Results 2,301-2,320 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The service provider will need between three to six months to prepare.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I presume it will last a couple of years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It will be four years initially.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: A couple of questions were asked about the role of an advocate and how it fits with the role of a guardian ad litem. Ms Fisher will comment on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There are no more questions on my list but I may have missed one.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I do not think so, no.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Yes, we have confidence in Tusla and I suppose that is on the basis of the ongoing work. I have quarterly meetings with Tusla and at times in between. There are huge challenges in terms of the work of the organisation. Lots of things have come out, and more things will come out, in terms of past practices, etc. Tusla has embarked on a major programme of reform. The Department and I will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Is the Deputy's question also about whether this is constitutionally compliant?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: That is an excellent question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Is the foster carer specified?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: That includes the foster carer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is something we should examine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of Childcare (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (5 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Chairman.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consultancy Contracts Data (6 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have set out the full range of external consultant reports commissioned by my Department. Costs may include, where applicable, copy editing, design and other costs relating to publication. Separate material is provided in respect of the Growing Up in Ireland study. Name of External Report Date of Commission Date/expected date of Publication Name of External Consultant Cost of Report ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (11 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy may be aware, responsibility for the National Educational Welfare Board which included the School Completion Programme was transferred to my Department on its establishment in 2011. Upon the establishment of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency on January 1 2014, operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme was transferred to the Agency. Funding information in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (11 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am very much aware of the difficulties being reported regarding the recruitment and retention of early years staff. The matter has been discussed at the Early Years Forum which I chair, and in other fora with my Department. We are working with the Department of Education and Skills to develop a new Early Years workforce plan. This will examine workforce supply issues. I am also...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (11 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 793 to 795, inclusive, together. Foster care is the preferred option for children who have been received into care. This can be as a result of abuse and/or neglect and their parents' inability to care for them due to a combination of difficulties in their own lives. At the end of January 2017, there were 6,323 children in care of whom over 92% (5,844)...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (11 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 provide that each employee working directly with children attending a pre-school service must hold at least a major award in early childhood care and education at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or a qualification deemed to be equivalent. The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which is a programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Capitation Grants (11 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The actual cost of this proposal would be subject to a number of factors including actual levels of participation, and the number of children subvented at the 'higher capitation' rate- costs increase as the number of higher qualified staff increase. My Department estimates the cost of such a measure to be in the region of €20m per annum, with increases of €3m annually for every...