy has its basis in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures – the National Policy Framework for Children & Young People 2014-2020. It supports stakeholders in making best use of the implementation structures established for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. Currently, the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures implementation team are working on the 2019...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children and Young People’s Policy Framework (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium represents the keystone in the implementation infrastructure for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futuresthe National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014 – 2020).The Consortium comprises high-level representation from Government departments and agencies, and key experts and representatives from a range of sectors and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Youth Strategy (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Since the publication of the National Youth Strategy, my Department has worked towards creating quality opportunities for young people which include culture, art and sports. Local Creative Youth Partnerships are supported in three selected Education and Training Board areas through Hub na NÓg and a dedicated Participation Officer. These opportunities are supported by my Department...