Written Answers Nos. 182 - 189
182. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will clarify her statements on the need for a referendum to grant adopted persons full tracing and information rights and the plans in place to address the ineffectiveness of the mechanism of the National Contact Preference Register in addressing adopted persons' tracing and information needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28471/13]
View answerWork is ongoing on the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill, which will provide for a structured and regulated approach to providing access to adoption information and will facilitate contact for those affected by adoption, including in circumstances where an adoption order was not effected. Complex issues have arisen during the course of the preparation of the Bill, including the criteria for balancing an adopted person's right to information about his or her identity as against a birth parent's right to privacy. My own view is that persons affected by adoption should be provided with as much information as possible within permissible Constitutional boundaries. Consideration of legal and policy issues is ongoing and once these have been satisfactorily resolved, I intend to seek Government approval to publish the Heads of Bill. It is my intention to bring this Bill before the Houses of the Oireachtas in the coming months.
The National Adoption Contact Register (NACPR) was established in 2005 to assist adopted people and their natural families to make contact with each other, exchange information or state their contact preferences. Applicants decide, through a range of information and contact options, how they wish to proceed. It is intended that the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2013 will provide for placing the National Contact Preference Register on a statutory basis. However, the number of successful matches made is reliant on the various parties joining the Register. It is an individual choice whether a person decides to join the register.
At the end of 2012 there were 7224 adopted people and 3165 natural relatives registered with the NACPR. Just over 600 “matches” in total have been generated, i.e. over 600 adopted persons have been matched with one (or more) natural relatives. In 2012 the Information and Tracing Unit processed 542 new applications to join the Register, which resulted in 54 “matches”. In the first five months of 2013 there have been a total of 28 "matches".
183. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there are plans to implement the Síolta national quality framework and the Aistear early childhood curriculum framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28474/13]
View answerThe implementation of Síolta and Aistear is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Skills. The DES has an Early Years Policy Unit which is co-located in Mespil Road with my Department and is responsible for these areas.
Síolta (the Irish word for Seeds) – the Childcare Quality Framework (2006) - is a set of National Principles, Standards and Components of Quality which collectively articulate a national vision and practical guidelines on quality in practice across all early childhood care and education settings. Implementation of Síolta is supported by a range of activities including:
- Introductory workshops, delivered by a range of support organisations including the City and County Childcare Committees and the Voluntary Childcare Organisations
- The Síolta Quality Assurance Programme (QAP), which is a 12 step programme that supports early childhood care and education settings to engage in structured review and development of their practice. Settings are supported by a trained Síolta Co-ordinator when they are working through the Síolta QAP.
The Síolta QAP is currently being field tested within 135 early childhood care and education settings. An evaluation of this field test has been commissioned by the Department of Education and Skills and will be completed by the end of this year.
Aistear – the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (2009) - is organised around four themes – Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Communication, Exploring and Thinking – and expresses the national vision for good practice in relation to curriculum in early childhood. A range of activities are in place to disseminate the materials and resources of Aistear to all those working with children in the 0-6 age range. The on-line Aistear Toolkit provides a wealth of information and resources such as audio and visual podcasts. These have been accessed by thousands of users. This web-based resource will be continually updated into the future. Additionally, a network of Aistear tutors has been selected and trained to deliver professional development activities for infant class teachers through the education centre network nationally. The potential to extend this resource to practitioners in other early childhood care and education settings is currently under review.
The only support for the implementation of Síolta and Aistear in the pre-school sector to date has been provided by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs via the local Childcare Committees and Voluntary Childcare Organisations. International practice indicates that the best way to support quality in pre-school services is to provide regular mentoring support. Northern Ireland, which introduced a free pre-school year some time ago, did so with Early Education experts providing mentoring support to services. As a result, pre-school services in Northern Ireland have been evaluated as having very high standards of provision.
My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, and in ongoing consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure, is looking at options to develop a mentoring system for our pre-school sector to support implementation of the Síolta Framework and Aistear Curriculum.
184. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to develop the early childhood and education sector workforce development plan 2010 into a working plan that is adequately resourced and implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28487/13]
View answerThe Workforce Development Plan for the Early Years Sector was published in 2010 by the Department of Education and Skills. The Plan acknowledged national and international research evidence which establishes a strong correlation between the availability of an appropriately trained workforce to staff early years services and the ability to deliver high quality pre-school provision. The implementation of the Workforce Development Plan is being overseen by the Early Years Education Policy Unit of the Department of Education and Skills, which is co-located with my Department.
The Plan sets out the key areas that emerged from an extensive programme of research and consultation: These key areas are:
- The necessity for clearly articulated professional pathways into and across professional domains of practice related to the care and education of children. These include occupational role descriptors with associated qualification levels.
- The establishment of an agreed set of national standards for all awards in early childhood care and education (incorporating core knowledge, skills, competencies and work experience) across all relevant levels of the National Framework of Qualifications in Ireland.
- Access to flexible, affordable and nationally accredited learning opportunities at all levels of qualification for pre-service and in-service professional development.
- The necessity to ensure consistent quality of ECCE courses nationally across a range of variables including content, delivery and work placement.
The publication by FETAC of Common Award Standards at Levels 4, 5 and 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications ensures that there is consistent quality of ECCE courses across the country and delivers on one of the key areas set out in the Workforce Development Plan. I view this as an essential building block for developing and upskilling the workforce.
The Workforce Development Plan identified different distinct groups including new entrants to the workforce who wish to become appropriately qualified for specific occupational roles and responsibilities, and unqualified practitioners in the current workforce who want to achieve the Level 5 award. For new entrants to the workforce the publication of Common Award Standards at Levels 4, 5 and 6 is a welcome development. Programmes of learning developed to meet these new award standards will incorporate national practice frameworks and will reflect national policy objectives, thereby ensuring that graduates are fully prepared to enter the workforce. Training providers have begun to meet the new award standards in respect of the FETAC Level 5 Major Award in Early Childhood Care and Education. The first programme has been developed and is being provided through the VECs.
My Department and I have been working on a comprehensive Pre-School quality agenda that will, inter alia, work towards increasing the qualification requirements for all childcare staff. Future developments relating to early years and education, including workforce development, are being considered in the context of the National Early Years Strategy for children aged from birth to six years, which is being developed by my Department and expected to be completed later this year.
185. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to revise the child care inspection system and include an early years specialist on the inspection team; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28488/13]
View answerUnder the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006, the inspection of pre-schools is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE). It is important to realise that inspections alone are not the answer to improving quality. What is required is a multi-faceted approach, and since this Government came to office we have been working to ensure issues relating to child protection and welfare are put front and centre. The establishment of a Department of Children and Youth Affairs was recognition of the huge body of work which needs to be done in this area.
As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, driving the early childhood care and education quality agenda is one of my key objectives. I believe we can achieve this objective by taking a number of steps in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, including the adaptation of the existing pre-school inspection system to provide a more comprehensive and broader-based inspection regime for pre-schools, moving to a greater focus on outcomes for children. In support of this, a Joint Pilot Inspection of Early Years Services was carried out by Inspectors from the HSE and the Department of Education and Skills between September 2011 and May 2012. This pilot will inform the proactive approach being taken.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to improve the quality of the free Pre-School Year and, by extension, the quality of all early childhood care and education, through the implementation of standards and by reviewing training options for the workforce. This commitment has always been a key priority for me. This is why my Department and I have been progressing work on Ireland’s first-ever Early Years Strategy and this why we have been working on a comprehensive Pre-School Quality Agenda.
We have identified a number of key areas of action which I believe need to be considered and addressed as a matter of urgency. These include:
- Introducing a registration system for all pre-school services
- Taking steps to make the inspection system more consistent and more robust
- Publishing inspection reports on-line as soon as possible
- Ensuring appropriate action is taken in response to findings of non-compliance
- Increasing and widening the sanctions which can be taken for non-compliance.
Registration of all childcare providers
Work is already under way in the Child and Family Services area of the Health Service Executive (HSE) to introduce a registration system for pre-school services. I understand this system will be in place for new services from the end of this year and will be phased in for existing services thereafter. This is an important development because it will move services from the current position, where they are required to notify the Pre-School Inspectorate of their intention to open, to a requirement to be inspected and found satisfactory, before being permitted to open. All pre-school services are currently required to pay an annual fee to the HSE of between €40 and €80. I am looking at increasing this fee. The additional funds raised will assist in improving inspection and supports for quality improvement.
Publication of Inspection Reports
Parents will rightly demand and expect the highest standards and this will be a key factor in driving change in the sector. Publishing inspection reports is an essential step in ensuring high standards and accountability. All new inspection reports will be made available on-line from the HSE as a matter of urgency. All current inspection reports will be made available on-line in 2014.
Taking steps to make the inspection system more consistent and more robust
We are working on developing a more robust, consistent and regular inspection system. There has been a significant programme of work underway in the HSE over the past year to develop a single, consistent national inspection service (as opposed to 37 different local systems). We propose moving to a position where there is consistent and assured national target rate for the frequency of inspection of pre-school services, while ensuring capacity for prioritisation based on risk assessment. The HSE is currently reviewing the regional spread of inspectors with a view to identifying whether either additional resources or redeployment of existing inspectors is required to achieve this.
Building on this work, officials of my Department and the Department of Education and Skills have been examining options to incrementally develop a more comprehensive and broader-based inspection regime for pre-schools, moving away from a narrow focus on compliance, and leading to a greater focus on children's outcomes, including educational development and child wellbeing. This work is being informed by the findings of the recent Joint Pilot Inspection carried out in a small number of settings by Inspectors from the Health Service Executive and the Department of Education and Skills.
Ensuring appropriate action is taken in response to findings of non-compliance
We are working to ensure consistent action is taken in response to findings of non-compliance. There must be a follow-through on inspections. Clearly, services which are found to be in serious breach of the Regulations will face closure and prosecution. It is proposed to develop a protocol with the Pre-School Inspectorate which will take a calibrated approach and which will enable more decisive action to be taken in response to non-compliance.
Increased Sanctions for non-compliance
My Department will also be undertaking a review of the penalties currently in place for breach of the Child Care (No. 2) Regulations 2006, as provided for under the Child Care Act 1991. The review will look at increasing the range and severity of the existing penalties including the actions which can be taken by Inspectors without recourse to court prosecution, as is currently the case.
186. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has given any consideration to the call of the Association of Childhood Professionals for a standard childhood sector contract to be developed, which includes permanent contracts in preschools to improve continuity in the workplace and bring greater job security for staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28489/13]
View answerThe employment of pre-school staff is a matter for each individual childcare service and therefore I do not have a role in this matter. The question of development of standard childcare sector contracts is a matter for consideration by the sector itself.
187. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if consideration has been given to establishing a national qualifications and registration system for all early years professionals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28498/13]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme introduced the first-ever requirement for minimum qualifications for staff working in the childcare sector. Under the programme, the pre-school leader delivering the programme must hold a qualification in childcare/early education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of Ireland (NFQ), or an equivalent nationally-recognised qualification or a higher award in the childcare/early education field. A higher capitation rate is payable to services where all of the pre-school leaders hold a bachelor degree in childhood/early education (minimum of Level 7 on the NFQ) and have three years' experience working in the sector, and where all of the pre-school assistants hold a relevant major award in childcare/early education at Level 5 on the NFQ.
I have indicated my intention to increase the qualification requirements for all staff working in pre-school services. The minimum requirement of Level 5 for pre-school leaders delivering the pre-school year will be increased to Level 6. In addition, all pre-school assistants, and all other staff caring for children in a pre-school service, will be subject to a minimum requirement of Level 5. This requirement will be effective from September 2014 for new services, and from September 2015 for existing services. My Department is currently examining measures to support training for childcare staff in line with the increased qualification requirements.
My Department holds information relating to the qualifications of staff currently delivering the pre-school year, and we are examining the possibility of extending this to a national registration system. Given the vast range of childcare qualifications and awarding authorities, including international awarding bodies, this will not be an easy task. However, I agree with the Deputy that a national qualification and registration system for all early years professionals would be useful, and my Department will be liaising with the Early Years Education Unit, which is co-located within my Department, to determine the optimum means of building and maintaining such a register.
188. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the annual cost of providing a free after-school care place for all children aged between six to 12 years old, three hours per day, five days a week for 38 weeks per year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28501/13]
View answerAs part of Budget 2013 I, together with my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, was pleased to announce a new After-school Childcare initiative which will be targeted at low-income parents availing of employment opportunities. Lack of access to affordable, quality childcare is a significant barrier to many low income and disadvantaged families seeking to avail of work opportunities. This initiative will provide an important support measure to enable parents to avail of job opportunities. This is in line with the Government's overall strategy to support parents of low income families to take up employment and demonstrates how Departments are working together to deliver the Government's agenda on promoting employment and supporting children's development.
The initiative is expected to receive full year funding of €14 million to provide over 6,000 after-school places for children attending primary school in order to support parents to take up employment. This funding has been made possible through savings from the Vote of the Department of Social Protection.
Eligibility for the new After-school Childcare 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. Up to 500 childcare places are 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.
As you know the emphasis in relation to all childcare support programmes is the delivery of easily accessible, affordable and quality childcare provision. The pilot programme will assist both Departments in determining the procedural, quality and practical issues that require attention prior to the finalisation of the programme. Detailed costings and possible permutations in relation to this level of service provision for the cohort in question have not been carried out by my Department. However, every year Pobal conduct a survey on behalf of my Department which provides a detailed insight into the early years sector, based on those services that receive funding from my Department. According to the figures for 2012, the average cost for the provision of an after-school place was €71 per child per week. Using this figure, 38 weeks of service provision as suggested and data from the 2011 Census indicating some 504,000 children attending primary school (aged from 5 to 12), the cost of after school provision, as outlined by the Deputy, would be in excess of €1.36 billion annually.
189. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health when the regulatory impact analysis, including the cost benefit assessment, will be completed of the proposal for plain packaging in the tobacco industry; if there will be public consultation; and the Departments that will be involved in the consultation process. [28426/13]
View answerIn line with the Regulatory Impact Assessment Guidelines (RIA) published by the Department of the Taoiseach, my Department will be undertaking a Regulatory Impact Analysis on the proposed legislation for the introduction of standardised packaging for tobacco products. As the Deputy will be aware consultation is an integral part of the RIA process. The RIA process is an on-going one and as such the RIA is updated throughout the legislative development process.
