Results 5,781-5,800 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (18 Apr 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The following table shows the number of staff employed in my Department by grade and the number of those staff who were female by grade, for each end of year since 2016 and at the end of March 2019. YEAR 2016 2016 2017 2017 2018 2018 2019 2019 GRADE TOTAL FEMALE TOTAL FEMALE TOTAL FEMALE TOTAL FEMALE Secretary General 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 Assistant Secretary 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 Director 1 1 1 1...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (18 Apr 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Revised Estimate for Public Services 2019 makes provision for a gross funding allocation of €1.510 billion for my Department which represents an increase of just under €107 million, or 8%, over the 2018 provision. The allocation includes a current provision of €1.478 billion and a capital allocation of €32 million. At the end of March, 2019, the sum of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (18 Apr 2019)

Katherine Zappone: A key priority for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is to support the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare sector through the provision of capital funding where it is most needed.   I have allocated significant funding in recent years for this purpose and for improving the quality of infrastructure nationwide. In 2019, I secured a Capital budget...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter of the fifth interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters, which I published on 17 April 2019. This comprehensive report focuses on the burial arrangements in the institutions being examined by the statutory commission of investigation. The report also provides detailed information on the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My personal sentiments are with the Deputy. It was awful to listen to the Deputy outline the story of the woman who was in one of the homes. Most of the Deputy's commentary relates to information that has been provided, but they cannot get access to it. My personal sentiments reside with the Deputy. The Retention of Records Bill provides for a 75-year period because of the legal advice...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy's question relates to operational matters for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter. I would like to inform the Deputy that I was recently informed by the Chairperson of the Tusla Board, Mr Pat Rabbitte that the reopening of the refuge is now delayed to Quarter 3, 2019 as there are important staffing and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Qualifications (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My support for improved pay and conditions for ELC practitioners has been explicit given their critical role in supporting children’s development and supporting families. Over the last 4 budgets an increase of 117% in investment has been provided towards this sector and First 5 commits includes a commitment to doubling that again over the next 10 years. It needs to be noted...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has no record of an application for another preschool year in respect of the child named. I would urge the child's parents to submit an application as soon as possible which will be reviewed by officials within my Department . Current policy requires that any request for an exemption from ECCE eligibility must be supported by a letter from a medical specialist (not a GP/PHN)...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme is a new, national scheme of financial support to help parents with the cost of quality childcare. It will ultimately replace all previous targeted childcare programmes with a single, streamlined and user-friendly scheme, providing both universal and targeted childcare subsidies. The development of this scheme is a significant move forward in delivering quality,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Costs (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme is a new, national scheme of financial support to help parents with the cost of quality childcare. It will ultimately replace all previous targeted early learning and care and school age childcare programmes with a single, streamlined and user-friendly scheme, providing both universal and targeted subsidies. The development of this scheme is a significant move...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy may be aware, Tusla Educational Welfare Services (EWS) is responsible for addressing issues in relation to participation, retention and attendance in recognised schools. The EWS of Tusla has advised my Department that there is no appeals process prescribed in the legislation (Education (Welfare) Act, 2000) in cases where a family has been served with a School Attendance...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Residential Institutions (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I received Prof. Shannon's report on the collection of DNA samples from Tuam survivors on 15 April. I am considering the implications of the report for a possible voluntary administrative scheme, and have also sought the advice of the Attorney General. I expect to bring a memo to government in the near future to seek government approval to publish the report.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1342 and 1343 together. The Mother and Baby Home Commission is due to submit its final report to the Minister in February 2020. The scope of the Commission’s remit includes several specific areas of practice and procedure in the care, welfare, entry arrangements and exit pathways for the women and children who were in the named 14 institutions. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Registration of Births (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I had expected that the final report of the review of a sample of adoption records being overseen by the Independent Reviewer Marion Reynolds would be submitted to me by Easter. A third interim report from Ms. Reynolds dated 1 April has since informed me that this will now be delayed to the end of May. I understand that the reason for the delay is that the fieldwork that has been carried out...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to inform the Deputy that this is an operational matter for Tusla and my officials have requested Tusla to respond directly to you in relation to social work resources in Tusla and not the HSE area as stated.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to thank the Deputy for her question, and can confirm that I have referred the matter to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for their direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department funds 30 City and County Childcare Committees across the country. Part of their role is to advise my Department on capacity issues. Officials in Fingal Childcare Committee are best placed to help any parent/guardian who are looking for a childcare place in the Dublin 15 area. I would encourage anyone having difficulty in securing a place to make contact with their local CCC....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department does not currently provide additional supports for children with disabilities to attend school-age childcare services. However, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) provides both universal and targeted supports for the meaningful participation of children with disabilities in the ECCE pre-school programme, will complete its third year of implementation in June 2019. An...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have written to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for the information requested by the Deputy. A further reply will issue when I have their reply. Tusla social workers develop an Absence Management Plan for children in care in conjunction with their foster carers, residential staff and family, where appropriate. These are used to assess the risk in the event of a child going missing...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (8 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I secured an additional €1.5 million in funding for Family Resource Centres in 2019. As announced on 23 April, 2019, the additional €1.5 million in funding will be used to: - Increase core funding to each of the 110 FRCs which existed pre-2018 by 5%. - Employ an additional 17 Family Support Workers - one FRC in each of the 17 Tusla geographical areas will be allocated funding to...