Results 6,181-6,200 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Children and Family Services Provision (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I note Deputy Rabbitte's point that it is a policy that has not been published.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Children and Family Services Provision (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I will raise that with Tusla. It certainly should be published. I want Deputy Rabbitte to know that I do have concerns in relation to dealing with adult disclosure cases or retrospective cases. I would like to see timelines on when they have been allocated. Those are some questions that I will be raising with Tusla representatives when I meet them next week. As Deputy Rabbitte will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Children and Family Services Provision (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As I indicated, I will ask those questions. I take Deputy Rabbitte's point. I hear her saying particularly that it is one matter to ensure the retrospective cases and adult disclosure are managed properly and efficiently, but I also take from what she is identifying there that to come to disclose, even when one is an adult, can be a significant and difficult matter and it may be the case...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The problem of homelessness is a key priority of mine, and of the Government. I welcome the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness which we published on Tuesday. It is the Government's ambition that within a year's time we will not be reliant on emergency accommodation to house children and families. The plan also seeks to ensure that families and children are supported as much as...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Protection Services Provision (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: On the Deputy's first point on the HIQA review in the midlands area, I am aware of it. I am concerned about some of the key issues that were identified. There were some improvements demonstrated in that review but particularly in ICT systems which is the subject of the Deputy's question. An ICT system has been developed in that particular area to track all cases within child protection and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Commission of Investigation into mother and baby homes was established on 17 February 2015 and is due to report by 17 February 2018. The primary function of the commission is to provide a factual account of what happened to vulnerable women and children in these institutions during the period 1922-98, a 76-year period. The commission will thoroughly examine the experience of residents...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for his additional questions. As I have already indicated, the commission is a statutory independent inquiry. We discussed a number of things and I will bring that report to Government next week. In terms of the wide range of issues that were discussed, we reviewed the terms of reference. It is up to the commission to identify changes to the terms of reference whether...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I did not hear exactly the nub of the first part of the Deputy's question.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Protection Services Provision (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I agree that ICT is critical to providing effective social work services for vulnerable children and families. Since its establishment in 2014, Tusla has been engaged in an extensive programme of reform which includes the ongoing development of an ICT system to support social workers in their work. Currently, each of the 17 Tusla administrative areas has its own referral system. I want...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Schemes (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I share the Deputy's concern to ensure that those on low incomes have access to appropriate childcare supports, irrespective of whether they are in receipt of a social protection payment. With this in mind, the Programme for Government commits to streamlining the existing targeted childcare programmes, including the Community Childcare Scheme, into a new single affordable childcare scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Strategy Implementation (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The new Early Years Strategy is due to be finalised by the end of 2016 and work in developing this is at an advanced stage. My first priority in relation to Early Years is to secure the expansion of schemes announced by my predecessor, in Budget 2016. The expansion of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) free pre-school year is my immediate priority, as is the roll out of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: There were 343 children in residential care at the end of April 2016. - This represents approximately 5% of all children in care. - Just over half, 185 children, were in private residential care centres. - I have been informed that there are currently 146 children's residential centres, of which - 81 are privately managed, Tusla manages 39 and 26 are managed by voluntary bodies. - The...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: insertheading (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 28 and 38 together. As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am very concerned about the welfare of homeless children. As the Deputies will be aware, issues in relation to homelessness are a key priority for this Government, as evidenced by the publication of the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness last Tuesday. While the concerted efforts...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres Data (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: At present there are a total of 237 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) staff employed in Oberstown Children Detention Campus. The breakdown of these posts are detailed in the following table: Grade No. of Posts Filled (WTE) Secondment  Campus Manager 1 Director 2 1 Deputy Director 3 Head of Care 1 Unit Manager's   Day and Night Managers 16.5 Hr...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Unemployment Measures (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Government has a range of measures in place to increase employment opportunities for young people and to tackle youth unemployment. I plan to work closely with all relevant Government departments to implement these measures in the context of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs. Last month I announced details of the €600,000 Youth Employability Initiative which is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware, the central focus of the Commission of Investigation established by SI 57 of 2015 is on mothers and children accommodated in Homes for the purposes of extended ante- and post-natal maternity and infant care services. On that basis it would not be appropriate to include St Patrick's Guild as a Mother and Baby Home, as it did not provide this range of services. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Measures (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 was signed into law in December of last year. The Act, which amends the Child Care Act 1991, has three distinct elements. While the main body of provision relates to aftercare (under sections 2-9), the legislation also includes technical amendments on foot of the commencement of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 (under sections...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: In 2002, the Health Service Executive (HSE) agreed to fund a Child minding Advisory Officer post in each county, who would work with the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) funded under the Childcare Programme, implemented by the then Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The role included notifying child minders of training opportunities, providing networking opportunities...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: UN Committees (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: My Department coordinates reporting of the actions of all Government Departments in relation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and it liaises with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. In that capacity, my Department has circulated the UNCRC Concluding Observations, published in February 2016, to all Government Departments for attention regarding recommendations appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (21 Jul 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I do not have a role in relation to the private family arrangements that may be made for the care of children by their grandparents . Where a child is in the statutory care of the State, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Wherever possible, Tusla will consider a suitable relative,...