Results 2,801-2,820 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (11 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Details of the expenditure outlays on those matters relative to my Department are set out in the tables below. I am requesting the bodies under the aegis of my Department, namely, the Child and Family Agency, the Adoption Authority of Ireland, Oberstown Children Detention Campus and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children to provide the relevant information directly to the Deputy....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (11 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: While I am unable to give a reason why this particular childcare provider has not returned the deposit, I can confirm that following the receipt of correspondence in this office from the Deputy, a letter, dated 8th February, was issued to the service in question requesting that they return the deposit to the children's parents. This letter was then followed up with a phone call from a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Garda Vetting Applications (11 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Garda Vetting is a key aspect of the application and approval process for prospective foster carers. HIQA have found that, in some areas, while all initial vetting of foster carers is in place, there is an issue in relation to the renewal of Garda clearance, which should take place every 3 years. HIQA has also highlighted the issue of vetting when the children of foster carers become adults...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Establishment (11 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the grant agreements (commonly referred to as contracts) between the Department and childcare providers have been available through the Pobal website since mid-May. At that time, My Department also issued via Pobal a notice to existing providers indicating their availability. I would note that the grant agreements reference two supplemental...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme (11 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: On 11th April, I made an announcement about a range of measures that will be introduced by my Department to make childcare more affordable for thousands of families throughout Ireland. This honours a key commitment in the Programme for Government. These measures are being put in place to ensure that parents of up to 70,000 children due to benefit under the Affordable Childcare Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme (11 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I recognise that the childcare programmes require administration. I announced in June that an additional €3.5m in "non-contact" payments is being made available to services who sign up to the September 2017 more affordable childcare measures. This non-contact time payment for the period from September 2017 recognises the additional administrative demand on childcare providers in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (11 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Information, eligibility and rates of subvention are available on the website www.affordablechildcare.ie, which was set up by my Department. This website, which has received over 170,000 page views since it was launched in mid-May, also includes the contact details for their local city/county Childcare Committee which provides support to parents and providers. Parents with children already...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Data (11 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: On 11thApril, I made an announcement that this September a range of measures will be introduced by my Department to make childcare more affordable for thousands of families throughout Ireland. These include: - A new universal subsidy will be available for all children aged between 6 months and 3 years of age (or until they are eligible for ECCE e.g. 3 years 3 months) in registered...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Community Childcare Subvention Programme (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Since early 2015, my Department has supported intensive engagement with Pobal and Longford County Childcare Committee to maintain childcare provision in the service in question. Unfortunately, following an EGM of the board in March 2016, my Department was informed of the intention to proceed with an orderly wind-down of the service. Following this closure I delegated Pobal, as agents of my...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Unfortunately I cannot provide any information in relation to this case as assignment of social workers is a matter for Tusla. The Deputy has provided insufficient details to allow me to refer the query to the Child and Family Agency.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Expenditure (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I would note to the Deputy that these schemes are entirely demand led, any figures can only be estimated. The costs estimated by my Department in determining these figures have been based on the individual schemes which do not match with age cohorts described by the Deputy. I understand that the Deputy is referencing the ACS figures provided in a separate PQ estimating that the full cost...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Costs (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: On 11thApril, I made an announcement that this September a range of measures will be introduced by my Department to make childcare more affordable for thousands of families throughout Ireland. These include: - A new universal subsidy will be available for all children aged between 6 months and 3 years of age (or until they are eligible for ECCE) in registered childcare. This will amount to as...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The majority of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 came into effect on 30th June 2016. The Regulations provide that each employee working directly with children attending the service must hold at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Brexit Documents (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Following on from publication of the document setting out the Government's approach to the Brexit negotiations, work is underway across departments to prepare adaptive Sectoral Brexit Response Plans to mitigate emerging sectoral challenges. These plans will build on ongoing cross-Government research, analysis and consultations with stakeholders, and will encompass the following themes: -...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: 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 involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff working in youth services and communities throughout the country. Budget 2017 provided an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I congratulate the Chairman on his appointment. I look forward to working with him again following our previous work together on the justice committee. I welcome his opening remarks, particularly his emphasis on that what we do being is above party politics. That has been my experience when I have appeared before the committee. I hope some of the demonstration of that will be seen in my...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The tendering process was-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Is the Deputy asking when it will be ready to be implemented?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I will begin with those last two more technical questions. I appreciate the Deputy's positive comments. It is a huge step forward and, therefore, again, it is important to get it right and be as careful as we can. In this regard, the committee will be aware that we are in a peer review process with the OGCIO. The Deputy asked questions about the simplification of language. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (12 Jul 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is really too early to give a definitive answer to Deputy O'Sullivan's first question about the timeline. I am trying to outline the various numerous steps, much of which are technical and are in the context of the peer review process. We have no control over the steps we must go through. To be a part of this process is to ensure that mistakes of the past such as PPARS are not repeated....