Results 5,641-5,660 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: The majority of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 came into effect on 30th June 2016. The Regulations provide that each employee working directly with children attending the service must hold at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be...

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

Katherine Zappone: The majority of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 came into effect on 30th June 2016. The Regulations provide that each employee working directly with children attending the service must hold at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be equivalent....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Garda Vetting of Personnel (18 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together. Two organisations are funded by this Department to process vetting applications on behalf of the early years sector. These organisations are Early Childhood Ireland and Barnardos. Neither Tusla nor Pobal have responsibility for processing Garda Vetting applications on behalf of the Early Years sector. I am aware that there have...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Commissions of Investigation (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: At the outset, it is important to stress that the statutory Commission of Investigation is independent in the conduct of its investigations. I am aware that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission has undertaken test excavations at the site of the Children's Burial Ground/Memorial Garden located in the Dublin Road Housing Estate, Tuam, Co. Galway. The Commission has publicly stated that a...

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

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency allocates funding for a network of 60 organisations that provide services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in Ireland. This includes 20 services that provide some 145 family units of emergency refuge accommodation to women and children. In 2016, the dedicated national budget for domestic, sexual and gender-based services was...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Discipline (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following tables. Tusla have advised that they are still awaiting information from some schools for the 2015/16 school year and that data for the 2016/2017 year will not be available until Annual Attendance Reports are filed with Tusla later in 2017. 2014/2015 Post Primary Roll Number School Name Number of Suspensions 91441T...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Insurance Costs (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm to the Deputy that officials from my Department have made enquiries with the Department of Finance on this matter, who have advised the following: The Cost of Insurance Working Group, which to date has looked at the increasing cost of motor insurance, will be broadening the review to specifically consider other lines of non-life insurance.  The Report relating to motor...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Strategy Implementation (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 all childcare staff working directly with children in early years services registering with Tusla on or after 30th June 2016 must hold a major award in early childhood care and education at level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be equivalent, or an exemption...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Garda Vetting Applications (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1675 and 1697 together. I am aware that there have been difficulties in relation to obtaining vetting disclosures for staff. I have provided additional funding to both Early Childhood Ireland and Barnardos to assist the clearance of the backlog of vetting applications that built up during the changeover from paper to e-vetting. In addition, officials...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Strategy Implementation (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, registered providers of pre-school services are now required to ensure that each employee working directly with children attending the service holds at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework or a qualification deemed by the Minister for Children and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have been informed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that no money has been paid to private children's residential services for unaccompanied minors who have not yet arrived in Ireland. Tusla is preparing suitable accommodation and care for the young people's arrival.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The latest figures from Tusla indicate that, at the end of October 2016, there were 6,306 children in care. Of these, over 93% were in foster care, either with relatives or a general foster placement and 5% were in a general residential placement. At the end of October 2016, there were approximately 160 centres, including private, statutory and community based centres caring for 320...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: In the vast majority of instances, the family of a child or young person in State care is known to them and, of course, to Tusla – the Child and Family Agency. On that basis, there are no plans to establish a State sponsored voluntary DNA website in order that those who have been in care can trace their relatives. As the Deputy is aware, the Child Care Act 1991 and the Child and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Provision (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have been advised by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that data is not collected on the number of newly recruited foster carers. However, the total number of foster carers on the approved panel of foster carers at the end 2015 and to the end of September, 2016 is as follows: Total Number of Foster Carers on the panel of approved foster carers - General and Relative Year Total Number...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: The information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the Child and Family Agency and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the information is received.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I have been advised by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency that Tusla does not collect data on the number of joint social work and Gardaí specialist child sexual abuse interviews carried out. Tusla is currently leading a multi-agency process to implement a national service model for sexual abuse services for children and their families. This process aims to incorporate all resources...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, holds the statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, and is the appropriate body to receive relevant reports of concerns relating to children. Data on referrals are reported quarterly in arrears. At the end of Quarter 2, 2016, Tusla reported that approximately 59% of referrals received were of a child welfare concern with the remaining 41%...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Homelessness Strategy (17 Jan 2017)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1684 and 1685 together. As part of the “Rebuilding Ireland – an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness”, my Department has commenced the rollout of a special provision under the current Community Childcare Subvention Programme (entitled CCS Transitional), which will provide access to free childcare for children of families...

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

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware, the status of people in direct provision will vary from person to person. Given that eligibility for different schemes will be very much dependant on the individual circumstances of the family concerned, thus access to childcare schemes will vary. The Community Childcare Subvention (Resettlement/Relocation) programme is available to certain families engaging...

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

Katherine Zappone: The Child and Family Agency has informed me that three social workers have trained as specialist interviewers since 2010. All three specialist interviewers are still employed at social worker grade and at this time the Agency has five specialist interviewers in total (this includes the three interviewers trained since 2010). The Child and Family Agency does not collect data on the total...