Written Answers Nos. 169-177
169. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will support the vital and excellent service of the Don Bosco Care Group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10996/15]
View answerI am advised by Tusla that there will be no reduction in funding for Don Bosco in 2015 and the funding provided will remain at the 2014 level.
170. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the current status of plans for a second early childhood care and education year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10763/15]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education programme provides one free pre-school year to all eligible children before commencing primary school. This programme represents an annual investment of €175 million in pre-school services.
The introduction of a second pre-school year would require considerable additional funding, broadly in line with the cost of the current provision. This additional funding is not currently available due to the financial constraints under which the Government is operating. In addition, all of the available evidence indicates that the quality of the pre-school provision, which is key to good outcomes for children, should be the priority. The Early Years Quality Agenda is being progressed by my Department. This involves a range of actions in key areas aimed at improving quality within early years services and enhancing the regulatory regime. These reforms are key building blocks for any further extension of universal childcare provision.
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020, recognises the value of early childhood care and education in supporting children's early cognitive, social and emotional development. The Government is committed to the introduction of a second free pre-school year within the lifetime of the Framework once the required quality standards are achieved and subject to the availability of resources.
171. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding for youth work services provided by his Department in the years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015; if he will provide a breakdown of current and capital funding for each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10829/15]
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. Some 30 national and major regional youth services receive funding under the Youth Services Grants Scheme. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and 2, Local Drugs Task Force Projects and certain other programmes including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme and Youth Information Centres Scheme. Funding is also provided to Léargas – The Exchange Bureau, Gaisce – the President’s Award, the National Youth Health Programme and the National Youth Arts Programme. 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.
In 2015, an allocation of €49.9m has been provided to my Department to support the provision of youth services. There has been no reduction in the overall allocation for youth services in 2015 which was a key priority for youth organisations. In 2014, €49.78m was allocated and in 2013, 2012 and 2011 the allocations were €51.74m, €56.8m and €60.154m respectively.
In some recent years capital funding has been allocated by my Department for capital projects in the youth services as follows:
- 2012 - Youth Café funding of €500,000 was provided to support 8 Youth Cafes.
- 2013 - An amount of €1.5m was provided for a Youth Café Scheme and 30 new Youth Café projects throughout the country were approved for development.
- 2014 - An amount of €500,000 was made available to fund small capital projects in the youth services. Some 50 local youth projects received grants under the scheme.
- 2015 - An allocation of €500,000 is available to fund small capital projects in the youth services. The closing date for applications under the 2015 Scheme was 27 February. The applications received are undergoing an assessment process at present and my Department anticipates that it will be in a position to announce details of the successful projects in early May.
172. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the implications of the European Union directive on public procurement, which will be transposed by 2016, on youth work services; if his Department has had discussions with the youth work sector on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10830/15]
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. 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. In 2015, funding of €49.93m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
The Deputy will be aware that three of the targeted funding schemes, the Special Projects for Youth scheme, the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund, and Local Drug Task Force projects scheme, were the subject of a recently completed Value for Money and Policy Review. The review covered the period 2010 to 2012. In 2012, expenditure on the schemes amounted to €39.7m. The review involved an in-depth scrutiny of a complex area to do with the impact youth service provision has in young people’s lives.
Overall, the review found that the youth programmes can provide a significant contribution to improving outcomes for young people, and should be considered for on-going public funding.
The review makes a number of recommendations for the future operation of the youth schemes and their development in the years ahead. It recommends that the three existing schemes be replaced with a single, targeted, evidence-based and outcomes focused scheme designed to secure the optimal outcomes for young people and their communities. The findings and recommendations of the review are being discussed by stakeholders in the consultations on the new proposed new National Youth Strategy. I intend that the reforms recommended in the review will be progressed in the context of the new Strategy.
The work on the development of a new funding scheme has been prioritised by my Department together with the development of the data management systems that will support good performance oversight of the youth programmes and provide assurance about efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of services that secure optimal outcomes for young people.
My Department is examining the implications of the EU Directive on Public Procurement. Any implications the new Directive may have for the provision of services by my Department, including support for the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector, will be considered in full consultation with the youth sector in the context of the National Youth Strategy 2015 - 2020.
173. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of participants from Ireland who have undertaken European voluntary service in another European Union member state and the number of persons from other European Union member states who have undertaken European voluntary service here in the years 2012, 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10831/15]
View answerThe European Voluntary Service gives young people, in the age group 17-30 years, the opportunity to express their personal commitment through full-time voluntary service, living and working in communities in a foreign country within or outside the EU.
The European Voluntary Service aims to develop solidarity, mutual understanding and tolerance among young people, while contributing to strengthening social cohesion and promoting active citizenship. Placements can last between 2 and 12 months, but young people with fewer opportunities can be supported to carry out voluntary service on a short-term basis from 2 weeks upwards. The programme was funded under the EU Youth In Action programme up to 2013 and is currently funded under the EU ERASMUS+ programme ( 2014-2020 ). The programme is administered on behalf of my Department by Léargas- the Exchange Bureau.
I am advised by Léargas that in 2012, Ireland hosted 94 volunteers from the EU partner countries and 45 young volunteers from Ireland were hosted by communities and projects across Europe. In 2013, Ireland hosted 129 volunteers and 59 volunteers travelled abroad and in 2014, the figures were 124 and 25 respectively.
174. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the process currently in place for couples and persons applying for approval as suitable adoptive parents; the time the procedure is currently taking; the number of social workers and other staff working on same; if he will provide statistics for the most recent period available to include the number of applications in the system; the number at each stage; the number and percentage which eventually get approval; the available analysis of reasons for refusal; the number and percentage which eventually successfully adopt at home or abroad; the period for which an approval is valid; the number of valid approvals in circulation with potential parents seeding a child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10866/15]
View answerThe Adoption Authority of Ireland has provided the following table of Declarations of Eligibility and Suitability granted over the past ten years. The Authority advises that it is not possible to say how many of these led to an adoption as some prospective adopters will have withdrawn from the process for a variety of reasons. I would point out that a Declaration remains valid for 3 years, therefore the numbers below may include applicants who reapplied, following expiration of an earlier Declaration that was granted.
Applications for Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability
|
- |
Couples |
Female Applicants only |
Male Applicants only |
Total |
|
2004 |
478 |
23 |
0 |
501 |
|
2005 |
378 |
22 |
0 |
400 |
|
2006 |
442 |
25 |
0 |
467 |
|
2007 |
473 |
21 |
0 |
494 |
|
2008 |
462 |
47 |
0 |
509 |
|
2009 |
368 |
38 |
1 |
407 |
|
2010 |
335 |
46 |
0 |
381 |
|
2011 |
223 |
9 |
0 |
232 |
|
2012 |
203 |
0 |
1 |
204 |
|
2013 |
236 |
1 |
0 |
237 |
The other questions raised by the Deputy are a matter for the Child and Family Agency and I have asked the Agency to respond to the Deputy directly on these matters.
175. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the ongoing efforts to address the cost and provision of child care to further support parents who are working and incurring significant child care costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10948/15]
View answerIn the region of €260 million is provided annually by my Department to support a number of childcare programmes which assist parents in accessing quality and affordable child care. More than 100,000 children benefit from this investment each year. These programmes are in addition to the support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit.
The childcare programmes include the free preschool year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. In the region of 68,000 children benefit each year from the free preschool provision. The standard weekly capitation payment for each eligible child enrolled is €62.50 with a higher capitation of €73 paid for eligible children enrolled in services where staff hold higher child care qualifications.
The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to community child care services to support disadvantaged or low income families. In the case of full day care, parents can have up to €95 per week deducted from the overall charge. In the region of 25,000 children benefit each year from the CCS programme.
Further childcare support is provided under a number of labour activation measures which support parents returning to the work force or availing of education or training opportunities. These include the Childcare Education and Training Supports (CETS) programme providing €145 per week for full day care where parents are availing of training and education course provided by Solas or the Education Training Board (ETB). The After-School Child Care (ASCC) programme provides €40 per week for after-school care, or €80 per week where a pick up service is available, with €105 per week for full day childcare during the holiday period. A Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme has also been introduced and provides up to €80 a week to support qualifying parents who are participating in Community Employment (CE) schemes.
The funding to support the childcare programmes has been maintained despite the difficult budgetary position. I am now looking at the question of appropriate supports for child care in a wider context. To ensure that all the benefits of our full range of child care investments are fully realised, future public investment in child care must be evidence-based and strategically co-ordinated. It is crucial that we develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in child care services and I have established an Interdepartmental Group to look at the provision right across the 0 to 6 age group as well as to consider the after-school needs of older schoolgoing children. I have asked the Group to report to me by the Summer.
176. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in payment being reimbursed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal who holds long-term illness eligibility and paid prescription charges for medicines dispensed in respect of that person's long-term illness conditions in the period, October 2010 to December 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10766/15]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the primary care schemes, therefore the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to you.
If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
