Results 4,261-4,280 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies Data (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that the bodies under the aegis of my Department are the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI), the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO) and the Oberstown Children Detention School Campus (OCDC). My Department also provides the primary source of funding for Gaisce, the President's Award. Gaisce is a limited company set up under the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The ECCE programme is a three hour educational programme funded by my Department. Any fees for childcare hours over and above the ECCE hours is at the discretion of the service provider. Registered providers may offer an additional 30 minutes per day but this must be offered on a optional basis to parents and uptake of the additional time must not be a condition of initial or continued...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 497 and 498 together. I have been advised by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that the centre referred to has the capacity to cater for 10 children. Currently, there are 5 young people placed in the centre on foot of a secure care order.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Community Childcare Subvention Programme (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Over the course of the past year and beyond, my Department has been working to build a childcare system that is based on principles of affordability, accessibility and quality. The increase in supports I have provided for the 2017/18 Programme year represents a major step towards accessible, affordable, quality childcare after decades of neglect and under-investment by successive...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I take it from the Deputy's question that he is seeking further clarification relating to Tusla's communications practice and protocol, as it relates to contact with clients and other parties. The Deputy recently tabled a similar question relating to Tusla's complaints handling mechanism, and I set out in some detail the approach which Tusla is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have been advised by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that at this time, the centre concerned is not being used as a residential childcare facility. The purpose and function of this centre is currently under review with the relevant stakeholders.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Agencies Staff Recruitment (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that all successful candidates were written to last week.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: There are presently no specific plans to initiate a national long term consultation process on the future service delivery model for the early years sector in this country. However, a number of fundamental developments are taking place which are critical to the future of childcare. My Department is currently in the process of preparing Ireland's first dedicated Early Years Strategy, as...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department operated a discretionary National Lottery Funding Scheme some years ago in which grants were allocated to community groups and programmes to support children, young people and families. The scheme closed in 2014. The organisation in question last received a sum of €7,000 from my Department in 2013 to provide training resources for child contact centres. The child...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As indicated to the Deputy previously, expenditure by Tusla on legal matters is not a direct financial transaction of my Department and as such the Department does not routinely hold information in respect of individual legal costs incurred by the agency. In the circumstances I am requesting Tusla to contact the Deputy directly in relation to the matter she has raised.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Eligibility (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Childcare provisions in my Department operate to support parents to access employment and to meet the needs and well-being of children. It is considered to be in the best interests of children to have regular and consistent patterns of childcare and our systems are set up with this in mind. In certain exceptional circumstances, we do allow for unusual arrangements, but as currently...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In 2017, funding of €57.4m has been provided to my Department for various youth schemes, an increase of €5.5m over 2016. The additional funding is being used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services. My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, will receive an additional €40.6 million in funding next year. This will bring Tusla's allocation to over €753 million in 2018. Arising from Budget 2018, I will shortly be issuing Tusla with its 2018 Performance Statement in line with the provisions of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013. Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am committed to ensuring that childcare is affordable, accessible and of a high quality. The increase in supports I have provided for the 2017/2018 programme year represents a major step towards accessible, affordable, quality childcare after decades of neglect and under-investment by successive Governments. There are two supports being rolled out under the Community Childcare Scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In Budget 2017 I was pleased to secure a gross funding allocation for my Department of €1,286 million, representing an increase of €172 million on 2016. €466 million in 2017 has been allocated to Childcare. The primary components of this spend are capitation for the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE) at €278 million, capitation for the targeted...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Investigations (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware that the Deputy provided more information to allow Tusla, the Child and Family Agency to examine the issues concerned. I am advised that the information was not sufficient enough to allow the report to be sourced. Therefore, in order to facilitate further searches, I would request that the Deputy please provide further detailed information to my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Employment Rights (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Government is not an employer of workers in the early years pre-school sector it is very constrained in what it can do in regard to pay and conditions. It does, however, accept that it is a major funder of the childcare sector and, as such, has a role to play. It is important to note that the most important stakeholders in putting agreed pay structures in place in any sector are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff working in youth services and communities throughout the country. As the Deputy is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Correspondence (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department is working with Pobal and the Chief State Solicitor's Office (CSSO) to establish the current situation and options available to us regarding this matter. In addition to this, the Department is currently engaged in identifying further issues arising from this process, including those relating to the charges placed on the property and associated documentation submitted as of July...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (17 Oct 2017)

Katherine Zappone: My Department maintains close contact with the national youth organisations and I and officials from my Department meet formally with 30 national youth organisations twice a year to share knowledge and information on developments in the youth sector. My Department will also shortly commence a process with national youth organisations and local services to identify service development needs...