Results 4,141-4,160 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: A number of supports in my Department are administered through Pobal. The largest of these is the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE) otherwise known as "free pre-school" provides children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school. The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The rules of the ECCE programme clearly state that a service may request a deposit from parents to secure a place but that this deposit must be returned to the parents once the registration is approved on the online registration system. In relation to the specific case referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that officials from my Department have been in touch with the service in question,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Administration (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department funds City and County Childcare Committees (CCC) to support parents to identify suitable childcare places. My Department has raised this query with the relevant CCC who have noted they have a waiting list and are not in a position to provide further ECCE places. It is a matter for the provider to decide how they structure their service. The CCC has noted that other Creches...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have requested information from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I will forward the reply to the Deputy once I have been furnished with this information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I understand that the Deputy's question relates to complaints in relation to Tusla's Child Protection and Welfare services. Section 64 of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, requires Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to establish procedures for dealing with complaints against the Agency or a service provider. Tusla introduced its complaints policy, "Tell Us: You Say, We Listen"in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Law Cases (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I would like to advise the Deputy that this is not a matter for this Department since The Department of Justice and Equality has responsibility for family law matters. The Deputy may ask my Cabinet colleague, Minister Flanagan to make a statement on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Discipline (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Educational Welfare Service of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has advised that Tusla Educational Welfare Services (EWS) Regional Manager (RM), Senior Educational Welfare Officer (SEWO) and the Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) assigned to the school met with St Joseph's Principal, Deputy Principal (DP) and Senior management team on 25th April, 2017 to discuss the level of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Discipline (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined below. The following are the number of expelled and suspended students from 2014-2017: - 2014/2015 - 63840C had 653 enrolled, 98 were suspended (15%) and 4 expelled (0.6%) - 2015/2016 - 63840C had 637 enrolled, 75 were suspended (11.8%) and 5 expelled (0.7%) - 2016/2017 - 63840C had 727 enrolled, 66 were suspended (9.1%) and 3 expelled...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Discipline (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla Educational Welfare Service (EWS) has advised my Department that suspension should be a proportionate response to the behaviour that is causing concern. The decision to suspend a student should, in the view of Tusla EWS, require serious grounds such as: - the student's behaviour has had a seriously detrimental effect on the education of other students, - the student's continued...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Discipline (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined below. Tusla has advised there was a 0.6% rate of expulsions in 2014/2015, enrolment 653 (4 students); 0.7% rate of expulsions in 2015/2016, enrolment 637 (5 students); 0.3% rate of expulsions in 2016/2017, enrolment 727 (3 students). There is a downward trend in the number of suspensions and expulsions from the school referred to.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Discipline (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Educational Welfare Service of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has advised my Department that the school referred to has not recorded the highest number of suspensions and expulsions.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Discipline (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1130 to 1132, inclusive, together. The Educational Welfare Service of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has advised my Department that there has been a downward trend year on year in the number of suspensions and expulsions in the school referred to. Tusla EWS does not have role in the internal management of a school. Each school's Board of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There are 109 Family Resource Centres currently in receipt of funding from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla provides funding to the centres under an annual agreement. This funding is provided by way of a contribution towards the running costs of the centres. The financial allocation to support this programme amounts to €13.51m in 2017. I was pleased to announce recently...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that additional funding of approximately €5.0m is being made available to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency to be spent between now and the end of 2018 to support the work of Family Resource Centres. This includes the provision of additional funding to Tusla to expand the existing Family Resource Centre Programme. A total of 11 centres will be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (7 Nov 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Value for Money and Policy Review (VFMPR) of the Youth Funding programmes 2014 examined three of the targeted funding schemes, the Special Projects for Youth (SPY) scheme, the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF) rounds 1 and 2, and Local Drug Task Force (LDTF) projects scheme. The schemes support the provision of youth services for young people who are at risk of...

Questions on Promised Legislation (26 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for the question. I will ask my Department to provide the reasons for the refusal.

Questions on Promised Legislation (26 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The board of Tusla approved a commitment to develop this site in July. The board had hoped that this work would begin in September. I will discover the next scheduled time.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (26 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Early Childhood and Education Programme (ECCE) programme was expanded from September 2016 so that children may start free pre-school from age 3, and can continue in free pre-school once the child is not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the relevant pre-school year. Currently there are three different points in the year - September, January and April. Under Budget 2018,...

Topical Issue Debate: Family Resource Centres (25 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I was struck by the fact that one of the objects of the Togher Family Centre's mission is to deliver "exceptional Early Years and Youth Services where the voice of the child is encouraged, heard and respected". This undoubtedly underpinned the development of the access centre, which was innovative. Through Tusla, my Department supported its establishment and additional funding has been...

Topical Issue Debate: Family Resource Centres (25 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy is aware, Togher Family Centre is a voluntary, community-based project located in the heart of Deanrock estate, Togher, Cork city. The centre is located in a house which has been extended and modified to meet the highest standards of health and safety. I understand the project developed from a long-established, community-based pre-school facility. Togher Family Centre...