Results 5,621-5,640 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Schemes (25 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Following the decision in Budget 2017, a new Affordable Childcare Scheme will be introduced later this year which will provide financial support for parents towards the cost of childcare. The new Scheme will provide a system from which both universal and targeted subsidies can be provided towards the cost of childcare. This new Scheme will replace the existing targeted childcare programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (25 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Following receipt of a status report in late December, my Department is currently finalising a package of support for services who have engaged with Childcare Committees Ireland and established through this process that their sustainability is impacted by the full implementation of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016. This is the final stage of a process that has...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (25 Jan 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 provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: It is unclear to what programme the Deputy refers. If the Deputy wishes to provide further information in relation to the cross border early childhood care and education consortia, this matter can be investigated further.

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased to before the House today for this Second Stage debate on the Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016. I look forward to engaging in debate with Senators as the Bill proceeds through the various Stages. As Senators will be aware, the Bill provides for a number of significant changes to adoption legislation arising from the children's referendum held in 2012 and given effect to in...

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank all Senators for their insightful, practical and pragmatic reflections, many of which were deeply rooted in a philosophical and ethical base. I know that all Senators were operating from that position, but it is helpful to put it into words. I found it inspiring listening to the way in which they offered their reflections and for that reason it is wonderful to be back in the Seanad....

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the gods and goddesses for the timing of that one.

Seanad: Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I thank my predecessor, Senator Reilly, for his kind comments. He identified two issues which are integral to the Bill and long overdue. Senator Burke mentioned he came across a case regarding a child who is over 18 and I will ask him about this. His points on incorrect information about a child are important. To answer some of the practical issues raised, we will bring forward the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Garda Vetting of Personnel (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware that there have been difficulties in relation to obtaining vetting disclosures for early years staff. I understand that these difficulties do not relate to the National Vetting Bureau, but to administrative procedures associated with processing applications. My Department provides funding to two organisations, Early Childhood Ireland and Barnardos, to process vetting applications...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children's Rights (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have been informed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that data on the number of concerns regarding children lodged by sports clubs is not presently collected. As required under Section 8 of the Child Care Act 1991, my Department also receives the annual 'Review of Adequacy' report compiled and published by Tusla, which reviews the adequacy of the child and family services provided by...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Sports Organisations (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware, the Children First Act 2015 was signed into law on 19 November 2015, in accordance with a key commitment in the Programme for Government, and provides for, inter alia- - mandatory reporting by key professionals, - mandated assisting, - comprehensive risk assessment and preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements by services for children, and - the establishment...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 626 and 627 together. There is one Secretary General and three Assistant Secretaries General in my Department. The details in respect of their annual salaries are in the following table: Annual Salary at 1st January 2017 Secretary General €167,300 Assistant Secretary General €130,706 Assistant Secretary General €124,917 Assistant...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Officials from my Department have made enquiries with Tusla on this matter. I can confirm that there are 119 childminders registered with Tusla.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Area Based Childhood Programme (24 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a joint prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies. It is a time bound co-funding arrangement with resources of €29.7m from 2013 to 2017. The aim of the ABC Programme is to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches to improve outcomes for children and families...

Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I am bringing a memo to Cabinet next week with a view to securing permission to publish the heads of the Bill. It is hoped the Bill will be enacted and commenced to ensure that the affordable child care scheme will be in place when we said it would be.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (19 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Ireland ratified the Hague Convention on the protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption on 1 November 2010. The Adoption Act 2010 provides for inter country adoption between countries that have ratified the Hague Convention, or between countries with whom Ireland has a bilateral agreement. The Act, which incorporates the provisions of the Hague Convention,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (19 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Investment in ICT infrastructure is essential to support both social workers and other staff in their work. The capital provision for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency in 2016 included provision for the continued roll out of the National Child Care Information System (NCCIS). Tusla has also been provided with the requested level of capital funding for 2017 to continue the roll out of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (19 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has advised me that upon receipt of the necessary documentation Tusla will allocate a social worker as soon as is practically possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Brexit Issues (19 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have had no bilateral meetings of the type described by the Deputy. However, I have participated in a number of fora where the issue of Brexit and its challenges were discussed. I have met with my Northern Ireland counterpart in the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Health and Food Safety Sector meeting in Armagh on 9 November 2016 and also at the NSMC Plenary meetings in Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services Provision (18 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: As advised in my response to the Deputy in November 2016, the final evaluation report on the Centres, published by One Family in March 2014, recommended that an integrated response by my Department, the Department of Justice and Equality, supported by their relevant agencies (i.e. The Child and Family Agency, the Courts Service, the Probation Service, the Legal Aid Board, the Family Mediation...