Results 2,961-2,980 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports to enable children with a disability to access and meaningfully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme and is administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department. The degree of support provided depends on the needs of the child in the context of the pre-school service they are attending. A...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Brexit Issues (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1668, 1669, and 1684 to 1694, inclusive together. The comprehensive document “Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union: The Government’ Approach” published on 2 May outlined in detail the structures put in place by the Government to ensure a strategic and whole-of Government response to Brexit...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Construction Costs (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy may be aware that the only construction project for which my Department has responsibility is the Oberstown Children Detention Campus. The construction related works on this project are substantially managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW), which operates through framework/drawdown arrangements with service providers. The OPW would therefore be the more appropriate body to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Services Card (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that the only scheme where consideration is being given to the use of the Public Service Card is in the Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS). The ACS was announced as part of budget 2017 as a new national scheme of financial support for parents towards the cost of their childcare. It will replace the existing targeted childcare subsidisation schemes, which are: 1....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There are over 100 Family Resource Centres currently in receipt of funding from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla provides funding to the centres under an annual Service Level Agreement. This funding is provided by way of a contribution towards the running costs of the centres. The 2017 Tusla allocation to Family Resource Centres is €13.512m. Family Resource Centres are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There are over 100 Family Resource Centres currently in receipt of funding from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla provides funding to the centres under an annual Service Level Agreement. This funding is provided by way of a contribution towards the running costs of the centres. The 2017 Tusla allocation to Family Resource Centres is €13.512m. In 2015, the Centre referred...

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

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1674 and 1675 together. I am committed to the provision of childcare options for families that respect parental choice and reflect international evidence on how to attain the best outcomes for children. While operational responsibility for these do not fall within my policy remit as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I support the extension of parental...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have referred this question to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for direct response to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is an operational matter for Tusla and as such is not readily available in my Department. I have requested that Tusla forward the information concerned directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Data Protection (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Compliance with data protection and privacy standards, in the context of the Deputy's question, is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and the Health Service Executive (HSE). I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1679 and 1680 together. Since the establishment of my department in June, 2011, I can confirm that the annual percentage of public service staff that were women in each of the years 2012 to 2016 and to date in 2017, is as follows: Year No. of Employees Female % of Employees that are Female 2017 227 142 63% 2016 188 123 65% 2015 162 106 65% 2014 158 106...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Acting as a focal point within their communities, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families in their communities. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency provides funding to over 100 Family Resource Centres. The 2017 allocation by Tusla to Family Resource Centres is €13.512m. It should be noted that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The service to which the Deputy refers has not made an application for capital funding under the early years capital scheme, 2017. As the deadline for this has now passed, it will not be possible to facilitate an application at this stage. Pobal and the local City Childcare Committee (CCC) have been in contact with the service in question and it is my understanding that this service is...

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

Katherine Zappone: The Affordable Childcare Scheme was profiled for €42m in the 2017 estimates. On 11thApril I made an announcement that the Affordable Childcare Scheme would not commence this September but that a range of measures would be introduced in September by my Department to make childcare more affordable for thousands of families throughout Ireland. This honours a key commitment in the...

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

Katherine Zappone: The mid-year expenditure report sets out the pre-Budget expenditure ceiling for my Department of €1,285 million for current expenditure and €27 million for capital expenditure. This represents the spending baseline for examination of my Department's budgetary priorities for 2018. This is line with the allocation for my Department in 2017. At present officials in my...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware that the Child Care Act, 1991, as amended, is the central piece of legislation regarding the care and welfare of children. The Act is the basis for providing child welfare and protection service, receiving children into care, developing aftercare plans, and the provision of alternative care, e.g. foster care, residential centres. Section 3 of the Child Care Act...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 provides for the first time a statutory entitlement to identity information for adopted persons. It provides for a structured and regulated access to information and tracing services for those affected by adoption. It sets out the information that can be provided and the circumstances in which it can be provided to adopted persons. A key...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (11 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: A historical or retrospective disclosure is where an adult discloses abuse experienced in childhood. I understand that the overwhelming majority of such disclosures are about sexual abuse. Tusla has advised me that at the end of June, there were 1,898 open cases of historical abuse of which 1,326 (70%) were allocated and 572 (28%) were awaiting allocation. Of the 572 awaiting allocation 24...

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

Katherine Zappone: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the 'Independent Review of the Cost of Delivering Quality Childcare' which will be commissioned in the coming weeks. Once commissioned there will be a 10-month deadline to deliver findings. Officials in my Department have been scoping the research that will be involved and preparing terms of reference for the study. In this regard a Request for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (20 Sep 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Having sought clarification I understand that the Deputy's question relates to funding for all aspects of Childcare, including the Community and Private childcare sectors. My Department continues to invest significant resources in the early years sector. In Budget 2017 I secured a 35% increase in childcare funding, which was additional to a similar 35% increase in Budget 2016. These...