Results 541-560 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: It is helpful for one of our representatives to meet with parents specifically in respect of certain services that have closed. I thank the Deputy for her correspondence on the matter. The county and city childcare committees have been offering support to parents, especially in those areas. For example, the Dublin city childcare committee has received notice from more than 50 services...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In the first instance I know the city and county childcare committees are working with any parents who are in contact. They have tried to identify where places are available. If parents have not been in direct contact with the committees I urge them to make contact. Deputy Rabbitte has explored a recommendation with parents. We have been thinking about that as well. The Deputy...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am conscious of the Deputy's support for this important facility and I was pleased to have been able to visit it at her invitation last year. The Deputy will be aware that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, supports Amber in Kilkenny as part of its role to provide care and protection for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Tusla has informed me that Amber has...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Deputy Funchion has identified a particular need within Carlow-Kilkenny. One of the precise recommendations that I made to Tusla, which is being taken up, was for the hiring of additional outreach support workers by refuges throughout the country. I made the recommendation because I met domestic, sexual and gender-based violence service representatives from throughout the country,...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Provision (10 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. The removal of childcare providers from the register of early years services is the ultimate sanction by Tusla, the independent statutory regulator for the sector. It comes at the end of an enforcement...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 83 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: Domestic Violence Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In 2019, I was pleased to be in a position to provide Tusla, the Child and Family Agency with €1.5 million in additional funding for the provision of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services. This funding allowed 12 additional domestic violence outreach workers to be employed in areas of need in counties Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Galway and Wicklow. Following an extensive needs...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased that Ireland ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention) on the 8 March, 2019 - International Women's Day. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the provision of care and protection to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla ensures counselling services are available through the provision of funding of over €6m to 250 voluntary organisations at national, regional and local level. These organisations offer a variety of counselling and support services including marriage and relationship counselling and child and adolescent counselling. Tusla also funds peer support programmes for children and, very...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme opened on November 20th. It is being opened on a phased basis, with the online application system now available and a postal application system available from early 2020. The NCS streamlines the existing targeted schemes and is more accessible for both parents and service providers. I am delighted that there has been a very high volume of applications since its...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Budgets (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is referring the Department's 2017 financial allocation. In 2017, the Department was voted €1.3 billion by Dáil Éireann under the Appropriation Act 2017, which also provides that unspent sums are surrendered to the Exchequer under the deferred surrender arrangements established by section 91 of the Finance Act 2004. The majority of the unspent monies...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Data (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme opened on November 20th for online applications. I am delighted that there has been a very high volume of applications. As of the 9th December over 12,000 applications have been submitted, relating to over 17,000 children and thousands of awards have issued to parents. Parents must bring this award to their childcare provider and once their provider has...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Process (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019 was published on 8 August 2019 and completed Third (Committee) Stage in Dáil Éireann on 23 October. The Bill addresses significant inadequacies in the current system of Guardian ad litem (GAL) provision which is ad hoc, unregulated and in urgent need of reform. Appointment of GALs is uneven, with huge variation in rates of appointment across...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is committed to supporting children, parents and communities in dealing with the impact of homelessness on their lives. The short and long term effects of homelessness on children are well documented. While Tusla does not have a direct role in the provision of housing or accommodation for homeless families, a range of services, from prevention and early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The safety and protection of children remains the first priority of Government. Safety and protection is assured 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Services Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the provision of care and protection to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I understand that Tusla provided funding of €3,200 to the organisation in question in 2018 and again in 2019 for child counselling services. Tusla is providing some €650,000 in funding in 2019 to support...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme is fairer and more far-reaching than the current schemes and was sought after for many years. It removes many of the restrictive eligibility requirements of the current schemes, linked to Social Protection payments or a Medical Card in order to receive supports. Moving to this new system will be a significant step forward in combating the poverty traps inherent...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: It is my understanding that the Deputy is referring to the operation and maintenance of the Register of Early Years Services. Tusla is the independent statutory regulator of early learning and care and school-age childcare services in Ireland. My Department does not have a direct role in relation to the processing of registration applications or maintenance of the register. Registration and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education Welfare Service (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) has advised that Educational Welfare Officers (EWO) supported 6,134 students/families during the 2018/2019 school year. The approach adopted by EWO’s is to work in a supportive manner with families to address the underlying issues causing school attendance issues. Of this number there were 175 summonses issued which equates to less than 3% of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education and Training Boards Funding (10 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Two different streams of administrative funding are provided to ETBs as part of their mid-level governance functions in relation to youth schemes. Youth work function funding is provided to each Education and Training Board (ETB) to support the provision, co-ordination, administration and assessment of youth work services in its functional area and to provide information as may be required in...