Results 761-780 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (5 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department provides capital funding annually to early learning and care and school age childcare services. The capital programme is designed each year to ensure that capital grants have a positive, lasting impact on the childcare sector. The following table shows the amount of capital funding which was approved in the years 2016 to 2019 and the amount of capital funding paid during those...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts Data (5 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Details of contracts of €25,000 or more that have been awarded by my Department that were found to be non-compliant with procurement guidelines in 2017 and 2018 are outlined in the following table. No such contracts exist to date in 2019. Subject of Contract / Purchase Value € 2017 TRK Construction t/a TKC...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (5 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1004 to 1006, inclusive, together. The Deputy is referring to 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.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (5 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Officials from my Department contacted Pobal, who administer programme funding on the Department's behalf. Pobal have confirmed that there have been no unsuccessful applications for funding for the service in question for the 2019-20 programme year under the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which supports the participation of children with additional needs in the Early Childhood Care and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Orthodontic Services (5 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy will be aware that the report in question has been commissioned by the Health Service Executive, and that decisions with regard to the possible release or publication would be a matter for that body. My Department is not aware of litigation against the State in relation to this matter. I have requested Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to respond directly to the Deputy with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Libraries (5 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to inform the Deputy that the Educational Welfare Service has no role in the provision of grant funding for the purchase of books for school libraries. This question is more properly directed at my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (5 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has liaised with Tusla to answer this question. 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 responding to breaches of regulations while respecting fair procedures and natural justice. The suitability and safety of premises is a key concern in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (5 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: City of Dublin Youth Service Board (CDYSB), a committee of the City of Dublin Education and Training Board, administers targeted youth funding on behalf of my Department to youth services in the Dublin area which includes this youth project. CDYSB notified officials in the Youth Affairs Unit of my Department on 11th October that it has concerns with regard to the financial management and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Schemes (5 Nov 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Parent & Toddler Groups which are organised on a not-for-profit basis, and which involve the participation of parents in the local community, are eligible for grant aid from my Department. These grants are available for the funding of: - toys, equipment and books; - training for parents, such as in paediatric first aid, committee skills and parenting courses; and - children’s...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 to 265, inclusive, and 267 together. The total annual cost of providing income-assessed subsidies for children between the ages of 3 and 15 years in receipt of the National Childcare Scheme is estimated at €95.9m. The costs are arrived at by: - establishing the number of families with children under 15 years by income bracket (data supplied by CSO)...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the matters to which the Deputy refers are operational matter for Tusla, I have requested Tusla to respond to the Deputy directly within 10 working days.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Data (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Number of children in childcare: My Department collates figures on the total number of children in early learning and care and school age childcare who are availing of one of my Department's programmes, which include the  universally available programmes Community Childcare Subvention Universal (CCSU) and  Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) . The number of children...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Data (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Each year Pobal conducts research on behalf of my Department to examine a number of factors related to childcare services in Ireland, including the monitoring of capacity. The Early Years Sector Profile report, which was published in November 2018 and relates to the 2017/2018 programme year, indicates that existing childcare provision nationally meets current needs nationwide...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which was launched in June 2016, is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.  Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the deputy is aware, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. Its goal is to empower preschool providers to deliver an inclusive preschool experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Living Wage (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy may be aware, any adjustments to the salaries of public and civil servants are set out in the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) 2018-2020. A suggested living wage of €12.30 per hour would equate to an annual salary of €23,747, based on a standard civil service net working week of 37 hours. DPER Circular 17/2019 sets out the adjustments to the pay of civil...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: €297m has been allocated for the Early Childhood Care and Education programme in 2020. There are currently a maximum of 15 hours per week available on the ECCE scheme. The following table outlines the annual cost of increasing the number of hours available per week in 2020 by the specified hourly increments: ECCE Capitation Costs Annual Cost (m) ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Data (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: €297m has been allocated to the Early Childhood Care and Education programme in 2020. ECCE is currently available for 38 weeks throughout the year. The following table outlines the cost of expanding the scheme as per the specified weekly increments:   ECCE Capitation Costs Proposed change Annual Cost (€m) ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: €297m euro has been allocated Early Childhood Care and Education programme in 2020. The standard capitation rate for ECCE is currently €69 and the higher capitation rate is €80.25. The table outlines the annual cost of increasing the standard and higher capitation rates as per the specified increments: ECCE Capitation Costs ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (24 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency for 2020. Tusla will have available to it some €814 million in funding, representing an increase of 3.8% over 2019. This funding will allow Tusla to: - meet increasing demand for existing services and continue to improve overall service...