Results 6,761-6,780 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The NCS is fairer and more far-reaching than many of the current targeted schemes. It removes many of the very restrictive eligibility requirements of the current schemes, linked to Social Protection payments or a Medical Card in order to receive supports. Moving to this new system will be a significant step forward in combating the poverty traps inherent in the current schemes. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In First Five, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, published in November 2018, my Department committed to complete a review of the operating model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) in this country. The existing operating system developed over the years in response to emerging needs. It operates across many levels,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have received correspondence from public representatives in relation to this matter in recent days. I am engaging with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency with regard this correspondence. It appears from the information provided by the Deputy that the decisions involved are operational matters for Tusla. I understand that the service in question is in correspondence with the CEO of Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The operation and maintenance of the Register of Early Years Services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, which is the independent statutory regulator. As my Department does not have a role in relation to the processing of registration applications or maintenance of the register, it does not provide feedback to individual service providers on the status of their application. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Approximately 740,000 children have benefited from the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme since its launch in January 2010. The following table shows the number of children who were registered on the ECCE scheme for each programme year. ECCE programme year: Child Registrations: 2009/10 52,573 2010/11 63,855 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Data (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme opened on the 20th November. It is being opened on a phased basis, with the online application system now available and a postal application system available from early 2020. There has been a very high volume of applications since the Scheme opened for online applications. Over 10,400 applications, relating to over 14,800 children, have already been...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Area Based Childhood Programme (5 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: A national evaluation of the ABC Programme was undertaken by the Centre for Effective Services (CES). Data was collected locally, at the area-level in order to assess the effectiveness of the totality of the investment with regard to the main outcomes the programme aimed to address: Improved child health and development; Improved children’s learning and Improved parenting. The...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The safety and protection of children remains the first priority of Government. This is done through the enforcement of regulations which have children at the heart of their implementation. The removal of childcare providers from the register of early years services is the ultimate sanction by Tusla, the independent statutory regulator for the sector. It comes at the end of an enforcement...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: It is helpful for one of our representatives to meet with parents specifically in respect of certain services that have closed. I thank the Deputy for her correspondence on the matter. The county and city childcare committees have been offering support to parents, especially in those areas. For example, the Dublin city childcare committee has received notice from more than 50 services...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In the first instance I know the city and county childcare committees are working with any parents who are in contact. They have tried to identify where places are available. If parents have not been in direct contact with the committees I urge them to make contact. Deputy Rabbitte has explored a recommendation with parents. We have been thinking about that as well. The Deputy...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am conscious of the Deputy's support for this important facility and I was pleased to have been able to visit it at her invitation last year. The Deputy will be aware that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, supports Amber in Kilkenny as part of its role to provide care and protection for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Tusla has informed me that Amber has...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Deputy Funchion has identified a particular need within Carlow-Kilkenny. One of the precise recommendations that I made to Tusla, which is being taken up, was for the hiring of additional outreach support workers by refuges throughout the country. I made the recommendation because I met domestic, sexual and gender-based violence service representatives from throughout the country,...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I will make two points on the specific issue of counselling and I thank the Deputy for raising it. She has put it on the record and Tusla will be aware of that. I hope and anticipate that counselling forms part of its negotiations, especially for 2020, to see whether there is any more scope for support for that particular aspect. My information, however, is that it has not raised the issue...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I warmly welcome the high level of participation by childminders in the recent public consultation on the draft childminding action plan. I strongly believe that childminding has an important and distinctive role to play in the future of early learning and care and school-age childcare in this country and this is why I appointed an expert group, chaired by Childminding Ireland, in 2016 to...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I agree with everything that the Deputy outlined in terms of the concerns, which is why we put in place an extensive consultation led by Childminding Ireland in the first place to recommend what the draft plan ought to include, the substantial majority of which became part of the draft childminding action plan that is still to be put out for further consultation. The Deputy's points are well...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In response to Deputy Rabbitte's first question, it will not be academia that is writing it. In fairness, it was Childminding Ireland that led that first piece of consultation out of which the draft action plan was put in place ultimately. I absolutely agree with the Deputy. It will not happen under my leadership. On the Deputy's second question, I do not have specific names in front...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 59 together. The operation and maintenance of the register of early years services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, which is the independent statutory regulator. Since this is a regulatory issue, my Department does not have a direct role in the processing of registration applications or maintenance of the register. Tusla was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: There is an update.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: To be absolutely clear, as the Deputies probably understand, everyone who wants funding from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has to re-register by 12 December. They have to submit an application by 12 December. There is a certain set of documentation that is required for 12 December. Most of that documentation should be pretty much on hand, such as Garda vetting for the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I will do my best in respect of the 230 in Cork who have not begun the process. I will put a request in for a dedicated phone line, to see if that is possible, especially for these last few days. What I have been trying to outline in the answer to this question and at a couple of other points is that they were communicated with from the time that they registered initially about the...