Results 1,401-1,420 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homeless Persons Data (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Deputy Gino Kenny for asking my view on the devastating crisis of homelessness among children and young people. The fact that, as of March 2019, there are 1,733 families experiencing homelessness in Ireland, and 3,821 children and young people is, quite frankly, heartbreaking. Although ultimate responsibility for addressing the homelessness crisis rests with the Department of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homeless Persons Data (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The question is not relevant to what we are looking at here but as an Independent member of the Government, I regularly review my participation with my Government partners. That is a fact. This is a significant issue. I have put forward a number of recommendations and suggestions, some of which the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government has taken on board, to increase security...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Homeless Persons Data (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I think I have already answered the question.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Funding (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am pleased that we have managed to increase substantially our investment in childcare over the last few years. I want to continue increasing this investment but, in doing so, we must have an appropriate level of oversight and accountability. Subsidies for all early learning and care and school age childcare programmes are paid based on the level of attendance of a child. These rules...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Provision (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I will address the first couple of issues there. As I said to some of the Deputy's colleagues, I appreciate that childcare is not yet fully affordable. That is because of decades of underinvestment in childcare. Even though we started from a very low base, we have 170% more investment in the development of a systematic effort over the last couple of years - to look at ways in which we can...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Provision (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My heart is with the Deputy in what he said. It is correct to say that we are going in a different direction. On the Deputy's comments on places, in answering a number of earlier questions, I have stated that we have a systematic approach, especially in our work with Pobal, to try to identify where we need to increase capacity so that the supply meets the demand. That does not sometimes...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Provision (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 33 together. One of the key priorities for my Department's capital programme is supporting private and not-for-profit childcare providers to extend their existing services, or to establish new services, where the need or the demand exists. Each year my Department reviews the early learning, care and school age childcare sector to determine...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Provision (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate what the Deputy said and he has drawn attention to these issues in particular areas previously. We are aware of that. Matching supply and demand is not an exact science, as the Deputy is well aware. I do not accept that in planning forward we have not identified, to the extent we can, where demand will surface and supply will need to be met. There are at least two factors...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Illegal Adoptions (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I expect to receive the final report of the independent reviewer, Ms Marion Reynolds, this week, as it is the end of May. I had previously expected that this report would be submitted to me by Easter. In her third report, which I published, Ms Reynolds informed me that this would now be delayed until the end of May. I understand the reason for the delay was that the fieldwork...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Illegal Adoptions (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I agree with the Deputy. I have been told that I will have the report at the end of this week. That is what I can confirm. I have tried to describe in my answer to the Deputy the reasons, even though I understood it was coming earlier, it was delayed. The Deputy would be aware, especially in these circumstances but in other contexts as well, that our GDPR legislation can be...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Illegal Adoptions (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I would like to be able to do that but I do not feel I can, just right now. I do not know what it will say. Depending on what it says, that might mean I need more time with it. However, I absolutely commit that I will publish it. I accept the Deputy's other commentary. Not unlike the Deputy, I have people coming up to me who tell me their stories too. They have not any paperwork but...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Provision (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The annual Pobal early years sector profile is based on a survey of all services which participate in State-funded early learning and care and school age childcare schemes. The latest report, containing data from May 2018, indicates that while the sector is experiencing significantly increased demand, it is broadly meeting this demand nationally. I am, however, fully aware of the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Staff (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: First, one of the reasons some people in the sector have higher degrees is because of the investment made by my Department in providing additional training for the people. That is one of the ways in which we have valued the people working in the sector. I am fully aware of the challenges those in the sector face because I meet and speak to them when I travel across the country. I am from...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: On 11 March, I launched the national childcare scheme - our pathway to truly accessible, affordable, quality childcare.The scheme is scheduled to open to applications later this year in October-November. We are making progress in preparing for the scheme's introduction. Following the enactment of the Childcare Support Act 2018, detailed secondary legislation and policy guidelines are now...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I appreciate the different numbers the Deputy provided. I am probably more aware than most of the challenge of the affordability of childcare for parents. That is the reason I have worked intensively during the past three years to ensure that there has been such an significant increase of investment for families. That is not to say the costs for families are as affordable as we would like....

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme Implementation (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As indicated, training will continue to be provided. We are also providing moneys to those childcare providers who sign up to the contract with the national childcare scheme, as I indicated, to receive the appropriate software and hardware and support in the use of it. Considerable training in taking place and I am confident that they will be ready. That is not to say that some might not...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Reports (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The work my Department has done tells me that it fully incorporated what is necessary in order for us to move forward with the changes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Reports (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy. On the first set of questions that it was never indicated to the Deputy that today was the day, I will check on that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Reports (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I accept that. I will check as to why that was not the case. I am not sure exactly when that decision was made. Tusla asked for the report. The report was done by the national review panel, NRP. It was then presented to the chair of Tusla and it decided to put out the report today. I do not think any review has been done of the leak. I appreciate the Deputy is concerned about the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Staff (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am acutely aware of the pay and conditions issues that exist within the sector. I take every possible opportunity to highlight the importance of the work the sector does for children and how we must value it for this. Current hourly pay rates, as well as availability for many practitioners of only part-time-part-year contracts, do not reflect the level of responsibility that early...