Results 6,981-7,000 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: Yes, there may be times when those reports are not published and there might be due processes going on. At the same time I am aware that these are issues for parents and for insurers. I have dedicated a resource in the Department to examine that and other issues that Tusla has recommended to us to increase transparency in the provision of information.

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

Katherine Zappone: I have not. My officials have been in conversation directly with the broker and the insurer.

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

Katherine Zappone: It is a requirement-----

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

Katherine Zappone: -----as part of the Tusla process of administering-----

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

Katherine Zappone: Yes, it does. Before I respond to the high-risk issue raised by the Deputy, I would like to say I understand from Tusla that as of 12 December last, almost all the providers had been registered. They had insurance certificates at that time, but those certificates do not necessarily mean that providers are covered from January onwards. Tusla needs to know whether every service is insured.

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

Katherine Zappone: Yes.

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

Katherine Zappone: We will know more tomorrow. Virtually all of the providers, but not quite all of them, are registered. In order for those that are registered to have been accepted in the first instance, they will have had to submit some initial documents that are not very hard to provide, one of which is an insurance certificate. Tusla inspectors have information on how long each insurance certificate lasts.

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

Katherine Zappone: As I have said on several occasions this afternoon, it is important that we attract at least one more insurance organisation, and preferably a couple of such organisations, into the market. As I indicated earlier, I have information to suggest that increases in the region of 100% represent one of the reasons for certain companies deciding to move or leave. I have not met them directly, but...

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

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Chair.

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

Katherine Zappone: It is important.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (5 Mar 2020)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1077 and 1078 together. AIM Level 7 provides additional assistance in the pre-school room where this is critical to ensuring a child’s participation in the free ECCE preschool programme. In line with emerging best practice to support the integration and independence of children with a disability, AIM does not fund Special Needs Assistants (SNAs)....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Home Tuition Scheme Eligibility (5 Mar 2020)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to inform the Deputy that the provision of home tuition supports is a matter for the Department of Education and Skills. Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) has engaged with the child in this case. I have asked TESS to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (5 Mar 2020)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is responsible for the administration of the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme. Tusla has no current plans to expand the FRC Programme in 2020. Should a new FRC application process be established, Tusla's local Area Managers will be made aware of the process.  Expressions of interest will be sought from community organisations....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (5 Mar 2020)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has no record of an application for a second preschool year in respect of the child named. The child's parents should submit an application for an exemption from ECCE eligibility rules to my Department.  The Department will consider such applications having regard  to: - the child's age.  The child should not be over 6 years of age during the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (5 Mar 2020)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for his question. I am aware of potential challenges that some School-Age Childcare (SAC) services may face as legacy childcare schemes are phased out in favour of the National Childcare Scheme. As explained below, the policy intent of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) followed much consideration and aims to better serve children and families in the short, medium and long...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (5 Mar 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS), previously known as the Affordable Childcare Scheme, provides the first statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare, opened to online applications on 20thNovember 2019. A paper based application process will be available very shortly. The Scheme aims to: - improve outcomes for children, - reduce poverty, - facilitate labour...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (5 Mar 2020)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for her question. I sympathise with the difficulties this service is currently facing. The service in question may be able to access various supports through Case Management. My Department oversees a Case Management process through which local CCCs and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to early learning and care services experiencing difficulties....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (5 Mar 2020)

Katherine Zappone: From 2017 to December 2019 there were two insurance underwriters offering insurance to the childcare sector in Ireland – Allianz and Ironshore.  On the 6th December Ironshore notified their 1,300 clients that they would be withdrawing from the market.  On 17th December, the broker who had provided the Ironshore underwriting services informed their customers that they had...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (5 Mar 2020)

Katherine Zappone: Research evidence indicates that an important driver of high quality in early learning and care provision is continuing professional development (CPD) for practitioners. To overcome identified challenges in accessing CPD courses, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs are currently piloting the introduction of a limited number of approved CPD courses through the Better Start...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (5 Mar 2020)

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.