Results 5,621-5,640 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, 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. I am pleased that Ireland ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention) on the 8...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Data (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am advised by Tusla the Child and Family Agency, that the number of children placed in foster care, and living abroad, represents a very small proportion of all children in foster care. At the end of December 2018, the most recent date for which data is available, a total of 5,556 children were in foster care. A child may be in foster care overseas when the child is placed by Tusla with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Data (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The question the Deputy has raised is a matter for the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI). Therefore I have asked the AAI to respond to the Deputy directly on this.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In accordance with section 9 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, it is essential to recognise that the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes is independent in the performance of its functions. The engagement with witnesses is a matter for the Commission and I do not have any role or information in this regard. These operational considerations are managed directly by...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Assisting families to access high quality, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare is a priority for me as Minister and hence I take the issues raised in the letter very seriously. My officials have responded separately to the service provider who wrote the letter referred to in the Deputy's question. My Department funds a number of early learning and care...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, any pre-school service (other than childminders who are exempt from regulation under the Child Care Act 1991) must be registered with Tusla and is subject to the Regulations. The Regulations apply to all relevant services without exception. The Tusla Early Years Inspectorate promotes the quality, safety and appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal programme available to all children within the eligible age range. It was first introduced in 2010 as a one-year programme to provide children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school. In line with a commitment in the Programme for Government, the ECCE Programme was extended...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Interdepartmental Working Groups (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested is currently being collated by my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Assisting families to access high quality, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare is a priority for me as Minister and hence I take the issues raised in the letter very seriously. My officials have responded separately to the service provider who wrote the letter referred to in the Deputy's question. My Department funds a number of early learning and care...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Architectural Heritage (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware of the concerns being expressed in relation to recent construction activities on the grounds of the former Mother and Baby Home in Bessborough, Cork. These concerns have also been raised with me by members of the Collaborative Forum of former residents of this and similar institutions. My understanding is that there are protections in place in respect of this property...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Complaints Procedure (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department’s procedures for dealing with customer complaints are detailed in its Customer Service Action Plan and Charter, which is available on the Department's website. If a complaint is made by a customer it is dealt with by the Unit of my Department responsible for the issue to which the complaint relates. If the complaint is not resolved by the Unit to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The 2019 Childcare Barometer published recently by Early Childhood Ireland, referred to by the Deputy, showed that almost 90% of Irish adults believe that childminders should be Garda vetted and have basic first aid and other relevant training. I warmly welcome this finding as I am strongly committed to high quality early learning and care and my Department is taking important steps to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In accordance with the Child Care Act 1991 (as amended), only childminders who care for seven or more children or who care for 4 or more pre-school children of different families (other than the childminder's own children) are required to register with Tusla. There are currently 101 childminders registered with Tusla. As Garda-vetting is a requirement of registration, these 101...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Assisting childcare providers in extending their existing childcare services, or establishing new childcare services, have always been key areas of focus for my Department's capital programmes. Each year the Department reviews the capital programmes as a whole and determines the priorities for Early Learning and Care and School Age Capital grants. The capital strands have been made available...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Children in the care of Tulsa are provided with placements with foster families, relatives and where necessary, residential services. At the end of September 2018, 5,602 children, more than 90% of those in the care of the State, were placed with foster families or with relative foster carers. Children in the care of Tusla are not placed in adult homeless services. In certain circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Custody and Access (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am committed to supporting and promoting the development, welfare and protection of children, and to help families be the best that they can be. I want to see every child maintaining positive contact with both of their parents, when it is in the child's best interests. For some children, it is in their interest that this contact happens in a supervised, neutral,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The overall budget for the youth sector in 2019 is €60.4 million. This represents an additional €1.5 million over 2018. The level of 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. Youth work programmes and services are delivered by...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Reviews (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Crowe was commissioned by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to undertake an independent review on the cost of providing quality childcare in Ireland in Autumn 2017. The brief included: - analysing the current costs of providing childcare and the factors that impact on these costs; - the development and delivery of a model of the unit costs of providing childcare that allows...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Consultancy Contracts Data (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is included in the following table: Year Amount (€) including VAT Purpose of the payment Date of original contract Contract ongoing (Yes/No) Date contract completed (if completed) Review/Report published? (Yes/No) 2017 67,930.42 Payment in respect of the Independent Review of Costs 26 September 2017 Yes No 2018 11,992.50 Payment in respect...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Assisting families to access high quality, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare is a priority for me as Minister and hence I take all questions and concerns raised by services very seriously. My Department funds a number of early learning and care and school age childcare programmes. Given the large amount of public money that is used in funding these programmes,...