Results 921-940 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (17 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: 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: National Childcare Scheme (17 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Childcare Support Act 2018 makes provision for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to enter into formal agreements with specific statutory bodies ("sponsor bodies") for the purposes of referring vulnerable children and families to the National Childcare Scheme.  Engagement is progressing well between my officials and each of the bodies in relation to the terms of agreements...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Correspondence (17 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Pobal administers a significant number of schemes and programmes for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, and there is almost daily interaction between the two bodies, involving correspondence to and from several officials of my Department.  The correspondence would arise, for example, in relation to the development of the new National Childcare Scheme, the operation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (17 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In order for a service to receive funding for AIM Level 7 support, an application must be received and approved on the Programmes Implementation Platform (PIP). Payments are then issued to Services at set intervals during the year. The first payment for the 2019-20 ECCE programme year was 13th September with a subsequent payment due on 18th October. To have received payment on 13 September,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Attendance Data (17 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy may be aware, the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 defines a child as a person resident in the state who has reached the age of 6 years and who has not reached the age of 16 years or who has not yet completed 3 years of post-primary education. This Act also established the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and tasked it with implementing the provisions of this Act. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (17 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Following Budget 2020, I am pleased to announce that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency's funding allocation will be €814m next year, an increase 4% on 2019. This underlines my commitment to supporting Tusla, as Ireland's first dedicated State agency for the protection and welfare of children. This funding will: - meet increasing demand for existing services...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I can confirm that my Department has not incurred any costs in excess of €100 million in respect of capital projects over the past five years.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: There will be a significant requirement for early learning and care capital investment over the next number of years. This is currently recognised in the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027. The NPF highlights the contribution of early childhood care and education to the important role of childcare provision in terms of underpinning future...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (16 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department does not currently provide such supports. The Deputy may be aware that AIM - the Access and Inclusion Model - provides both universal and targeted supports for the meaningful participation of children with disabilities in the ECCE pre-school programme. AIM is a child-centred model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, based on...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (16 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency's in-house Legal Services Unit was established in March 2014. The Unit provides specialist legal services and support to Tusla staff and procures external legal services for some functions. I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy regarding the amount spent by Tusla on external legal...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse (16 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 to 231, inclusive, together. Over the last two years My Department has received regular progress reports from Scouting Ireland with regards to their governance and safeguarding, and have also regularly met with officials from Scouting Ireland to discuss these.  The most recent progress report was 9 March 2019 and this was followed by a meeting to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Investigations (16 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy refers to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that they reply directly.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Investigations (16 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy refers to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that they reply directly.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Investigations (16 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy refers to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that they reply directly.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (16 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy refers to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that they reply directly.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (16 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: 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. Tusla has provided my Department with the following information. The Early Years Inspectorate conducted an inspection of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Voluntary Sector Funding (16 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides funding to many organisations that support children and families throughout the country. As the allocation of such funding is an operational matter for Tusla, I have requested Tusla to respond to the Deputy directly.

Health and Childcare Support (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the opportunity to conclude, particularly since the Minister for Health introduced the Bill on his and my own behalf. I will discuss the aspect of this Bill relating to the national childcare scheme along with another issue raised during Second Stage. I will launch the national childcare scheme in a few weeks. It is our pathway to accessible, affordable and quality childcare in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Projects (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputies for giving me the opportunity to update the House on the supports provided to children and young people by the school completion programme, SCP, in the north Clondalkin area. I will first give Members some background information on the programme. The SCP is a targeted school and community support service. It aims to support keeping young people in education through to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Educational Projects (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have been informed that the local management of the SCP, the Get Ahead Club and the educational welfare service got together to discuss questions of governance. Together, they agreed to move forward with the use of the €559,765 in funding for school completion activities. That is what has been agreed and that money is for school completion activities. It is important that the...