Results 1,661-1,680 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: After-School Support Services (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate the questions Deputy Rabbitte always brings. They are rooted in listening to and being with the childcare providers. In terms of the numbers of people who have signed up, I do not have that information but I will certainly get it for the Deputy. Deputy Rabbitte will agree that we need the regulations. We need quality in our school age childcare services. There has been a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Funding (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 12 and 37 together. A key priority for me, as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, is to support the early learning and care and school age childcare sector through the provision of capital funding where it is most needed. I have allocated significant funding in recent years for this purpose and for improving the quality of infrastructure...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Funding (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: On Deputy Rabbitte's first question on the number of places, I will ask for that information for her. I gather she asks the question because she is wondering if there is enough funding for the places that are required where they are required. As I said, I will certainly ask for that. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department, along with Pobal, has worked diligently and with considerable...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Protection (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I can certainly speak about the issue of illegal registrations in the context of the recommendations made. The Deputy will be aware that a review of sample files within the custody of the State is taking place. The process is being overseen by an independent reviewer, Marion Reynolds, the former deputy director of social services in Northern Ireland. The findings of the review will assist...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Protection (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate the Deputy highlighting the need for urgency. I feel it too, especially when I meet those involved. I met some of them two evenings ago at the extraordinary exhibition at the National Museum that I launched. It was called "(A)ddressing our Hidden Truths" by Alison Lowry. The Deputy made one point about how the commission should have had broader terms of reference to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: After-School Support Services (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: We need to regulate school-age childcare to ensure children's health, safety and welfare. I introduced regulations for the first time for this purpose in February. They will promote quality of service for children. In addition, registration with Tusla will allow school-age childcare services to take part in the national childcare scheme when it opens later this year, thus addressing the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: After-School Support Services (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate that the Deputy has set out her view. The 12:1 ratio is based on many views, as well as international research and evidence. That is how ultimately we came to the figure of 12:1. The second point is that we have discussed the matter previously. Was there enough consultation? The action plan for school-age childcare published in 2017 included a commitment to introduce a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Homelessness Strategy (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware of the numbers. I find it distressing that there has been such a rise in homelessness and especially that it includes more than 160 children. I am certainly with the Deputy in respect of that. In light of the changes in the numbers, and the increase in numbers that we have in the headlines of the front pages of the newspapers today, a rethink on some of the things the Government...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Homelessness Strategy (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I support the objective and the ambition contained in the context of the Bill. My view as an Independent Member of Government is that it is very helpful to have the Anti-Evictions Bill 2018. It adds to the debate in respect of what is required in order to ensure we have additional security of tenure in our private rental sector. That is what I will support. Deputy Barry quoted me and,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Protection (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The special rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography visited Ireland, at the invitation of the Government, from 14 to 21 May 2018. The special rapporteur met with representatives of a number of Departments and agencies during her visit. I met with her at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Her report assesses the situation in Ireland and makes...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foster Care Supports (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy. I think marches are great. Having said that, being a Minister I need to know what the issues are before they happen. We will have those engagements. In my initial answer I noted that Tusla informs me that there is a really deep assessment of the needs of the individual child or young person. While all of them are entitled to an aftercare plan, some of them will not...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foster Care Supports (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy. I wish to say two things in response to her questions. Regarding the number of aftercare workers, I would like to put on record that we need to fill some more posts. Tusla now has 111 posts in aftercare. Some 89 of them are filled by aftercare workers. There are 11 vacancies at aftercare worker grade. Tusla recently held a competition for 11 management posts. An...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Homelessness Strategy (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: We have a very serious problem concerning homeless children and families in our country. Where children are homeless as part of a family experiencing homelessness, my Department works closely with Tusla to provide supports to help them with the challenges they face. It is worth remembering that Tusla only intervenes in family life in exceptional circumstances. Children who are with their...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for those questions and for alerting me to information she is receiving on not having access to broadband in County Leitrim. I will feed that in and get back to her in terms of looking at and assessing that issue. The ultimate success of the national child care scheme is rooted in that. It is also important to say that there is still the possibility of parents making...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the child and family agency, provides funding and co-ordination supports to 59 organisations that deliver a range of services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence throughout the country. In 2018, as part of the planning processes to develop services for victims of domestic violence, Tusla began the process of reviewing emergency domestic violence accommodation...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy. Those are very important issues that she has pointed out. In terms of the calculation of her figures, I would have to do them myself but let us assume that she has done her maths right. The most important thing that the Deputy is identifying is what guidelines Ireland ought to follow to determine the number of refuge places that we have available. Indeed, as the Deputy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Three matters arise here. First, on the numbers that we ought to have according to the Council of Europe, Tusla is applying a standard of shelter space per 10,000 head of female population. There is another standard of shelter space per 7,500 head of adult population. That is what the Deputy is arguing we should have instead, which means we need to increase provision. I am saying in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foster Care Supports (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: This is an important question and the Deputy is correct in saying that some areas in the country have access to a greater level of aftercare workers. The need for greater consistency in the provision of aftercare planning and services has been identified in Tusla's 2019 business plan. The budget I have secured for Tusla for 2019 will enable it to progress these plans. Individual children in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: On 11 March, I announced the launch of the national childcare scheme, our pathway to truly accessible and affordable quality childcare. The scheme will open to applications this October and good progress continues to be made as we work towards that timeframe. Following the enactment of the Childcare Support Act last July, detailed secondary legislation and policy guidelines are now being...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (28 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Regarding the development of the IT system, and it is important that the Deputy asks these questions in an ongoing way because I know she does and has a particular interest, my information is that it is on target. As the Deputy is aware, an oversight group was established at the very beginning and continues to monitor the development of it. Part of that involves ongoing risk assessment...