Results 6,421-6,440 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am very concerned about the welfare of homeless children. While various Government Departments have responsibilities in the area, I want to ensure that we have an effective approach across all sectors. In recent weeks, I have met with representatives from a range of organisations, including Focus Ireland, Threshold, the ISPCC, and the Peter...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I very much agree with that. The Deputy focused on local authorities. I know that Tusla is very concerned about ensuring that it works closely with local authorities. In addition, I had a meeting with the director of Tusla in order to look again at some of the measures it has put in place to be proactive in its care for homeless children. I have already mentioned the homelessness liaison...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Again, I very much agree with the Deputy in terms of initiating and building on some of the newer elements of a proactive approach. This is what I would like to see as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Tusla plays a significant role in that regard. My officials and I also held a meeting with the Minister for housing, planning and local government and his officials this morning. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: School Completion Programme (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The aim of the school completion programme is to retain young people in the formal education system until they complete the senior cycle. The programme is designed to improve school attendance and participation of young people who are at risk of educational disadvantage. It provides targeted supports annually to approximately 37,000 children. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has had...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a joint prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department and the Atlantic Philanthropies. It is a time bound co-funding arrangement with resources of €29.7m from 2013 to 2017. The aim of the ABC Programme is to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches to improve outcomes for children and families...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: A range of educational approaches are offered in preschool services including the Montessori method, HighScope, Steiner-Waldorf and the play-based approach. My Department does not take the view that any particular method is preferable to another, and therefore has no plans to roll-out any particular educational approach nationally. While I have actually co authored a manual for early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I want to acknowledge at the outset the excellent work done by social workers and other personnel within Tusla in the provision of child welfare and protection services. Tusla has been provided with additional funding of €38m in Budget 2016, including additional funding of over €6 million to reduce the number of cases awaiting allocation of a social worker. As part of its...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: I completely agree with the Deputy that grandparents can play many important roles in their grandchildren's lives, mine did. They can be loving companions, caregivers, mentors, historians and sources of various other forms of support including, sometimes, parenting in partnership with their children. I am witnessing many of my friends and colleagues play that role. What an extraordinary...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Remit (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency was established under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 on 1 January 2014. The Agency has responsibility for a range of services, including - child welfare and protection services, including family support services previously delivered by the HSE - services provided by the former Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board; -...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Garda Youth Diversion Projects (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Statutory provision in relation to young offenders is set out in the Children Act 2001. The elements of the Children Act relating to the operation of the Garda Youth Diversion Programme, matters relating to criminal proceedings against children, criminal law issues and the operation of the Children Court under the Act come within the remit of the Tanaiste and Minister for Justice and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ombudsman for Children Remit (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The direct provision system is under the remit of my colleague Frances Fitzgerald TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, and the policy decision in question is a matter for her. The Report of the Working Group on the Protection Process was published in June 2015 and recommended that the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children would be given remit to deal with complaints...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector, to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people. The voluntary youth sector involves approximately 1,400 paid...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The direct provision system is under the policy remit of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality. Children living in direct provision are in the care of their parent(s). Concerns about the welfare, safety or well-being of a child in direct provision are reported to the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, in line with Children First guidelines. Tusla has been working closely with the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The welfare and protection of children, and in particular, vulnerable children, is everybody’s concern. Responsibility for children’s welfare arises in all settings where children are, and attaches to all responsible adults who come in contact with children. The primary responsibility for protecting children rests with their parents, but parents are supported in this role by...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Functions (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: By way of background, statutory provision in relation to young offenders in terms of persons under the age of 18 years is set out in the Children Act 2001. The elements of the Children Act relating to the operation of the Garda Youth Diversion Programme, matters relating to criminal proceedings against children, criminal law issues and the operation of the Children Court under the Act come...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homeless Accommodation Provision (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Homelessness, whether for a child presenting alone or as part of a family, is a distressing experience. Children under 16 who present as being homeless to emergency services are taken into care. Children aged 16 and 17 may be taken into care, or provided a service under section 5 of the Child Care Act 1991 (accommodation for homeless children). Care planning is an integral part of the care...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres Provision (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: As Minister with responsibility for children and young people, I am committed, first and foremost, to the provision of an appropriate, safe and secure environment for children in custody on the Oberstown campus. These children are cared for by staff who deserve to have a safe working environment. In Oberstown, there is an emphasis on training in behaviour management programmes that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Workplace Relations Commission (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Issues relating to the Workplace Relations Commission and au pair contracts are in the first instance a matter for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. The extent to which the decision of the Workplace Relations Commission decision will impact on the numbers of families who rely on au pairs for their child-minding requirements is not yet known. The report of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence whether in the context of the family or otherwise. A network of 60 organisations provide services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in Ireland, including 20 services providing emergency refuge accommodation to women and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (9 Jun 2016)

Katherine Zappone: The Child and Family Agency, Tusla, holds the statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, and is the appropriate body to receive reports of concerns relating to children at risk. Each referral received by the Agency is assessed and dealt with on an individual basis by the relevant social work team. Preliminary screening is aimed at establishing the appropriateness of the...