Results 4,261-4,280 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Other Questions: Departmental Funding (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I totally accept what the Deputy is saying. That is why I have taken action in respect of the information he has shared with me. Decisions need to be made in that regard. As the Deputy is aware, these questions are being raised by some people who are coming to him. My understanding is that there is ongoing communication between the members, staff and the board on this reform project....

Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Deputy Rabbitte is speaking particularly about the two-year preschool ECCE programme. I am satisfied in recent years at the way in which the ECCE service has been delivered, especially by the providers. As time has moved on we have increased the number and time period within which the service is available to children throughout the country. I am satisfied that the planning has been...

Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I accept what Deputy Rabbitte is saying that clearly there are certain areas where capacity is not completely being met. My answer initially was generally in terms of the way we are planning and delivering. The difficulty and challenge has to do with the demand. Who can ever predict how many children will be born etc. except that we do our best? There are predictions but how accurate they...

Other Questions: School Completion Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy. As he is aware, the school completion programme has been under review. It has been identified that reforms are required and Tusla has been working on proposals and analysis of how that needs to be the case. I have received those, I have been engaged in a very intensive and deep process of trying to identify the best possible way to move forward in terms of the issues of...

Other Questions: School Completion Programme (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: What I have been saying to the Deputy is that we are working intensely on this issue and when we move forward, particularly with the human resource issues which have been very challenging over the last number of years, I will let the Deputy know. We are getting close to making some decisions in terms of a different type of engagement in that regard. Second, on governance, these are the...

Other Questions: Home Schooling (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 53 together. The Government is committed to supporting parents in caring for young children at home in a range of ways. Within the remit of my Department, a number of schemes provide support to parents whether they work full time, part time, or stay at home. For example, from September of 2018 all children aged from two years and eight months will be...

Other Questions: Home Schooling (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I set out a number of measures and supports in my initial reply for stay-at-home parents and that needs to be acknowledged. I have done that because of the value the Government places on parenting and the provision of support by families for children. I have been asked questions about this year's budget and other measures. I have begun initial discussions with the Minister for Finance...

Other Questions: Quality and Capacity Building Initiative Innovation Fund (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The QCBI, funded under the Dormant Account Fund, aims to take a co-ordinated approach to enhance capacity, knowledge and quality in prevention and early intervention for children, young people and their families. It focuses on those at risk of developing poor outcomes. At the core of the initiative is a desire to foster persistent curiosity among those working to improve the lives of...

Other Questions: Quality and Capacity Building Initiative Innovation Fund (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I acknowledge the fine work that is ongoing in County Kildare in the projects outlined by the Deputy. It sounds like the applicant organisations can meet the criteria but, as he will be aware, I am not the one who makes the judgment in that regard. This particular initiative was largely focused on looking at innovative projects for children and young people and how we can use what we have...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Funding (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that there has been a capital grant scheme in 2018. One of the principal goals of the 2018 early years and school age capital programmes, as in previous years, has been to assist childcare providers in creating new additional places where demand for those exists. The decisions in respect of the 2018 capital funding programmes were delivered to providers on...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Funding (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: It is really important that the Deputy, and other Deputies, raise these issues with me. One of my absolute priorities is to ensure there are enough moneys for a capital provision in order to increase the capacity for the childcare infrastructure I am overseeing. The consultation and engagement with stakeholders is really critical, and I believe my Department does a very good job at that. I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: On foot of the recent discovery by Tusla of 126 cases of illegal registrations I moved immediately to inform the Cabinet. I also announced that a process has been put in place by Tusla to manage these cases. This is being led by experienced information and tracing social workers. As an immediate step Tusla put in place a Helpline which is operating from 10am to 4 pm Monday to Friday. Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Law Reporting Project (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the publication of the latest report of the Child Care Law Reporting Project, which deals with lengthy, contested and complex child protection cases in the District Court. The report’s author, Dr Carol Coulter, notes that the issues raised cannot be solved by one branch of Government alone. They require co-ordinated action from the Department of Justice and Equality, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Illegal Adoptions (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Deputy Wallace has raised the question of whether our further analysis of illegal registrations will also cover illegal adoptions. I have checked the UN definition of illegal adoptions. It is:  “Adoptions resulting from crimes such as abduction and sale of and trafficking in children, fraud in the declaration of adoptability, falsification of official documents or...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Policy (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for his important question. When an inspection is carried out by HIQA, the process requires the service inspected to develop an Action Plan in response to the findings made by Inspectors.  This Action Plan is agreed with HIQA in advance of the publication of the report. All elements of the Action Plans are time-bound, and a designated Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Illegal Adoptions (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware that I have commenced a further analysis of illegal registrations following on from the announcement that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency had identified 126 cases where births were illegally registered between 1946 and 1969 by St Patrick’s Guild adoption agency. This analysis will seek to establish if there is further evidence of illegal registrations in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homeless Persons Supports (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: While ultimate responsibility for managing homelessness rests with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Tusla, is determined to do its part to alleviate the difficulties endured by children and families experiencing homelessness. It works closely with my Department in this regard. Tusla has an important role to play in regard to a number of elements of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Child Care Act, 1991 applies to all children resident in the State, regardless of their immigration status. Under the Child Care Act, 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection.  The Agency is obliged to provide care for these children for as long as their welfare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the provision of care and protection to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. In 2018, Tusla is providing €23.8 million in funding to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services, an increase of €1.7m over 2017 funding. This includes funding for some 58 services throughout the country...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (13 Jun 2018)

Katherine Zappone: A total of  2,805 children at services in Cork City and a further 12,557 children at services in Cork County have benefitted from the Early Childhood Care and Education scheme (ECCE) in the current year. My Department, in conjunction with Pobal, reviews ECCE capacity on an ongoing basis and while there can be pressures in some immediate localities, all eligible children have been...