Results 6,401-6,420 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 439 and 440 together. As the Deputy is aware the annual Estimates process is ongoing. It would not be appropriate for me to comment at this time as funding for the provision of youth services, amongst other areas, is under consideration and, as might be expected, is subject to resources. I have enhanced investment in youth service provision each year since I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Budget Submissions (8 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that my Department received the Budget 2020 submission from Early Childhood Ireland. In First 5, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, which I published last year, my Department committed to conducting a review of the operating system and structures which deliver a range of childcare schemes and initiatives at national and local...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (9 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The incidental expenses incurred by my Department in the timeframe specified totalled €167,947. This total was comprised of expenses in the following categories; - Catering - Conferences - Subscriptions and professional memberships - Bank charges - Official entertainment - Sundry office expenses The overall objective is to keep costs of this nature to a minimum, and incidental...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (9 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The organisation referred to in the question is funded by the Department of Employment and Social Protection. Any cuts to the funding for this organisation, explanation for the reasons for any cut and the identification of alternative funding in the event of a cut in funding are a matter for that Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (9 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the matters to which the Deputy refers are operational, I have requested Tusla to respond to the Deputy directly within 10 working days.

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Financial Resolution No. 9: General (Resumed) (10 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2020 represents another significant and visible commitment to children and families by this Government and I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I welcome the budget, the fourth I have been involved in as Minister and the fourth that is progressive, where the poorest have gained proportionately more than the richest. We continue to provide additional...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Measures (10 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Post-enactment reports relating to two pieces of primary legislation have been carried out by my Department (see table) since the passing of Standing Order 164A (Post-enactment report) in June 2016. The Childcare Support Act 2018 was enacted on 2 July 2018. While all of the provisions of the Act have been commenced, the Affordable Childcare Scheme (known as the National Childcare Scheme) is...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Measures (10 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has responsibility for 10 Acts that have been enacted since March 2011. Details are provided in the following table. Number Act Name Enacted on No. 11 of 2018 Childcare Support Act 2018 02-Jul-18 No. 19 of 2017 Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017 19-Jul-17 No. 45 of 2015 Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 10-Dec-15 No. 36 of 2015 Children First Act...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Projects (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputies for giving me the opportunity to update the House on the supports provided to children and young people by the school completion programme, SCP, in the north Clondalkin area. I will first give Members some background information on the programme. The SCP is a targeted school and community support service. It aims to support keeping young people in education through to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Projects (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have been informed that the local management of the SCP, the Get Ahead Club and the educational welfare service got together to discuss questions of governance. Together, they agreed to move forward with the use of the €559,765 in funding for school completion activities. That is what has been agreed and that money is for school completion activities. It is important that the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Projects (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The club is presumably in communication with the parents. The money in question is to be used for SCP activities rather than programmes which Tusla has no responsibility to fund, such as community employment schemes. Tusla has no operational responsibility there. The Deputies might want to ask the club about that. It has been agreed that, going forward, the money will be used for school...

Health and Childcare Support (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the opportunity to conclude, particularly since the Minister for Health introduced the Bill on his and my own behalf. I will discuss the aspect of this Bill relating to the national childcare scheme along with another issue raised during Second Stage. I will launch the national childcare scheme in a few weeks. It is our pathway to accessible, affordable and quality childcare in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: When it is fully up and running, applications for the National Childcare Scheme will be accepted both online and by post.  The online application process will be introduced first, followed shortly thereafter by the postal application process. A Public Services Card (PSC) and verified MyGovID account are required to apply online only. The online system will offer a user friendly...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 574 to 576, inclusive, together. The introduction of the new National Childcare Scheme is a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. The Scheme’s objectives are to improve outcomes for children, reduce poverty, facilitate labour activation, tangibly reduce the cost of childcare for tens of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Staff (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am acutely aware of the difficulties that many early learning and care services report regarding the recruitment and retention of qualified staff, and the high rate of staff turnover in the sector. Accessing suitably qualified staff has been particularly difficult in very recent years and is due to both poor retention rates and the massive increase in investment that has seen a doubling of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The details of the number of full-time and part-time civil servants recruited by grade in each of the years 2014 to 2018 and to date in 2019 in my department are listed in Table 1.1. Table 1.1 Grade 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 (to date) Total SEC 1 1 ASC 1 1 2 PO 5 5 5 4 19 AP 3 2 8 11 13 11 48 HEO 2 1 2 11 6 22 AO 5 1 7 6 8 3 30 EO 1 1 12 14 16 12 56 CO 19 17 33 31 13...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal programme available to all children within the eligible age range. A child must have turned 2 years and 8 months on or before 31 August in the programme year, and not be older than 5 years and 6 months on or before 30 June of the second year, to be eligible for the programme. Exemptions from the upper age limit may be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Since September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE). This measure refines the development introduced the previous year and increases the duration of each registered child on ECCE from an average of 61 weeks, to a potential duration of 76 weeks (two...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Since September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE). This measure refines the development introduced the previous year and increases the duration of each registered child on ECCE from an average of 61 weeks, to a potential duration of 76 weeks (two...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 582 and 583 together. My Department is managing the most significant reform of youth services ever undertaken. This reform is informed by the Value for Money and Policy Review (VFMPR) 2014.  The VFMPR examined three existing targeted funding schemes, the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund, the Special Projects for Youth (SPY) scheme and...