Results 6,921-6,940 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The cost of insurance for the childcare sector has come into focus in the past few weeks. This has arisen following the withdrawal of an insurance provider from the Irish market and the confirmation that another could not be found. This is undoubtedly causing distress to providers and worry to parents. I acknowledge there are many providers who are facing increased insurance costs....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Did the Deputy check that?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputies for their comments. I take the points that Deputy Sherlock is making on the differences in the costs of Early Childhood Ireland members and those who are not members and how the risk profile is not necessarily different. These are good questions which I will raise as part of the ongoing considerations. On other issues, including the call from Deputy Rabbitte for an...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme. Applications to the programme are an operational matter for Tusla. The additional funding for FRCs secured in Budget 2019 will be retained in 2020, ensuring that overall funding for the FRC Programme will remain at €18 million. This funding will be used to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

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

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

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

Katherine Zappone: The number of new staff recruited to my Department between January 1st 2019 and December 13th 2019 is 44 and are outlined in the following table. Position Number Principal Officer 4 Professional Accountant Grade 1 1 Assistant Principal 15 Higher Executive Officer ...

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

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is designed to improve the accessibility and affordability of quality childcare for families.  In replacing the legacy schemes, the Scheme entails a fundamental shift away from subsidies grounded in medical card and social protection entitlements, and towards a comprehensive and progressive system of universal and income-based...

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

Katherine Zappone: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs did not incur expenditure on advertising relating to Brexit in 2018 or 2019. 

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am conscious of the value of supporting the provision of services in the Irish language to children at an early age, and of the role pre-schools can play in promoting Irish as a living language. My Department provides many supports to facilitate Irish-medium early learning and care services to operate through Irish.  In...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Personal Injury Claims (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: There are no plans to publish the information to which the Deputy refers.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department must adhere to the Rules concerning Exchequer funding. With this in mind, officials from my Department have reviewed the payment arrangements to services providing my Department’s early learning and care and school age childcare programmes. Pobal administers the various schemes and issues payments on behalf of my Department. On the 10thDecember 2019, there was...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is quite specific. I have requested the relevant organisations involved to collate the information and I will revert again to the Deputy in due course.

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

Katherine Zappone: I have had regular and valuable interactions with providers of early learning and care services in my tenure as Minister, while visiting services, attending conferences, in my role as a constituency TD and through formal structures I have established for this purpose.  I established the Early Years Forum in 2016, to enable stakeholders to meet and exchange views...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Insurance Cover for Crèches: Discussion (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Chairman for his invitation to attend today's meeting. Like the Chairman, I have been intensely engaged with the issue that is presented before us today as to the challenges facing our childcare sector. I have the utmost respect for those who work day in and day out to look after our children. I know that for many this is indeed a vocation. They are significant people in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Insurance Cover for Crèches: Discussion (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Of course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Insurance Cover for Crèches: Discussion (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Regarding my time, it was to have been approximately an hour had we started a little earlier. I have a Topical Issue debate to take.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Insurance Cover for Crèches: Discussion (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I was originally told that this meeting was to take place at approximately 4.30 p.m. We will see what happens. That is the timing issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Insurance Cover for Crèches: Discussion (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I will make three comments in respect of what the Chairman asked. Regarding the one-off programme support payment, it is an average. That is an important point, as there is a range.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Insurance Cover for Crèches: Discussion (18 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Chairman asked an excellent question about what efforts were being made to attract other providers. I would answer that in two ways. My Department has been in regular contact with the broker that was handling the negotiations and we understand some of the issues with which he has been working. Even as the days pass, other information arises and we are in direct contact with one or two...