Written Answers Nos. 710-725
710. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding payments of agri-environment options scheme and single farm payments in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1802/14]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 September 2011 and full payment has issued in respect of 2011.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. During the checking process in respect of the 2012 Scheme year, an issue was identified regarding the parcel use of one of the selected actions. This matter has been queried with the applicant’s planner and upon receipt of a satisfactory response to this, the application will be further processed with the intention of issuing payment in respect of 2012 at the earliest opportunity.
Following the issue of the 2012 payment, the 2013 payment will be processed as soon as possible.
Payment in respect of the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 10 December 2012. Payment in respect of the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme has not issued as, at this stage, the holding concerned has not yet satisfied the Scheme minimum stocking density requirements for 2013. An exercise to take account of December 2013 data, which has recently become available, is currently ongoing and is scheduled to be completed before the end of January. This will establish the definitive position of the holding of the person named and other similarly affected scheme applicants. Should that re-validation confirm that the holding has satisfied the Scheme requirements, the case will be further processed with a view to payment issuing at the earliest possible date thereafter.
The person named did not establish entitlements Single Payment Scheme and is not eligible for payment under that scheme.
711. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when single farm payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1804/14]
View answerThe person named made application for 2013 Single Payment Scheme on 13 of May 2013. Four of the land parcels declared were recently planted in forestry. As the eligibility of these land parcels under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme has now been confirmed, the payment due in respect of these land parcels will shortly issue, directly to the nominated bank account of the named person.
712. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has not had agri-environment options scheme 1 payments for 2012 and 2013 processed; the reasons for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1805/14]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1 September 2010 and full payments have issued in respect of the 2010 and 2011 Scheme years.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, have to be completed before any payment can issue. This application was selected for inspection in 2012. During the inspection non compliances were found which resulted in a penalty. The application is being processed on the basis of the inspection findings and payment for 2012 will issue shortly. Following payment for 2012, the 2013 payment will be processed as soon as possible.
713. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when headage payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1806/14]
View answerPayment under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme has not yet issued as, at this stage, the holding concerned has not yet satisfied the Scheme minimum stocking density requirements for 2013. Under the 2013 Scheme, in addition to maintaining 0.15 livestock units for a minimum retention period of seven consecutive months, applicants were also required to maintain an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the 12 months of the scheme year.
An exercise to take account of December 2013 data, which has recently become available, is currently ongoing and is scheduled to be completed before the end of January, thereby establishing the definitive position of the holding of the person named and other similarly affected scheme applicants. Should that re-validation confirm that the holding has satisfied the Scheme requirements, the case will be further processed with a view to payment issuing at the earliest possible date thereafter.
714. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide details of the assessment process for the awarding of youth café capital funding; the criteria involved; and the reasons for ineligibility and so on. [55530/13]
View answerIn February 2013, I announced that my Department would be providing funding for youth capital projects in 2013. In this regard, total funding of €1.55m has been made available for my Department's Youth Cafe 2013 programme.
Pobal assisted my Department with the application and evaluation process for the Youth Cafés 2013 Programme.
Applications for new youth cafés were invited from organisations and consortia involved in the provision of services to young people, with at least 3 years’ experience in the development of youth services. It was a requirement of the scheme that applications were to be submitted ‘online’ by 12 April, 2013. Detailed guidelines on the application and appraisal process and supporting documents in relation about best practice for youth cafes was made available to applicants on the Pobal website.
Some 95 applications for support under this scheme were received by Pobal.
To be eligible, applications were required to demonstrate that the proposed new youth café would be developed in line with my Department’s Youth Cafes in Ireland: a Best Practice Guide; that the facility would be target service for 12 – to 25 year olds and aim to meet the needs of the local youth population, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Criteria also included the extent to which the proposed new youth café would add value to existing provision for young people in a locality, criteria in relation to the capacity of the organisers to effectively manage the project, the involvement of youth in the development of project, how the project would be sustainable and the strength of the overall proposal.
Eligible applications were then appraised on the basis of a detailed assessment of the extent to which the criteria were met. The applications that scored well in the initial process with Pobal were further evaluated in the Department taking account of youth population, existing youth service provision and geographic considerations. Following the completion of the assessment and evaluation process some 30 proposals for new youth cafes projects were approved for funding and for inclusion in the next phase of the youth café programme. These successful applicants have now entered the pre-contracting development stage and are working with Pobal to progress their projects in this regard.
I have arranged for a copy of the detailed guidelines on the application and appraisal process provided to all applicants to be sent to the Deputy.
Details of the proposed 30 new youth cafés are available on my Department’s website at www.dcya.gov.ie.
715. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the number of positions arising in the youth work sector that are exclusively for community employment scheme applicants; her further views that specialised youth workers who do not qualify for community employment have few employment opportunities as a result; if she will examine the issue with a view to finding a solution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55224/13]
View answer721. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of youth workers currently funded through her Department or an agency under her remit; if she will provide a breakdown of these youth workers by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1052/14]
View answer722. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way in which a youth group or organisation working with young people in a town which has no youth worker may seek to obtain funding for such a post; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1053/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 715, 721 and 722 together.
My Department provides funding to support the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. The funding schemes support the work of some 32 national and regional youth organisations and some 480 local youth work projects and involve services to some 400,000 young people throughout the country. The youth organisations and services are voluntary, not for profit organisations or limited companies. It is estimated that some 40,000 volunteers are involved in the sector.
The recruitment, employment and deployment of staff including youth workers are matters for the youth organisations and services themselves. An Assessment of the Economic Value of Youth Work (Indecon, 2012) carried out on behalf of the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), estimated that there were the equivalent of 1,397 individuals employed on a full-time, paid basis in the sector. These employees include those in management roles as well as service delivery and include youth workers. Youth workers are employed directly by the youth organisations, services and projects to deliver programmes and services including recreational, sporting, learning, volunteering and personal and social development opportunities for young people throughout the country. Information about the number of youth workers employed by youth organisations and services by county is not readily available to my Department.
With regard to the Deputy's enquiries about the possibility of securing support for a youth worker position for a local service, if the Deputy provides details of the situation in question, my Department will make arrangements to clarify the matter with the relevant youth organisation or Education and Training Board in the locality.
The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an important feature of the voluntary youth work sector. Under the CE scheme, youth organisations and services sponsor placements offering work experience and skills acquisition opportunities to unemployed people to improve their chances of integration into employment elsewhere in the economy. It is a requirement of the scheme that the placements offered do not displace or replace existing jobs. Youth work organisations and youth projects benefit through the contribution of CE workers in areas such as maintenance, security, caretaking, the administration of youth facilities, youth centres and youth activity centres and work which is essential to the effective organisation of youth groups, particularly in youth projects for disadvantaged young people. The NYCI report indicated that in 2010, there were some 256 CE workers employed in the youth sector
My objective is to ensure the ongoing development and provision of, and access to, quality youth work services to young people. Well qualified and trained youth workers have a key contribution to make to the attainment of this objective along with skilled volunteers who have a significant role the provision of local services. The National Youth Work Advisory Committee which comprises representatives of the voluntary youth services, Government Departments and other youth work interests, has an important advisory role to me in this context.
I, and officials of my Department have met, and will continue to meet, with many youth organisations and groups to try and see how we can work together to ensure the most effective and efficient use of the resources available in order to achieve these shared objectives for the provision of quality services to meet the needs of young people.
716. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children currently on the waiting list for a special care placement; the average waiting time for such a placement; and her views on recent reports that up to 40 children are waiting for a special care placement. [55340/13]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is currently being finalised and I will forward the information directly to the Deputy this week.
717. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which agency staff have been used in her Department in each of the past five years for the purpose of answering and transferring calls on their switchdesk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55429/13]
View answerReception duties, including switchdesk operations, are performed by employees of my Department. As such, no agency staff have been used for the purpose of answering and transferring calls on the switchdesk.
718. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total amount of state funding allocated to the Attic youth café since it was established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55495/13]
View answerInformation about the total amount of State funding, from all sources, that may have been provided to the Attic Youth Café, is not available to my Department.
I can confirm to the Deputy, that an amount of €10,000 has been provided to the Attic Youth Cafe, Longford, under my Department's National Lottery Grant Scheme 2013. My Department’s records show that, prior to the establishment of my Department, a grant of €8,000, was provided, under the youth funding schemes, by the then Department of Education and Science, in 2010.
719. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department collates statistics on the number of children who are or have been in the care of the State who have entered the criminal justice system and are or have been detained in Oberstown or St. Patrick's Institution. [55581/13]
View answerBeginning in early 2013, the Irish Youth Justice Service commenced the collection of additional information on the admission of children into the children detention schools in Oberstown, relating to whether the child in question has an assigned social worker and whether the child is the subject of a care order under the Child Care Acts. For example, as of 13 January 2014 there were 29 children resident in the children detention schools in Oberstown, Lusk, Co Dublin. 19 of the children concerned had an assigned social worker and 9 were the subject of a care order under the Child Care Acts.
While there have been no specific statistical analyses or reports published as of yet by my Department in this area, I can inform the Deputy that one of the high level goals in the forthcoming Tackling Youth Crime - Youth Justice Action Plan 2014-2018, which has been developed by the Irish Youth Justice Service and which is to be published shortly, is "To strengthen and develop our evidence base to support more effective policies and services, having regard to the voice of young people". To achieve this objective, the Irish Youth Justice Service will develop data and promote research in this area. The Irish Youth Justice Service will also work with the Child and Family Agency to improve coordination between youth justice services and secure residential facilities for children.
The provision of statistics in relation to St. Patrick’s Institution are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Irish Prison Service.
720. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 386 of 3 December 2013, the number of additional staff who will be deployed to the adoption information and tracing service to address the task of organising and storing files transferred from former adoption societies and mother and baby homes to the State; when these appointments will be made; and if she will confirm that the adoption information and tracing service comes within the remit of the newly formed Child and Family Agency. [1009/14]
View answerAs this is a service matter for which the Child and Family Agency (CFA) has responsibility, I have asked the CFA to respond directly to the Deputy.
723. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide details of any websites or online resources which her Department funds to provide information to young people on youth work, youth services or other information of use or interest to young people; the amount of funding provided to each organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1054/14]
View answer724. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department is funding or intends to fund or develop a one stop shop style website providing information on youth work, youth services and other information of importance and relevance to young people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1055/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 723 and 724 together.
My Department provides funding to support the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth sector. The funding schemes inter alia support:
- the work of 32 national and regional youth organisations funded under the Youth Service Grant Scheme and some 480 local youth work projects which include projects for young people who are at risk of substance misuse, homelessness or who live in disadvantaged areas;
- 25 local youth information centres, which provide a free, confidential information service to young people and those who work with them on a wide range of subjects including youth services and programmes, education, career and employment matters as well as rights and entitlements, travel and European opportunities; and
- Léargas – The Exchange Bureau and Gaisce – the President’s Award
The funding is made available on an annual basis to the organisations and projects to support the services and activities that they provide for young people including the provision of information via information technology.
All of the national youth organisations have websites with information for young people on the services that they provide and links to related services. Details of these organisations and Léargas and Gaisce and website details are set out in the table below. The National Youth Council of Ireland, which is one of the funded bodies, has some 45 youth organisations affiliated to it and the relevant links to these are available on the Council's website www.youth.ie
My Department is developing a new strategy for children and young people. This will provide the basis for more detailed strategies including a new youth strategy. It is envisaged that the new youth strategy will focus on ensuring greater coordination in policy and provision across government for young people. The development of the youth strategy will take account of the information needs of young people and the role of modern technology in meeting those needs and it will be informed by the views of youth service providers and young people in this regard.
|
Youth organisation |
ORGANISATION WEB ADDRESSES |
|
An Oige |
www.anoige.ie |
|
Belong To Youth Service |
www.belongto.org |
|
Catholic Guides of Ireland |
www.girlguidesireland.ie |
|
Crosscare (formerly Catholic Youth Care) |
www.cyc.ie |
|
Church of Ireland Youth Department |
www.ciyd.org |
|
Confederation of Peace Corps |
www.localise.ie |
|
ECO - UNESCO Clubs |
www.ecounesco.ie |
|
Experiment In International Living |
www.eilireland.org |
|
Feachtas |
www.gaelteic.com/feachtas |
|
Foróige |
www.foroige.ie |
|
Girls Brigade |
www.girlsbrigadeirl.com |
|
Involve |
www.involve.ie |
|
Irish Girl Guides |
www.irishgirlguides.ie |
|
Junior Chamber Ireland |
www.jci-ireland.org |
|
Macra na Feirme |
www.macra.ie |
|
National Association for Youth Drama |
www.youthdrama.ie |
|
National Federation of Arch Clubs |
www.archclubs.com |
|
National Youth Council of Ireland |
www.youth.ie |
|
No Name Club Ltd |
www.nonameclub.ie |
|
Ogra Chorcai |
www.ograchorcai.org |
|
Ogras |
www.ogras.ie |
|
Order of Malta Cadets |
www.orderofmalta.ie |
|
Scouting Ireland Ltd |
www.scouts.ie |
|
The Boys Brigade |
www.boysbrigade.ie |
|
Voluntary Services International |
www.vsi.ie |
|
Young Christian Workers |
www.ycw.ie |
|
Young Irish Film Makers |
www.yifm.com/index.php |
|
Young Mens Christian Association |
www.ymca-ireland.org |
|
Youth Work Ireland |
www.youthworkireland.ie |
|
Girls Friendly Society |
www.girlsfriendlysociety.ie |
|
DYCW Methodist Church in Ireland |
www.irishmethodist.org/dycw |
|
Presbyterian Youth |
www.pciyac.org |
|
Léaras – the Exchange Bureau |
www.leargas.ie |
|
Gaisce – the President’s Award |
www.gaisce.org |
725. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will roll out the crisis intervention service emergency out-of-hours social work service for children and young people under the age of 18 years nationwide; if her Department has costed the national roll-out of this service; if she will provide details of the current CIS and how many referrals were made to the service in 2012 and 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1056/14]
View answerThe Child and Family Agency (CFA) provides a range of services aimed at addressing emergency situations in the area of child welfare and protection. At present out-of-hours emergency services for children at risk in the greater Dublin area are provided through the Crisis Intervention Service (CIS). Outside the greater Dublin area the service is provided through the Emergency Place of Safety Service (EPSS).
The Crisis Intervention Service, which operates in the greater Dublin area (Counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow), provides out-of-hours emergency social work assistance to young people aged under 18 years. Where necessary, the social worker arranges for a foster care or residential placement for the child until the next working day. Referrals are made by service providers such as Gardaí, hospital and ambulance service personnel.
The Emergency Place of Safety Service (EPSS) operates outside the greater Dublin area and allows Gardaí to access an emergency placement for children found to be at risk out-of-hours. This service involves the placement of a child in a family setting until the next working day, when the local social work service assumes responsibility for the case. As part of this service Gardaí have access to advice and information from a social work off-site resource which is provided on a contract basis. The purpose of this service is to provide placements to children where Gardaí have removed them from their homes under Section 12 of the Child Care Act, outside of normal working hours, on an emergency basis or where a young person presents themselves as needing care and protection.
There has been a steady increase in the number of calls to the CIS and EPSS and an increase in the number of children placed since its commencement. In 2012 there were 712 referrals with 522 children placed in care and in the period to the end of the third quarter of 2013 there were 580 referrals and 432 children placed in care.
An Emergency Out of Hours Social Work service was piloted in Cork and Donegal. It is intended to expand this service in 2014 to include additional urban and rural areas and discussions are underway with stakeholders in this regard. The proposed service is to operate on the basis of a joint, national protocol between the CFA, an Garda Síochána and an external provider.
