Written Answers Nos. 1 - 29
4. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will address concerns over cuts in funding by the Child and Family Agency to groups that provide support services for children. [19880/15]
View answerThis Government has delivered the most comprehensive reform of policy and provision for children, young people and families in the history of the State, and our commitment to continuing that work remains very strong.
Tusla has a total budget of €643 million in 2015; including €631 million in current funding, and €12 million in capital. This represents an increase of €34 million and is a 5.6% increase on funding provided to the Agency in Budget 2014.
This funding increase demonstrates that, despite the budgetary constraints, this Government remains strongly committed to delivering the critically important support and reforms needed to supporting Ireland’s children and families. This additional funding will help drive key priorities in the reform of services, and assist the Agency to deliver on its mandate from Government.
Since its establishment, Tusla has been engaged in a comprehensive and much needed programme of reform across our child welfare and protection system. In December, I notified Tusla of its funding allocation for 2015 and on foot of this, Tusla prepared its Business Plan for this year.
Like all State agencies, Tusla has reviewed the scope to make savings across various areas of expenditure and to ensure that services are developed where possible. It has identified areas where resources need to be provided and it has also identified areas where available funding can be used to better effect to support service delivery.
The key focus has been on ensuring that services are streamlined and rationalised where necessary, with any overlap in service provision and duplication of costs eliminated. I have specified to Tusla that they should do everything to defend front-line services to children. This has implications for some organisations when services do not reflect the statutory remit of Tusla at this time.
I am very supportive of the approach that Tusla is adopting in terms of the reform of services, the targeting of funding at front-line services and the work being done in developing a new approach to the commissioning of services.
I want to assure the House, that in furtherance of the Government’s policy and commitment to child and family services, Tusla will continue to work very closely with service providers in managing budgets and in the delivery of services to children and families across the country. Priority will be given to front-line services as we seek to address identified service requirements, together with a strong focus on early intervention and prevention.
5. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his proposals to utilise the learning from the prevention and early intervention programme and the area based childhood programme to extend these to other areas, and to mainstream the effective models that have emerged by resourcing their expansion to other communities. [20626/15]
View answerThe Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme (2013-2016) is an innovative prevention and early intervention initiative consisting of committed funding for an area-based approach to helping to improve outcomes for children and thereby impacting on child poverty. The programme builds on and continues the work of the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme (PEIP) 2007 - 2013 which was co-funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) and Atlantic Philanthropies (AP).
The ABC Programme targets joint investment of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and The Atlantic Philanthropies of €29.7m in evidence-informed interventions to improve the long-term outcomes for children and families living in disadvantaged areas. It aims to break “the cycle of child poverty within areas where it is most deeply entrenched and where children are most disadvantaged, through integrated and effective services and interventions” in the areas of child development, child well-being, parenting and educational disadvantage.
The ABC programme is currently being evaluated under the guidance of an Expert Advisory Group. The evaluation adopts a shared measurement framework across all ABC programme sites. The evaluation will consider the implementation and cost of programmes, and crucially how the outcomes for children and families in ABC areas have changed during the course of the programme. The findings from this evaluation will be key to informing considerations in mainstream the learning from the ABC programme.
In parallel with the evaluation of the ABC programme my Department has established a task-focused group to examine how best to mainstream the learning from the ABC programme in the domains of policy and provision to improve outcomes for children and young people. This Task Group comprises representatives of the ABC sites and will explore how the mainstreaming of the learning from effective evidence-informed approaches can best be progressed.
It is anticipated that the group will provide a succinct discussion paper outlining feasible options relating to the mainstreaming of learning for the consideration of the ABC Interdepartmental Project Team in the last quarter of 2015.
6. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he accepts that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, by ceasing to fund the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency, is undermining the inclusion of disabled children in mainstream services and ignoring the rights of vulnerable disabled children and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20407/15]
View answerThe Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) was contracted by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to provide support, advice and training for Family Resource Centres across the area of disability awareness and staff/volunteer training in personal advocacy for people with disabilities. The organisation is funded by Tusla up to the end of June 2015.
Family Resource Centres are front-line services rooted in the community they serve. They offer an open door and respectful service. This universal accessibility allows for early identification of need, provision of appropriate interventions and timely referrals to appropriate services and for more intensive and targeted work as required. Acting as a focal point within their community, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families. This is inclusive of children and families who may have a disability.
Tusla values the work of DESSA and recognises the impact of its work across the Family Resource Centre Programme. I am assured by Tusla that the existing Family Resource Centre network has the capacity to deliver the services in question and to the required level. Tusla intends to build on the significant strengths of Family Resource Centres in meeting its mandate for community-based early intervention and family support. In this regard, Tusla is providing funding of €13.09m to 109 Centres across the country in 2015.
In seeking to improve outcomes and well being for children and young people, Tusla must ensure that it makes the most efficient use of its resources and in a way that is efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable. Tusla is giving particular priority in 2015 to the protection of front-line services and those which are best aligned to the priority outcomes as set out in the Agency's Corporate Plan.
Tusla is in receipt of Exchequer funding of €643m in 2015 which represents an increase of €34m or 5.6% over 2014. The level of funding provided represents tangible evidence of this Government's commitment to improving services for the most disadvantaged children and families.
7. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will intervene with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to restore funding to the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20406/15]
View answerThe Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) was contracted by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to provide support, advice and training for Family Resource Centres across the area of disability awareness and staff/volunteer training in personal advocacy for people with disabilities. The organisation is funded by Tusla up to the end of June 2015.
Family Resource Centres are front-line services rooted in the community they serve. They offer an open door and respectful service. This universal accessibility allows for early identification of need, provision of appropriate interventions and timely referrals to appropriate services and for more intensive and targeted work as required. Acting as a focal point within their community, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families. This is inclusive of children and families who may have a disability.
Tusla values the work of DESSA and recognises the impact of its work across the Family Resource Centre Programme. I am assured by Tusla that the existing Family Resource Centre network has the capacity to deliver the services in question and to the required level. Tusla intends to build on the significant strengths of Family Resource Centres in meeting its mandate for community-based early intervention and family support. In this regard, Tusla is providing funding of €13.09m to 109 Centres across the country in 2015.
In seeking to improve outcomes and well being for children and young people, Tusla must ensure that it makes the most efficient use of its resources and in a way that is efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable. Tusla is giving particular priority in 2015 to the protection of front-line services and those which are best aligned to the priority outcomes as set out in the Agency's Corporate Plan.
Tusla is in receipt of Exchequer funding of €643m in 2015 which represents an increase of €34m or 5.6% over 2014. The level of funding provided represents tangible evidence of this Government's commitment to improving services for the most disadvantaged children and families.
8. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his assessment of the financial burden of child care costs on families; the measures that will be introduced to provide relief for families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19538/15]
View answerI am aware of the relatively high cost of childcare to parents in this country and of the difficulties that this presents, particularly where both parents are in employment outside of the home. To help address the issue, funding of more than a quarter of a billion euro is provided annually by my Department to support the implementation of a number of childcare support programmes that assist parents in accessing quality childcare services. This funding, which is in addition to the direct support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit, supports more than 100,000 children each year.
The most significant of these programmes is the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, which represents an annual investment of approximately €170 million, enables 67,000 children each year to benefit from free pre-school 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 childcare qualifications. Parents who qualify for support under this programme can have their annual childcare costs reduced by as much as €2,375 for each qualifying child.
The Community Childcare Subvention programme provides funding to community childcare services to support disadvantaged or low income families. In the region of 25,000 children benefit from this programme each year. In the case of full day care, parents can have their weekly childcare costs reduced by up to €95 per week.
Further childcare support is provided under a number of labour activation measures which support parents returning to the workforce or availing of education or training opportunities. These include the:
- Childcare Education and Training Supports programme for parents availing of training and education courses;
- Community Employment Childcare programme for parents in Community Employment schemes; and
- After-School Childcare programme for after-school care.
The high level of funding to support these childcare programmes has been maintained despite the difficult budgetary position that has prevailed in recent years. To ensure that all the benefits of current (and future) investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. Accordingly, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare. This Group is considering the needs of children in their early years as well as the needs of school-going children. The Group will submit its report to Government in June 2015.
9. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will report on the review, due to be completed on 8 May 2015, of the 700 previously unidentified files which were found in an office in Portlaoise, County Laois, at the end of April 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20494/15]
View answerAt my first opportunity, I brought information to the Oireachtas on serious concerns that have been identified by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency in the Laois Offaly part of the Midlands area. As I mentioned earlier, I must give due regard to fair procedures for the individuals involved.
As part of the immediate actions, Tusla carried out an urgent review of the affected referrals out between the 5th and 8th of May. Measures are already underway to manage the referrals that were not processed as they should have been in Laois Offaly.
Tusla's analysis to date indicates that all of the referrals involved had been seen by the social work team. It shows that 90% of these had been received since 2012. Of all of the referrals involved, 11% required no further child welfare or protection actions. There was a recommendation for one in five of the referrals to be allocated for immediate assessment to identify whether the child concerned needed a response from the protection or family support services, or if the case could be closed. The remaining referrals were recommended to be dealt with by way of active management of risk while awaiting an initial assessment. Tusla has put in place the resources needed to progress all of these referrals, including those in need of immediate assessment.
Tusla has reported that only about half of the referrals showed evidence of review since the date of referral. In some cases there was evidence of steps being taken but that the recording of progress was not sufficient to formally progress or close the case.
At this stage, I have not been informed by Tusla of any children that were at immediate risk who did not receive an urgent response. I welcome the speedy and appropriate response by Tusla to put in place resources to implement the action plan. Tusla has in place a mechanism to monitor the action plan. I will have been receiving regular updates and will keep Deputies informed on this matter. I will meet with Tusla later today for a further update on progress.
10. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will commit to reversing cuts to the school completion programme and to ensuring the programme is secured for the future. [20401/15]
View answerThe School Completion Programme aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. It is a targeted intervention aimed at school communities identified under the Department of Education and Skills DEIS Action Plan. It involves 124 locally managed projects and provides targeted supports to approximately 36,000 children and young people.
Since 1st January 2014, the Child and Family Agency has had operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects. In 2014, Tusla allocated €24.756 million, and a similar allocation is being made for 2015. Tusla has asked Chairpersons of Local Management Committees to prepare their school retention plans for the 2015/2016 school year based on the expenditure allocated last year and to return them to the Agency by June 5th. Following receipt of these plans, all school completion projects will be notified of their allocations for the 2015/2016 school year.
The ESRI is currently reviewing the School Completion Programme, which will help in future decisions on its structure, governance and operation. The report is almost finalised and it is expected it will be available next month.
I have advised the Agency of my commitment to ensuring that there is no diminution in the school completion programme services. The School Completion Programme is an important service within the Agency’s educational welfare services. It is highly regarded as a key response in securing improved educational outcomes for children and young people at risk of early school leaving.
11. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if it is his priority to increase quality in earlier years settings and to build professional development time. [20489/15]
View answerThe Early Years Quality Agenda is a key priority for my Department. It brings together a range of measures designed to support providers in the challenge of continually improving the quality and standards of early years services throughout the country. One of the most important measures relates to the inspection of early years services.
I am preparing new Regulations to strengthen the current inspection regime, under which a new registration system will require that anyone who wants to establish an early years service must register with Tusla before they open. Services will be inspected by the Early Years Inspectorate before registration is granted, and there will be on-going inspections once the service is operating and children are attending. Importantly, these new Regulations will also be accompanied by new National Standards for Early Years Services, against which services will be inspected.
In addition to this work, the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills is leading focussed inspections of the quality of educational provision in the free pre-school year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme.
New qualification requirements for staff working directly with children in early years setting are also planned. All staff will be required to have a minimum Level 5 qualification on the National Qualifications Framework in early years care and education, or an equivalent qualification. In addition, pre-school leaders delivering the free pre-school year, who are currently required to hold a Level 5 qualification, will be required to have a minimum Level 6 qualification, or equivalent to qualify for ECCE. To support staff to meet these new qualification requirements, my Department established the Learner Fund which allocated €3 million to almost 2,500 staff for the purpose of up-skilling
The recent establishment of Better Start further demonstrates my commitment to ensuring excellence in early years services. The aim of Better Start is to provide a nationally coherent continuum of support to providers to help them to improve quality, incorporating the work of the City and County Childcare Committees and the National Voluntary Childcare Organisations. Every year, we provide some €13 million to City and County Childcare Committees and National Voluntary Childcare Organisations under the programme. This funding supports the valuable work of these bodies in supporting early years’ services around the country, through training, continuing professional development programmes, networking and cluster-type support groups.
Better Start also incorporates the work of a new nationally coordinated Early Years Specialist Service. This Service has recruited and trained 30 graduates in early childhood care and education to work directly with services in a mentoring capacity to improve quality, including assisting services in the implementation of the Síolta Framework and the Aistear Curriculum.
While significant progress has been made, my Department will continue to progress the Early Years Quality Agenda. Indeed, this is one of a number of issues that will be considered by the Inter-Department Group on Future Investment in Early Years and School-Age Care and Education.
12. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs with regard to the payment per child for the early childhood care and education scheme, the estimated cost of provision for child care providers relative to that payment, and therefore the expected margin for the provider per week, per child. [15677/15]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education Programme provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children, in the age range 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months, before they commence primary school. This Programme, which has an annual cost of €170 million, benefits in the region of 67,000 children every year.
To deliver the free pre-school year, a standard capitation fee of €62.50 per week per eligible child is paid to participating early years services. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week is paid per eligible child to services with more highly qualified staff. These capitation payments are paid to services in advance of, and during, each school term.
I do not have the information requested by the Deputy in relation to the expected margins for providers. Despite the downturn and the difficult budgetary situation, and the need to reduce capitation payments in 2012, the Government did maintain the pre-school year on a universal and free basis and, importantly, the number of early years services participating in the Programme, at approximately 4,200, remained consistent. The funding provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme to these services was a guaranteed source of income at that time and ensured that early years services were able to continue to deliver services at a time when the demand for childcare had fallen considerably.
One of the issues to be considered by the Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and After-School Care and Education will be capitation rates and funding options overall for this area. It will consider options to enhance affordability, options to increase the accessibility of provision and options to build the quality of provision and support the sustainability of the early years sector. The Group is expected to submit a series of recommendations to Government in June 2015.
13. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will consider providing funding directly to the early years sector, while at the same time subsidising the cost of child care places to parents, in order to increase both quality and sustainability of services providing care and early education to young children. [20490/15]
View answerTo help address the issue of childcare costs, I have provided funding of more than a quarter of a billion euro annually to support the implementation of a number of childcare support programmes that assist parents in accessing quality childcare services. More than 100,000 children benefit from these programmes each year. The support provided under these programmes is in addition to the direct support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit.
The funding provided through the childcare support programmes has a significant impact on the affordability of childcare services and has ensured that many children, who otherwise would not be in a position to avail of childcare services, are able to access quality services. The support has also enabled many childcare providers to continue to deliver childcare services at a time of severe economic difficulty. The funding has also ensured that employment levels across the sector have been maintained. The retention of the current level of investment in childcare is a considerable achievement given the pressure on the public finances over the last number of years.
All childcare programmes supported by my Department currently provide funding directly to early years services either in the form of capitation or subvention payments. This enables my Department to use this funding as leverage for ensuring high quality early years services while, at the same time, reducing the costs for parents.
To deliver the free pre-school year under the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, a standard capitation fee of €62.50 per week per eligible child is paid to participating early years services. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week is paid per eligible child to services with more highly qualified staff. Parents who qualify for support under this programme can have their annual childcare costs reduced by as much as €2,375 for each qualifying child.
The Community Childcare Subvention programme provides funding to community childcare services to support disadvantaged or low income families, and in the case of full day care, parents can have their weekly childcare costs reduced by up to €95 per week for each qualifying child.
Further childcare support is provided under a number of labour activation measures which support parents returning to the workforce or availing of education or training opportunities. These include the:
- Childcare Education and Training Supports programme for parents availing of training and education courses; - Community Employment Childcare programme for parents in Community Employment schemes; and
- After-School Childcare programme for after-school care.
For all of these programmes, the maximum contribution a parent makes to the cost of childcare is capped at €15 per week for part-time and after-school care and €25 per week in the case of full-day care.
The Government is committed to maintaining and improving the quality of childcare services and I consider that the funding provided by my Department through the childcare programmes is the most effective way of achieving higher quality while continuing to support parents with the cost of childcare.
To ensure that all the benefits of current (and future) investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. Accordingly, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare. This Group, which is considering the needs of children in their early years as well as the needs of school-going children, will consider a variety of mechanisms to address the objectives set out in the Deputy's question. The Group is expected to submit its final report to Government in June 2015.
14. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in view of recent reports on child protection services in County Laois and County Offaly, if he is satisfied that these services are sufficiently well staffed, funded and fit-for-purpose; that the children in these counties are protected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20495/15]
View answerI have been in regular contact with Tusla regarding the situation that has emerged in Laois/Offaly, including meetings with the Chair and senior management. To date, Tusla has given me their view that the management of staffing numbers in the area was not the only factor involved in the very unsatisfactory situation that was identified there. The Tusla management view is that existing resources were not being managed as effectively as they might be. In taking action in Laois Offaly, Tusla has made additional staff available to address the backlog.
Nationally, Tusla's child welfare and protection services are subject to the independent inspection regime of the Health Information and Quality Authority, and their reports are a matter of public record. As the child protection services are rightly undergoing scrutiny, other aspects of service delivery will no doubt be identified for improvement. Tusla has also recently developed the first ever quality assurance programme for child protection services. This programme is identifying areas in service improvement needs and is used to address resources and practice issues.
I have been reassured by Tusla that the day to day work with children and families is being done. I agree that the resources to support this work are a key priority and that we need to examine this for the system as a whole. I requested a report reviewing the situation with cases awaiting allocation. This report is at an advanced stage and I expect that it will be submitted to me shortly. It will provide Tusla with an opportunity to outline objective information on the road blocks we need to remove in the system. I am confident that this will reveal that the reforms that are underway are on the right track to deliver a fully quality assured service for all children at risk or in care.
15. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is aware of the Hands Up For Children campaign recently launched by the Prevention and Early Intervention Network, and if he will explore how to ensure that prevention and early intervention is a core commitment in the delivery of the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures policy framework. [20491/15]
View answerI support the Hands Up for Children Campaign organised by the Prevention and Early Intervention Network. It is critical that we are in a position to intervene where required, whether, at a young age, or early in the onset of difficulties, or at points of known increased vulnerability such as school transitions, adolescence and parenthood. Early intervention plays an important role in ensuring that children and young people achieve their full potential.
The importance of promoting prevention and early intervention for the Government is demonstrated by Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures which was launched in 2014. The document is the first overarching national policy framework which covers the age ranges of children and young people 0 – 24 years.
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures puts the everyday lives of children and young people at its centre and requires Government Departments and State agencies to work together in an integrated way along with non-government organisations to achieve better outcomes for children and young people.
Prevention and early intervention is a very important element of this Framework. As part of the process of structuring a work plan for 2015, Better Outcomes Brighter Futures 'sponsor' Departments were requested to identify a cross-sectoral priority for this. My Department identified 'prevention and early intervention' as our key cross-sectoral priority. Officials in my Department have met with representatives of the Prevention and Early Intervention Network (PEIN) and welcome on-going engagement and support in advancing the theme of Prevention and Early Intervention so that we can collectively ensure better outcomes for our children and young people.
16. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures he is taking to address the welfare of children living in homeless emergency accommodation for long periods of time; his views on their welfare, especially in relation to nourishment, social interaction and isolation from friends and extended families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19799/15]
View answerI understand that the Deputy is referring to situations where children and their families find themselves without a home and living in emergency accommodation. In these cases, the primary need is for a family home and responsibility for this lies with local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.
The December 2014 Action Plan to Address Homelessness includes a commitment for Tusla and Dublin City Council to coordinate operations to ensure that services are fully responsive to the need for family support services, including, where necessary, protection and welfare services that might arise for families in emergency accommodation.
When there is no child welfare and protection concern, the role of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is to provide family support, in the same way as it does for families in the general community. Where circumstances permit, Tusla can assist families by way of guidance and parenting supports through its family support services. Where Tusla identifies underlying problems, for example mental health issues, it can refer the family to the appropriate services. Tusla has had meetings with Focus Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and Dublin City Council in relation to vulnerable families and it is intended to develop a multi-agency protocol to clarify responsibilities with regard to homelessness.
I am well aware that homelessness is very disruptive to normal family life and is a major issue that this Government is intent on tackling. The effects on children can be damaging, particularly where the parents may be experiencing their own problems. We are all familiar with the benefits for a child of good routine, stable friendships and family ties. Homelessness can only have a negative impact on a child's personal growth, security and education. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, with the local authorities, is working hard to address this problem. Earlier this year, for example, the Minister issued a formal instruction to local authorities in Dublin and other urban centres on social housing, with a particular reference to those who have used emergency accommodation.
I consider family homelessness to be a very serious issue, and central to this are efforts to end the need to use emergency accommodation. Tusla continues to respond to family support needs, either directly or through commissioned services that can provide support to parents and children who find themselves in this situation.
17. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will report on the current status of the Aftercare Bill 2014; if his Department has examined the Scottish model of after-care delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19541/15]
View answerThe primary legislation in Ireland governing child care policy is the Child Care Act 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. Under these Acts, the Child and Family Agency has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. The definition of a child contained in both Acts is that of a person under 18 years of age who is not or has not been married. A child may be brought into care in accordance with the Child Care Act 1991 on a voluntary basis or, if necessary, a child may be received into care by Court order.
Young people leaving the care of the State at 18 years of age are entitled to an aftercare service. Aftercare is the term used to describe the planning and support put in place to meet the needs of such young people to assist them in making the transition to independent living.
The Child Care Act 1991 provides that the core eligible age range for aftercare is from 18 years up to 21 years. This can be extended until the completion of a course of education and training in which a young person who has left care, or is leaving care, is engaged, up to the age of 23 years.
The situation regarding leaving care in Scotland differs from the Irish situation. The majority of young people leave care in Scotland between the ages of 16 and 18 years. The provisions of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 are being introduced on a phased basis. The Act provides for a number of supports to those in care and care leavers. These include the introduction of ‘continuing care’, a new legal term to describe care leavers who remain in their ‘looked after’ (care) placement up to the age of 21. Local authorities have a new duty to provide care leavers with a continuation of the kinds of support they received prior to leaving care. In essence, the young person has ceased to be looked after but the local authority continues to provide them with a looked after placement and any necessary support until their 22nd birthday. This is akin to aftercare services for children leaving care in this State.
93% of children in care in Ireland are in foster care. At the end of December 2014, 58% of the 1,685 young people aged 18 to 23 years in receipt of an aftercare service were in full-time education. A significant number of these care leavers are supported financially to remain living with their foster carers, in addition to having access to an aftercare worker.
As the Deputy is aware, it has been decided to strengthen the legislative provisions regarding aftercare in Ireland. The approach proposed is to impose a statutory duty on the Child and Family Agency to prepare an aftercare plan for an eligible child or eligible young person. It is anticipated that the Aftercare Bill will be published shortly.
18. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he had any engagement with the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes; if he will ensure that any issues related to those of mixed race will be adequately addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19800/15]
View answerThe Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters was established by Government Order on the 17th February 2015.
I met with the three Commissioners in early February to personally thank them for agreeing to take on this important and challenging work. Their wealth of experience and knowledge is critical to the successful examination of these complex matters with all possible thoroughness, sensitivity and speed. Engagement to date between my Department and the Commission has focused primarily on establishing the administrative arrangements necessary to support the Commission's work. My Department continues to assist the Commission in recruiting its own team legal, research and other experts.
In accordance with its comprehensive Terms of Reference, the Commission is tasked with thoroughly examining the experience of mothers and children resident in Mother and Baby Homes and a representative sample of County Homes. The Commission is required to address seven specific questions on the practices and procedures relating to the care, welfare, entry arrangements and exit pathways for the women and children who were residents of these institutions. With regard to particular focus raised by the Deputy, Section 1 (VIII) of the Terms of Reference requires the Commission to identify the extent to which any group of residents may have systematically been treated differently on any grounds, including religion, race, traveller identity or disability. I am satisfied that the Commission has sufficient powers and scope to examine these concerns and to make a determination on their relevance to the central issues in question.
I am aware the some advocates have expressed a desire to see the Commission establish a dedicated module for this aspect of its investigations. The Commission is independent in the performance of its functions, and it is a matter for the Commission to decide how best to conduct and report on the various elements of its investigations.
Persons wishing to contact the Commission may do so by writing directly to: Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, 73 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, email info@mbhcoi.ie or by telephone at 01-6445000. I am advised that the Commission intends to advertise its contact details publicly within the coming weeks.
19. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, ceasing to fund the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency on 30 June 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19795/15]
View answerThe Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) was contracted by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to provide support, advice and training for Family Resource Centres across the area of disability awareness and staff/volunteer training in personal advocacy for people with disabilities. The organisation is funded by Tusla up to the end of June 2015.
Family Resource Centres are front-line services rooted in the community they serve. They offer an open door and respectful service. This universal accessibility allows for early identification of need, provision of appropriate interventions and timely referrals to appropriate services and for more intensive and targeted work as required. Acting as a focal point within their community, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families. This is inclusive of children and families who may have a disability.
Tusla values the work of DESSA and recognises the impact of its work across the Family Resource Centre Programme. I am assured by Tusla that the existing Family Resource Centre network has the capacity to deliver the services in question and to the required level. Tusla intends to build on the significant strengths of Family Resource Centres in meeting its mandate for community-based early intervention and family support. In this regard, Tusla is providing funding of €13.09m to 109 Centres across the country in 2015.
In seeking to improve outcomes and well being for children and young people, Tusla must ensure that it makes the most efficient use of its resources and in a way that is efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable. Tusla is giving particular priority in 2015 to the protection of front-line services and those which are best aligned to the priority outcomes as set out in the Agency's Corporate Plan.
Tusla is in receipt of Exchequer funding of €643m in 2015 which represents an increase of €34m or 5.6% over 2014. The level of funding provided represents tangible evidence of this Government's commitment to improving services for the most disadvantaged children and families.
20. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the adequacy of the learner fund in assisting providers to train staff for the free preschool year to meet the new child care qualification requirements under the revised preschool regulations; and if it is his view that the current capitation grant to preschools is adequate for these providers to pay their care staff a professional wage. [20400/15]
View answerMy Department is currently progressing the Early Years Quality Agenda with the objective of improving the quality of childcare services available to young children. As part of this process, all staff working directly with children in pre-school services will be required to hold a major award in early childhood care and education at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications, or the equivalent. This minimum qualification will be a requirement under the revised Childcare Regulations and, when commenced, staff who wish to continue in employment in the childcare sector must satisfy this new qualification requirement.
Specific funding of €3 million has been provided in 2014/15 under the Learner Fund to assist staff already working in the childcare sector to meet these new childcare qualification requirements. I understand that all eligible applicants were approved for funding and that in the region of 2,500 childcare staff are now being supported to meet the new qualification requirements.
To deliver the free pre-school year, a standard capitation fee of €62.50 per week per eligible child is paid to participating early years services. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week is paid per eligible child to services with more highly qualified staff. These capitation payments are paid to services in advance of, and during, each school term.
In 2012, it was necessary to reduce the level of capitation provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme in order to ensure that the Department's spending remained within the restricted limits set by Government following the severe downturn in the economy. Despite the downturn and the difficult budgetary situation, the Government did maintain the pre-school year on a universal and free basis and, importantly, the number of early years services participating in the Programme, at approximately 4,200, remained consistent. The funding provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme to these services was a guaranteed source of income at that time and ensured that early years services were able to continue to deliver services at a time when the demand for childcare had fallen considerably.
The restoration of capitation payments to pre-2012 levels would improve margins for providers. However, this would cost in the region of €5 million annually. While we have made very considerable progress in correcting the overall budgetary situation, the revenues generated by the improving economy has not yet provided the funding necessary for my Department to increase the current capitation payments. I have indicated previously that, if sufficient resources become available to my Department, I will consider the scope for this.
Indeed, this will be one of a number of options that will be considered by the Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and After-School Care and Education, which I established in February this year. This Inter-Departmental Group, which is tasked with setting out a range of options for current and future investment, will consider options to enhance affordability, options to increase the accessibility of provision and options to build the quality of provision and support the sustainability of the early years sector. The Group is expected to submit a series of recommendations to Government in June 2015.
21. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his Department’s plans to expand the community child care subvention scheme to make community child care accessible to eligible participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20403/15]
View answerMy Department administers the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which is provided through community not-for-profit childcare services. In excess of €40 million is provided annually by my Department to support the CCS programme and this enables the parents of some 25,000 children to avail of affordable childcare.
In the region of 900 community childcare services participate in the CCS programme and they qualify for funding on the basis of the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. The subvention is used by the services to reduce the weekly fees charged to disadvantaged or low income working families based on eligibility criteria.
Currently, there is no funding to allow for the entry of new community childcare services to the CCS programme. New applications can only be accepted if the new service is replacing an existing community childcare service that is leaving the programme. In addition, there are no plans to extend to the CCS programme to private childcare providers.
It is likely however, that these options will be considered by the Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and After-School Care and Education, which I established in February this year. This Inter-Departmental Group, which is tasked with setting out a range of options for current and future investment, will consider options to enhance affordability, options to increase the accessibility of provision and options to build the quality of provision and support the sustainability of the early years sector. The Group is expected to submit a series of recommendations to Government in June 2015.
22. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which he is satisfied that child developmental and support services remain adequate to meet requirements; if any augmentation is contemplated in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20488/15]
View answerChild Development services are mainly under policy direction from the Department of Health and are principally provided by the HSE through Public Health Nurses and Community Medical services and through General Practitioners contracted to provide primary care services.
At the end of February 92.3% (9,818 out of 10,637) of children reaching 10 months have completed their child health developmental screening. Children who were not screened are followed up if there are concerns, and families with worries about their child’s development are welcome to discuss this with their General Practitioner or Public Health Nurse, outside the designated child health checks. The HSE is currently reviewing its delivery of child health services.
In addition, as part of the roll out of free primary care services for children under six, recently announced by the Minister of Health on behalf of the Government, children will be able to avail of two free health and well being checks at ages two and five, with their family doctor.
As part of its programme of work in relation to Prevention, Partnership and Family Support, Tusla has been implementing Meitheal as a National Practice Model to ensure that the needs and strengths of children and their families are effectively identified and understood and responded to in a timely way, so that children and families get the help and support needed to improve children’s outcomes, and realise their rights. It is an early intervention, multi-agency (when necessary) response tailored to the needs of an individual child or young person.
Meitheal is voluntary and can only be undertaken when the parent/carer provides their written consent. Meitheal is used in partnership with parents to help them share their own knowledge, expertise and concerns about their child and hear the same from practitioners. The ultimate goal is to enable parents and practitioners to work jointly together to achieve a better life for the child.
These reforms in both HSE and Tusla are critically important in ensuring children get the best start in life. The cross-departmental national framework for children and young people - Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures is the framework for supporting the integration of these reforms and in driving a focus on prevention and early intervention through cross-sectoral implementation planning. I am satisfied that the policies, processes and structures set out in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures and Healthy Ireland will contribute to ensuring that all children reach their developmental potential and that service resources continue to shift towards prevention and early intervention over time.
23. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will rescind the decision by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to cease funding to the south Tipperary Lone Parent Initiative; the reason for the cessation; how this decision supports his previous assertions that lone parent families would be supported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20499/15]
View answerTusla has been tasked with improving outcomes and well being for children and young people. In this regard, the Agency must ensure that it makes the most efficient use of its resources in a way that is efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable.
In reviewing the make up of current services, Tusla is seeking to address any identified gaps in services, to avoid duplication and to support effective delivery of frontline services nationally. Tusla has advised that the work undertaken by the Lone Parent Initiative in South Tipperary is already largely undertaken by other agencies funded in the area and also by Tusla's own outreach team. In the circumstances, Tusla is obliged to ensure that there is no duplication of services and that available funding is used in the most cost effective manner.
I am advised by Tusla that they have met with the Lone Parent Initiative over recent months to engage with them and to provide a context to the emerging approach in South Tipperary.
Having regard to the range of service options in the area and the roll out of Tusla's Prevention, Partnership and Family Support programme, a decision was made by Tusla to discontinue funding to this project from June 2015. The project received funding from Tusla of €43,353 in 2014.
24. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide details of all contributions made to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, or to any other agency in or supported by his Department, by Atlantic Philanthropies since 2011; the areas to which such contributions were directed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20498/15]
View answerThe agencies operating under the aegis of my Department are Tusla - The Child and Family Agency, The Adoption Authority of Ireland and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. Of these, only Tusla has received funding from Atlantic Philanthropies. The amount of this funding is budgeted at €2,159,443 in 2015 (2014: €Nil) and is split across the following headings:
- workforce development,
- participation,
- public awareness,
- parenting,
- commissioning,
- area-based approach and meitheal model, and
- implementation.
25. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is responsible for the care of children with intellectual disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19794/15]
View answerI should inform the Deputy at the outset that responsibility for disability services rests with the Minister for Health. Tusla's statutory duty is to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. There are many reasons for children coming into Tusla's care including abuse and neglect but disability alone, whether intellectual or physical, is not one.
Of course, as children in care are a heterogeneous group, some will have a disability. I am advised by the Agency that approximately 8% of children in care have been diagnosed by a clinical specialist as having a moderate or severe disability. These children also avail of disability services operated by the HSE. In some cases, this includes residential care provided by Disability Services.
It is Tusla’s responsibility to respond to any concern or report of abuse or risk of abuse to any child, irrespective of a disability or whether they are at home, already in care or living in a HSE residential centre provided by Disability Services. In such circumstances, Tusla will assess the child's situation. Any decision Tusla take to apply for a care order with respect to a child with a moderate or severe disability is taken at a multidisciplinary case conference where the views of professionals who have long established knowledge of the child and family are heard.
Placement is based on assessed need. A child with a disability may be placed with a Tusla foster care family or residential unit and receive disability services. Where a child is already attending a disability service it may be in the child's best interests to be placed in the disability service's residential care to allow for continuation of relationships, care planning and to avoid a disruption in placement when the child reaches the age of 18 and is discharged from care.
Tusla and the HSE have a joint protocol for inter-agency collaboration which underpins service provision for children whose needs span health and child protection.
26. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a detailed update on the work and meetings of the interdepartmental group established to address the issue of child care and related issues. [19797/15]
View answerMy Department currently provides approximately €260 million annually to early years and school-age care and education services. This funding is largely directed towards a number of childcare programmes, which aim to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of early years and school-age care and education. These programmes support the provision of early years and school-age care and education for more than 100,000 children each year.
To ensure that all the benefits of this (and future) investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. It is critically important that any investment is designed to achieve the best outcomes for children and their parents. Accordingly, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in early years and school-age care and education.
Membership of the Group includes representation from right across Government, including the Departments of Education and Skills, Jobs and Innovation, Justice and Equality, Social Protection and as well as the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform, Finance and an Taoiseach.
The work of the Group is being informed by research and evidence of best practice and by existing policy commitments, including those set out in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People.
To inform its work, the Group has already solicited the views of key stakeholders, interested parties and the general public through a number of consultative processes, including an Open Policy Debate on Future Investment in Early Years and School-Age Care and Education Services, which was hosted by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on 31st March 2015 and attended by some 40 invited representatives including parents, providers, academics, childcare committees, and NGOs.
It has also held a series of bilateral discussions with relevant Government Departments, including the Departments of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Education and Skills, Finance, Jobs and Innovation, Justice and Equality, Public Expenditure and Reform and Social Protection.
Two separate online consultation processes - one with the early years sector and one with parents and guardians - have also taken place and the approximately 400 submissions received from the early years sector and almost 1,000 submissions received from parents and guardians are currently being analysed. Reports on these consultations and the Open Policy Debate are currently being compiled and will be published in due course.
The Inter-Departmental Group will submit its report to Government by end June 2015.
27. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is satisfied that the children's Ombudsman has no remit to investigate 75% of complaints received by his office in relation to education and that there is no further recourse available to those complainants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19534/15]
View answerThe Ombudsman for Children is independent in his function and is directly accountable to the Oireachtas in relation to the exercise of his functions as provided in the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002. As Minister, I have certain functions and responsibilities for the Ombudsman for Children's Office under the Ombudsman for Children Act, 2002. These primarily relate to governance matters, most notably the funding of the Ombudsman for Children's Office through the Vote of my Department.
I met with the new Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon in March 2015. We discussed a broad range of matters but the issue being raised by the Deputy did not arise.
The Ombudsman for Children reports annually to the Oireachtas under section 13(7) of the 2002 Act. As well as statistical information, these reports outline recurring themes and issues of concern across a range of public sector activities that impact on the lives of children. In March 2012, the Ombudsman for Children produced a report on the Operation of the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002. In this report, the former Ombudsman for Children, Ms Logan, made a number of recommendations proposing amendments to the 2002 Act and highlighting the need for clarity in respect of policy on certain aspects of the remit of that Office. Among her recommendations, she called for an expansion of her remit in certain areas, including in relation to Education. This Government has already expanded the remit of both the Ombudsman for Children and the Ombudsman by the enactment of the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012.
In light of the fact that the issue being raised by the Deputy relates to the education sector, I would suggest that it might be more appropriate for the Deputy to pursue this matter with the Minister for Education and Skills.
28. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to introduce an outright ban on corporal punishment and in doing so to remove the reasonable chastisement defence, in order to bring Ireland in line with our commitments under the European Social Charter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19802/15]
View answerConsiderable progress has been made to restrict the use of corporal punishment in Ireland. Corporal punishment in schools is banned, regulations and standards for creches, foster care and residential settings address the use of appropriate discipline. In order to copperfasten the position with regard to care settings, I have instructed officials in my Department to prepare regulations providing for the explicit prohibition of corporal punishment where a child, in the care of the State, is placed in foster care, foster care with relatives or in residential care.
Corporal punishment in the home, while not specifically outlawed, is subject to provisions of certain laws, namely, the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997 which deals with the assault of any person and Section 246 of the Children Act, 2001 which deals with cruelty to children. In the case of parents, or persons acting in loco parentis (other than teachers), a common law defence of reasonable chastisement may be available where a prosecution arises. Such a defence exists in a number of common law countries. While corporal punishment of children is unacceptable in all instances it is important to clarify that the defence is not an immunity and it is a matter for a court to objectively determine what is ‘reasonable’ in the context of the currently applicable social norms.
The established position has been that to remove the common law defence would, in principle, expose the family extensively to the intrusion of the criminal law. However, my Department has commenced work, including consultation with the Department of Justice and Equality, on examining the possibility within the Irish legal framework for removing the common law defence.
All aspects of the issue of a total prohibition of corporal punishment whether from a policy, legislative or constitutional perspective continue to be kept under review. More broadly, significant progress continues to be made in relation to the Government’s commitment to protect the rights of children, including the amendment to the Constitution in relation to children’s rights, progress in relation to fundamental reform of the child protection services with the establishment of the Child and Family Agency, and drafting legislation in relation to putting Children First on a statutory basis.
29. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps he and his Department are taking to increase access to child care, including increasing investment; if consideration is being given to utilising school infrastructure, where possible, to increase capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20405/15]
View answerFunding of more than a quarter of a billion euro is provided annually by my Department to support the implementation of a number of childcare support programmes that assist parents in accessing quality childcare services. This funding, which is in addition to the direct support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit, supports more than 100,000 children each year.
To ensure that all the benefits of current (and future) investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. Accordingly, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare. This Group is considering the needs of children in their early years as well as the needs of school-going children. The Group will submit its report to Government in June 2015.
The issue of school ownership impacts on the extent to which the State can influence how primary schools use any additional facilities or space they may have. The vast majority of primary school buildings in the country are in private ownership. Of the 3,278 primary schools in 2014, only 190 (6%) are in the ownership of the Minister for Education and Skills. The remaining 94% of primary schools are in private ownership. The State has no authority to compel Patrons who are the owners of school sites to accommodate childcare services on their own property.
I am aware that the Minister for Education and Skills is, however, supportive of coherent measures that facilitate greater community use of schools while respecting the core role of schools. In relation to use of existing school premises, my colleague is of the view that, in the first instance the core role of a school in delivering education to its student body has to be paramount and any additional activities have to adhere to that core role. There are also a number of practical issues, such as lease terms, insurance, etc., that need to be properly examined for schools considering additional activities on their premises.
Notwithstanding these issues, the Inter-Departmental Group will give consideration to the use of the school infrastructure for future delivery of childcare, particularly for after-school and out-of-school care.
