Results 6,821-6,840 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme opened on November 20th. It is being opened on a phased basis, with the online application system now available and a postal application system available from early 2020. The NCS streamlines the existing targeted schemes and is more accessible for both parents and service providers. I am delighted that there has been a very high volume of applications since its...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Budgets (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is referring the Department's 2017 financial allocation. In 2017, the Department was voted €1.3 billion by Dáil Éireann under the Appropriation Act 2017, which also provides that unspent sums are surrendered to the Exchequer under the deferred surrender arrangements established by section 91 of the Finance Act 2004. The majority of the unspent monies...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Data (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme opened on November 20th for online applications. I am delighted that there has been a very high volume of applications. As of the 9th December over 12,000 applications have been submitted, relating to over 17,000 children and thousands of awards have issued to parents. Parents must bring this award to their childcare provider and once their provider has...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Process (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019 was published on 8 August 2019 and completed Third (Committee) Stage in Dáil Éireann on 23 October. The Bill addresses significant inadequacies in the current system of Guardian ad litem (GAL) provision which is ad hoc, unregulated and in urgent need of reform. Appointment of GALs is uneven, with huge variation in rates of appointment across...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is committed to supporting children, parents and communities in dealing with the impact of homelessness on their lives. The short and long term effects of homelessness on children are well documented. While Tusla does not have a direct role in the provision of housing or accommodation for homeless families, a range of services, from prevention and early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The safety and protection of children remains the first priority of Government. Safety and protection is assured through the enforcement of regulations which have children at the heart of their implementation. Tusla is the independent statutory regulator of early learning and care and school age childcare services in Ireland. In performing its regulatory function, its actions include...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: 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 understand that Tusla provided funding of €3,200 to the organisation in question in 2018 and again in 2019 for child counselling services. Tusla is providing some €650,000 in funding in 2019 to support...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme is fairer and more far-reaching than the current schemes and was sought after for many years. It removes many of the 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: It is my understanding that the Deputy is referring to the operation and maintenance of the Register of Early Years Services. Tusla is the independent statutory regulator of early learning and care and school-age childcare services in Ireland. My Department does not have a direct role in relation to the processing of registration applications or maintenance of the register. Registration and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education Welfare Service (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) has advised that Educational Welfare Officers (EWO) supported 6,134 students/families during the 2018/2019 school year. The approach adopted by EWO’s is to work in a supportive manner with families to address the underlying issues causing school attendance issues. Of this number there were 175 summonses issued which equates to less than 3% of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education and Training Boards Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Two different streams of administrative funding are provided to ETBs as part of their mid-level governance functions in relation to youth schemes. Youth work function funding is provided to each Education and Training Board (ETB) to support the provision, co-ordination, administration and assessment of youth work services in its functional area and to provide information as may be required in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency commissioned this report. It is an analysis to identify needs for the planning and delivery of DSGBV services in the Galway area. Tusla has advised me that regional needs analysis reports will be published on the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence section of its website shortly. This section is under construction at present. It is envisaged that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy knows, there are strong views on the privacy provisions in the Adoption (Information & Tracing) Bill, 2016 and to the revised scheme set out in my proposed amendments for Committee Stage. My legal advice is that there must be some protection of birth parents' constitutional right to privacy reflected in the legislation. There are two rights at play, the right to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education Welfare Service Expenditure (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to inform the Deputy that the Department does not take prosecutions against parents in relation to school attendance. Such prosecutions are a matter for the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS). TESS has advised that the legal costs for TESS in 2018 were €227,720. There were 186 active matters in 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for her question. I have sought a detailed account from Tusla of the background to their decision in regard to this children's residential centre, and have set this out below. Tusla have informed me that its Children’s Residential Services section (CRS) had, in meetings on 5 April and 8 August 2019, raised a number of concerns regarding the centre's non-compliance...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme opened for online applications on the 20thof November. Intensive preparations have been underway all year to ensure that the full legislative, administrative and IT infrastructure was in place, and that nationwide information and training was provided. I am delighted that there has been a very high volume of applications since the Scheme opened for online...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Fire Safety Regulations (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Fire safety audits, fire safety legislation and compliance come under the remit of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. The Tusla Early Years Inspectorate liaises with Local Authority fire services where appropriate. The suitability and safety of premises is a key concern in the assessment of quality provision for children in early learning and care settings. Section...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme went live on the 20th November 2019. The Scheme is designed to improve the accessibility and affordability of quality childcare for families in Ireland. Through the National Childcare Scheme and a range of other measures, I am committed to changing Ireland’s childcare system from one of the most expensive in the world to one of the very best. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme opened on the 20thNovember to online applications. I am delighted that there has been a very high volume of applications since then. Service providers were offered supports earlier this year in advance of the launch of the National Childcare Scheme. One of these supports offered was the Programme Support Payment. This payment was designed to compensate providers...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I met recently with ParentStop, Tusla officials and public representatives from Donegal to discuss the provision of parenting support services in the area. It was agreed at this meeting that Tusla, HSE and Department officials would hold a follow-up meeting to address this matter, this meeting is expected to take place next Monday. Tusla provides funding for community-based programmes...