Results 1,781-1,800 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (7 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested relates to funding schemes that annually support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. My Department is compiling the information on the funding provided to these projects since 2011 and will endeavour...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Local Authority Funding (7 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Comhairle na nÓg Development Fund provides funding to local authorities to run an effective Comhairle na nÓg, which is capped at €20,000 each annually. In addition to this fund, local authorities can also provide funding and resources for Comhairle na nÓg at a local level, as can relevant statutory and voluntary organisations. The Comhairle na nÓg Development...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (7 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested is not readily available in my Department. My officials have requested the information from Tusla and I will forward the reply to the Deputy once I have been furnished with it.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (7 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 707 to 709, inclusive, together. The latest figures from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, indicates that, at the end of November 2016, there were 6,276 children in care. Of these, 325 (5%) were in a residential placement of which 174 were in a private residential placement. Tusla has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Aftercare Services (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Under the current National Leaving and Aftercare Policy of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, all young people leaving care who have been in care for 12 months on their 16th birthday or for 12 consecutive months prior to their 18th birthday are entitled to an aftercare plan. Tusla is currently reviewing their operational National Leaving and Aftercare Policy in line with the Child Care...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homeless Persons Data (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: While my Department and Tusla have no responsibility in relation to mental health services, I would like to inform the Deputy of Tusla’s response, relevant to this area. A child, irrespective of accommodation status, who comes to the attention of Tusla and whose circumstances are such, will, where the appropriate threshold has been reached, have an assessment carried out by a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of €51m for current expenditure is available from my Department in 2016 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Area Based Childhood Programme (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a prevention and early intervention initiative led by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The ABC Programme commenced in 2013 and is a time-bound co-funding arrangement of €29.7m for the period 2013 to 2017 in conjunction with The Atlantic Philanthropies. All sites are currently in contract for 2017 and operating according to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Commissions of Inquiry (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Commissions of Investigation Name Date of Establishment Cost to Date:(to 06/02/2017) Expected Date of Conclusion Estimated Final Cost 1 Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters) 17th of February 2015 €4.1 million. This includes set-up costs and costs incurred by DCYA in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Yes, but I have just made arrangements in case we need to stay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Of course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Do members have a copy of my opening statement?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I will offer a summary of some of the key points before engaging in prelegislative scrutiny of the affordable child care scheme. I appreciate the fact that the committee was willing to meet me so quickly. It is good to be here with it, as I have always found this process helpful to our work. As members know, there is an urgent need to address the high cost of child care. We require...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Thank you, Chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I will give the initial response and then ask others to respond to the excellent questions asked. A couple of members raised the question of pay and conditions. As the Chairman identified, many of these issues are outside the context of the Bill on which we are working. At the same time the legislation will put in place very different infrastructure and a way to provide for State...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My apologies. What was the Deputy's question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I ask Ms McNally to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Ms McNally for that reply. On Deputy Kathleen Funchion's question on the early years strategy, we had an open policy debate last December and it is feeding into the strategy which we hope to bring to the Government before the summer recess, following further consultation. I ask Mr. Wolfe to address the questions on family income supplement and the budget cap.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There are one or two other questions I have not addressed yet-----