Results 941-960 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: The club is presumably in communication with the parents. The money in question is to be used for SCP activities rather than programmes which Tusla has no responsibility to fund, such as community employment schemes. Tusla has no operational responsibility there. The Deputies might want to ask the club about that. It has been agreed that, going forward, the money will be used for school...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: When it is fully up and running, applications for the National Childcare Scheme will be accepted both online and by post.  The online application process will be introduced first, followed shortly thereafter by the postal application process. A Public Services Card (PSC) and verified MyGovID account are required to apply online only. The online system will offer a user friendly...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 574 to 576, inclusive, together. The introduction of the new National Childcare Scheme is a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. The Scheme’s objectives are to improve outcomes for children, reduce poverty, facilitate labour activation, tangibly reduce the cost of childcare for tens of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Staff (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am acutely aware of the difficulties that many early learning and care services report regarding the recruitment and retention of qualified staff, and the high rate of staff turnover in the sector. Accessing suitably qualified staff has been particularly difficult in very recent years and is due to both poor retention rates and the massive increase in investment that has seen a doubling of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The details of the number of full-time and part-time civil servants recruited by grade in each of the years 2014 to 2018 and to date in 2019 in my department are listed in Table 1.1. Table 1.1 Grade 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 (to date) Total SEC 1 1 ASC 1 1 2 PO 5 5 5 4 19 AP 3 2 8 11 13 11 48 HEO 2 1 2 11 6 22 AO 5 1 7 6 8 3 30 EO 1 1 12 14 16 12 56 CO 19 17 33 31 13...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal programme available to all children within the eligible age range. A child must have turned 2 years and 8 months on or before 31 August in the programme year, and not be older than 5 years and 6 months on or before 30 June of the second year, to be eligible for the programme. Exemptions from the upper age limit may be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Since September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE). This measure refines the development introduced the previous year and increases the duration of each registered child on ECCE from an average of 61 weeks, to a potential duration of 76 weeks (two...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Since September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE). This measure refines the development introduced the previous year and increases the duration of each registered child on ECCE from an average of 61 weeks, to a potential duration of 76 weeks (two...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 582 and 583 together. My Department is managing the most significant reform of youth services ever undertaken. This reform is informed by the Value for Money and Policy Review (VFMPR) 2014.  The VFMPR examined three existing targeted funding schemes, the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund, the Special Projects for Youth (SPY) scheme and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (15 Oct 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. Tusla conducted an inspection of the service in question -...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: HSE Reports (15 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I can inform the Deputy that my attention has not been drawn to the report to which she refers or its contents. I am asking Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to respond directly to the Deputy with regard to the elements of her question that relate to Tusla.  Decisions with regard to the possible release or publication of a commissioned report would be a matter...

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Financial Resolution No. 9: General (Resumed) (10 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Budget 2020 represents another significant and visible commitment to children and families by this Government and I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I welcome the budget, the fourth I have been involved in as Minister and the fourth that is progressive, where the poorest have gained proportionately more than the richest. We continue to provide additional...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Measures (10 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Post-enactment reports relating to two pieces of primary legislation have been carried out by my Department (see table) since the passing of Standing Order 164A (Post-enactment report) in June 2016. The Childcare Support Act 2018 was enacted on 2 July 2018. While all of the provisions of the Act have been commenced, the Affordable Childcare Scheme (known as the National Childcare Scheme) is...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Measures (10 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has responsibility for 10 Acts that have been enacted since March 2011. Details are provided in the following table. Number Act Name Enacted on No. 11 of 2018 Childcare Support Act 2018 02-Jul-18 No. 19 of 2017 Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017 19-Jul-17 No. 45 of 2015 Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 10-Dec-15 No. 36 of 2015 Children First Act...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (9 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The incidental expenses incurred by my Department in the timeframe specified totalled €167,947. This total was comprised of expenses in the following categories; - Catering - Conferences - Subscriptions and professional memberships - Bank charges - Official entertainment - Sundry office expenses The overall objective is to keep costs of this nature to a minimum, and incidental...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (9 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The organisation referred to in the question is funded by the Department of Employment and Social Protection. Any cuts to the funding for this organisation, explanation for the reasons for any cut and the identification of alternative funding in the event of a cut in funding are a matter for that Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (9 Oct 2019)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Education Welfare Service (8 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has developed and is currently consulting on the draft Blueprint for the Development of Education and Welfare Services which, for the first time will provide a policy platform to secure and further sustain this valuable work. As part of this Blueprint a number of key action areas where development is required were identified. In this regard a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (8 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In recognition of the need for a strong policy platform for educational welfare services, including the School Completion Programme, my Department established a Task Group in late 2018 to support the further development and integration of these services. The work of this group has produced a draft Blueprint for the Development of Education and Welfare Services, which is now in the final phase...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (8 Oct 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla the Child and Family Agency administers the Family Resource Centre Programme, which provides financial support to 121 Family Resource Centres (FRCs) including the FRC referred to by the Deputy. This financial support contributes to the employment of staff and some overheads. I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to his question on funding for specific services.