Results 3,961-3,980 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Detention Centres (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As of this morning (28/11/2017), there are currently 49 children detained in Oberstown Children Detention Campus. Oberstown is the national children detention campus. Of the 49 children, 18 are remanded by the courts and 31 are serving a period of detention following a conviction by the courts. Of the 18 on remand, 17 are male and 1 is female. Of the 31 on committal, 30 are male and 1 is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Visiting Teacher Service (29 Nov 2017)

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: Foster Care (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The current National Standards for Foster Care, published by the Department of Health and Children in 2003, have no basis in statute.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Similar to many government capital grant schemes, capital funding is made available to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on an annual basis for use within that year. In 2017, €8.4 million Early Years Capital funding was granted to service providers in a very competitive process to create new childcare places as well as increasing the quality of existing childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Learner Fund was first launched in 2013 but allocations have not taken place on a simple year by year basis, rather new phases of the Learner Fund have been launched on the basis of gauged demand and need in the Early Years sector. Since 2013, there have been four phases of funding for further education courses in Early Childhood Care and Education accredited by Quality and Qualifications...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Functions (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the funding was administered in part through the County and City Childcare Committees (CCC), I am able to provide a county by county breakdown of funding, however, funding has always been offered on a national level and not on a county by county basis. The allocation of funding to each county area is a direct reflection of the uptake of the opportunity offered through the Learner Fund and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Programmes (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Learner Fund was first launched in 2013 but allocations have not taken place on a simple year by year basis, rather new phases of the Learner Fund have been launched on the basis of gauged demand and need in the Early Years sector. Please see the following table which highlights the number of person who have benefitted from the learner fund each year since 2013. Learner Fund Rounds...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is my understanding that the Deputy is referring to the capitation payments paid to childcare providers for providing the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Please see the following table, which contains the relevant information. Programme Year Amount paid ECCE 2010-2011 €155,640,509 ECCE  2011-2012 €160,721,189 ECCE  2012-2013...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 to 455, inclusive, together. The National Síolta Aistear initiative was established in late 2016. Its purpose is to provide central support and coordination of Síolta (The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education) and Aistear (The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework) implementation across the Early Years sector. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 and 457 together. In the 2017/2018 programme year the bands and eligibility have changed with children who would have qualified for band B in 2016/17 now being spilt between band B and a new band, band D. These ‘September Measures’ include a universal payment together with an average 50% increase to the band rates of the CCS/CCSP targeted...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Central Statistics Office Data (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs does not compile data on the number of children according to gross income per household nor does it hold data in the format requested. This is a matter for the CSO who are under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There are 4,496 early years services registered with Tusla. The following table contains a breakdown of these services, by county, as requested by the Deputy. County Number of Services Carlow 49 Cavan 64 Clare 147 Cork 479 Donegal 146 Dublin 1196 Galway 284 Kerry 130 Kildare 194 Kilkenny 97 Laois 82 Leitrim 33 Limerick 197 Longford 35 Louth 114 Mayo 130 Meath 206 Monaghan...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (29 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 460 to 463, inclusive, together. The capacity of Tusla registered crèches, by county, is as follows. County Capacity of Registered Services Carlow 2,042 Cavan 2,924 Clare 4,291 Cork 17,684 Donegal 5,239 Dublin 46,222 Galway 10,146 Kerry 4,815 Kildare 8,074 Kilkenny 3,137 Laois 3,176 Leitrim 1,143 Limerick 6,990 Longford 1,713 Louth 4,239...

Other Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Those are excellent questions and I will certainly investigate them. I do not know if I have specific answers, but my understanding, having asked, is that Tusla is working closely in particular with the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive with specific reference to women who are pregnant or those who are at risk of or experiencing domestic violence. We have identified some potential...

Other Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 51 together. I thank Deputy Broughan for the excellent questions. I believe the Deputy is aware that I am committed to helping children and families as part of the whole-of-Government response to the problem of homelessness. I believe that living in emergency accommodation such as hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation impacts negatively on the...

Other Questions: Homeless Persons Supports (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is absolutely correct that the Ministers should be, and are, held accountable. I appreciate the Deputy's questions. He has raised some of them with me previously. On the question of researching and studying the mental health and well-being of the children, I agree with the issues identified by Deputy Broughan. It is not good for the mental health and well-being of young...

Other Questions: Foster Care Supports (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I do not know when the rates were last reviewed but I will find that out for the Deputy.

Other Questions: Foster Care Supports (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: If it is the case, as he suggests, that the rates have not been reviewed recently, it is even more important that this should be done in the context of the extensive review of the Child Care Act in which my Department is engaged. The points the Deputy has raised are timely and all of them circle around the extraordinary contribution foster carers make to the protection and care of children...

Other Questions: Foster Care Supports (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy has made his points very well. As I said, they are timely in the context of the review being conducted within my Department. The Deputy referred in particular to the income supports that are provided to those who take on this important and special role on behalf of the State. As I set out in my reply, there are other forms of support in addition to income support that are part...

Other Questions: Child Care Services Funding (28 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 60 together. An allocation of €6.86 million was secured in budget 2018 for my Department's capital funding programme. As in 2017, this will be allocated to early years and school age child care capital projects. An official announcement on the specification of the capital programme for 2018 is due to be made in the coming week and will see...