Results 1,421-1,440 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

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

Katherine Zappone: I am building for the first time a radical new infrastructure for our children and families. The passage of the Childcare Support Act marks the first time ever parents and families have been entitled legally to a financial subsidisation. I am correcting decades of underinvestment in this arena. It takes a long time to correct that. As I have already indicated, we have had an increase...

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

Katherine Zappone: That must be initiated by the sector and not me to ensure it can complement my efforts to get more money to the sector.

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

Katherine Zappone: I am usually very good at that.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Provision (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: This is a challenging situation for people. I am aware that some parents cannot find places for children under three years of age. That is the reality and it is the reason we have provided capital funding of €4 million to focus on increasing capacity for that age group in particular. It is more costly to care for children who are under three years of age because a higher...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Provision (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am indicating that subsidies will increase in the 2019 budget. That does not mean that matters are being made considerably easier for parents in terms of the overall cost, but it does increase the level of support provided by the State. I agree with the Deputy and I am committed to seeking an increase in the subsidy, particularly for the age group in question. With the full establishment...

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

Katherine Zappone: Earlier today, Tusla published a summary report in respect of the care of three children in a foster home in County Galway. Once again, and particularly in light of today's publication, I would like to sincerely acknowledge the pain and distress suffered by the three women at the centre of this report. Lessons have been learned and will continue to be learned from the findings of...

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

Katherine Zappone: Yes.

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

Katherine Zappone: I will do my best to answer some of those questions. We do not know who leaked the report; I assure the Deputy that it was not leaked by Tusla. The publication of the summary report was planned for today, and it was published earlier. The Deputy asked why this is a summary report and not the full report. My understanding is that Tusla took legal advice regarding the publication of the full...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Caring for adolescents, many of whom have traumatic histories, complex behaviour and an ambivalence about their placement is a challenge. When this care takes place in a residential setting it requires high levels of experienced staff to support these children. As is the case in other jurisdictions, maintaining high standards in residential care is an ongoing challenge. At the end...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Deputy Aindrias Moynihan for raising the particular issue, which I will examine personally. As the Deputy said, HIQA has the responsibility to do the inspection and as part of that it works with the providers of residential care to ensure that a plan is put together in order to meet standards and then come up with a report. Oversight and ensuring standards are raised remains with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Deputy Aindrias Moynihan raises the question of enforcement as a tool of ensuring things happen, usually with force or by imposition. HIQA has certain responsibilities. It identifies where there are deficits and where the standards need to be raised. In the context of this exceedingly difficult work with very troubled young people, sometimes it takes a long time to resolve the challenges....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services Provision (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: We have had an unprecedented increase of 117% in investment for early learning and care and school-age childcare in recent budgets. The extra investment has supported a doubling of capacity in the sector, including both ECCE and the zero to three age group. It is clear, however, that further capacity is required and that is why I am continuing my intensive efforts in this area. In 2019, I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: We are aware of the need to provide capital funding to increase the supply and capacity for under-threes. That is why I have moved the capital funding for 2019 in that direction. We are aware of the statistics. Pobal works closely with us. When we fully implement the national childcare scheme in November, there will be incentives of additional supports for childcare providers to have more...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The impact of violence and abuse witnessed or experienced in childhood can last a lifetime. Where a child is in the care of Tusla and where there is a history of violence or other forms of abuse, the courts may order, or social workers may arrange, for access to be supervised to ensure safe oversight of the access visit. I am deeply conscious of and sensitive to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy described, these are significant issues for the children and the parents. As the Deputy acknowledges and I said in my original response, it is important that Women's Aid and other organisations highlight the significant concerns about potential harm done to children, as well as the ways in which intimidation etc. in a family can continue, especially with regard to children and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Domestic Violence (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I hope to do that. It is a great concern of mine. Over the past couple of years, we have got more information and knowledge, especially from experts, about the importance of ensuring increased complementary State support for this. Often, it is possible for parents to be supported by community contexts or community centres themselves in order to ensure the safety of children, but the Deputy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for the question. The unprecedented increase in investment in childcare over the last four budgets has helped to double capacity in the sector. We have doubled the ECCE-free preschool scheme from one to two years. We have also doubled the number of spaces for the zero to three age group. Baby and toddler places have increased from 13,700 in 2014 to over 31,000 in 2018,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy. On the main issue he raised, and Teresa Heeney's comments, the question is whether the sector has been replacing baby rooms with ECCE rooms which are perhaps perceived as more lucrative. I do not think there is any definitive evidence to support that assertion but we have some anecdotal claims. While there has been a significant increase in ECCE capacity in recent years,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I understand that the cost of €13,250 quoted by the Deputy relates to one young person living on their own for a specified period of time.  This young person has an exceptionally high level of complex needs and behaviours.  As a result, they need to be cared for in an environment without other young people present and with a high staff ratio.  The needs of this young...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (28 May 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Deputy for her important question. Maintaining consistent high standards in residential care is a challenge across many jurisdictions where the work involves caring for adolescents, many with traumatic histories, complex behaviour and ambivalence about their placement.  Residential care is a small, but vital part of our care system and the basis for successful outcomes...