Results 441-460 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Data (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: This question was already received by my Department on the 11/12/2019 and referred by my officials to Tusla for direct answer.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have requested that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, responds to you directly on this matter.   I am informed that Tusla has conducted a needs analysis project in the Carlow area, in conjunction with local stakeholders.   The allocation of outreach workers in Carlow was prioritised in 2019, and funding was provided for this purpose. Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The General Scheme of the "Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill" is highly technical because of the issues involved, particularly in relation to identification of the deceased children. While I and my officials have endeavoured to advance this as quickly as possible, it takes time to work through the privacy and data protection implications in particular,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Once the Bill based on the General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill has been enacted, it will be possible to establish the Agency to manage the intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam and the appropriate expertise can then be procured to carry out the necessary work. I hope that we can move swiftly through the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department, in consultation with other relevant Departments and Agencies, is developing detailed proposals for the operation of the voluntary administrative scheme for the collection of biological samples to which the Deputy refers. I hope to bring these proposals to Government early in the Spring session. In tandem, my Department has been developing the legislative proposals that were...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As an independent statutory regulator, it is vital that Tusla exercises its regulatory powers in a proportionate manner, firstly to drive improvement and secondly to respond to continuous and serious breaches of regulations within its remit, while balancing the rights of providers to fair procedures and natural justice. A “critical” level status implies a high and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The removal of crèches from the Register of Early Years Services is the ultimate sanction by Tusla, the independent statutory Regulator. It comes at the end of an enforcement process, during which a provider is afforded fair procedure, and generally provided with several opportunities to rectify matters and meet regulatory requirements. Tusla does not take the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 631 and 632 together. The removal of crèches from the Register of Early Years Services is the ultimate sanction by Tusla, the independent statutory Regulator. It comes at the end of an enforcement process, during which a provider is afforded fair procedure, and generally provided with several opportunities to rectify matters and meet regulatory...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The policy of my Department is not to provide funding to services which are not Tusla registered. There has however been a small number of services that were not on the Tusla register, but which had been deemed appropriate to fund and which had a DCYA reference number, enabling Pobal payments and this is detailed in paragraphs 3- 5 below. When the Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The safety and protection of children remains the first priority of Government.  This is done through the enforcement of Regulations which have children at the heart of their implementation. Tusla is the independent statutory regulator of early learning and care and school age childcare services in Ireland. In performing its regulatory function, its actions include responding to breaches...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I strongly believe that childminding has an important and distinctive role to play in the future of early learning and care and school-age childcare in this country. The public consultation on the Draft Childminding Action Plan was extensive, and I warmly welcome the high level of participation in the consultation by both childminders and parents. A central part of the consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV).   The Council of Europe's document on minimum standards for support services for victims of domestic violence, "Combating Violence Against Women: Minimum Standards for Support Services" describes standards that apply to a range...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I have requested that Tusla responds directly to the Deputy on these matters.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I have requested that Tusla responds directly to the Deputy regarding the distribution of emergency refuge spaces in Dublin city and county.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department provides funding for universal youth work through the Youth Services Grant Scheme (YSGS) to a range of organisations, many of which provide support around alcohol and drugs.  These organisations include: - No Name! Club which provide positive alternatives to alcohol and drug-centred activities for young people - National Youth Council of Ireland partner with DCYA and the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. This includes the provision of emergency refuge accommodation for individuals and families that experience domestic violence. I have requested that Tusla respond directly to the Deputy regarding the distribution of refuge spaces throughout the country. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to the supporting documentation required as part of the re-registration process for early years services by the Early Years Inspectorate of Tusla, the independent and statutory regulator of this sector.  The suitability and safety of premises is a key concern in the assessment of quality provision for children in early learning and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (17 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to thank the Deputy for his question, and can confirm that I have referred the matter to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for their direct reply.