Results 1,321-1,340 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme, once introduced in October 2019, will represent a major landmark for children and families in Ireland. The new Scheme will ultimately replace the existing targeted childcare schemes with a single, streamlined and user-friendly scheme. It entails a fundamental shift away from subsidies grounded in medical card and social protection entitlements, and towards a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Following the receipt of the Collaborative Forum's first report, I signalled the opportunity to take some time to reflect upon the learning from the process to date. In this way the mandate of the Forum can be refined to further enhance the State's engagement with former residents. Ahead of holding a meeting with the Forum, I intend to examine how best to conduct a focused interim...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education Funding (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The organisation in question operates a number of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services in County Wexford. These services offer a range of ELC/SAC programmes, including the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, Community Childcare Subvention Plus (CCSP) programme, Training and Education...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Provision (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Through the National Childcare Scheme and a range of other measures, I am committed to changing Ireland’s childcare system from one of the most expensive in the world to one of the very best. In designing the National Childcare Scheme, extensive research and consultations have been carried out to ensure that this goal is achieved and that the Scheme can help as many families as...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Freedom of Information Data (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table below. No of Requests Received in 2018 Granted Part Granted Refused Transferred Withdrawn/Handled outside of FOI Cases brought forward to 2019 136 40 71 12 0 3 10

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Aftercare Services Provision (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS), which will be introduced later this year, is a new user-friendly scheme to help parents meet the cost of quality childcare. The development of this Scheme is a significant move forward in delivering quality, accessible, affordable childcare to families throughout Ireland. The NCS will greatly increase the number of families who can access financial...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Cycling Facilities Funding (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department has no responsibility for the development of cycling infrastructure nationally. In terms of supporting employees wishing to cycle to work, my Department provides secure parking facilities for cyclists as part of its overall lease arrangement via the Office of Public Works.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: In 2019, €60.4m has been allocated in current funding to support the provision of youth services, an increase of €1.5m on 2018. This additional funding is being used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services. I have also provided an additional 12% in overall funding...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Expenditure (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff working in youth services and communities throughout the country. The current allocated...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Services Funding (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency provides funding and coordination supports to some 59 organisations that deliver a range of services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence throughout the country. In 2019, €25.3 million is being allocated to Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence services, an increase of €1.5 million over 2018. I have requested Tusla to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (25 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: What Works (formerly QCBI) is a Department of Children and Youth Affairs initiative which aims to maximise the impact of prevention and early intervention to improve the lives of children and young people. What Works will ensure that key groups working with children, young people and their families know what works, how it works, and it will provide an evidence supported approach to apply to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Preschool Services (20 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Assisting families to access high quality and affordable early learning and care, ELC, and school-age childcare, SAC, is a priority for me as Minister. Government investment in childcare has increased by an unprecedented 117% over the past four budgets, with €575 million allocated in 2019. This investment has provided for record numbers of children benefitting from my Department's...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Preschool Services (20 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am grateful for the Senator's willingness to co-operate in this regard. It is important that she raised the matter of this preschool centre. I am committed to ensuring the sustainability of early learning centres, particularly in rural and isolated areas. I described to the Senator our way of approaching such issues. I believe that, through research, we will find a better way to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (20 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 to 191, inclusive, together. Following the receipt of the Collaborative Forum's first report, I signalled the opportunity to take some time to reflect upon the learning from the process to date. In this way the mandate of the Forum can be refined to further enhance the State's engagement with former residents. The Forum itself also suggested a...

Seanad: Adoption, Information and Tracing: Statements (19 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Senators for agreeing to allow a deferral of Committee Stage of the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 today so that I could come before the House to make a statement about adoption and hear their views. Having met advocacy groups, lawyers and social workers in my Department yesterday evening as another part of my ongoing consultation with key stakeholders on this Bill, I...

Seanad: Adoption, Information and Tracing: Statements (19 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I provided the Senator's amendment to the Attorney General and his office and requested urgent advice on it to be able to offer a summary of that advice in this Chamber today. A summary of the Attorney General's approach begins with the need to balance rights on an individualised basis for the possible, and doubtless small, number of cases in which a birth mother asserts her right to...

Seanad: Adoption, Information and Tracing: Statements (19 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am grateful for the reflective, passionate, heartfelt, well informed and well studied responses of all Senators. I have listened carefully and taken notes, while others have done so on my behalf. I will review what Senators have said because it is quite profound. It is rooted in their different professional expertise and also their way of listening to the people who have spoken or...

Seanad: Adoption, Information and Tracing: Statements (19 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I will take note of it. Under the GDPR, consent must be given for the release of information. Explicit consent must be obtained from a third party before his or her personal information can be shared. This means that, as things stand, if Tusla is unable to locate the birth mother, for example, the requested information cannot be released to the adoptee. The Bill provides that where a...

Seanad: Adoption, Information and Tracing: Statements (19 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: It is never easy whatever path we are following to major significant social change. I know that. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we do not. What is important is that we continue to try to get the rhythm right. That was what I was thinking when I woke up this morning. Having been informed that the Seanad wanted to defer this Bill but would consider it again, I wanted to convey the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (18 Jun 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The Deputy may be aware that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual cases. I have referred the matter to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency for their appropriate attention and asked them to respond directly to the Deputy.