Results 661-680 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Supplementary Estimates for the Public Services 2019
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (3 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Yes, we anticipate a certain amount but perhaps it is not a significant amount in light of other things we have already identified. When the guardian ad litemmeasures are established, there will be a panel of legal experts and certain amounts that are controlled in that manner. We do not expect the area to be significantly changed but there will be more consistency there.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Supplementary Estimates for the Public Services 2019
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (3 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Yes, which is what we are providing for. The 2020 budget provides approximately €2.5 million for the establishment of the guardian ad litem, GAL office.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Supplementary Estimates for the Public Services 2019
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (3 Dec 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputies very much for the consultation and reflection. We are preparing to communicate my decision on which way to move forward with the Bill before the end of this week.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (28 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme opened on 20 November.  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 Scheme provides the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. The Scheme has always been designed such that, when it is fully up and running,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (28 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The information sought by the Deputy is currently being collated and the response will issue as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education Data (27 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Tusla Educational Support Service has advised that Tess have advised the HSCL Scheme and SCP projects provide supports for homeless children and families as the need arises in their cluster schools. There are 420 Home School Community Liaison Coordinators (HSCL) serving over 500 schools and 122 School Completion Programmes (SCP) serving over 700 schools. All HSCL and SCP staff are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (27 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has not hired or engaged agency staff in the past five years to date.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: International Summits (27 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Improving maternal and reproductive health is an important focus of Ireland's international development policy with health system strengthening at the heart of Ireland’s approach.  Ireland works through the UNFPA, the World Health Organisation, with organisations such the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria and with civil society partners to ensure access to essential drugs,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (27 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy knows, there are strong views on the privacy provisions in the Adoption (Information & Tracing) Bill, 2016 and to the revised scheme set out in my proposed amendments for Committee Stage.   My legal advice is that there must be some protection of birth parents' constitutional right to privacy reflected in the legislation. There are two rights at...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Expulsions (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As this is an operational matter I have asked Tusla, the Child and Family Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Officials from my Department have been in contact with colleagues in Pobal who have confirmed that there is no anomaly with the Higher Capitation application system on PIP. This year, due to data protection limitations, service providers were required to submit all qualifications as part of their Higher Capitation applications, regardless of whether they had been...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Thank you for your correspondence concerning the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Higher Capitation and the 2019 Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Capital programmes. Pobal administer both programmes on behalf of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA). In relation to Higher Capitation payments, Pobal issued an announcement to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of support that is designed to ensure that children with a disability can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) (free pre-school) programme. The key objective of AIM is to support early learning and care (ELC) providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that children with a disability can meaningfully...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with a disability can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) (free pre-school) programme. The key objective of AIM is to support early learning and care providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that children with a disability can meaningfully participate in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Expenditure (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Expenditure in the Early Years section of my Department has increased significantly over the last number of years, as outlined in the following table. Table 1: Early Years Beneficiary Outturn (€m) 2014-2018 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 ECCE 164.4 168.5 207.6 256.7 275.6 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Officials in my Department, along with our colleagues in Tusla, are currently compiling the information as requested by the Deputy. This information will be supplied to the Deputy in no later than 10 working days. I have asked my officials to follow up on this to ensure delivery as a matter of urgency.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency allocates funding to a wide range of programmes in the area of family support. Family Support is defined as a style of work that strengthens positive informal social networks through community-based programmes and services. The main focus of these services is on early intervention, which aims to promote the health,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Na Páistí Beaga – Magnet Community Group CLG is a community not-for-profit childcare service in County Cork. My Department has been informed that the service intends to close on 31st December 2019. I am acutely aware of the difficulties this future closure may impose on the families and children who attend the facility, as well as the staff who work there. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The service that the Deputy refers to appears to be an in-school health promotion initiative around drugs and alcohol.  Accordingly I would advise the Deputy that he might refer the question to the Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for Health Promotion and the National Drugs Strategy for her consideration. By way of background to work that my...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (26 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is enquiring about 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.