Results 3,361-3,380 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts Data (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is presented in tabular format below: Year Company Purpose Value 2011 Deloitte & Touche Audit Services on the EU Youth in Action Programme €7,617.00 2012 Deloitte & Touche Audit Services on the EU Youth in Action Programme €8,911.35 2013 Deloitte & Touche Audit Services on the EU Youth in Action Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Services Funding (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence whether in the context of the family or otherwise. At all times, Tusla’s key priority is to ensure that the needs of victims of domestic violence are being met in the best way possible. In 2017, I provided Tusla with funding of over...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has conducted an analysis of ECCE capacity and is satisfied that there will be no shortfall in ECCE places for the 2017/2018 programme year. It should be noted that the peak number of children attending ECCE in 2016/2017 was just over 120,000. The 2017/2018 numbers are expected (and on track) to be in line with 2016/2017 uptake. Further, from September 2018, the ECCE...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Combatting Cyberbullying (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I refer the Deputy to the reply that I provided to the same question that she asked as a Priority Question today.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome HIQA's important work in relation to foster care services, and also the report prepared by the Joint Oireachtas Committee. I will respond to the Committee by year end. We are in the enviable situation here in Ireland that 92% of children living in care are in foster care placements. This compares very favourably to foster care services overseas. The most recent figures for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2017 announced a radical redesign of how we deliver support to make quality childcare accessible and affordable for families in Ireland. The new Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS) will provide financial support for parents towards the cost of childcare. This new Scheme will replace the existing targeted childcare programmes with a single, streamlined and more user-friendly scheme and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In serving the best interest of the child, it is vital that the voices of foster carers and children in care are heard. Foster carers can raise any issue or provide feedback directly with their link worker in the first instance, and subsequently with team leader or principal social worker, and they may also make representations to their Foster Care Committee. In addition, foster carers...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Staff (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Leadership for Inclusion (LINC) higher education programme for early years practitioners was established in 2016 as part of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), with provision for 900 students annually for four years. It is a Level 6 Special Purpose Award designed to support the inclusion of children with a disability in free pre-school provided under the Early Childhood Care and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence whether in the context of the family or otherwise. At all times, Tusla’s key priority is to ensure that the needs of victims of domestic violence are being met in the best way possible. In 2017, I provided Tusla with funding of over...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Work is currently underway to introduce a new Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS) which will provide financial support for parents towards the cost of childcare. The new scheme will provide a system from which both universal and targeted subsidies can be provided towards the cost of childcare. ACS will replace the existing targeted childcare programmes with a single, streamlined and more...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware, among a number of measures announced by my Department in Budget 2018, was that from September 2018 capitation paid to Early Years providers for the delivery of the ECCE programme will increase by 7% on both the standard and higher rates. This increase will result in the following: - Standard capitation rate will increase from €64.50 to €69 per...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware the measures that I introduced as part of Budget 2018 demonstrate my continued commitment to increasing investment in services for children including those children under 3 years of age. From September 2018 all children will be entitled to a full two years of the ECCE scheme or free preschool, as it has become known. This further enhancement delivers fully on a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware that some providers have expressed concerns around the administration of these new measures, I announced in recent months payments totalling €3.5 million towards programme supports payments for all childcare providers who register for the enhanced childcare measures (these payments will be made in December 2017). This, in addition to €14.5m that has been already paid...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The overall budget for the Youth Sector in 2017 is €57.4 million in current expenditure, this funding supports 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. The following are the main services and projects currently supported through grant aid: Services and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Budgets (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2018 made provision for a gross funding provision of €1.384 billion to my Department in 2018. This represents an increase of €73 million or 6% over the allocation for 2017. The Deputy might note that the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2018 will be published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the near future. This will set out the full particulars...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Since my appointment as Minister, my Department's staffing complement has grown from 181 to 241 people, with a further cohort currently being recruited which will bring the total staffing numbers to around 280 people before end 2018. The increase in staffing numbers reflects the continuing growth in the responsibilities of my Department, whose allocation will grow to €1.38 billion in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 608 and 609 together. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency have advised that as of the end of August 2017, there were 6,237 children in care. There were 4,056 children in general foster care, 1,684 in relative foster care and 362 in residential care. 135 children were in other forms of care suited to their individual needs and situations. Children in care by...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, was established on the 1st January 2014. Tusla have provided a breakdown of the referrals they have received in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016, which is included in tabular format. In addition I include data as published on Tusla's website for quarter 1 2017. It should be noted that multiple referrals may be received that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection, and if necessary, to receive a child into the care of the State. The placement of children in care is governed by Regulations. These provide for the welfare of the child, the care practices, care records,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, deals immediately with emergency cases, including for instance, if a child has been abandoned or is in immediate physical danger or at immediate risk of sexual abuse. Social work duty teams keep high priority cases under review by regularly checking to ascertain risk to the child, and where necessary will reprioritise the case. It is important to note...