Other Questions
6. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an update on the progress of the review of child care support programmes which her Department initiated; and if she will outline the objectives of the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14206/14]
View answerWill the Minister provide an update on the progress of the review of the child care support programmes which her Department initiated, outline its objectives and make a statement?
As I have already outlined in my response to an earlier question, we administer two targeted child care schemes involving community child care subvention, or CCS, and child care education and training support, or CETS, respectively. In the region of €260 million is spent annually to provide support to those programmes, including €175 million for the free pre-school year. The total number of children benefiting from support under the programme is approximately 100,000, which is very significant. My focus on quality services and the qualifications of staff means the support children get will improve continously. Staff will receive better training, services will receive mentoring and staff will complete their qualifications. It is also the case that there are now more than 2,000 inspection reports online.
I have commenced the review of CCS and CETS as a number of issues have been identified in the schemes, including varying rates for subvention and different eligibility criteria. I have commenced an internal review of these child care support programmes to consider how best to structure them going forward. They have been in place for a number of years and it is time to review them. I will ensure that the participation of the wider child care sector in the review is considered as the internal review progresses.
I cannot say at present when the review will be finalised. It has just started and its scope is being determined. A review of the schemes should lead to improved targeting to ensure that those individuals who are going back to work obtain more support. I do not expect the review on its own to result in increased capacity as that is an issue of additional resources in the sector to increase the number of child care places.
I thank the Minister for her reply. There is a debate at present on the ongoing costs of child care, as there is a debate about the cost of many things. Sustainability remains an issue for child care providers. Many parents find the costs of child care too high and many providers are finding it difficult to meet overheads. As part of the review which is taking place, will the Minister look at the €62.50 figure and will she consider whether an alternative capitation rate should be implemented to provide a better service for users and providers?
The extremely difficult financial position the Government has had to deal with and control has worked against increased investment. I hope that as public finances recover in the coming years it will be considered important to channel any funding which becomes available to schemes which fulfil the objectives I have outlined and support the parents the Deputy rightly says are concerned about costs.
The Deputy asked about supports for the child care sector. I take the Deputy's point about the need to continually review the current level of subvention and, where possible, to build in more support to providers, because it is clear that the staff providing those services do not earn large salaries and many are on very low wages. Sustainability is an issue. I believe that the sector needs to grow and be supported and that the people working in the sector need to have a career path. This is the reason we are introducing the mentoring schemes. As resources become available it is critical from the point of view of the individual child, but also from an economic and competitive point of view, that we have more affordable and accessible child care, as much for the sake of the country's economic development as for meeting the needs of individual children.
I welcome the Minister's response. Obviously, as circumstances allow, I presume a review of the rates will be kept in mind as the economy improves.
8. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the current role, including programmes and schemes, of the county child care committees; and if further responsibilities could be transferred to the child care committees, particularly in view of the way the flexible structure of the child care committees has enabled them to take on additional tasks in recent years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14205/14]
View answerMy question refers to the current role, programmes and schemes of the county and city child care committees and whether further responsibilities could be transferred to these committees, given their flexible structure.
I thank Deputy Kyne for his question. I welcome the opportunity to speak about the child care committees. Thirty-three city and county child care committees were established in 2001 under the Office of the Minister of State with responsibility for children to help support the development of local child care. The current role of the committees is to assist the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in improving and expanding the quality of child care services available to parents in their area. The committees offer information and guidance locally on a wide variety of services, including advice on establishing a child care business, organising child care information sessions and supporting parents by providing information on local facilities and parent networks. The committees also have a significant role in the delivery of a range of child care support programmes which are currently implemented by the Department.
Each committee submits an annual implementation plan which outlines its strategy for the year and the annual funding level is determined on the basis of this plan. The implementation plan provides for a range of activities to be undertaken by the committees and identifies locally focused initiatives which are designed to address specific local needs. In 2014, a total of just over €10 million has been allocated to the child care committees. All Deputies will acknowledge that these committees have played an important role in the development of child care services in local areas since their introduction in 2001. They have worked closely with this Department and previously with the former office of the Minister for Children in co-ordinating the increase in the number of child care places in their areas. The introduction of the additional support programmes and the expansion of the existing programmes have significantly increased the workload undertaken by the committees.
In answer to the Deputy's question, the committees will continue to play a key role in the ongoing development of child care services and will have a central role in supporting the implementation of new and emerging child care policy developments, including in the area of quality improvements. Future developments with respect to child care committees can be further considered in the context of the establishment this year of a new national quality support service for early years and child care services which forms a key objective of my eight-point agenda to improve quality standards in early years and child care services. Increasingly, the Department works collectively with the committees. It is important to bring together the information and the views of the child care committees in order to have a national picture of their work. They have tended to work locally, but we are focusing on bringing them together and obtaining good-quality data from them and also having the benefit of their insights about what is happening in order to identify key issues in the sector and, indeed, key solutions.
I thank the Minister for her reply. I appreciate that the vast majority of child care committees work well and are improving the quality and availability of child care. They now have an important role working with the new Tusla programme. The Minister referred to the recent announcement about the national quality support service. Her reply refers to an opportunity for the child care committees, based on their strong local knowledge and their work with the early years services, to provide support for the role of the national quality support service. The focus on quality in services is welcome. Will additional services to support and improve quality be channelled through the existing support services such as the support groups and the child care committees, given their local contacts and knowledge?
We have begun to bring the local child care committees together and they have formed an umbrella group called Child Care Committees Ireland. This is a very positive development, and I thank the representative body for its work in this regard. It has made an input into the development of the new national quality support service. I will be holding a round-table meeting in the next two weeks which will be attended by Child Care Committees Ireland and national child care organisations to consult on plans for this service and to examine the overarching national architecture required to improve quality in early years and child care services. I agree with the Deputy that the input of the child care committees, because of their local presence, will continue to be important. They will play a vital role in the years ahead.
I look forward to ongoing discussion with them about their key role at a national level. I will take on board their suggestions about the new learner service and the mentoring service. I welcome their work within the umbrella group and their work with the other national organisations such as Early Childhood Ireland. Such collaboration will provide the best information and strategic advice about the future of the sector.
9. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the programmes in place to assist with the development of youth services; the funding for these for each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14019/14]
View answerI call Deputy Ó Cuív. Galway West is doing well in Question Time today.
We are doing well, and Galway East is in the Chair.
For the moment.
It is a west of Ireland takeover.
I believe that investment in youth services is very important because we know that the cost of not having youth services, particularly for young people growing up in disadvantaged communities, actually leads to further costs for the State down the road. My question is what funding is available, whether the trend of the funding is up or down and what action the Minister plans to ensure youth services are provided.
I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for his question and endorsement of the importance of youth services. I know he has an interest in this area. I agree that funding schemes and programmes for the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country should continue in so far as possible. I have provided some information to the House already but I will summarise it.
The schemes include the youth service grant scheme, under which funding is made available on an annual basis to 31 national and major regional youth organisations. I referred in an earlier reply to the targeted programme for disadvantaged areas and the local drugs task force projects. Funding is also provided to Léargas - the Exchange Bureau, Gaisce, the local youth club grant scheme and youth information centres. I have provided the figures relating to the range of services which are supported, such as the 400,000 volunteers and 1,400 youth work staff. I am continually impressed by the quality of the work.
In 2014 current funding of €49.78 million is being provided by the Department for youth schemes and programmes. In 2013 the funding amounted to €51.74 million. We have also made capital allocations to youth services over a three-year period, comprising €0.5 million in 2012, €1.75 million in 2013 and €0.75 million in 2014. The 2013 allocation included capital funding of €1.5 million for a specific youth café initiative which has received great support throughout the country and with which the Deputy will be familiar.
Capital funding of €250,000 has been earmarked for play and recreation and that programme is being developed. We have also had €0.5 million for small capital grants for youth projects. There is a range of initiatives for this year in the area of capital allowances which will support local youth projects, and details regarding the eligibility criteria for those capital grants will be announced in the summer.
I did not hear the full figures for the last three years. Was it somewhere around €51.7 million for 2012 and 2013?
That was the figure for 2013. The figure for 2012 was €56.8 million.
There has been a significant reduction in funding. I know the approach of the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform is to just take money across the board, without discriminating in terms of where the cuts fall. Certain things do not change, but at the end of the day, €50 billion is being spent in current expenditure and choices have to be made. Would the Minister agree that cutting youth services is penny wise and pound foolish? Saving €7 million looks to the lay person like a significant sum of money but in the context of the total budget it is akin to a family saving €7 per year. It is foolish because of the extra burden that will be placed on the Department of Justice and Equality in the future in terms of more crime, anti-social behaviour and so forth. Has there been a debate about the need to rebalance budgets and to prioritise issues such as youth services, where one is talking about a very small amount of money making a huge difference in terms of diverting children away from crime?
Obviously, my Department, along with all other Departments, has been required to deliver substantial savings in recent years, in line with the comprehensive review of expenditure for 2012 to 2014. In determining the annual allocations for youth programmes I must have regard to the savings required of my Department but I have sought to ensure that front-line services, particularly those for the most vulnerable young people, are protected as far as possible. There was a discussion during the budget negotiations last year about this and I highlighted the importance of youth services. I was very pleased to secure additional funding for my Department which meant that the reductions in the youth services area were considerably smaller than what had been intended originally. The final reduction was 3.75%. I attended a significant youth conference yesterday and it was highlighted to me that the minimising of the reduction was very much appreciated by the sector. The importance of youth services was acknowledged in my discussions with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, and others. It meant that the intended reductions were significantly reduced. I agree with Deputy Ó Cuív that we must focus on prevention and early intervention. All of the studies show there is a saving to the Exchequer if we invest wisely in the early years. Generally, we must have more of a focus on early intervention.
I could not agree more with the Minister on her last point. I know that when we had the midnight soccer programme running, there was a 30% decrease in anti-social behaviour in various housing estates. Obviously, idle hands create difficulties. Does the Department still recognise the particular challenges faced by those in the RAPID areas in the context of youth services? Does the Minister accept that extra supports are needed in those areas, given that they are the most socially disadvantaged communities in the country? Has there been a front-loading of resources for those areas? Is the concept of RAPID still recognised by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs?
Concern has been expressed about Galway youth services, as the Minister knows. Will the Minister be able to do anything to address those concerns?
On the second question, representations were made to me last year about the Galway youth service. We examined the particular points that were raised and were in a position to give some extra funding. If there are other issues arising now, I ask Deputy Ó Cuív to correspond with me in that regard and I will respond forthwith. We have directed funding at services which were at risk, or perceived risk, in terms of their sustainability. We have taken decisions to allocate extra funding to areas that would be identified under the RAPID programme. We are very keen to support services in areas that face more pressures and where young people need extra supports. When grants are being allocated, such considerations are very much to the fore in the Department.
10. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total funding available in 2014 for assistance with child care; the means test that applies for this assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14018/14]
View answerMy question relates to support for child care. I heard the earlier debate on the issue and am interested in the trends in funding and the plans the Minister has to ensure that adequate funding is available for child care.
Significant investment is being provided this year by my Department for the two child care schemes that are currently operating, namely the community child care scheme and the childhood education and training support, CETS, scheme. My Department also administers the free preschool year scheme. The annual investment in the latter scheme provides a financial benefit to the parents of participating children of approximately €2,500 to €3,000. Obviously the scheme is part-time, but it is of major benefit to both parents and children, particularly in the context of the high-quality inputs available and the levels of supervision and support provided by the scheme.
The community child care subvention programme benefits approximately 25,000 children annually. It is available to parents who have relatively average incomes on the basis of their entitlement to hold a GP visit card. The level of support is determined by the income status or social welfare entitlement of the parent qualifying for support, and parents who qualify for the highest rate of support can have the weekly charge reduced by up to €95 for each child, which is significant.
The CETS programme targets funding to support parents returning to education and training and benefits approximately 2,500 children. The scheme is worth approximately €145 per week for each child. In addition, a maximum of 1,800 new part-time child care places are being introduced this year under the CETS programme to Community Employment scheme participants. Finally, a maximum of 600 places are available under the school age child care programme. A significant range of supports are in place already, but clearly, fully addressing the broader issue of the affordability and accessibility of child care would require significant extra investment as we strive to make more places available at an affordable rate.
There has been a lot of discussion and kite flying by the Minister's colleagues about tax breaks that might be available in the future. Would the Minister agree that if money is available for tax breaks, it should be made available to those who are working and who do not benefit from the subventions referred to by the Minister, in the main? Tax breaks should be introduced in a targeted way to facilitate working parents of young children rather than just being introduced in a scattergun fashion. Will the Minister be making the case to her colleagues that tax breaks, when they are introduced, should be targeted particularly to facilitate working parents who need child care and who find that a huge proportion of their after-tax income is spent on funding the cost of going to work? This issue must be addressed, and if money is available for tax breaks in the future it must be spent in a targeted way rather than in the way that has been suggested, that is, giving a little to everybody with no policy basis.
I will certainly be bringing forward a case for the incremental development of affordable and accessible child care services. I agree with the Deputy that this is a key economic and competitiveness issue. As the OECD report stated when it examined this area, it is essential that it be addressed for the future economic development of the country. I approach it from the point of view of what is best for the child and want to ensure services are of high quality. While we welcome the 1,200 new jobs that are being created every week, as they become available and couples take them up, the question of accessible child care is going to become more critical. I agree with the Deputy that this is a key issue for the Government when considering future tax policy and general investment. International research on developments in child care points to universal provision as the most effective way forward.
Will the Minister accept that the chances of her persuading her colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to take that route which might be the more preferable one are difficult? While there are cutbacks, if money is saved, it will not be used to provide for extra expenditure but tax breaks. Accepting that tax breaks represent the only loose money in the system, is the Minister going to make a strong case that tax breaks between now and 2016 should be targeted at reducing the cost of child care for people who are working so as to make it worth their while to work and pay for good quality and registered care providers? Obviously, such a move would also encourage people to use quality registered child care providers.
This country will have to deal with the issue of the accessibility and affordability of child care in the coming years. The precise mechanism and financial support to be provided will have to be examined. Research shows the provision of universal child care services, as opposed to using the tax system, is preferable if funding is available. However, there will be detailed budgetary discussions in the coming months on this and a range of other issues. I am not in a position to indicate the precise outcome of these discussions.
I was referring more to the Minister’s input into the process.
11. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an update on the adoption (information and tracing) Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14007/14]
View answerI seek an update on the adoption (information and tracing) Bill and to explore with the Minister what possible improvements might be permissible within the various constitutional restrictions that still stand.
The Deputy heard my earlier reply on this legislation. I am keen to progress it as soon as possible, as a lot of work has been done on it. Legal advice has been sought in detailed discussions with the Attorney General. I met her in recent weeks to consider how we could progress the legislation and what could be included in the heads of the Bill. I will have these finalised as soon as possible and submitted for the consideration of the Government in advance of referral to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children. As I stated, it has involved complex legal and constitutional issues. The legislative proposals will address the circumstances in which identifying and non-identifying information may be provided. They will also examine the processes needed to be put in place to assist those seeking information. The most difficult situations to be addressed are those where the consent of other parties such as natural mothers has not been given for the release of information.
We also need to build an infrastructure that will support those seeking information, as well as for the maintenance and accessibility of the relevant records. Recently I had discussions with Gordon Jeyes who assured me this was one of the priorities in the Child and Family Agency’s business plan, with five social workers allocated to work in this area to ensure those seeking information received a quality service. A lot of work still has to be done in this area as it has been neglected in the past. Considerable infrastructure will have to be provided to deal with at least 50,000 files, if not more, as we will not have the full number until we introduce the statutory obligation on the agencies which hold these records.
I heard the Minister's earlier reply on the strong legal advice about the constitutional protection of the rights of the natural mother to privacy. Will the legislation she is bringing forward in this respect be sufficient to address needs in all cases? Has she given any consideration to the possibility of constitutional change if the Constitution is an impediment in allowing access to full information on the part of the birth child? She has indicated that she intends to bring the Bill before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children. Has she received approval for the heads of the Bill from the Government? Within the existing constitutional limitations, can real improvements and access to information be arranged through the new Child and Family Agency?
New arrangements can be put in place, which is why extra staff have been allocated. Obviously, there are many demands on the Child and Family Agency and this is one of many. I have, however, identified it as an important priority area because the needs of those seeking adoption information are important. There has not been enough focus up to now on bringing the records together. It is an urgent task to have them brought together and made accessible.
The focus of my approach has been on examining how far the legislation can go within the constitutional parameters, meaning that my focus has not been on constitutional change. I have been seeking to clarify how much can be contained in the legislation. I have already given a lot of detail to the House today on the range of areas in which information can be provided. I believe information can be provided where the birth mother has given consent or is deceased. In cases in which the birth mother cannot be traced, it might be possible for information to be given. Non-identifying information which would not infringe on the privacy of the relevant person may be provided, subject to the requirement that the person be consulted. Information could be provided in exceptional or compelling circumstances through an application to the High Court. I want the health committee to examine how wide the legislation can be in making information more accessible. The proposed legislation could do a lot in improving the current position.
We have gone over time, but as the Deputy said, it is Thursday.
With the Chair's indulgence, given that the greatest volume of cases would be historic, is consideration being given to drawing a line in the sand, so to speak, where these issues of competing rights and conflicts would be confined to the past and not continue? This is important.
In regard to the Child and Family Agency, the Minister has indicated there will be additional staff. I am aware that these are early days in the life of the agency as a structure, but has it deployed staff to set about the work of arranging for dealing with the significant volumes of files and records that have been placed in its care by a number of organisations which have previously provided adoption services?
The Deputy's first question was whether there would be a line drawn in the sand in regard to the type of approach to be taken. The answer is "Yes." In the legislation I intend to introduce a change as regards how we deal with this issue of current and prospective adoptions. The legislation will change the approach.
Second, the Child and Family Agency has started on its work, but it is an enormous task. The first job will be to scope out precisely the scale of that task, the resources necessary and the timescale for dealing with it effectively. This is an urgent issue, particularly for those trying to obtain information. There are tens of thousands of files in varying states and we will have to examine carefully how to manage them most effectively, deal with the information and ensure it is accessible. That will be the first task.
