Results 3,881-3,900 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education Welfare Service Staff (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has requested a reply from the Educational Welfare Service of Tusla to your question, we will forward the answer directly to you as soon as it becomes available.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department is working with the Department of Justice and Equality to ensure that all necessary arrangements are in place to fully comply with the provisions of the Second Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography so that Ireland can ratify the Optional Protocol as soon as possible. The recent enactment of the Sexual Offence Act (2017)...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Commencement of Legislation (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has responsibility for the following Acts, or parts of Acts, which have yet to be fully commenced, Youth Work Act 2001, the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011, the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015, the Children (Amendment) Act 2015 and the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017. Youth Work Act 2001 The sections of the Youth Work Act 2001 yet to be commenced are sections 8 to 16, 19 to 23 and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 647 and 661 together. I have committed to consulting further with parents of children with disabilities before a decision is made on the future of the over-age exemption for the ECCE scheme. My officials are working closely with the Department of Education and Skills in designing the consultation and also taking advice from the Cross Sectoral Implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence (14 Dec 2017)

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. I have requested information from Tusla in relation to this matter. I will revert to the Deputy once I have been furnished with a response by Tusla.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Firstly, I would note that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has no function in determining which properties are rateable. This is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Valuation. The Valuation Office falls under the aegis of the Department of Justice and Equality. The Valuation Act, 2001 as amended by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015 provides that all buildings used...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 650 and 655 together. The Educational Welfare Service of Tusla has advised that the School Completion Programme received €24.7m in funding in 2017. It has also advised that confirmation of the allocation for 2018 will be confirmed following the completion of the 2018 business planning process in Tusla.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: A total of 470 primary and 224 post-primary schools have been included in the School Completion Programme per year from 2011 to the current year. The number of schools has been the same each year. The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table. Year Total No. Primary Schools in SCP Total No. Post-primary Schools in SCP 2011 224 470 2012 224 470 2013 224 470...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 652 and 653 together. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is responsible for the administration of the Family Resource Centre Programme. In 2017, Tusla allocated €13.51m to the programme. In addition, supplementary once off funding of €2.120m has been allocated recently to centres for minor works, including the purchase of equipment. In 2018, I...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am placing a strong emphasis on family support services next year, and the development of capacity within the Family Resource Centre Programme. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency currently allocates funding to 109 Family Resource Centres. This funding provides a contribution towards the running costs of centres. In 2018, I am providing Tusla with additional funding of almost €3.0m...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Social Workers Recruitment (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla has advised me of the cost of hiring a social care worker and this is set out in the following table: Basic Pay PRSI Total Pay Non Pay Total Cost €38,663 €4,156 €42,819 €9,666 €52,485 Please note that the basic pay is at the midpoint of the scale.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My allocation of an additional €40.6 million in 2018 will allow Tusla to increase its staffing levels significantly to respond to expected increases in referrals following the introduction of mandatory reporting on 11 December 2017. The breakdown of the additional staff, and the precise number of additional social workers to be recruited, is now being finalised by Tusla in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Relations Contracts Data (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I came into office in May 2016 and there was no spend by my Department on the matters referred to in that year. The spend to date in 2017 is set out in the following table: Company: Amount: Ms. Mandy Johnson €4,750 Persuasion Republic €102,256 Total €107,006 In general such services are engaged only as needs arise and where it is felt professional expertise can be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Details of the costs incurred on photography by my Department since my appointment as Minister in May 2016 are set out in the following table: Date Photographer Nature of Employment Cost 2016 Maxwell Photography Ltd. Comhairle na nÓg Showcase €528.90 2017 to date Maxwell Photography Ltd. Launch of Affordable Childcare Scheme €430.50 Maxwell Photography Ltd. Photo...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that there were 26,201 open cases nationally at the end of September, which includes children in care. An open case is one which is assessed as needing a dedicated (allocated) social work service. There were 5,284 unallocated cases, of which 966 were high priority cases, 3,309 were medium priority, and 1,009 were low priority. Cases awaiting allocation include new...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Guardians Ad Litem (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As stated in my previous response to you on 25 July 2017, and to Deputy Niamh Smith on 11 September 2017, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has informed me that the total amount paid to Guardians ad litemwas €8,189,175 in2015 and €6,569,115 in 2016. Supplementary information has now been received from Tusla, confirming the total amount paid to Guardians ad litem for 2017, as...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The estimated cost of extending the ECCE programme, as specified by the Deputy, is contained in the table. 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 look at...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Travel (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Since coming into office in May 2016, my Department's only use of the Government jet was when I travelled with the Taoiseach to the British Irish Council meeting in Cardiff on 25th November 2016.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Travel (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: From the establishment of my Department in June 2011 to February 2016, my Department has used the Government jet twice. The jet was used on one occasion by Minister Fitzgerald in 2013 and once by Minister Reilly in 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Details of the costs incurred on photography by my Department since March 2011 is set out in the table. Included in this table are 8 instances where the name of the photographer was not readily identifiable from the information contained in my Departments financial management system. Officials are going through the records to ascertain the names involved and I will revert to the Deputy in...