Written Answers Nos. 616 - 633
616. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the allocation for his Department in 2016 which covers the Lansdowne Road agreement; and the demographic or other inflationary pressures. [37273/15]
View answerI am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that the total allocation to my Department under Budget 2016 amounts to €1.138 billion. This includes a provision of €1.113 billion in current expenditure and €25 million in capital expenditure. The net funding allocation for the Vote amounts to €1.112 billion when Appropriations-in-Aid receipts of €25.450 million in current funding are taken into account. This level of funding represents an increase of 11% on the 2015 Revised Estimate.
My Department’s provision for 2016 takes into account a number of adjustments relating to Haddington Road Agreement/Lansdowne Road Agreement. These include an increase of €171,931 in pay costs, a reduction of €3,310,197 in Pension Related Deduction (PRD) receipts and an additional €18,000 in respect of pension restoration costs over 2015 levels.
Demographic change and its influence on the cost of implementing programmes and services is one of many considerations taken into account in securing and finalising expenditure provisions in the context of the annual estimates cycle. In this regard the Deputy might note, for example, that the 2016 allocation includes significant extra resources to Tusla for 2016. The overall allocation amounts to €676 million, representing an increase of €38 million over the 2015 allocation. This includes €662.4 million in current expenditure and €13.6 million in capital expenditure. This will significantly strengthen the Agency’s base funding level and will facilitate it in responding to anticipated demand, as well as alleviating service pressures in child welfare and protection services, in particular pressures being faced in the areas of unallocated cases, private residential and foster care and Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence Strategy.
617. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will indicate, in respect of State boards under his Department's remit, the name of each appointee made from 7 March 2011 to date in 2015; the date of appointment; whether or not each appointee came through an advertised public application process; the number of vacancies which presently exist on State boards under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37357/15]
View answerI am responsible for the appointment of members to the boards of the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), Gaisce and the Board of Management for the Children Detention Schools. From the establishment of my Department in June 2011 until 31 December 2013 the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs was responsible for appointments to the Boards of the Family Support Agency (FSA) and the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). With the establishment of the Tusla on 1 January 2014, the FSA and the NEWB ceased to exist and their roles were subsumed into the Agency.
In line with Government Decisions in 2011 relating to appointments to State Boards and bodies, the vacancies on the boards of State Bodies and Agencies operating under my Department's aegis were published on my Department's website and expressions of interest from persons interested in being appointed to these boards were invited. My officials acknowledged all expressions of interest received and maintained a database of those expressions.
In May 2013 the Public Appointments Service (PAS), on behalf of my Department, sought expressions of interest from those interested in being appointed to the Board of the FSA, having regard to both its existing statutory functions and its planned role in facilitating the establishment of Tusla. The members of the FSA Board, in place at end-2013, were subsequently appointed to the Board of Tusla on its establishment on 1 January 2014.
New arrangements concerning appointments to State Boards were approved by Government in November 2014. Guidelines covering the process to be used were published on 25 November 2014 by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Under these new arrangements, PAS manages the process of advertising vacancies and the selection of suitable potential appointees to State Boards.
There is currently one vacancy on the Tusla Board and this position was recently advertised by PAS. There are also two vacancies on the Board of Management of the Children Detention Schools. The Children (Amendment) Act 2015 creates a legal framework to amalgamate the 3 existing Schools in Oberstown into a single detention school with a new board of management to be appointed by me. I am also arranging for four vacant positions on Gaisce, the President's Award scheme, to be advertised through the State Boards process. Seven members were appointed to the Board of the Adoption Authority of Ireland with effect from 1 November 2015, following the advertisement and selection process by PAS.
My decisions on appointments to boards are subject to the relevant governing legislation, and take into account the particular responsibilities of the body or agency in question. At all times I seek to ensure that the body or agency is best served by an appropriate mix of skills and experience.
The following tables set out the appointments to the respective boards since 2011:
Adoption Authority of Ireland
The credentials of the persons appointed were in accordance with Section 98 of the Adoption Act 2010.
|
Board Member |
Term |
Credentials |
|
Dr. Imelda Ryan |
02/02/12 - 02/02/17 (Board term ended 31/10/15) Appointed to new Board 01/11/15- 31/10/20 |
Doctor |
|
Anne O’Flaherty |
11/03/13 - 11/09/18 (Board term ended 31/10/15) Appointed to new Board 01/11/15- 31/10/20 |
Appropriate training in Psychology |
|
Dr. Geoffrey Shannon |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 |
Chairperson |
|
Orlaith Traynor |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 |
Deputy Chairperson |
|
Paul Harrison |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 |
Social Worker with Adoption Experience |
|
Dr. Helen Buckley |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 |
Social Worker with Research Experience |
|
Patrick McMahon |
01/11/15 - 31/10/20 |
Retired District Court Judge |
Family Support Agency and Tusla (the Child and Family Agency)
|
Board Member |
Term |
Credentials |
|
Sharon Foley (Chair) |
30/01/12 - 26/03/13 (Ordinary Board member) & 26/03/12 - 31/05/13 (FSA Chair) |
CEO Irish Hospice Foundation |
|
Caroline Murphy |
20/10/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Organisational Psychologist and Broadcaster |
|
Dick Hickey |
02/06/11 - 01/12/11 02/12/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Executive Director, St. Brigid’s Family resource Centre |
|
Dr. John Griffin |
30/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Consultant Psychiatrist |
|
Marie Fenlon |
01/09/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Nominee of the Family Resource Centre National Forum |
|
Liz Chaloner |
30/01/12 - 31/05/13 |
Independent Researcher, Facilitator, Consultant |
|
Nuala Ryan |
30/01/12 - 31/05/13 |
President UCD Women Graduates Association |
|
Catherine Downey Murphy |
11/07/12 - 31/05/13 |
Management positions in Health Service, Southern Health Board |
|
Catherine Hazlett (Resigned on 16/05/12 due to restructuring of Department) |
26/07/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 16/05/12 |
Civil Servant – Department of Children and Youth Affairs Rep |
|
Yvette O’Malley (Resigned on 10/11/11) |
01/09/11 - 10/11/11 |
Family Support Agency Staff Rep, Mediator |
|
Marie Dullea |
11/07/12 - 31/05/13 |
Civil Servant - Department of Children and Youth Affairs Rep |
|
Imelda Martin |
28/11/11 - 31/03/12 16/04/12 - 31/05/13 |
Family Support Agency Staff Rep |
|
Lorraine Mulligan |
12/12/12 - 31/03/13 |
Experienced Researcher, financial analysis, advocacy |
|
Dr. Nollaig Byrne |
08/02/12 - 31/05/13 |
Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist |
|
Norah Gibbons (Chair) |
01/06/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Former member of Task Force on the establishment of Child and Family Agency |
|
Sylda Langford |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Retired – former Director General of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs |
|
PJ Fitzpatrick |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Former Independent Chair of the Implementation Body for the Public Service Pay and Modernisation (Croke Park) Agreement 2010-2013. Now partner with Praesta Ltd. |
|
Noelle Spring |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Development Director with Katharine Howard Foundation |
|
Rory O’Ferrall |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Former President of National Youth Council. Currently member of Governing Authority of Dublin City University |
|
Gary Joyce Deputy Chairperson |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Managing partner of Genesis Irish management consultancy |
|
Ita Mangan |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14. Resigned 29/05/2015 |
Chair of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare |
|
Noel Kelly |
17/09/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Former teacher and Home School Liaison Officer. Currently CEO of Preparing for Life in Darndale Belcamp |
|
Gary Ó Donnchadha |
02/12/13 - 31/12/13 (FSA) Appointed to Tusla Board 01/01/14 |
Civil Servant - Deputy Chief Inspector in Department of Education and Skills |
National Educational Welfare Board
The following table includes details of the nominating person or body for each appointee in accordance with the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.
|
Board Member |
Appointed |
Nominated by / under |
Professional title / Credentials |
|
Nuala Doherty (Chair) |
30/07/12 |
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs |
Chief Executive Centre for Effective Services |
|
Brendan Broderick (Resigned 31/12/12) |
15/09/11 |
Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland |
President Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland |
|
Catherine Connery |
28/05/12 |
Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government |
Member and former chair Kilkenny County Council |
|
Marian Jennings |
28/05/12 |
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs |
Solicitor / Law lecturer |
|
Eamonn Flynn |
15/09/11 |
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs |
Educational Welfare Officer |
|
Bob Dowling |
02/03/12 |
Minister for Health |
Teacher |
|
Ruairí Gogan |
02/03/12 |
Minister for Justice and Equality |
Principal Officer |
|
Deirdre Matthews |
14/01/13 |
Minister for Education and Skills |
Assistant Chief Inspector, Department of Education and Skills |
|
Mary Donnelly |
23/04/12 - 22/04/15 |
Minister for Social Protection |
Principal Officer |
|
Sally Maguire |
03/11/13 - 03/03/14 |
Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland |
President Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland |
Children Detention Schools (Board of Management)
The following table includes the nominating person/body in accordance with Section 167 of the Children Act 2001.
|
Board Member |
Term |
Nominated by |
Credentials |
|
Joe Horan |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 Resigned 24/04/15 |
Minister nominee 2012 |
Former County Manager of the South Dublin County Council - Retired |
|
Professor Ursula Kilkelly |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee 2012 Acting Chairperson |
Head of the College of Business and Law in University College Cork, and Director of the Child Law Clinic |
|
Diego Gallagher |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee 2012 |
Partner in Health and Regulatory Law Department at Byrne Wallace Solicitors |
|
Sylda Langford |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee 2012 |
Former Director General of Office of Minister for Children and Youth Affairs – Retired |
|
Colin Fetherston |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Staff representative 2012 |
Elected as staff representative via local elections |
|
Pat Rooney |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Community representative - Was also on previous board |
Nominated by local Community Council |
|
Elizabeth Howard |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Community representative - Was also on previous board |
Nominated by local Community Council |
|
Barry Rooney |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Staff representative 2012 |
Elected as staff representative via local elections |
|
Dan Kelleher |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee - Officer of the Minister 2011 |
Principal Officer of Irish Youth Justice Service / Children Detention Schools |
|
Deirdre Keyes |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister for Education nominee 2012 |
Education Officer in Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board |
|
Gerard McKiernan |
26/03/12 - 25/03/16 |
Minister for Health nominee 2012 - Was also on previous board |
Director of Change and Special Projects in Tusla, the Child and Family Agency |
|
Rachel Grimes |
14/11/12 - 25/03/16 [Resigned 06/10/14] |
Minister nominee 2012 |
Home-maker |
|
Niall Kelly |
06/09/13 - 25/03/16 |
Minister nominee 2013 |
Former school teacher - Retired |
Gaisce
All appointments made by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in line with Gaisce's Memorandum and Articles of Association.
|
Name |
Appointed |
|
Majella Killeen |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Ruairí McKiernan |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Allyson Lambert |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Siobhan Corry |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Brian Collinge |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Michael Broderick |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
Cian Timmons (RIP) |
01/03/12 - 3 years |
|
John Concannon |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed (Chair) 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Donal Óg Ó’Cusack |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Martin O’Rourke |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Caroline McCamley |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Norma Smurfit |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Andrew Madden |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Aongus Sammin |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop |
01/03/12 - 3 years Reappointed 02/03/15 - 01/03/18 |
|
Sharon Finnegan |
01/07/15 - 30/06/18 |
618. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the early childhood care and education scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37409/15]
View answerAt present, children qualify for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme when they are within the qualifying age range which is 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months in the September of the relevant year. This means, for example, that children born between 2 February 2011 and 30 June 2012 qualified for free pre-school from September 2015. The child in question was born in July 2012 and is below the age range for eligibility for the programme in the school year 2015/16 but will qualify in the school year 2015/16. There is currently no provision under the programme to enrol children who are below the qualifying age.
The recent Budget decisions, which introduced an expanded provision under the ECCE programme that allows children to access the free pre-school programme from the time they are 3 years of age until they start primary school, come into effect from September 2016. The start up date for the introduction of the new measures was decided so as to allow pre-school providers an adequate timeframe to make any necessary infrastructural or service changes and to put in place extra staff resources to accommodate the additional numbers benefiting from the programme.
619. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding or support available to organisations which are required to provide child protection training to their members (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37390/15]
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 by the voluntary youth sector. It is estimated that the voluntary youth services throughout the country 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, the overall allocation provided by my Department for the youth funding schemes was €49.930 million. I am pleased to tell the Deputy that Budget 2016 has provided an additional €1.1 million in current funding to my Department for the voluntary youth services.
All youth organisations in receipt of funding from my Department are required to implement Children First, the National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2011).
The organisation in question receives funding under the Youth Services Grant Scheme administered by my Department. In 2015, an allocation of €814,250 was provided to support the national organisation in the provision of services to young people throughout the country. The funding is provided to assist the organisation in its work to develop quality programmes that meet young people needs, to support local groups with governance and organisational arrangements and to train and develop its volunteers, including meeting its responsibilities under the Children First guidance.
In addition, my Department funds the Child Protection Programme, within the National Youth Council of Ireland. The Child Protection Programme works primarily with the voluntary youth work organisations to address the needs of the youth sector in implementing the Children First guidance. The programme provides child protection awareness programmes and training to the youth sector organisations for both staff and volunteers, including the organisation indicated in the Deputy’s question. Under the programme, a range of resources has been developed to assist youth services to comply with best practices in child protection and welfare.
My Department will continue to work closely with the youth services on the further development of these initiatives and in the context of the implementation of the proposed Children First legislation which is before the Oireachtas at present.
620. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs given the recent announced changes to the early childhood care and education scheme (details supplied), if he will revise the age criteria for those who turned three years of age in July or August 2015. [37380/15]
View answerAt present, children qualify for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme when they are within the qualifying age range which is 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months in the September of the relevant year. This means, for example, that children born between 2 February 2011 and 30 June 2012 qualified for free pre-school from September 2015. The child in question was born in July 2012 and is below the age range for eligibility for the programme in the school year 2015/16 but will qualify in the school year 2015/16. There is currently no provision under the programme to enrol children who are below the qualifying age.
The recent Budget decisions, which introduced an expanded provision under the ECCE programme that allows children to access the free pre-school programme from the time they are 3 years of age until they start primary school, come into effect from September 2016. The start up date for the introduction of the new measures was decided so as to allow pre-school providers an adequate timeframe to make any necessary infrastructural or service changes and to put in place extra staff resources to accommodate the additional numbers benefiting from the programme.
621. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will re-instate the foster carer's allowance to the full monthly rate for persons (details supplied) in County Wicklow [37410/15]
View answerAs the Deputy may appreciate, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on an individual case. I have referred the information provided by the Deputy to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for immediate attention and have requested a report on the matter. I will revert to the Deputy in due course.
622. Deputy Helen McEntee asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way the changes to the early childhood care and education scheme will impact on a person (details supplied) [37431/15]
View answerThe recent Budget announcements will come into effect from September 2016 when the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme will be expanded to allow children to access free pre-school from the time they are 3 years of age until they start primary school.
There are currently a significant number of vacancies among pre-school providers and some providers will expand to avail of the additional investment (for example by providing an extra class in the morning, or possibly expanding to make the programme available in the afternoon). The implementation date of September 2016 was chosen so that providers would have time to plan for extra free pre-school places. City and County Childcare Committees will be in a position to help parents identify other pre-school providers within their area with sufficient capacity to enrol additional children.
It will be up to individual pre-school providers to determine how many children they can take, and whether they will provide places to children who are currently attending rather than to new entrants. Each pre-school provider operates their own admission policies, and once these are within the terms of the ECCE programme, this Department has no function in relation to them.
623. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children known to his Department who are living in emergency accommodation, such as domestic violence refuges, and homeless shelter accommodation, by county, for each of the years 2011 to 2014 and for 2015 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37541/15]
View answerPolicy responsibility for children who present as out of home without their parent(s) or guardian(s) relates to children under 18 and any related child welfare and protection concern that may arise in the context of the Child Care Act 1991. An assessment of need is undertaken with 16 and 17 year olds who, may be received into care or provided with a service under Section 5 of the Child Care Act 1991.
The Crisis Intervention Service (CIS) provides an out-of-hours emergency social work service to young people aged under 18 years who are in crisis. The service operates across the greater Dublin area (Counties Dublin, Wicklow & Kildare). Referrals are made by service providers outside of normal working hours ie: Gardai, hospital and ambulance service personnel. Outside of Dublin, the Emergency Place of Safety Service (EPSS) operates, whereby placements within a family setting can be accessed by Gardai for children found to be at risk out of hours. The placements are usually until the next working day when the local social work service assumes responsibility for the case. The following table shows the end of year referrals and placements for both the CIS and the EPSS:
|
- |
Out of Hours Services |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 Q1 |
2015 Q2 |
|
Referrals |
1076 |
Not Available |
1012 |
752 |
273 |
213 |
|
|
No. of Children Accomodated By CIS |
Placed |
179 |
Not Available |
286 |
174 |
79 |
57 |
|
Referrals |
370 |
266 |
370 |
343 |
111 |
105 |
|
|
No. of Children Accomodated By EPSS |
Placed |
253 |
183 |
262 |
200 |
96 |
71 |
The reasons for a referral not requiring placement varies, and include children not requiring a care placement, family arrangements put in place or referrals relate to queries from Gardai and hospital but do not require an emergency placement.
The Review of Adequacy is the annual report compiled and published by the HSE (now Tusla) which reviews the adequacy of the child and family services provided as required under Section 8 of the Child Care Act 1991. The following table shows the number of children accommodated for more than four consecutive nights (or 10 separate nights over a year), and the number of children in care accommodated under Section 5 of the 1991 Act on the 31st December of the last three years. In such circumstances, these children are provided with the same supports and safeguards as children in care. In some instances, they may not wish to be taken into care and will take up services only on the basis of receiving support under Section 5 of the Act. As these figures are released on an annual basis, figures for 2014 and 2015 are not yet available.
No. of Children Accommodated under section 5 of the CCA 1991
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
No. of Children accomodated for more than 4 consecutive nights |
131 |
99 |
41 |
|
No. of Children in care accomodated on 31/12 |
9 |
14 |
10 |
The accommodation needs of children who are in the care of their parents where the family is homeless are the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and local authorities. Regarding the number of children living in domestic violence refuges, Tusla does not collate this information and it is therefore not available for the Deputy.
624. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 33 of 21 October 2015, if he will provide a list of the approved organisations and solicitors firms that offer guardian ad litem services; the payments that each of these have received for the timeframe in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37627/15]
View answerThere is no provision/requirement in the relevant legislation, the Child Care Act 1991, for an approved list of organisations/solicitors firms that offer Guardian ad litem services.
I have requested the Child and Family Agency to provide directly to the Deputy the information he has requested in relation to payments made to individual organisations or solicitors firms that offer Guardian ad litem services for the time-frame in question.
625. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to introduce a salary scale for workers in the child care industry to ensure qualifications are reflected in salary achieved for these workers in the interests of quality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37748/15]
View answerAlmost all early years services in this country are provided by private commercial or community/ not-for-profit providers.
The terms and conditions of employment , including salary scales, in the early years sector are matters to be agreed between employer and employee. My Department makes no recommendations in relation to these matters.
626. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the efforts being made to secure a youth or community worker for the west Wicklow region. [37763/15]
View answer627. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the youth funding provisions that have been established in the west Wicklow region in the past three years. [37764/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 626 and 627 together.
My 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 by the voluntary youth sector. There are some 30 national youth organisations in receipt of funding under the Youth Service Grant Scheme, administered by my Department. Funding schemes also support the provision of youth services that target young people who are disadvantaged. It is estimated that the voluntary youth services throughout the country involve approximately, 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. Youth workers are employed directly by the voluntary youth organisations, services and projects to deliver programmes that provide recreational, sporting, learning, volunteering, and personal and social development opportunities for young people. The recruitment, employment and deployment of staff including youth workers are matters for youth organisations and services themselves.
The overall allocation provided by my Department for the youth funding schemes in 2015 was €49.930 million. I am pleased to tell the Deputy that Budget 2016 has provided an additional €1.1 million in current funding to my Department for voluntary youth services. The increased funding will support, in the main, the targeted programmes for young people who are at risk of drugs, alcohol misuse, homelessness, early school leaving and unemployment. It will also assist the national youth organisations to better support the local voluntary youth services.
The funding for the local youth services is distributed, on behalf of my Department, by the Education and Training Boards throughout the country. Information in relation to the allocation of funding to the West Wicklow area is not readily available. However, details of the allocations provided to the relevant Education and Training Board to support the provision of youth services for Wicklow is set out in the following table:
2015
|
- |
Total |
|
Special Projects for Youths (SPY) |
€210,971 |
|
Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF 1) |
€130,661 |
|
Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF 2) |
€500,383 |
|
Youth Information Centres (YIC) |
€47,163 |
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme (LYCGS) |
€34,910 |
2014
|
- |
Total |
|
Special Projects for Youths (SPY) |
€210,971 |
|
Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF 1) |
€130,661 |
|
Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF 2) |
€500,383 |
|
Youth Information Centres (YIC) |
€47,163 |
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme (LYCGS) |
€34,910 |
2013
|
- |
Total |
|
Special Projects for Youths (SPY) |
€219,190 |
|
Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF 1) |
€135,792 |
|
Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF 2) |
€519,881 |
|
Youth Information Centres (YIC) |
€49,001 |
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme (LYCGS) |
€34,910 |
628. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on a submission (details supplied) regarding the mother and baby homes commission of investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37790/15]
View answerThe Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters was established by Government Order on 17 February 2015 (S.I. No 57 of 2015).
It is essential to recognise that in accordance with Section 9 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, a Commission of Investigation is entirely independent in the performance of its functions. I am therefore not in a position to comment on any submissions made to the Commission nor would it be appropriate for me to do so.
The Deputy may wish to contact the Commission directly at; Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, 73 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2 or by email info@mbhcoi.ie
629. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the financial breakdown of the Tusla, Child and Family Agency, budget for 2016; the allocation that has been granted to family resource centres in the budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38111/15]
View answerI am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that significant extra resources have been allocated to Tusla for 2016. The 2016 gross funding allocation under Budget 2016 includes an allocation of €676 million for Tusla, representing an increase of €38 million over the 2015 allocation. This includes €662.4 million in current expenditure and €13.6 million in capital expenditure.
The overall level of funding that I have provided will significantly strengthen Tusla's base funding level and will give the Agency greater capacity to respond to current risk and anticipated demand, addressing areas of currently unmet need during 2016. The additional resources are intended to alleviate service pressures in child welfare and protection services. This level of provision addresses all of the key priorities identified by Tusla and considered to be achievable during 2016.
In accordance with the Agency's establishing legislation, my Department will be issuing a detailed Performance Statement to inform the preparation of Tusla's Business Plan for 2016. This Statement will set out the key priorities I will require of Tusla in the coming year. Tusla's Business Plan will set out the full breakdown of the 2016 allocation, including amounts allocated to the Family Resource Centres. I am very pleased that having asked Tusla for a detailed business case setting out the basis for seeking additional resources in 2016, I have been able to provide significant extra funding that will strengthen their funding base and secure delivery of quality services.
630. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will address the concerns raised in correspondence by an organisation (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38154/15]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the Child and Family Agency and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the information is received.
631. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of the youth employability initiative; the funding available; the issues it will address; the age group it will target; the anticipated number of participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38170/15]
View answerI was pleased to announce the Youth Employability Initiative on the publication of the National Youth Strategy 2015 – 2020 last month. The Initiative will provide €600,000 in grants to the voluntary youth services for programmes that target disadvantaged young people to improve their employability.
My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector 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. Young people who engage in youth work activities have the opportunity to attain specific skills which can enhance employability. These skills include learning to learn, social and civic competence, leadership, communication, teamwork, and entrepreneurship. There is growing recognition, both in Ireland and across the EU that these are the ‘soft skills’ that are relevant and applicable to industry and valued and sought after by employers.
The new Youth Employability Initiative, which is funded under the Dormant Accounts Scheme, will target those young people aged 15 to 24 years who are most at risk of unemployment and who are not in education, employment or training for intensive support. The Initiative will support the provision of innovative programmes for them to enhance their employability skills and competencies. The closing date for applications is 5th November 2015. My Department will have a clearer indication of the numbers of young people that will benefit, when the applications are processed. Full details of the Initiative are available from my Department's website, www.dcya.gov.ie.
632. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is aware that the budgetary decision regarding the second year of the early childhood care and education scheme will effectively exclude all children born between September 2012 and February 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38188/15]
View answerAt present, children qualify for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme when they are within the qualifying age range which is 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months in the September of the relevant year. This means, for example, that children born between 2 February 2011 and 30 June 2012 will qualify in the school year commencing in September 2015.
The recent Budget decisions, which introduced an extended provision under the ECCE programme that allows children to access the free pre-school programme from the time they are 3 years of age until they start primary school, come into effect from September 2016. The start up date for the introduction of this new measure was decided so as to allow pre-school providers an adequate timeframe to make any necessary infrastructural or service changes and to put in place extra staff resources to accommodate the additional numbers benefiting from the programme - which is estimated to increase from 67,000 to over 127,000 children in a given year.
Children born between September and December 2012 will avail of 38 weeks of free pre-school while children born between January and February 2013 will avail of 38 weeks of free pre-school (if they start school at age 4) or 76 weeks of free pre-school (if they start school at age 5).
When the extended ECCE programme is fully in place from 2017, the number of weeks of free pre-school a child will benefit from will depend on their birth date and on the age at which they start primary school. This number ranges from 38 weeks (for children born between April and August who start school at age 4) to 88 weeks (for children born between January and March who start school at age 5). This equates to an estimated 23 additional weeks on average.
Average number of pre-school weeks by month of birth and of enrolment in pre-school
|
Average no. of ECCE weeks |
Average no. of ECCE weeks |
||
|
Birth Month |
Enrolment month |
Start school age 4 |
Start school age 5 |
|
Jan-Mar |
April |
50 |
88 |
|
Apr-Aug |
September |
38 |
76 |
|
Sept-Dec |
January |
61 |
61 |
633. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of civil servants under his remit that have been reinstated in recent years after taking a career break; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38721/15]
View answerThe current Career Break Scheme is governed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's Circular 4/2013. The relevant employment legislation is the Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956 - 2006. Since its establishment in June 2011, four members of staff have returned to my Department following career break.
