Results 3,341-3,360 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs monitors ECCE capacity through several reporting mechanisms. Primarily, Pobal - in their capacity as administrators of the ECCE programme - provide a comprehensive annual overview of the Early Years Sector and report their findings through the Early Years Sector Profile report. This report provides an accurate overview of childcare places...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (25 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 226 together. In relation to my Department I can confirm that the costs for the provision of social media training and consultancy 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 Consultancy 2011 Nil Nil Nil Nil 2012 Nil Nil...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware, the Scottish Children’s Panels exist in a very different legislative environment and framework to that prevailing in this State. Accordingly, the introduction of an analogous body is not proposed at this time. However, as the Deputy knows, my Department is currently undertaking a wide-ranging review of the Child Care Act 1991, the principal legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I can advise the Deputy that I am aware of this case. While it is not appropriate for me to comment on individual cases, I have written to Tusla and asked them to give the case the appropriate attention.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the provision of care and protection to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. In discharging its statutory responsibility, Tusla supports 20 emergency refuge and support services in providing services for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Twenty four community-based domestic violence support...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mental Health Services (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The objective of the Working Group is to examine the provision of psychological and mental health services for children and young people with the aim of ascertaining a clear continuum of provision, strengthening alignment and areas for improvement, centred on the needs of children and young people. The Working Group is jointly chaired by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is responsible for out-of-hours social work services for children and young adults. As the distribution of funds between geographical areas is an operational issue, I have asked Tusla to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: 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 Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE). This measure refines the development introduced last year, whereby three intake dates were adopted, and will increase the duration of each registered child on ECCE from a current average of 61...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I would like to take this opportunity to assure you my Department is fully supportive of extending the State Indemnity Scheme under the State Claims Agency to foster parents. Unfortunately this is taking longer than expected due to technical issues associated with the approvals and statutory process involved. Work is ongoing to address these matters. While we remain confident that these...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: 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 Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE). The upper age ECCE requirement is that the child must not reach 5 years and 6 months before the end of the programme year. Some children will not be able to commence their ECCE in September...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Voluntary Sector Funding (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Arising from media coverage I became aware that an alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault was reinstated by Scouting Ireland without any further Garda vetting and was subsequently promoted within the volunteer ranks of Scouting Ireland. Funding provided by my Department to youth organisations is contingent on organisations meeting with a range of governance standards, including...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: My Department was established in June 2011 and since then it has neither received invoices nor made payments to the company in question.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Regulation of Lobbying (24 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: It is the responsibility of the person who makes, manages or directs the lobbying activity to register and submit returns. The Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 does not set out any requirements for Designated Public Officials to register, submit returns or validate information contained in the returns submitted by lobbyists. Designated Public Officials continue to have obligations set out...

Topical Issue Debate: Voluntary Sector Funding (19 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: I assure the Deputies that children, young people and volunteers are at the centre of my attention, which is part of the reason for this decision. I will listen to what Scouting Ireland has to say this evening and then decide on the next step with the Secretary General of my Department. It is mid-April and Scouting Ireland has funding until the end of June, which gives it two and a half...

Topical Issue Debate: Voluntary Sector Funding (19 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Scouting Ireland commissioned Mr. Ian Elliott to carry out a review into the organisation's handling of an allegation of a serious sexual assault on an adult volunteer by another adult volunteer. While this alleged assault took place in 2009, it was only reported within the organisation in 2016. The purpose of the review was to examine all matters surrounding the reinstatement of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (19 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, assumed statutory responsibility, upon its establishment in 2014, for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Tusla has worked, and continues to work, to develop an informed understanding of domestic, sexual and gender based violence, and to take account of the range of issues and the different manifestations of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (19 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The estimated cost of extending the ECCE programme, as specified by the Deputy, is contained in the table below. These figures are based on current rates for the ECCE 2017/2018 programme year. It should be noted that this question only addresses the financial aspect of such increases. Any such changes would require revision of rules around eligibility and enrolment dates and would need to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Area Based Childhood Programme (19 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department. In last year's budget, my department secured additional grant funding to support the extension of the entire ABC Programme into 2018. An original commitment was given to support the programme to the end of August 2018 to align with the completion of the National Evaluation and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (19 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support, and advocacy, to all children and families in their communities. Prior to the establishment of Tusla in January 2014, the former Family Support Agency was responsible for the Family Resource Centre Programme. Funding of €15.37m was allocated under the Programme in 2010 and this supported 107...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Eligibility (19 Apr 2018)

Katherine Zappone: Under the Affordable Childcare Scheme, a family will be able to benefit from either a universal or a targeted subsidy. The level of subsidy will depend on the age of the child and, in the case of targeted subsidies, family income and parents' participation in work or study. Universal subsidies will be available for families whose children are between 6 months and 36 months old (or who are...