Results 3,221-3,240 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Sexual Offences Data (8 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As this is of an operational nature, I have asked Tusla to request figures from the local areas that may be of assistance and to reply to the Deputy directly. I would note that Tusla was set up in January 2014, and prior to this the services were provided by the Health Service Executive. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has a clear protocol for managing concerns or allegations about...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (8 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 provides for the first time a statutory entitlement to identity information for adopted persons. The legislation provides for structured and regulated access to information and tracing services for those affected by adoption. It sets out the information that can be provided, which includes early life information and medical information,...

Report on the Provision of Foster Care Services in Ireland: Motion (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I believe the Deputy asked whether there is a register in order that people will know where their children are.

Report on the Provision of Foster Care Services in Ireland: Motion (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I do not know if there is a register but we can find out. The practice is for a foster care family to care for two children. Sometimes there is an exception to move to three but that is on a case-by-case basis. However, when and if siblings have to be separated, steps are taken to maintain contacts across the family groups. Social workers spend a considerable amount of time making that...

Report on the Provision of Foster Care Services in Ireland: Motion (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate all the comments and questions from Deputies and I acknowledge the great contribution made by this report. It has informed all of us about the great elements of the system, particularly the foster care families and carers themselves, as well as the gaps that still exist. I will address specific issues that were raised. Deputy Rabbitte referred to a number of the 12 points...

Report on the Provision of Foster Care Services in Ireland: Motion (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to begin by joining the Chair of the committee, Deputy Farrell, in acknowledging the shocking and disturbing child sexual abuse case related by a recent RTÉ programme. Three young girls who were in foster care and who should have been safe and protected from harm were horribly abused by the teenage son of their foster parents. Their trust was betrayed. It is essential for the...

Seanad: Childcare Support Bill 2017: Committee Stage (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to have the opportunity to bring the Childcare Support Bill 2017 to Committee Stage. When I introduced the Bill to the Seanad on Second Stage I was grateful for the strong support I received from all sides of the House and for the constructive engagement from Senators. In addition to the amendments I am proposing today, I would like to signal in advance that I may propose one...

Seanad: Childcare Support Bill 2017: Committee Stage (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to note that while I have not tabled any Committee Stage amendments to section 8, I may propose one final amendment to this section on Report Stage.

Seanad: Childcare Support Bill 2017: Committee Stage (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Amendments Nos. 4 and 5 clarify which children are taken into account when determining the multiple child deduction that will apply to an applicant's assessable income. The multiple child deduction is a deduction from income which I intend to provide for families that have more than one child under the age of 15. It is intended to reflect the cumulative impact of childcare costs on families...

Seanad: Childcare Support Bill 2017: Committee Stage (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Amendments Nos. 6 and 7 are minor technical drafting amendments. These amendments simply involve punctuation changes to clarify the meaning of section 24. There is no change in policy and the amendments will have no practical consequence.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Visiting Teacher Service (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy may be aware, the Visiting Teachers Service for Travellers was discontinued with effect from September 2011, in line with Department of Education and Skills policy on the phasing out of segregated Traveller provision. The Department of Education and Skills have advised that the funding costs for the programme in the final full year of the programme in 2010 were €2,716,737.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: European Solidarity Corps (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The European Solidarity Corps aims at enhancing the engagement of young people and organisations in solidarity activities which are of high quality and accessible to all young people, as a means to contribute to strengthening cohesion and solidarity in Europe, supporting communities and responding to unmet societal needs. A regulation for implementation of the European Solidarity Corps is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: There are currently 67,052 children enrolled in ECCE for this programme year, 2017/18, who will be eligible for the next programme year, 2018/19. This represents 57% of the 117,152 children currently registered on the ECCE scheme for 2017-18. From September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months will be eligible for a full two programme years on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the vast majority of childminders are currently unregistered, I can provide estimates of the number of individuals involved in childminding, but not concrete figures. According to CSO estimates, 10% of children in Ireland from infancy to 12 years of age receive childcare services from childminders, au pairs or nannies, often in combination with other forms of parental and non-parental...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I understand, following clarification received, that the Deputy's question relates to the number of children who have availed of ECCE in more than one programme year. When ECCE was introduced in 2010 it was only for one programme year or 38 weeks. ECCE was extended in 2016 when, on average, children benefitted from 61 weeks. The number of children that have availed of more than one...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: In September 2017 as part of the Government policy to make childcare more affordable, I introduced a universal childcare subvention payment of up to €20 per week for families using eligible childcare providers for the care of children aged from 6 months to the first eligible point of entry to the Early Childhood Care and Education scheme (ECCE). The Universal scheme is administered...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The ECCE programme operates over a 38 week programme year. Currently service providers receive €64.50 per child per week. If a service has been approved for higher capitation the weekly payment increases to €75 per child. Pre-school settings employing an Inclusion Co-ordinator under the LINC programme will receive an increase of €2 per child per week in the rate of ECCE...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Training (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: In relation to my Department I can confirm that the costs for the provision of social media training for each year from 2011 - 2018 are set out in the following table: Year Costs incurred by Department Social Media Training Delivered Number of Staff Attended Social Media training conferences or other external events 2011 Nil Nil Nil Nil 2012 Nil Nil Nil Nil 2013 Nil Nil Nil Nil 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Reports (3 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As this is an operational matter, I have written to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and requested that they contact the Deputy directly. As I noted previously, under section 20 of the Child Care Act 1991, a Court, may of its own volition or on the application of any person, adjourn proceedings and direct the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, to report on the safety, care, health or...

Seanad: Education (Welfare) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (2 May 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I want to inform the committee that I intend to table an amendment in respect of section 1 on Report Stage which will correct an error in the drafting of the section. The Minister referred to in this section of the Bill is the Minister for Education and Skills when, in fact, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has responsibility for the functions of the educational welfare service....