Results 2,021-2,040 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In Budget 2017, I was pleased to secure additional funding of €14.5m, to help ease the burden of administration on childcare providers by paying for over a week's 'non-contact time' on top of existing capitation payments. Officials are making the arrangements necessary to administer this payment, which will be made in summer 2017. I am of the view that, in the long term, the cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation, which supports new and existing play and recreation facilities for children and young people. The Scheme provides for new and innovative projects which can include new facilities, equipment, designs and/or the utilisation of non-traditional play spaces or the refurbishment or upgrading of existing play and recreation...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: "The universal element of the Scheme will be available to all families with children between the age of 6 months and 36 months (or until the child qualifies for the free pre-school programme if later than 36 months). The targeted element of the scheme will involve a progressive system of income-related subsidies for parents with children between 6 months and 15 years, with eligibility based...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Affordable Childcare Scheme was conceived with fairness and equality at its core. As you are aware the Scheme has two elements, universal and targeted. This means that the Scheme is available to all families with children under 3 years of age. It is an imperative of the targeted element of the scheme that those on the lowest incomes receive the greatest subsidies. The most...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Records (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that my Department has not incurred any expenditure for the past three years in relation to the retrieval and return of hard copy files stored at off site locations.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 to 452, inclusive, together. In accordance with section 9 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, it is essential to recognise that the Commission is independent in the performance of its functions. Therefore, I do not have access to the information sought by the Deputy. The engagement with witnesses is a matter for the Commission to manage and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together. An adopted person aged 18 years or over who was adopted before the proposed legislation comes into operation, will be provided with his/her birth certificate information, as held on record, following a request to Tusla, subject to certain conditions. Where an adoption order was made before the proposed legislation comes into...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 456 together. The Government approved the publication of the Heads and General Scheme of the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill and referred it to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children for pre-legislative scrutiny. The Committee issued its report in November 2015 and included reference to the issue of refusal to disclose birth...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Post-Adoption Contact Register (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill was published on 25th November 2016. The Bill provides at Section 14 that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, shall establish and maintain a register to be known as the Register of Adoption Contact Enquiries. The existing National Adoption Contact Preference Register (NACPR) will be discontinued. However, all information relating to the NACPR...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Adoption records are currently held by the Adoption Authority of Ireland, Tusla and agencies accredited under the Adoption Act 2010. Under the proposed legislation, the Authority will have overall responsibility for the safeguarding of all adoption records, including information relating to informal adoptions and persons whose birth was incorrectly registered. All adoption records, which...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Post-Adoption Contact Register (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill was published on 25th November 2016 and it provides a statutory basis for the provision of information related to both past and future adoptions. The Bill is intended to facilitate access to adoption information and operates on the basis of a presumption in favour of disclosing information in so far as is legally and constitutionally possible. It...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In 2003 then Minister for Children, Brian Lenihan TD, launched a consultation process in regard to adoption. As a result of this process in January 2005 the Department of Health and Children published "Adoption Legislation: 2003 Consultation and Proposals For Change". The Report has served to inform the legislative developments that have taken place since then in particular the Adoption Act...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Records (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that my Department has not incurred any expenditure for the past three years for the storage of data and or files on cloud storage or third party servers.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Regulatory Impact Assessment Data (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: A regulatory impact assessment (RIA) is prepared in respect of each Bill and is published in due course but not before the publication of the Bill. Each published RIA and its corresponding web address are listed below. Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill RIA Adoption (Amendment) Bill RIA Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 RIA Children First Bill 2014 RIA Children (Amendment)...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (23 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There are no staff in my Department suspended from work without prejudice and on full pay pending an investigation. With regard to the agencies within my remit: - Tusla has advised me that seven employees are currently on administrative leave on full pay pending an internal investigation; - Oberstown Children Detention Campus has advised me that one employee is currently on suspension from...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am on the record of this House as encouraging any person with information which may be relevant to the investigation to contact the Commission directly. All relevant information is on the Commission's website and can be accessed at www.mbhcoi.ie. Following the public consultation process to inform the development of the Commission's terms of reference, my Department passed on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation was established by Government in 2015 with office accommodation provided in 73 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2. The building had previously accommodated a public health body but was empty prior to the Commission's tenancy. I am advised that the floor coverings in the building were aged and in poor condition generally. Wear and tear to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: At the outset it is important to state that the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes (and certain related Matters) is independent in the conduct of its investigations. Therefore, the advertising strategy is a matter for the Commission to decide and I do not have any role or influence in this regard. The Commission has written to a range of Irish groups in the UK and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Measures (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill was published on 25th November 2016. The Bill provides at Section 14 that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, shall establish and maintain a register to be known as the Register of Adoption Contact Enquiries. The existing National Adoption Contact Preference Register (NACPR) will be discontinued. However, all information relating to the NACPR...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (28 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Adoption records are currently held by the Adoption Authority of Ireland, Tusla and agencies accredited under the Adoption Act 2010. Under the proposed legislation, the Authority will have overall responsibility for the safeguarding of all adoption records, including information relating to informal adoptions and persons whose birth was incorrectly registered. All adoption records, which...