Results 2,141-2,160 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Affordable Childcare Scheme will provide childcare subsidies for both full-time and part-time childcare, including after-school childcare. While the number of hours of childcare subsidised per week will be capped at a maximum of 40 (or 15 for families in which a parent is neither engaged in work nor in study), it is not intended that there will be any minimum number of hours of childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Staff (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs believes that staff in the childcare sector have a critical role to play in delivering high quality childcare services and that they deserve to be valued and respected for the important role they play with our children. Because childcare costs to parents in Ireland are one of the highest in the OECD, there is a need to address affordability and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department currently provides childcare funding under the following programmes: 1. Early Years Care and Education (ECCE): The ECCE programme provides free pre-school three hours per day, five days per week. From September 2016 children are eligible to start free pre-school once they turn 3 (and are not more than 4 years and 8 months), and can continue in free pre-school until they...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Staff (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 are designed to address fundamental quality issues within early years services. They provide that each employee working directly with children attending a service must hold at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), or a qualification deemed...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies Board Remuneration (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm to the Deputy that in line with the one person one salary principle, no public servant that is a member of a State board or agency under the control of my Department is currently in receipt of remuneration in the form of board fees.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Schools Amalgamation (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The change in circumstances referred to by the Deputy relates to an amalgamation of three schools namely: Vocational School Kildare, St. Joseph’s Academy and Presentation Secondary School, into one new school namely: Kildare Town Community School. Vocational School Kildare and St. Joseph’s Academy had DEIS status prior to the amalgamation. However, the new school, Kildare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Youngballymun receives funding from my Department under the Area Based childhood (ABC) Programme. The ABC Programme is a prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department. It is a time-bound, co-funding arrangement in conjunction with The Atlantic Philanthropies for the period 2013 to 2017. The aim of the ABC Programme is to test and evaluate prevention and early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Staff (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: While my Department is a significant funder of childcare services in Ireland it is not an employer of childcare workers. The question in relation to flat rate expenses for childcare practitioners would therefore be an issue for discussion by childcare practitioners with the childcare providers who are their employers.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill provides a statutory basis for the provision of information related to both past and future adoptions. One of the key provisions in this Bill is to give an adopted person, aged 18 years or over who was adopted prior to its commencement, a statutory entitlement to the information required to apply for their birth certificate or a copy of his/her...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. The funding available from my Department is to support the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth work sector. My Department does not provide funding for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1307 and 1309 together. My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff and 40,000...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that officials from my Department are in regular contact with representatives from the Irish Foster Care Association (IFCA). Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, also holds regular meetings with the Association. Early in 2016, the issue of an increase in calls to the support line relating to the Waterford area was highlighted during the course of these...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department provides funding under the following schemes: The Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation provides for new and existing play and recreation facilities for children and young people. Projects may include new facilities, equipment, designs and/or the utilisation of non-traditional play spaces or the refurbishment or upgrading of existing play and recreation spaces and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Investigations (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has confirmed that the Social Work team in the local area reviewed and followed up on the concerns raised and continues to work with the family.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to inform the Deputy that the suspension of staff and associated details are an operational matter for Tusla.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Legal Costs (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy might note that no expenditure was incurred directly by my Department since 2015 for the provision of services in respect of legal advice.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Discipline (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1314 to 1317, inclusive, together. The Educational Welfare Service of Tusla has advised that when it notes excessive numbers of expulsions or suspensions it can write to the School's Board of Management to offer support with a view to reducing these numbers. However, it is a matter for the School Board as to whether they accept this offer of assistance...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Allowances (21 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that no Minister for this Department has claimed overnight expenses for staying in Dublin. There has been no Minister of State in this Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Discipline (22 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 to 309, inclusive, together. The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of Tusla has confirmed that it has written to the school in question and offered to convene a meeting with the local Education Welfare Service team and the school's pastoral care team given the high levels of suspension and expulsion in the school. The purpose of the meeting would be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (22 Mar 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can offer an assurance that any parent who is currently in receipt of a targeted childcare subsidy (either the Community Childcare Subvention or one of the Training and Employment Childcare programmes) and who remains eligible for one of those schemes will not see a reduction in their subsidy rate. Transition arrangements for the Affordable Childcare Scheme will include a "saver" provision...