Results 3,901-3,920 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: The information requested is currently being collated. The information sought will be forwarded directly to the Deputy when available.

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

Katherine Zappone: The information requested is set out in the table and is based on the information collated in the time available. As you will see from the detailed response, there is a lot of information contained in the reply and my officials are currently reviewing it to ensure that it provides the full picture of all external reports commissioned in the time frame specified by the Deputy. I will advise...

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

Katherine Zappone: Details of the expenditure by my Department on advertising of Government information campaigns from 1 January to date in 2017, are set out in the following table: Media Information Campaign: Amount: Spunout – Facebook & iPhone Survey Launch of National LGBTI+ Youth Strategy € 1,103.69 Union of Students in Ireland Launch of Youth Consultation Report € 300.00...

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

Katherine Zappone: Details of the expenditure incurred by my Department to date in 2017 under the headings mentioned are as follows: - Company Nature of Cost Cost Photography Maxwell Photography Ltd Launch of new Affordable Childcare measures €430.50 Maxwell Photography Ltd Dáil na Óg Event €528.90 Maxwell Photography Ltd. Photo Call: Childcare Billboard Launch 01/8/17...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Community Childcare Subvention Programme (13 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The eligibility of the applying parent is determined by their status with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) and certain other factors including medical cards or GP visit cards (for children over 6 only). The amount of the subvention received from my Department is determined by the parent’s DEASP status. It is current practice that when a DEASP payment...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the opportunity to provide an update on the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. The commission submitted a third interim report which I published last week, to which Senator Devine has just referred. The report, which is available on my Department's website, outlined the practical challenges the commission faced in meeting its initial deadline of 17 February...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware that both of those questions that are live. What I have indicated is that as a result of the initial facilitation process, out of which some of the issues Senator Devine has identified have been expressed again, we have decided that it would be really important to establish this collaborative forum which will report in six months. One of the areas it will be looking at will be to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 458, 459, 467, 468, 470, 472, 477 to 479, inclusive, and 484 together. It is important to be clear that there has been no withdrawal, or proposal to withdraw, any ECCE provision for children with disabilities. All children will be eligible to 76 weeks or 2 academic years of ECCE from September 2018. On Wednesday 6 December I announced that I have paused...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Safety (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: While it is not appropriate for me to comment on an individual case, Tusla have advised me that the person named made a complaint in 2009 and a report on the findings in relation to this complaint was issued to him in 2010. Tusla have also advised me that no agreement, as referred to by the Deputy, has been made. I can confirm that Officials in my Department have also written to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 to 463, inclusive, together. The ECCE scheme, when introduced in 2010, allowed for exemptions from the upper age limit in exceptional circumstances where a child had special needs. Applications for such exemptions must be submitted in writing to the DCYA, and must include a letter of recommendation from a medical specialist (not a GP) supporting the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Independent Review of the Cost of Providing Quality Childcare is a critical input to the on-going reform of childcare in Ireland and is commitment in the Programme for Government. This review seeks to: - Analyse the current costs of providing childcare in Ireland and factors that impact on those costs; - Develop a model of the unit cost/costs of providing childcare that allows analysis...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Staff (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 465 and 466 together. Childcare workers play a critical role in delivering high quality childcare services and they deserve to be recognised, valued and respected for this. My Department acknowledges that pay and conditions are major issues facing the sector and can lead to difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff. My Department is somewhat...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is important to be clear that there has been no withdrawal, or proposal to withdraw, any ECCE entitlement from children with disabilities. All children will be entitled to 76 weeks or 2 academic years of ECCE from September 2018. On Wednesday 6 December I announced that I have paused a decision on the upper age limit exemption for ECCE so that further consultation with parents can occur....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: On Wednesday 6th December I announced that I have paused a decision on this matter so that further consultation with parents will occur. Since ECCE was introduced in 2010, approximately 500 children availed of the exemption each year, although for reasons set out below, it was expected that much fewer than this would have applied in 2018. This original decision to remove the overage...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) supports children with disabilities to reap the full benefits of free pre-school education. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience. AIM is a child-centred and evidence-based model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, based on the needs of the child...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: AIM supports children with disabilities to reap the full benefits of free pre-school education. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience. AIM is a child-centred and evidence-based model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, based on the needs of the child and the pre-school setting. AIM...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Staff (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: AIM supports children with disabilities to reap the full benefits of free pre-school education. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience. AIM is a child-centred and evidence-based model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, based on the needs of the child and the pre-school setting. AIM...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is important to be clear that there has been no withdrawal, or proposal to withdraw, any ECCE entitlement from children with disabilities. All children will be entitled to 76 weeks or 2 academic years of ECCE from September 2018. On Wednesday 6 December I announced that I have paused a decision on the upper age limit exemption for ECCE so that further consultation with parents can occur....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Standards (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department received a qualifications assessment application from the person named and a response issued to her on the 20th of October. DCYA officials indicated in the response that the individual should provide additional information if she is in a position to do so; to date DCYA has had no further contact from the person concerned. New regulations were introduced for the Early Years...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (12 Dec 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla has advised that it currently employs 67 Senior Practitioner Social Workers and by the end of 2018 Tusla expects to appoint 130 Senior Social Work Practitioners in 2018. Information in relation to the estimated cost to Tusla per senior practitioner appointed is set out in the table below: Cost for a SW Senior Practitioner Basic €56,781 PRSI €6,104 Total Pay...