Results 6,101-6,120 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: It should be noted that Meitheal is not an organisation, it is a national practice model which operates as part of the Programme for Prevention, Partnership and Family Support (PPFS). PPFS is a programme of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, as part of its National Service Delivery Framework. The programme seeks to strengthen and develop Tusla’s prevention, early intervention and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The practice referred to by the Deputy is an innovative strengths-based, safety-organised approach to child protection casework. It is a child protection methodology, which has at its core the involvement of the child in any assessment and decision making process. As any license agreement and associated budget are operational matters for Tusla, I have requested Tusla to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As this is an operational matter for Tusla, my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this issue.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Guardians Ad Litem (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Guardians ad litem are appointed by judges in child care proceedings under Section 26 of the Child Care Act, 1991. The role and function of a Guardian ad litem is to inform the court of the child’s views and to advise the court of what, in the Guardian ad litem's professional opinion, is in the best interests of the child. The 1991 Act obliges Tusla, the Child and Family Agency to pay...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 719 and 720 together. Over €19m of Programme Support Payments (PSPs) are currently being paid out to early learning and care and school age childcare providers in recognition of the additional time required to complete the administrative work associated with the various DCYA-funded schemes. The payment also recognises the time required to perform...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Climate Change Policy (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has ceased the purchase of single-use plastics in response to the Government decision in January 2019 that government departments, public bodies, and schools will lead the way in the response to cutting down on single use plastics, with a number of measures, including no longer purchasing single-use plastic cups, cutlery and straws for use within their offices. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware of the Council motions referred to by the Deputy and that these motions request that my Department allows adoptees access their own information. The Adoption (Information & Tracing) Bill is at Committee stage in Seanad Eireann. It has always been the policy intention of the Bill to provide for the greatest possible release of birth information to adopted persons,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Investigations (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy has asked about an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have referred the matter to Tusla and asked that they respond directly to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy. The national childcare scheme is fundamental to delivering quality, accessible, affordable childcare to families throughout Ireland. I am pleased that we are making good progress on the development of the scheme. Many of the major elements are now in place in preparation for the scheme’s opening in October 2019. Following the enactment of the Childcare...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: On the numbers of providers signing up, I will have to get those for the Deputy. We are trying to emphasise that 2,300 is a significant number-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: -----in a relatively short period. I will share the cut-off date with the Deputy. I apologise; I just do not know that directly. On the ICT issues, the project management team and all the other people who are engaged in this, especially Pobal and the contracted provider who has been developing this with us and providing oversight, have worked exceedingly hard. The online system will be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy has asked two questions, the first of which is on the transfer of data in the application process. I assure the Deputy as well as parents that over the past couple of years in preparing for this, we have gone back and forth in respect of all of those obligations and in terms of data protection, especially in respect of the general data protection regulation, GDPR, as well as in our...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Completion Programme (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am conscious that the school completion programme continues to deliver a valuable service for some of our most vulnerable young people. Currently, the SCP receives annual funding of €24.7 million. My Department works with the Educational Welfare Services, EWS, to ensure that necessary resources are available to support this programme and to ensure staffing levels are sufficient to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Completion Programme (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I agree with the Deputy about the incredible work of the SCP, the co-ordinators, project workers and all the other people they bring in to help them work in the context of usually difficult circumstances for children and families. I have visited a number of them in my own constituency and outside it. I cannot speak highly enough of them. I also understand the challenges and frustrations...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Completion Programme (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: On targeted work versus universal supports, and what is going on currently in the SCP, several co-ordinators were part of the consultation event and my Department is in ongoing engagement with them and one of them is represented on the task force. I hope there is enough of a vehicle or pathway for their engagement as we develop the blueprint for the SCP, listening to the concerns and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Regulation (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am strongly committed to supporting positive reform of the childminding sector to enable more parents to access affordable and high quality early learning and care and school age childcare. I intend to develop regulations for childminders that are proportionate and appropriate to the home setting in which childminders work. The current regulations both for early learning and care settings...