Results 1,761-1,780 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Architectural Heritage (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am aware of the concerns being expressed in relation to recent construction activities on the grounds of the former Mother and Baby Home in Bessborough, Cork. These concerns have also been raised with me by members of the Collaborative Forum of former residents of this and similar institutions. My understanding is that there are protections in place in respect of this property...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Complaints Procedure (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: My Department’s procedures for dealing with customer complaints are detailed in its Customer Service Action Plan and Charter, which is available on the Department's website. If a complaint is made by a customer it is dealt with by the Unit of my Department responsible for the issue to which the complaint relates. If the complaint is not resolved by the Unit to the...

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

Katherine Zappone: The 2019 Childcare Barometer published recently by Early Childhood Ireland, referred to by the Deputy, showed that almost 90% of Irish adults believe that childminders should be Garda vetted and have basic first aid and other relevant training. I warmly welcome this finding as I am strongly committed to high quality early learning and care and my Department is taking important steps to...

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

Katherine Zappone: In accordance with the Child Care Act 1991 (as amended), only childminders who care for seven or more children or who care for 4 or more pre-school children of different families (other than the childminder's own children) are required to register with Tusla. There are currently 101 childminders registered with Tusla. As Garda-vetting is a requirement of registration, these 101...

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

Katherine Zappone: Assisting childcare providers in extending their existing childcare services, or establishing new childcare services, have always been key areas of focus for my Department's capital programmes. Each year the Department reviews the capital programmes as a whole and determines the priorities for Early Learning and Care and School Age Capital grants. The capital strands have been made available...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Children in the care of Tulsa are provided with placements with foster families, relatives and where necessary, residential services. At the end of September 2018, 5,602 children, more than 90% of those in the care of the State, were placed with foster families or with relative foster carers. Children in the care of Tusla are not placed in adult homeless services. In certain circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Custody and Access (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I am committed to supporting and promoting the development, welfare and protection of children, and to help families be the best that they can be. I want to see every child maintaining positive contact with both of their parents, when it is in the child's best interests. For some children, it is in their interest that this contact happens in a supervised, neutral,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The overall budget for the youth sector in 2019 is €60.4 million. This represents an additional €1.5 million over 2018. The level of funding supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth work sector. Youth work programmes and services are delivered by...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Reviews (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Crowe was commissioned by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to undertake an independent review on the cost of providing quality childcare in Ireland in Autumn 2017. The brief included: - analysing the current costs of providing childcare and the factors that impact on these costs; - the development and delivery of a model of the unit costs of providing childcare that allows...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Consultancy Contracts Data (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The information requested by the Deputy is included in the following table: Year Amount (€) including VAT Purpose of the payment Date of original contract Contract ongoing (Yes/No) Date contract completed (if completed) Review/Report published? (Yes/No) 2017 67,930.42 Payment in respect of the Independent Review of Costs 26 September 2017 Yes No 2018 11,992.50 Payment in respect...

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

Katherine Zappone: Assisting families to access high quality, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare is a priority for me as Minister and hence I take all questions and concerns raised by services very seriously. My Department funds a number of early learning and care and school age childcare programmes. Given the large amount of public money that is used in funding these programmes,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the provision of care and protection to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). In discharging its statutory responsibility, Tusla supports 59 organisations nationally that deliver a range of services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender based...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Data (26 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have written to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency to request this information. A further response will issue when I have their reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (13 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The purchase of placements from private providers is an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I am referring the Deputy's question to Tusla for direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (13 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Each year the Department reviews the capital programmes as a whole and determines the priorities for Early Learning and Care and School Age Capital grants. The capital strands have been made available to achieve the strategic priorities for 2019 as determined by the Department, having regard to the funding available, developed using analysis of the current state of the childcare sector,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (13 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 315 together. Details of the funds provided by my Department to projects in Galway and Roscommon since 2016 are set out in the following tables. 2016 Project Location Allocation Amount Drawndown AIM Level 5 Alterations 2016 Galway €910 €819 Childminding Development Grant 2016 Galway €17,838.95 €17,839 Early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Funding (13 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: The 2019 Early Learning and Care and School Age Capital applicant guidelines, released on 31 January 2019, clearly state that early learning and care services who have received funding under the equivalent strand of EY Capital (i.e. Creation of New EY Places) between 2016 and 2018, are not eligible to apply under Strand A (Creation of new places for 0-3 year olds) in 2019. The capital...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Law Reporting Project (13 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will know, the work of the Child Care Law Reporting Project (CCLRP) over the last number of years has been invaluable in the provision of empirical evidence regarding the many factors in play in child care proceedings before our courts system. I am pleased to be able to confirm that the CCLRP was in 2018 awarded additional grant funding by my Department to enable it to carry out...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Detention Centres (13 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: I have been advised by Oberstown Children Detention Campus that there is an assault and injury scheme in operation on the campus. A staff member who experiences a physical injury resulting in absence from work is eligible to be considered for the scheme. The scheme states that, in general terms, injuries can occur during the restraint of a young person or during approved recreational...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (13 Mar 2019)

Katherine Zappone: Government approval was received for the drafting of the revised privacy provisions on 26 February 2019 and my officials are working with the Office of the Attorney General on the draft of the necessary amendments to the Bill. The amendments, when finalised, will, in accordance with the Standing Orders of Seanad Éireann, be submitted to that House for publication. Once these...