Results 1,241-1,260 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is asking about an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla and asked them to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Data (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy is asking about an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla and asked them to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is the body responsible for child protection and welfare. Tusla has adopted Signs of Safety as the national approach to practice, as well as a standard business process that sets out timelines for responses to referrals and assessment of reported concerns. All cases where a child is deemed to be at immediate risk receive a same day response, and after hours...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Budgets (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Gross funding of €1.51 billion is being made available to my Department for 2019. This represents an increase of €107 million or 8% over the 2018 allocation. At the end of June 2019, overall spending is in line with projections and I am satisfied that the significant additional resources secured for 2019 enables my Department and its agencies to build on the good work achieved...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: A key priority for me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is to ensure access to high quality and affordable early years and school-age childcare services. 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 most recent Early Years Sector Profile 2017/2018,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: After-School Support Service Provision (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Both I, and my Department, are committed to ensuring that every young person in Ireland has access to the transformational power that participating in youth services can bring. Government investment in services for young people has increased since 2016 by, in the region of, €8.5m. In 2019 we have invested €63.6M in current and capital funding in clubs, services and young...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Counselling Services Provision (10 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I wish to advise the Deputy that I do not have a role in the provision of counselling services. Counselling services are a matter for the HSE, which falls under the policy remit of my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services Provision (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In his initial presentation and in his subsequent intervention, I heard the Deputy make the point that he has concerns about current capacity in his constituency as well as outlining the implications for future capacity of plans to expand housing, etc. To look a bit more at current capacity and unmet needs, one of the ways the Department gets its information, which is perhaps different from...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services Provision (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Deputy Ó Broin for raising this issue. I will restrict my comments to the questions relating to my Ministry, although I heard the Deputy raise some other issues there also. To provide some context for this discussion I will start by stating that I have been fortunate to secure an unprecedented increase of 117% in investment for early learning and care and school age...

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

Katherine Zappone: Applications for the 2019 Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Capital Programme opened on 25th of February and closed on the 27th of March. Under Strand C €1 million was available for the creation of new school age childcare places with a maximum of €20,000 per grant. In early June, following an appraisal process, applicants were notified of the outcome of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Community Childcare Subvention Programme (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 685 and 686 together. The Deputy will be aware that investment in childcare has increased by an unprecedented 117% over the last four budgets, now totalling €575m per year. Given the large amount of public money that is used in funding these programmes, there needs to be an appropriate level of oversight and accountability. Ensuring that this...

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

Katherine Zappone: Six digital marketing campaigns have been run by my Department over the past number of years. Five of the six related to the promotion of LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018 - 2020. The Strategy provides an opportunity to build a more inclusive Ireland for LGBTI+ young people and is the first of its kind in the world. The digital campaign was targeted at social media users. In addition to...

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

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 688 and 694 together. My Department has engaged the services of Mazars in the period specified. Mazars have primarily provided consultancy services in respect of internal audits for my Department and are also engaged in a review of internal organisational structures at present. Details of the funding provided (to end of June 2019) is listed in the following...

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

Katherine Zappone: The publication the Deputy is referring to is the OECD Education at a Glance Report 2018. This publication, which estimates that Ireland spends 0.1% of GDP on pre-primary education, is based on public investment levels from 2015. I understand the OECD Education at a Glance Report 2019 is currently being drafted. The OECD adopt a number of approaches to calculate Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Childcare Support Act 2018 makes provision for specific statutory bodies to access childcare to support vulnerable children and families and for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to enter into formal agreements with the various bodies for these purposes.  Engagement is ongoing between my officials and each of the bodies in relation to the terms of agreements under which...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: It is important to note that the matter of rates payments for the early learning and care sector does not fall under the remit of my Department, nor does my Department have a role in determining which properties are rateable. The levying of commercial rates is the responsibility of the Valuations Office, which falls under the aegis of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Data (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Data (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Gender Proofing of Policies (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: One of the stated policy objectives of the National Childcare Scheme is to support labour market activation and participation, including female labour market participation. The original policy paper for the scheme, published in October 2016,  considered international evidence on the effects of more affordable childcare on labour market participation. Using the best available evidence,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (9 Jul 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I understand the Deputy's question relates to a request for the total number of domestic violence refuge units including both family units and single occupancy units by county in tabular form. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency provides funding and coordination supports to some 59 organisations that deliver a range of services for victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence...