Written Answers Nos. 22-29
22. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total number of children currently in care; the duration of such care; the extent to which adequate resources and facilities are available to and through the carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38730/13]
View answerThe HSE compiles monthly performance reports which include statistics in relation to children in care. These reports are published on the HSE website. The latest published report shows that in May 2013 there were 6,441 children in care, of which 4,065 (63.1%) were in general foster care and 1880 (29.2%) in care with relatives.
The most recent statistics available on the duration of care placements is contained in the HSE’s 2011 Review of Adequacy of Services, which is published on the HSE’s website. The review showed that at 31 December 2011, of the 6,155 children in care, 1,424 (23.1%) had been in care for less than one year, 2,668 (33.5%) had been in care for between one and five years and 2,063 (33.5%) had been in care for more than five years.
Foster carers are provided with support through the allocation of a link social worker. This worker is independent of the child’s social worker. Their role is to visit carers on a regular basis providing support services including advice, guidance and training as they consider necessary to enable the carers to take care of the child placed with them.
Carers are also provided with a monetary allowance in respect of every child placed with them as set by the Minister. In addition to the allowance the HSE may provide further financial and other assistance if deemed necessary to support foster carers.
The Irish Foster care Association, funded by the HSE, also provide support, advice and meditation services to careers who take up membership.
A small number of children are accommodated in residential units some of which provide high support or secure care. These children are cared for by professionally qualified social care staff.
23. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will confirm that all child care services provided by persons employed outside the child’s own home will be subject to the provisions of the children first Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38608/13]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that I published the Draft Heads and General Scheme for the Children First Bill 2012 in 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. A number of submissions were received as part of the Committee's consultation process. 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. Since then my Department and I have carried out international research and held further consultations with experts and key stakeholders, including other relevant Departments and statutory agencies, to discuss and review the complex matters arising and the development of the final Bill.
It is also essential that the related and relevant legislation is 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.
Revised Heads and General Scheme of the Children First Bill and drafting of this legislation by parliamentary counsel has been approved by Government. The proposed Children First Bill will place obligations on professionals working with children to report suspected child protection concerns, to share information and to engage in inter-agency and multi-disciplinary working and that organisations working with children will have safe practices and policies in place.
It is my intention that establishments which provide pre-school services or school age services within the meaning of Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 will be subject of the legislation.
24. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to upskill staff working in child care services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38711/13]
View answerIt is my intention to introduce new qualification requirements for the pre-school childcare sector starting in September 2014. This will be an important new development as, at present, staff working in childcare services other than under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, are not subject to any requirement in respect of qualifications.
The ECCE programme introduced the first-ever requirement for minimum qualifications for staff working in the childcare sector. The current requirement under the programme is that the pre-school leader delivering the pre-school provision 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.
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.
There is considerable international evidence that increasing the qualifications of staff working with children increases the quality of services. It is essential, therefore, that all staff have qualifications on a formal recognised basis. My Department is currently examining measures to support training for childcare staff in line with the increased qualification requirements.
25. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department will be required to reduce its expenditure in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38719/13]
View answerExpenditure, funding requirements and how resources should be prioritised and allocated across each area of Government spending are generally considered as part of the the annual estimates cycle and budgetary process. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time on any future decisions that may be taken by Government in the context of Budget 2014 on the expenditure allocations for programmes and services falling within the Vote of my Department.
26. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when she expects the chairperson designate of the child and family agency, Ms Norah Gibbons, will take up her post; when the number and make-up of the new board will be confirmed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38767/13]
View answerFormal appointments to the Board of the Family Support Agency will be confirmed in the immediate future. Pending the establishment of the Child and Family Agency, the existing statutory functions of the Board of the Family Support Agency will remain in place and require to be discharged. The Family Support Agency Board will also be asked to provide, on an administrative basis, oversight of the preparations for the new Agency, pending its establishment, and guide the transition of the FSA into the new organisational and governance arrangements. The passage of the Child and Family Agency Bill will resume in early October and following its enactment I will be in a position to formalise appointments to the Board of the new Agency.
27. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the up-to-date figure for children in care with an allocated social worker; the number in care who still do not have an allocated social worker and the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38763/13]
View answerThe HSE compiles monthly performance reports which include statistics in relation to children in care. These reports are published on the HSE website. The latest published report shows that there were 6,441 children in the care of the HSE in May 2013, of which 5,859 children had an allocated social worker, while 582 children did not have an allocated social worker. Unallocated cases are often cases where a child has just come into care and is awaiting allocation of a social worker or where a child is in a very stable fostering placement, provided perhaps, by a relative. Maternity leave, sick leave and movement of staff within the service can result in a case being unallocated for a short period of time.
Cases that are unallocated are closely monitored, supported and case managed by the duty social work team under the supervision of the principal social worker. Cases are subject to ongoing review and, where appropriate, the level and nature of the support being provided will change depending on the needs of the child.
28. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the current arrangements for children whose detention has been ordered by the courts because they have committed a criminal offence; if she is satisfied an adequate number of places are available for children in child detention centres here; and if she will confirm that adequate security measures are now in place at child detention centres in order that no child can abscond from any of these centres. [38604/13]
View answerThere are currently 3 children detention schools in the State: Trinity House, Oberstown Boys and Oberstown Girls schools. All are located on the same campus at Oberstown, near Lusk, Co. Dublin. These schools currently accommodate girls under 18 years of age on admission and boys under 17 years on admission whose detention is ordered by the Courts on remand or on conviction for criminal offences. The Deputy will be aware that a construction project is to commence shortly in Oberstown to expand the capacity of the campus, to enable responsibility for detention of all young people under 18 years of age to be assigned to Oberstown in 2014.
There has been a substantial increase in demand for male bed spaces on the Oberstown campus in 2013 compared to 2012. This has been primarily but not exclusively driven by an increase in the number of boys aged 16 years old on admission detained in Oberstown. As a result, there is a shortage of male bed spaces available in Oberstown at present. While the trend in court outcomes for children requires further research, I am conscious that a number of measures are required to address the short term difficulties that have arisen in this area.
Firstly, by agreement with staff, an independent review of the campus roster for care staff is to get under way shortly which will include the issues of the number of staff absences resulting from sickness, assaults and injuries, adequacy of staffing levels as well as the implementation of the Haddington Road Agreement. This process will commence before the end of September and will be completed as soon as possible.
My Department has also identified an ongoing trend of children exiting the HSE secure residential system and being remanded in custody to the Oberstown campus. Both the Irish Youth Justice Service and HSE Child and Family Services are to further analyse this trend to establish if in certain cases the needs of the children concerned would be more appropriately addressed by way of community based services.
I have authorised a reorganisation of staffing and services on the campus which will result in 4 additional male bed places in Oberstown Boys School before the end of this month, subject to legal advice. This will include moving the location of Oberstown Girls School from its current location to a unit currently occupied by Oberstown Boys School, reducing the number of bed spaces for girls from 8 to 6 and increasing the number of male detention spaces in Oberstown Boys School from 20 to 24.
My Department is also progressing plans for recruitment of staff to enable the reopening of an 8 bed unit for males in Trinity House School which is currently not available for use due to staffing issues. A tender is to issue shortly for a pilot project to bring in between 10 – 20 residential care worker staff on an agency basis. The intention is to run this project for a test period of up to 6 months, starting in October. In addition, the first batch of new care staff due to arrive in early 2014 as part of the expansion of the campus for 17 year old males are, in the first instance, to be assigned to the existing children detention schools in order to ensure the required cover to open all detention beds that are currently certified for use.
I have previously provided information in relation to abscondings which took place from Oberstown Boys School in June of this year. The 3 boys in question were subsequently apprehended by the Garda and returned to Oberstown. I am advised that there has been a full review of security by the Director of Oberstown Boys School to prevent a recurrence of this incident. While it can never be guaranteed that such incidents will be prevented, I am aware that there is a long history of a high level of security in Oberstown as well as excellent co-operation and communication with the local community. The issue of security will remain an ongoing matter for review by the Board of management and the Irish Youth Justice Service. I also note that there will be enhanced security on the campus as a result of the Oberstown capital project, which will include a new cordon barrier and fence as well as an expansion in CCTV coverage on the campus.
