Results 5,001-5,020 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Costs (13 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Government has agreed its plan to make childcare more affordable, using the additional €19m childcare funding agreed in Budget 2017, and has approved a range of measures that will see more than 70,000 families benefit from reduced childcare costs from September. Moving from one of the most expensive childcare systems in the world to one of the best is ambitious, and we need to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (13 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The actual cost of this proposal would be subject to a number of factors including actual levels of participation, and the number of children subvented at the 'higher capitation' rate- costs increase as the number of higher qualified staff increase. At current levels of uptake and capitation rates the cost per 1 percent increase would be approximately €2.8m; taking all at the higher...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (13 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: When introduced, the ECCE scheme provided free-preschool for 38 weeks of the year, the 38 weeks broadly mirrored the primary school academic year. When ECCE was expanded as a result of Budget 2016, it enabled all children to attend ECCE from the age of three, entering at one of three entry points after their third birthday, September, January or April, and remain there until they started in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (13 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 382 and 386 together. The detailed information sought by the Deputy is not currently available in the format requested. Officials in my Department are compiling this information, which will be supplied to the Deputy in no later than 10 working days.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Expenditure (13 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2017 provided an additional €19m to enable the introduction of more affordable childcare from September. This additional funding includes development costs for the Single Affordable Childcare Scheme (SACS) and is in addition to the existing funding of €86 million, which supports the current targeted schemes, specifically, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (13 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Criteria for particular positions is a matter for Tusla and accordingly the information requested is not readily available in my Department. My officials have requested the information from Tusla and I will forward the reply to the Deputy once I have been furnished with it.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Reviews (13 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Given the importance of financial sustainability for the provision of quality childcare, the Programme for Government has committed to conducting and publishing an independent review of the cost of delivering quality childcare in Ireland. Work on preparing a Request for Tender for this Review is currently underway and it is envisaged that this RFT will be published in the coming months. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Information and Communications Technology (13 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm there is no specific funding provided under the capital plan 2016 - 2021 for the information technology infrastructure across my Department.

Topical Issue Debate: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate the additional comments of the Deputies. In response to Deputy Burton with regard to stories on the front page and what they say, I do not have any information on that. I know that oftentimes things-----

Topical Issue Debate: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: -----are reported that may or may not have happened. I accept and hear what the Deputy is saying, but I just do not have any comment on that. I wish to say very clearly that in terms of the Government's response, it does not mean we have closed off redress for those who have been in mother and baby homes. When the commission finishes its investigations, social history and confidential...

Topical Issue Debate: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter and providing me with an opportunity to discuss the publication of the second interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. The commission was set up to inquire into the conditions in mother and baby homes and county homes in the period between 1922 and 1998. Following a short first interim report last July, the...

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

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 whether in the context of the family or otherwise. At all times, Tusla’s key priority is to ensure that the needs of victims of domestic and sexual violence are being met in the best way possible. A network of 60 organisations provide...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Juvenile Offenders (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: A key commitment to develop a Bail Supervision Scheme was part of the Youth Justice Action Plan 2014-2018, and in accordance with this commitment, a Bail Supervision Scheme (BSS) is currently operating on a two-year pilot basis covering the Dublin Children Court. The Scheme provides therapeutic supports in the community for children who are subject to bail conditions. Extern have been...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Homelessness Strategy (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Every year approximately 450 young people leave the care of the State. A significant number of these remain living with their foster carers. Those who do not have family support from a foster carer or family base are assisted in finding accommodation in supported lodgings, sheltered housing or independent accommodation and encouraged and supported financially in furthering their training...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Second Interim Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes (and certain related Matters) was published on Tuesday 11 April. The Report is available to read at my Departments website www.DCYA.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: DEIS Expenditure (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Responsibility for the National Educational Welfare Board which included the School Completion Programme was transferred to my Department on its establishment in 2011. Upon the establishment of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency on January 1 2014, operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme was transferred to the Agency. With regard to the DEIS programme the only...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Home School Community Liaison Scheme (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) is an integral part of the Department of Education and Skills DEIS strategy to combat educational disadvantage. The scheme provides targeted supports for the development of collaboration and partnership between parents and teachers of children who are at risk of educational disadvantage as indicated by poor school attendance, participation and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Funding of €14.5 million has been made available in 2017, for the first time, for ‘non-contact time’ to recognise the increasing volume of work done outside of direct contact hours with children. This funding will provide an additional payment of seven days' funding to all ECCE Services - and an equivalent level of payment to CCS and TEC services.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Strategy Implementation (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Aistear is the national curriculum framework for early childhood education.  It was published in 2009 and resources have been made available through the NCCA (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment) to assist practitioners in early years settings in its implementation primarily through online access to the Aistear-Síolta Practice Guide.  The curriculum framework is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (12 Apr 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Officials in my Department contacted Tusla to ascertain the number of inspectors currently employed to inspect Early Years services and confirmed that, at year end 2016, a total of 45.4 Whole Time Equivalent inspectors were employed. A number of administrative staff are also employed to support the registration and inspection process.