Results 61-80 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: City and County Child Care Committees (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) to act as its local agent in the delivery of the national early education and childcare programmes and the implementation of Government policy.  The CCCs were assigned by the National Childcare Strategy (2000) as the key local component in the development of a co-ordinated approach to quality childcare and to advance the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Resource Centres (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is responsible for the administration of the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme.  Tusla has no current plans to expand the FRC Programme in 2020. Should a new FRC application process be established, Tusla's local Area Managers will be made aware of the process.  Expressions of interest will be sought from community...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: I propose to take Questions Nos. 990, 996 and 1002 together. On Friday 1 May the Government released its Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, which sets out Ireland's plan for lifting COVID-19 restrictions through five phases. The re-opening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services will be guided by this framework and will be underpinned by the Return...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: Every year a number of early years services decide to close of their own volition, often for a variety of reasons. In line with the provisions of the Child Care Act 1991 (as amended by Part 12 of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013), early years services that decide to cease operations are required to notify Tusla’s Early Years Inspectorate of their planned...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: Each year Pobal conducts research on behalf of my Department to examine a number of factors related to early learning and care and school age childcare services in Ireland, including the monitoring of capacity.  This is published in an annual Early Years Sector Profile.  In line with recent trends, and based on the number of places available in previous programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: Each year Pobal conducts research on behalf of my Department to examine a number of factors related to early learning and care and school age childcare services in Ireland, including the monitoring of capacity.  This is published in the annual Early Years Sector Profile.  Based on the Annual Early Years Service Profile 2018/19 data (collected in May 2019), it can be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business sets out the plan for re-opening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services. This will be underpinned by the Government's Return to Work Safely Protocol, expert advice, available evidence and consultation with ELC and SAC stakeholder representatives and providers themselves. To support this work, I have convened...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will appreciate, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, decisions on the permitted operation of childcare services must depend on public health guidance. My Department has received clarification from the Department of Health that the current advice on the HSE website remains valid for the present: . This advice specifies that currently childminders may work temporarily in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: On Friday 1 May, the Government released its Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, which sets out Ireland's plan for lifting COVID-19 restrictions through five phases. The re-opening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services will be guided by this framework and will be underpinned by the Government's Return to Work Safely Protocol, expert advice,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: As the Deputy will appreciate, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, decisions on the permitted operation of childcare services must depend on public health guidance. My Department has received clarification from the Department of Health that the current advice on the HSE website remains valid for the present: www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/protecting-your-child.htm l. This advice...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: Expert guidance on the safe reopening of childcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic was published by the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on Friday, 29 May. The guidance, developed in consultation with my Department, focuses on a “play pod” model which restricts interactions between closed groups of children and adults as an alternative to social...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The health, safety and well-being of children is of utmost importance. As such, buildings that are intended for the purpose of Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare must meet all regulatory compliance requirements, including planning requirements. It is important that we do not deviate from these safety measures even during these unprecedented times.   Expert guidance on...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Schemes (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented situation that has required a series of emergency responses from the Government.  I announced the Temporary Childcare Scheme for Essential Health Workers on 7 May to support essential health workers who are having difficulty meeting their childcare needs. The Scheme was designed in response to a request from the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Inquiries (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The initiation of any independent inquiry is a very significant matter and one which will require careful consideration.   As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I have previously taken a number of actions in response to allegations of poor safeguarding policies and practice in Scouting Ireland. These included the suspension of funding pending the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: On Friday 1 May, the Government released its Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, which sets out Ireland's plan for lifting COVID-19 restrictions through five phases. The re-opening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services will be guided by this framework and will be underpinned by the Government's Return to Work Safely Protocol, expert advice,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented situation that has required a series of emergency responses from the Government. I am acutely aware of the particular impact the pandemic and the emergency measures have had on early education providers. I am also very conscious of the importance of the early education and childcare sector, particularly in the context of the current...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: I note that in her correspondence, the Deputy’s constituent refers to the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, stating her understanding that she is ineligible for this due to her age. It is also the understanding of my Department that this is the case, but, this is under the remit of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and I would refer the Deputy to that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented situation that has required a series of emergency responses from the Government. I am acutely aware of the particular impact the pandemic and the emergency measures have had on the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers. I am also very conscious of the importance of the ELC and SAC sector...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented situation that has required a series of emergency responses from the Government. I am acutely aware of the particular impact the pandemic and the emergency measures have had on the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers. I am also very conscious of the importance of the ELC and SAC sector...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (3 Jun 2020)

Katherine Zappone: From September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for a full two programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE). This minimum age was chosen based on national experience and a review of international practice. It also has regard to the regulatory environment for early years care and education in this country...