Results 2,661-2,680 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla has advised me that by the end of September 2018 a total of 678 appointments were made. 366 of the 678 were new hires to Tusla,  with internal recruitment accounting for the remainder. I understand that 225 staff have retired or left Tusla during the same period.  I strongly support Tusla’s important work and by 2019 I will have secured an additional €110m...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Staff (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 41 together. Supporting the delivery of high quality early learning and care for children and families is at the centre of my Department's work. In recent years, we have enhanced supports for quality childcare provision in many ways, including: Funding to support further and higher education, as well as continuing professional development, for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: A key priority for me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is to ensure access to high quality and affordable early years and school-age childcare services. Each year Pobal conducts research on behalf of my Department to examine a number of factors related to childcare services in Ireland, including the monitoring of capacity. The most recent Early Years Sector Profile...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Guardians Ad Litem (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department is currently finalising the drafting of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2018, which provides for reform of the Guardian ad litem service, with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. Work is being progressed with a view to publishing the Bill as soon as possible. A small project team is also working to plan for the establishment of the Guardian ad litem service within an...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for his question about the Cottage Home Family Support Service, which provides family support services to children and families in the South Dublin area. The organisation also provides a residential care service for young people. In 2018, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is providing €1.6 million in funding for the residential component of this service. I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Absenteeism (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy may be aware, Tusla Educational Welfare Services (EWS) is responsible for addressing issues in relation to participation, retention and attendance in schools. Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) work with young people and their families who are experiencing difficulty with school attendance. The main priority of their work is around the welfare of children and young people...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Support Payments (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Government is committed to supporting parents in caring for young children at home in a range of ways. Within the remit of my Department, a number of schemes provide support to parents whether they work full time, part time, or look after their children at home. For example, from September of this year, all children are eligible to avail of two years of universal pre-school,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware that it is not appropriate for me to comment on individual cases. I have written to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and asked them to ensure that the individual matter to which the Deputy refers receives the appropriate attention. I have also asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to his queries on the management of complaints that predate...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Parental Leave (7 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Parental leave, and the range of different types of family leave which are available, are of considerable significance for children’s experiences and their outcomes. For these reasons, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has a clear interest in policy developments in these areas. To this end, officials from my Department have actively engaged in an Inter-Departmental Group...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The number of entry points reverted to one at the beginning of September 2018. One enrolment period at the start of the pre-school year will help to streamline the administration process and will make it easier for childcare providers to operate and budget for the programme year. It also makes it easier for parents to secure places on the Early Childhood Care and Education...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department's annual capital offering for childcare has supported the development of full-time and sessional childcare services in terms of capacity, maintenance and quality. The total Capital allocation for Early Years in 2018 was €6.86m. From a budget of €6.36m, the 2018 Early Years and School Age Childcare Capital Programmes achieved the following: - 85applications...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Since September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. This measure refines developments introduced in 2016 and increases the duration of each registered child on ECCE from a previous average of 61 weeks, to a potential duration of 76 weeks (two...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Meetings (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that neither I nor my Department officials have had meetings with the organisation concerned or with representatives of that organisation.  Also, there are no records in my Department to indicate that any of my predecessors met with the organisation. 

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone:  I have been advised by Tusla that, where allegations of abuse are made, by their nature the allegations must be assessed on an individual basis. Allegations are assessed in the context of whatever information is known about the child or the person suspected of alleged abuse. A previous unfounded allegation is considered by Tusla to be significant, and should be judged in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Criminal charges can only be prepared following investigation by An Garda Síochána. Tusla , the Child and Family Agency, has no role in the processing of criminal charges and is not in a position to provide the information requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Consultations (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 954 and 955 together. The information requested by the Deputy is being collated within my Department and will be forwarded as soon as possible. The Deputy has since clarified that the Questions relate to written public consultations where the resulting report has been published. My Department consults with stakeholders on a wide range of matters and provides...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has responsibility for the provision of funding, co-ordination and support to 59 organisations nationally that deliver a range of services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence. 22 of these organisations provide emergency refuge and emergency non-refuge accommodation to victims of domestic violence and their children. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Work Projects Funding (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 957 to 959, inclusive, together. As the Deputy is aware, Budget 2019 has provided an additional €1.5 million in current funding to my Department to support the provision of youth services. This additional funding will be used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people. Following the Budget 2019 announcement, my Department will soon...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: An Expert Technical Group (ETG) was commissioned to provide advice on the options available to Government in appropriately responding to the discovery of juvenile remains interred on the site in Tuam. The six person ETG employed a multidisciplinary approach to the technical issues at the Tuam site and included experts in forensic archaeology; Irish archaeology and remote sensing; forensic...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (6 Nov 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 961 and 962 together. The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters was established by Government on 17 February 2015 (S.I. No. 57 of 2015). In terms of the status of the Commission, it is important to recognise that the Commission is independent in the conduct of its statutory investigations. I am not therefore in a...