Tuesday, 11 Jun 2013

Written Answers Nos 857-871

School Funding

Questions (857)

Dan Neville

Question:

857. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding funding in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick. [27435/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I was successful in securing €2.75m in capital funding in Budget 2013 to support the ongoing improvement of the childcare sector via the 2013 Childcare Capital Programme. This programme is being implemented by Pobal on behalf of my Department. Both community not-for-profit childcare facilities and private childcare facilities currently participating in one of the three childcare programmes implemented by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs were eligible to apply for a grant under the Programme. The closing date for applications was 30th April.

I understand that there has been significant interest in the programme with almost 1,400 applications submitted before the closing date. These applications are currently being appraised by Pobal with the assistance of the City and County Childcare Committees and the HSE as relevant. It is expected that the appraisal process will be completed and recommendations for approvals made to my Department before the end of June. All applicants will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible.

Question No. 858 answered with Question No. 838.

EU Directives

Questions (859)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

859. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the work her Department is currently undertaking on various pieces of upcoming legislation, through a potential Bill to go through the Houses of the Oireachtas or through Statutory Instrument, to ensure Ireland is in compliance with the upcoming deadlines of Directives from the European Union; the deadline in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27469/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

My Department is not currently undertaking any work on legislation of the type referred to by the Deputy.

Early Child Care Education Issues

Questions (860)

Willie O'Dea

Question:

860. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will confirm receipt of correspondence from a person (details supplied) in County Limerick regarding early childhood care and education; if she has reviewed the comments; the actions she is likely to take subsequently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27595/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides for one free pre-school year for all eligible children before commencing primary school.

The programme includes a number of additional provisions to take account of children with special needs. These include an exemption from the upper age limit for qualification under the programme where a child is developmentally delayed and would benefit from starting primary school at a later age. In addition, children with special needs can apply to have the pre-school year split over two years on a pro-rata basis, for example availing of the programme for 2 days a week in the first year and for 3 days a week in the second year. Application for these exemptions must be made prior to the child commencing the programme. There is no provision under the programme for a second full pre-school year for any child.

I received the correspondence referred to by the Deputy and a reply issued on 22nd May last. I have also received further correspondence on the issue. However, as the child in question is availing of the full free pre-school complement in the current academic year, there is no further entitlement under the ECCE programme.

Question No. 861 answered with Question No. 845.

Question No. 862 answered with Question No. 838.

Proposed Legislation

Questions (863)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

863. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the child welfare legislation will come before the House; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27639/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The Deputy will be aware that I published the Draft Heads and General Scheme for the Children First Bill 2012 on the 25th of April 2012 and immediately referred the Heads of Bill to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children for consideration and advice. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children published their report in July 2012.

As part of the Joint Committees consultation process a number of submissions were received. Overall there was a welcome that the legislation would increase the focus on child protection. The contributions in the main came from organisations already implementing Children First.

Submissions were not all in agreement and many points emerging needed to be considered and reconciled. This involves consideration of policy and operational issues, including those pertaining to childminders, as well as the best legal approach to achieving Children First objectives. In this regard, officials within my Department have consulted with a number of organisations and individuals and I recently met with a number of key stakeholders to discuss the complex issues that have arisen. I have also taken the opportunity to consult with a number of experts in relation to the development of the policy in this area. These discussions will inform the preparation of enhanced policy proposals that is currently underway.

The framework is now focussed on the safety and protection of children generally; the provision of safe services for children; cooperation amongst professionals and organisations where children are at risk of neglect and abuse and finally mandating key individuals to report child abuse known to them. The latter objective is aimed at removing ambivalence, reluctance or refusal by people and organisations in positions of trust and authority to report child abuse and cooperate with the relevant authorities. The Bill will create a range of responsibilities and duties on organisations and individuals and these will be detailed in the legislation. The precise requirements on varying sectors, organisations and individual professions, is currently under consideration and part of an ongoing process.

A further reason for reviewing the policy is to ensure that the related and relevant legislation will be compatible with and will complement the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act and the Criminal Justice (Withholding Information on Crimes Against Children and Intellectually Disabled Persons) Act.

It is my intention to submit further proposals to Government as soon as possible with a view to the drafting of the Children First Bill as a priority.

Youth Services

Questions (864)

Dara Calleary

Question:

864. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the positive results of the Big Brother Big Sister programme operated by Foróige; and if she will provide positive consideration to its request for funding in order for it to continue its work. [27722/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €53.498m is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2 and Local Drugs Task Force Projects. These funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 400,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 paid staff and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country.

In 2013, my Department's Youth Affairs Unit will provide total funding to Foróige of €5.93 million.

Programme	Amount in 2013
Youth Service Grant Scheme	€2,651,154
Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund (1 & 2)	€1,195,283
Special Project for Youth	€2,083,572
Total	€5,930,009

This total does not include local youth clubs grants, funded by my Department, but allocated to local clubs by; and at the discretion of local VECs.

This total does not include funding provided to Foróige with respect to Garda youth diversion projects or funding from other state agencies such as the HSE.

The savings required under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure in respect of 2013 amounted to €5.393m which equated to almost a 10% reduction on 2012 funding available for the provision of youth services. The savings required in 2014 in the youth budget under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure amount to €2.976m. Having regard to the savings requirements identified in the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure my Department has tried to be as equitable as possible in achieving these savings. In considering how best to manage within the reduced budgets available, organisations are being asked to consider the scope for reducing administration costs and overheads, if this is at all possible, in order to maintain the front line youth services for young people. I have met, and continue to meet with, many youth organisations and groups to try and see how we can work together to minimise the impact of these necessary savings in order to ensure that the provision of quality youth services to young people is sustained in these challenging times.

In 2011, Foróige, following an internal review of the organisation’s wide range of provision for young people, reprioritised its areas of youth provision and programmes. This reprioritisation, which was proposed to my Department, enabled Foróige to strengthen their Big Brother Big Sister (BBBS) Programme nationally. Foróige decided, with the permission of my Department, to reallocate the funding provided by my Department from their Youth Information services to the Big Brother Big Sister Programme. Additional funding was also provided by my Department to Foróige for the Big Brother Big Sister Programme in 2012 and 2013. While I fully appreciate the value of the Big Brother Big Sister Programme and the challenges facing it in the current fiscal climate, given the savings required within my Department's budget under the CRE, I do not envisage any further scope for the provision of any further increase on the funding already provided to Foróige.

A comprehensive Value for Money and Policy Review of youth funding has been commenced in my Department and it is anticipated that the findings of this report will inform the future development of youth programmes and services.

My Department is developing a new youth policy framework for publication later this year. The new youth policy framework will aim to enhance the provision of youth services and activities and it will, inter alia, promote co-ordination between government departments and youth sector organisations with a view to maximising the effectiveness of the State funding available to support services for young people in future years.

School Completion Programme

Questions (865)

Martin Ferris

Question:

865. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if contracts for those employed in the school completion programme in counties Kerry and Limerick, which are due to end in August will be renewed for the 2013/2014 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27740/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The School Completion Programme (SCP) aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to generally improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort.

Projects within the School Completion Programme, including those in Counties Kerry and Limerick, are managed and directed by a Local Management Committee (LMC), which includes representatives of schools, parents, and other local education stakeholders. These projects provide a range of supports and interventions designed to support children identified by the LMC as being at risk of educational disadvantage. This project model approach facilitates creative and innovative approaches by the LMC in devising targeted supports in response to the needs of local young people. The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB), which operates under the remit of my Department, provides strategic and operational assistance to each Local Management Committee.

My Department has recently written to the Chairperson of each SCP in relation to planning for the next cycle of the programme, including matters related to finance and contractual arrangements. The NEWB has also issued the Retention Plan template for the year 1st September 2013 to 31st August 2014 to each project, along with detailed instructions for development of costed service proposals by the LMC.

In the development and delivery of the Retention Plan projects have been advised to consider all elements of local expenditure and the measures necessary to reduce costs while prioritising proven supports and interventions to the greatest extent possible. Each project should ensure that the outcome of its annual review, and the experience of programme management in the past year, are used to inform the development of an effective programme of supports to support the target group of young people. In the course of planning for the next cycle projects are required to consider their staffing arrangements in the context of the available budget and their proposed programme of activities.

The diversity of the SCP programme delivery arrangements, and the variety in costs and activities, means that the required adjustment to remain within budget needs to be agreed and managed locally by the LMC.

The National SCP team in the NEWB is available to assist and advise projects during this process.

Child Detention Centres

Questions (866)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

866. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will outline the circumstances surrounding the situation on 5 June 2013, in which three young males absconded from the Oberstown boys school in Lusk, County Dublin; if she or the Irish Youth Justice Service have received a report on the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27791/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I can confirm that three boys currently serving a sentence of detention in Oberstown Boys School, Lusk, Co Dublin absconded from custody on the night of Monday, 3 June 2013.

I am advised that in line with standard operational protocols, detailed descriptions and photographs of the three boys concerned were notified by Oberstown Boys School to an Garda Síochána. As of Monday 10 June, two of the boys involved had been apprehended by the Garda authorities and returned to Oberstown Boys School.

The Director of Oberstown Boys School has provided an initial report to the Oberstown Board of Management and the Irish Youth Justice Service, which is based in my Department, on this incident. This report is currently being assessed.

Some immediate actions have been implemented and, following consideration of the Director's report and a full review of the incident by the Oberstown Board of Management and the Irish Youth Justice Service, any further required follow up actions will be implemented by management in Oberstown Boys School to ensure that the highest possible level of security is maintained.

Youth Services Expenditure

Questions (867)

Sandra McLellan

Question:

867. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of money her Department has spent on arts provision for young persons in after school settings in 2012 and 2013; if she will provide details of the projects funded and the amount they received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27797/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €53.498m is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2 and Local Drugs Task Force Projects. Funding is also provided to 31 national and major regional voluntary organisations under the Youth Service Grant Scheme.

While many projects funded under the schemes listed hereunder may have youth arts workers in place and include drama, art and music in their programmes, the following funding provision is allocated to projects and organisations that have a particular focus on the Arts.

Programme	2012 Allocations	2013 Allocations
Special Projects for Youth Scheme (SPY)	363,338	331,084
Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (1)	69,787	62,808
Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (2)	100,046	148,188
Youth Service Grant Scheme	176,350	158,715

2012 Funding

Special Projects for Youth

Project	2012 Grant
Galway Youth Theatre Project	49,792
Limerick Youth Theatre	60,721
Waterford Youth Arts	93,106
Little Red Kettle	72,542
The Blue Box Creative Learning Centre, Limerick	86,177
Total	362,338

Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (Round 1)

Project	2012 Grant
Gurranabraher Arts Project (GAP)	32,747
Arts Access Project	18,712
Youth Arts Access Programme	18,328
Total	69,787

Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (Round 2)

Project	2012 Grant
Ballymun Regional Youth Service, Youth Arts Worker	50,023
Youth Arts Worker (based in Ballyogan, Dun Laoghaire)	50,023
Total	100,046

Youth Service Grant Scheme

Organisation	2012 Grant
National Association for Youth Drama	112,038
Young Irish Film Makers	64,312
Total	176,350

2013 Funding

Special Projects for Youth

Project	2013 Grant
Galway Youth Theatre Project	49,792
Limerick Youth Theatre	54,649
Waterford Youth Arts	83,796
Little Red Kettle	65,288
The Blue Box Creative Learning Centre, Limerick	77,559
Total	331,084

Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (Round 1)

Project	2013 Grant
Gurranabraher Arts Project (GAP)	29,472
Arts Access Project	16,841
Youth Arts Access Programme	16,495
Total	62,808

Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (Round 2)

Project	2013 Grant
Ballymun Regional Youth Service, Youth Arts Worker *	103,168
Youth Arts Worker (based in Ballyogan, Dun Laoghaire)	45,020
Total	148,188

* Funding for 4 part-time youth arts posts

Youth Service Grant Scheme

Organisation	2013
National Association for Youth Drama	100,834
Young Irish Film Makers	57,881
Total	158,715

National Youth Arts Programme

In addition, Youth Affairs Unit provides funding for the National Youth Arts Programme. Funding is channelled through the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI).

The National Youth Arts Programme is a partnership between Youth Affairs Unit, Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Arts Council and the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI). The programme is delivered by the NYCI and is dedicated to the development and advancement of youth arts in Ireland. It aims specifically to realise the potential of young people through good quality arts practice in the Youth Service and to develop appropriate policies and activities at local, regional and national level.

The 2012 allocation for this programme was €47,320 and in 2013 €63,954 has been provided by my Department.

Child Care Costs

Questions (868)

Dominic Hannigan

Question:

868. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps her Department is taking to make child care more affordable for families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27890/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I am aware of the difficulties that parents face in meeting childcare costs. Significant investment totalling in excess of €260 million is being provided this year by my Department to assist parents with the cost of childcare.

My Department provides two targeted childcare support programmes - the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme - and also the universal Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.

The CCS programme provides funding to community-based childcare services to enable them to provide childcare at reduced rates to parents in receipt of social welfare payments or on low or relatively modest incomes. For the purpose of the CCS programme, disadvantage and qualifying income are determined by reference to a range of means-tested allowances and payments including receipt of a social welfare payment, Family Income Supplement (FIS) and qualification for a medical or GP visit card. Eligibility for a GP visit card is based on net income and takes account of outgoings such as rent and mortgage repayments and other expenses including childcare costs and travelling expenses. As a result, parents with middle incomes may also benefit from subvention.

The CETS programme provides €145 towards the weekly cost of full time childcare places to participating childcare services in both the community and commercial sectors for qualifying trainees and students. Students on part-time courses are funded on a pro rata basis.

The ECCE programme provides one free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. Children aged between 3 years 2 months and 4 years 7 months at 1 September in the relevant year qualify for a maximum of 15 hours per week free pre-school provision over a 38 week period. This is a universal programme to which all children have access.

You may also be aware that, as part of Budget 2013, I announced with my colleague the Minister for Social Protection, a joint school age childcare initiative. This After-school Childcare Programme, which represents a full year investment of €14 million, will provide important support to parents in low income families wishing to take up employment, by ensuring that some 6,000 quality after-school care places are provided to support children's development.

Eligibility for this programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection. Officials from the Department of Social Protection and my Department are continuing in close collaboration on the operation of the programme. The first pilot phase has commenced with up to 500 childcare places available, with Department of Social Protection local offices in Tralee, Mullingar, Dundalk, Cork City, Finglas, Kings Inn and Limerick City participating. The second phase of the pilot will be rolled out in July, with the full roll-out of the programme in September 2013, to coincide with the new school year.

These programmes have been maintained and expanded despite the ongoing need to reduce Government expenditure and they represent a significant investment in supporting parents with the cost of childcare.

UN Convention on Children's Rights

Questions (869)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

869. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a timescale for Ireland's submission of the State report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27912/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992. Ireland submitted our second progress report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2005/2006.

Following the establishment of my Department in June 2011, I directed that a substantial progress report, combining the 3rd and 4th reports , to cover the period 2006 to 2011 inclusive should be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

An Inter-Departmental Liaison Group was established to prepare the report and a draft of the report was completed in December 2012. The report was sent to the Childrens Rights Alliance for their observations in December 2012. On foot of this, officials of my Department and the Inter-Departmental Liaison Group met with the Childrens Rights Alliance and it's member organisations on 28 January, 2013. Following this meeting the Childrens Rights Alliance submitted initial observations to my Department on 8 February, followed by further observations on 25 February. These observations have now been considered by my Department. I have recently received the finalised report and I will bring it to Government shortly, in advance of submission to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. The report outlines the most significant developments for children and how Ireland has been implementing the main aims of the UN Convention during the period 2006 to 2011 inclusive.

Question No. 870 answered with Question No. 845.

Child Care Services Provision

Questions (871)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

871. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will reverse the decision to increase child ratios from 1:10 to 1:11 for services offering the early childhood care and education scheme following the responses from experts stating that this will further reduce quality standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27923/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which represents an annual investment of approximately €175 million, makes early learning in a formal setting available to eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. Participating childcare services provide age-appropriate activities and programmes to children within a particular age cohort. It is a fundamental principle of the programme that the pre-school year is provided free of charge to a parent whose child qualifies under the programme.

The challenge for this Department and all other Departments is to make effective use of the limited resources which are now available. While I am pleased that the ECCE programme is being maintained on a universal and free basis and that additional funding of almost €10m was provided in 2012 to meet the costs of demographic changes, it was necessary to make some changes to the capitation payments in the 2012/2013 academic year, to meet the need to reduce overall expenditure.

The weekly capitation rates paid to providers were reduced by €2 (approximately 3%) from September 2012. However, to give some flexibility to childcare services to manage this modest reduction, the staff to child ratios and the space ratios - for the pre-school element of childcare services only - were increased in September 2012. The staff to child ratio was increased from a ratio of 1:10 to a ratio of 1:11 and, to facilitate the implementation of these new ratios, a new space/area requirement of 1.818 square metres per child was applied.

While the ratio of staff to children is important, it was considered that an increase of 1 child per adult, from 10 to 11, would not have an unduly significant impact on the quality of the pre-school experience.

The increase in the ratio from 1:10 to 1:11 applies only to those children participating in the free pre-school year. These children are all over the age of 3 years 2 months. There was no amendment to the adult:child ratios applying to younger children.