Results 7,301-7,320 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: My Department's Youth Affairs Unit provides funding to support youth groups and clubs around the country, the vast majority of which will continue to operate during the summer months to provide services to young people.In the present difficult circumstances, I have consistently made my position clear that this funding is both necessary and essential, and I am pleased that it has been...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal programme available to all children within the eligible age range. It provides children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year and the programme year runs from September to June. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented situation that has required a series of emergency responses from the Government. I am acutely aware of the particular impact the pandemic and the emergency measures have had on childcare providers. I am also very conscious of the importance of childcare sector, particularly in the context of the current conditions and with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The Roadmap for the Reopening of Society and Business proposes that the reopening of crèches, childminders and preschools in a phased manner will begin in Phase 3, which is currently scheduled to begin on 29 June. On 29 May, in line with the Roadmap, I announced that in Phase 3 childminders will be allowed to work in their own homes. I also announced which children would be eligible to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented situation that has required a series of emergency responses from the Government. I launched the Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS) on 15 April. The TWSCS provides substantial funding towards staff wages, and provides for a portion of services’ non-deferrable overhead costs. As of the 5th June 2020 TWSCS subsidies had...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: I will be announcing the details of financial supports for early learning and care and school-age childcare providers, including childminders, in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: On 27thMay, my Department contacted all early learning and care and school-age childcare service providers to inform them that both the Department of An Taoiseach and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs recognise and accept that essential preparations by service providers and their staff will include the necessity to travel to and enter childcare facilities in order to make the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: My Department is prioritising the actions necessary for the reopening of childcare services on 29 June and I am actively engaging with key stakeholders in the sector in this regard. Every year 60% of early learning and care and school age childcare services close for the summer. This represents approximately 2500 of the 4500 services that exist. Officials from my Department are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: On Friday 1 May the Government released its Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, which sets out Ireland's plan for lifting COVID-19 restrictions. The re-opening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services will be guided by this framework and will be underpinned by the Return to Work Safely Protocol, expert advice, available evidence and consultation with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: On Friday 1 May, the Government released its Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, which sets out Ireland's plan for lifting COVID-19 restrictions . The re-opening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services will be guided by this framework and will be underpinned by the Government's Return to Work Safely Protocol, expert advice, available evidence and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Cycle to Work Scheme (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The Cycle-to-Work scheme was launched by the Government in 2009 to encourage the use of bicycles to travel to and from work. The scheme allows for a civil or public service employer to incur the expense of providing an officer with a bicycle and bicycle safety equipment up to a limit of €1,000, without the officer being liable for benefit-in-kind taxation. Under a salary sacrifice...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: On Friday 1 May, the Government released its Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, which sets out Ireland's plan for lifting COVID-19 restrictions. The re-opening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services will be guided by this framework and will be underpinned by the Government's Return to Work Safely Protocol, expert advice, available evidence and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: My Department and I are engaging extensively with stakeholders in the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age (SAC) sector. Consultation with stakeholders has always been central to the work of my Department, and the Early Years Forum (EY Forum) is a key part of this. The EY Forum meets several times a year and includes representatives of providers, parents and academics with an...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The Access and Inclusion Model remains a significant policy initiative of my Department and since the launch of the scheme in 2016, over 12,500 children in over 3,300 services nationally have benefited directly from targeted supports. For the 2020 budget process, I succeeded in securing a further €10 million in funding for AIM supports bringing the total AIM budget to €43...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Correspondence (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise the Deputy that as this matter is currently under review in accordance with Article 34 of the Articles of Association of Gaisce it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: While it would be my wish that funding for the youth sector will be maintained, if not increased, in future years, this is a matter for consideration by the incoming Government in the context of the annual Estimates process for 2021. In respect of this year, and the present circumstances, I have said that the funding provided to youth services across the country is both necessary and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: Each year Pobal conducts research on behalf of my Department to examine a number of factors related to early learning and care and school age childcare services in Ireland, including the monitoring of capacity. The Early Years Sector Profile report for the 2018/2019 programme year, provides my Department with valuable information including issues of capacity. The report indicates that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) has statutory responsibility under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 for ensuring all children attend school regularly. Educational Welfare Officers (EWO's) work with families and children to overcome barriers to their school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has advised the estimate cost of recruiting 40 extra full-time Educational...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented situation that has required a series of emergency responses from the Government. I am acutely aware of the particular impact the pandemic and the emergency measures have had on childcare providers. I am also very conscious of the importance of childcare sector, particularly in the context of the current conditions and with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (9 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) to act as its local agent in the delivery of the national early education and childcare programmes and the implementation of Government policy. The CCCs were assigned by the National Childcare Strategy (2000) as the key local component in the development of a co-ordinated approach to quality childcare and to advance the provision...