Results 4,841-4,860 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (28 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Special care is a secure care placement (i.e. detention in a secure facility) for children with highly complex behavioural and emotional needs that cannot be met in foster or general residential care. Special care is intended as a short-term secure care placement in a therapeutic environment with the intention of returning the child to a community or family-based setting as soon as possible....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (28 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: At the end of , Tusla reported that 14 children were resident in Special Care Units, representing 0.2% of the 6,095 children in care. All children in Special Care Units had an allocated social worker and a written care plan. The service is demand led and subject to orders being granted by the High Court. Tusla has been engaged in a programme to enhance the capacity and quality of care and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Expenditure (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides for a programme of early learning for children before commencing primary school. With effect from September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months will be eligible for a full two programme years on the ECCE scheme. This further enhancement delivers fully on a commitment in the Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: This question has been answered previously. I would refer the Deputy to the answer to PQ48526/18 answered on November 21st 2018 and the answer to PQ 43136/18 answered on October 18th 2018. The response to those questions was as follows: "As the Deputy may be aware, responsibility for the National Educational Welfare Board which included the School Completion Programme (SCP) was transferred to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Current policy requires that any request for an overage exemption from the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme eligibility criteria must be supported by a letter from a HSE/Medical Specialist, (not a GP or Public Health Nurse (PHN)), specifically recommending an extra year of pre-school to be in the best interests of the child. This requirement is not intended to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Data (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The NCIP (National Childcare Investment Programme, 2006 - 2010) Capital Programme was a strategic infrastructural programme within the childcare sector with an aim to address local needs and meet local demands in the provision of childcare places. Under the NCIP, the maximum funding available per childcare facility for community-based groups was €1.2m; for private providers, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Applications under the Capital Grants Programme for 2018 closed on 9thMarch 2018 with services receiving their funding on 1stJune 2018. Under the 2018 programme, strand 3 was designated to support the construction of Early Years Natural Outdoor Play Areas. While the specifics of the 2019 Capital Programme are still under discussion between officials in my department and colleagues in Pobal,...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the committee for making time available to consider the Supplementary Estimate for the Vote of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. This Supplementary Estimate is required in respect of subhead B4, the general childcare programmes. This subhead provides funding to subsidise the childcare costs of low and middle-income parents and those accessing education and training...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Chairman for the positive comments on progress to date. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade was questioned about some of these issues today in the House and he said that we are on an incremental path of increasing the investment and trying to move towards that target. Incremental does not necessarily mean slow. We have done some things quite rapidly in...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: One of the reasons we need additional money in the form of a Supplementary Estimate is that our information campaign for the September measures increased demand more significantly than was anticipated. It is not an exact science. As we move to the introduction of the affordable childcare scheme towards the end of 2019, demand will increase again and move us to a new level of spending. As...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I accept what the Chairman is saying on that issue. It is important that a certain amount of capital is available for the youth sector. One has to plan ahead to spend capital but it would be good to review the way we communicate what is available and what types of scheme people can apply for, so that it is done in plenty of time. The capital underspend in the current year was due to a low...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I have not.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Yes. My understanding is that one of our officials, Dr. Anne Marie Brooks, contributed to the policy of the Department of Health in this area and the First 5 strategy has a commitment to guidelines for early learning and care settings. The guidelines which the Chairman suggested are integral to our thinking and they are on our radar.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Yes, I think so. In light of the Chairman's question, I will take a look at the suggestion.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: This is the first year since 2014 that we have not had a balanced budget and I have been pleased with the way the moneys have been managed since I took over. The spending of these moneys is demand-led and all the available research suggests there is always fluidity in this scenario. Even with that, however, the Department has done an excellent job. The fact that demand in 2018 has been...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (4 Dec 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Football Association of Ireland receives funding from my Department under the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2. The Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2 was established by the Government in 1998 to assist in the development of preventative strategies in a targeted manner through the development of youth facilities, including sports and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts Data (4 Dec 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department is currently compiling the information requested and will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (4 Dec 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As previously advised to the Deputy in PQ 39484/18, my Department has no immediate plans to revise the Early Childhood Care and Education programme rules beyond the changes which were introduced in September 2018. From September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months will be eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Meetings (4 Dec 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The public events I have attended since the 1st May 2018 are outlined in the following table. 2018 Event County 02-May Attending Launch of Gay Games Paris 2018 Dublin 04-May Attending opening of Tallaght Primary Care Centre Dublin 04-May Opening of Bishop Galvin & Shanahan School Dublin 09-May Attending Dóchas Women's Centre Event Dublin 09-May Addressing Children's...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts Data (4 Dec 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has awarded 3 contracts/tenders to the company in question. The value for an exterior lighting upgrade was €46,611 while two separate payments were made in relation to catering for meetings to the value of €616 and €98 respectively. There were no public sector or publicly funded catering facilities being run by the company for my Department.