Written Answers Nos. 15-19
15. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide the services carried out on behalf of his Department by Pobal; the financial amount paid by his Department for the administration of such services; if there are measures in place to review the programmes and schemes operated so that duplication is avoided and public money is spent as effectively as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35738/14]
View answerPobal provides a significant level of service to my Department and it would be impossible to deliver the various Departmental programmes without Pobal's support. The majority of these services relate to Early Years programmes and services, some of which are:
- Conducting contractual compliance visits to participating childcare services under the large-scale Early Years funding programmes: Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) and CCS and payment administration, accounting and reporting for CCS and CETS;
- Managing a range of capital funding programmes and commitments (including the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme; the National Childcare Investment Programme; and early years capital schemes in 2012, 2013 and 2014). The role includes application, appraisal and contract management as well as verification of the capital expenditure which involves on-site visits to a sample of projects;
- The management of the Early Years Practitioners Learner Fund 2014-2015 including the procurement of training providers and the administration, accounting and reporting of the funding.
- The development, delivery and management of business processes, systems and infrastructure to improve the supports provided to beneficiaries and the management of the state’s investment in the early years sector, including on-line funding application and appraisal processes for capital and for the Learner Fund; Pobal maps, hosting of Tusla inspection report
Pobal also provides a number of other services to other aspects of the Departments’ remit, including for example grant management and support in relation the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme, and support for the National Early Years Access Initiative, the youth capital, youth services and youth cafe programmes, the School Completion Programme and the Family Contact Centre Pilot Initiative as well as for Comhairle na nÓg.
In 2013 my Department paid a total of €5.7 million to Pobal for these services. The figure for 2014 is likely be similar; some services have been added in, e.g. the Learner Fund for the Early Years sector and some have been reduced or were more resource intensive in 2013, e.g publication of inspection reports. The total budget for the services that Pobal deals with is of the order of €300 million annually so the cost of the work Pobal does on the Department's behalf is approximately 2% of the total cost of the programmes.
There is ongoing review of programmes to ensure effectiveness and that there is no duplication. The very strong data management role that Pobal plays is a key factor in the Departments ability to review and assess programmes effectiveness, efficiency and value for money.
16. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will co-ordinate a programme of action between the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Education and Skills to address the escalating youth unemployment issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35761/14]
View answerMy Department works closely with the Departments of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Education and Skills, Social Protection and others as part of a cross departmental effort to tackle youth unemployment.
My Department administers a range of funding schemes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country by the voluntary youth sector. In 2014 €49.78m has been allocated to my Department for these schemes. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people, and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 470 projects and 40,000 volunteers in local communities around the country. As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, my aim is to highlight the potential youth work can play, as part of the response to the youth employment challenge, through collaboration with other interests. Youth work and non-formal learning, in its many programmes and activities, offers young people opportunities to acquire new competences and skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, motivation, creativity and leadership. These are core and transferable life skills - the 21st century skills - that are so important to training and career readiness.
The work of the voluntary youth work sector, in the provision of youth services, has a significant contribution to make to the Government’s jobs agenda for young people including the Action Plan for Jobs, led by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Pathways to Work and the implementation of the Youth Guarantee for unemployed young people, which is led by the Department of Social Protection. Many youth organisations are working closely with the relevant Government departments and delivering youth employment and youth employability measures to address the challenges of youth unemployment.
The youth work sector has a significant contribution to make to a number of actions for progression by my Department in the Action Plan for Jobs 2014. These include promoting youth entrepreneurship activity at local level, increasing participation in volunteering opportunities in youth services and promoting mobility and learning opportunities for young people under the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme. In this context my Department, in consultation with the youth sector, has developed a ‘Youth Employability Initiative’ which builds on existing youth work initiatives that increase the employability of marginalised young people in the 15 to 24 age group. The initiatives will target the hardest to reach young people who are at risk of becoming NEET (i.e. not in employment, education or training) for intensive support to prevent unemployment. My Department is liaising with the relevant Government departments in the development of the initiative for 2015.
The National Youth Strategy 2014 - 2020 which is being developed by my Department in collaboration with other Government departments and youth interests will have a particular focus on ensuring greater coordination in policy and provision across government for young people aged 10 – 24 years. The strategy will aim to be responsive to current and emerging issues which impact on young people’s lives, such as the unemployment challenge at this time.
It is anticipated that the new National Youth Strategy will be completed by the end of 2014.
17. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Seán Kyne den Aire Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige cén obair atá déanta ar an bpróiseas chun áiseanna cúraim leanaí ar fud na tíre a iniúchadh agus cén obair atá déanta chun na tuarascálacha cigireachta go léir a chur ar fáil ar an idirlíon; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [35739/14]
View answerTá freagracht ag Tusla, an Ghníomhaireacht um Leanaí agus an Teaghlach, as iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar áiseanna réamhscoile faoin Acht um Chúram Leanaí 1991. Tá mórchlár athchóirithe ar siúl laistigh den Ghníomhaireacht le cur chuige soiléir náisiúnta a fhorbairt i dtaca le hiniúchtaí. Tugadh buan-nósanna imeachta oibríochta isteach le haghaidh a thabhairt ar cheisteanna neamh-chomhsheasmhachta agus le tuilleadh soiléireachta a sholáthar do sheirbhísí réamhscoile, tá tuairiscí iniúchta ar fáil ar líne agus ceapadh cigirí nua le folúntais a líonadh arbh ann dóibh. De bhun an bhuiséid 2014, tá luach €4.5m de mhaoiniú Státchiste á chur ar fáil le tacú le cur i bhfeidhm Chlár Oibre Cáilíochta na Réamhscoileanna, agus táthar ag leithdháileadh €0.5m den mhaoiniú seo i dtreo an chostais a bhaineann le leibhéil fhoirnithe a mhéadú leis an gcóras iniúchta réamhscoile a threisiú.Rinneadh roinnt leasuithe don Acht um Chúram Leanaí 1991 san Acht um an Ghníomhaireacht um Leanaí agus an Teaghlach 2013. Táthar ag súil gan mhoill le foilsiú rialachán a thugann éifeacht do na hathruithe reachtaíochta. Tabharfaidh an reachtaíocht nua isteach raon de chumhachtaí nua forfheidhmithe do Chigirí ag leibhéal an réamhionchúisimh. Tabharfar de chumhacht do na Cigirí coinníollacha feabhsaithe a shonrú nach mór do sheirbhís cloí leo agus beifear in ann bagairt go mbainfí a clárú de sheirbhís. Déanfaidh an córas seo soláthar do rialú agus d’fhorfheidhmiú tráthúla agus éifeachtacha na gcaighdeán sna seirbhísí réamhscoile,agus iad cúltacaithe ag reachtaíocht reachtúil.I Mí Iúil 2013, chuir an FSS tús le foilsiú tuairiscí iniúchta cúlghabhálacha réamhscoile ar líne, agus táthar ag leanúint ar aghaidh leis an bpróiseas seo. Táthar ag foilsiú gach tuairisc nua iniúchta a cuireadh i gcrích ó 1 Iúil 2013 ar aghaidh ar líne freisin. Tá Pobal ag óstáil fhoilsiú na dtuairiscí iniúchta réamhscoile, agus tá siad ar fáil ar shuíomh gréasáin Pobal.Tá muinín agam go ndéanfaidh na hathchóirithe cuimsitheacha atáthar ag tabhairt isteach soláthar d’fheidhmiú na Gníomhaireachta um Leanaí agus an Teaghlach de réimeas iniúchta réamhscoile atá comhsheasmhach agus láidir.Ba mhaith liom a rá freisin nach bhfuil san iniúchadh ach cuid amháin den chur chuige i leith cáilíochta agus go mbeidh mo Roinnse ag díriú ar fhorbairt chóras le feabhas a chur ar sheirbhísí cáilíochta agus tacaíochta le hardchaighdeáin a chomhlíonadh.
18. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when funding will be provided to the Attic Youth Café in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35729/14]
View answerIn 2013, €1.5m in capital funding was made available to my Department for a Youth Café scheme. Pobal assisted my Department to administer this scheme. In all 95 applications with proposals were received and some 30 proposals for new youth cafés facilities around the country were approved for funding. These projects are now working with Pobal to develop their projects to the next stage of development. An application for funding was received in respect of the Attic Youth Café, however, the application was deemed ineligible for the scheme.
Representations on behalf of the project have been received in my Department. There have been meetings with the then Ministers for Children and Youth Affairs and officials in January and in May this year. Officials of my Department and Pobal met with the project representatives on 11th September, 2014. Officials are now undertaking a full examination of all aspects of this case, including information and documentation provided at the meeting. The outcome of this examination will be communicated to the project in the coming weeks. Pending the outcome of this examination my Department is not in a position to determine what steps, if any, may be available to the proposers to advance the project.
My Department does not have available to it, a new capital fund for the development of youth cafés in 2014. However, it is acknowledged that youth cafés offer young people a safe, alcohol and drug free space, for recreation, non formal learning and youth activities. The Department has supported the development of some 100 youth cafés over the period 2011 to 2013. The development of youth café facilities will continue to be advanced should further capital funding become available in future years.
Longford Youth Service receives funding on an annual basis from my Department under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme. In 2014, funding of €74,651 has been allocated to Longford Youth Services to support the provision of services to young people in the locality.
19. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which he and his Department remain in contact with those providing supportive youth services throughout the country with particular reference to the need to identify ongoing needs and requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35586/14]
View answerMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. In 2014, funding of €49.78m has been provided to my Department for these schemes. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve, approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country.
Ongoing engagement and dialogue with the youth sector organisations and with young people themselves are priorities in the formulation of policies and provision of services to support young people’s development and learning. My Department works closely with the youth sector interests in various fora in developing key initiatives. The National Youth Work Advisory Committee, whose members include representatives of the national youth organisations, Government departments and the Education and Training Boards, that support youth services at local level, has an important advisory role to me in matters to do with provision for young people. My Department has worked with the youth sector on the development of youth work responses to the challenges of youth unemployment, including the contribution that the youth services can make to the Government's employment agenda and the Action Plan For Jobs, 2014.
The youth sector is engaged in the development, by my Department, of the new National Youth Strategy 2014-2020. The strategy will be a universal strategy for all young people, aged 10 to 24 years, while having particular regard to those young people who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing the poorest outcomes and, therefore, in most need of support. In consultation with the National Youth York Advisory Committee, my Department has set up a National Youth Strategy Task Group to oversee the development of the new strategy. The Task Group, which meets regularly, is chaired by the Director of the National Youth Council of Ireland and comprises representatives from the youth sector, Government departments, Education and Training Boards, the Centre for Effective Services and the business community. It is anticipated that the new National Youth Strategy will be completed by my Department for the end of 2014.
I, and officials of my Department have met, and continue to meet regularly, with youth organisations and groups. Earlier this month, over 2 days, I met with the representatives of some 30 national and major regional youth organisations. My aim is to see how we can work together to bring about the best possible outcomes for young people, having regard to resources available to us and to ensure that the programmes and services being provided are relevant and responsive to young people’s needs.
