Written Answers Nos. 340 - 349
340. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the next meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on social policy and public service reform will take place; when its analysis of the report of the working group on the protection process will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39629/15]
View answerAn analysis, based on observations received from the relevant Departments and agencies, of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers has been prepared for the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Sector Reform.
One of the key recommendations in the report which goes to the heart of the length of time people spend in Direct Provision is the early enactment of the International Protection Bill and in that regard, the Government has decided to bring forward as a major priority legislation which will provide for the introduction of a single applications procedure for international protection. This reform will simplify and streamline the existing arrangements and provide applicants with a final decision on their protection application in a more straightforward and timely fashion. This is aimed at addressing one of the key issues identified in the report, that is, the length of time persons remain in the direct provision system.
I understand that the next meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee will take place in early December.
341. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of young persons who benefit from the school completion programme. [38978/15]
View answerThe School Completion Programme aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to generally improve the school attendance, participation and retention of young people who are at risk of educational disadvantage. The Programme is a targeted intervention aimed at school communities identified through the Department of Education and Skills’ DEIS Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. It involves 124 locally managed projects and related initiatives operating across 470 primary and 224 post-primary schools to provide targeted supports.
As the Deputy is aware, since the 1st of January 2014, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has had operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme. I am advised by the Agency that the most recent data available cover the 2013/2014 academic year, during which 37,385 children and young people benefitted from School Completion Programme supports.
342. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of pupils who have been permanently excluded from school; the number who have failed to attend school from 2011 to date; the average age of these pupils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38988/15]
View answerSince 2014, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency under the remit of my Department, has a general function to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The education welfare services of Tusla, comprising the statutory Education Welfare Officers, the School Completion Programme and the Home School Community Liaison Scheme are key supports for children at risk of educational disadvantage. Prior to the establishment of Tusla, these functions were carried out by the former National Educational Welfare Board.
Under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, schools are required to notify Tusla, where a student is absent from a recognised school for twenty days or more, where a student is not attending a recognised school regularly and where a student is suspended from a recognised school for six days or more. Schools also provide annual returns to Tusla on the levels of attendance.
The most recent Annual Attendance Report published by Tusla covers the 2012-2013 academic year. The report shows that expulsions are rare. There were twenty three expulsions at primary level education out of 523,036 students and two hundred and eleven expulsions at secondary level out of 321,940 students in the 2012-13 academic year.
The information sought by the Deputy regarding the age of pupils or permanent exclusions is not readily available.
I am advised that when a Board of Management of a school forms the opinion that a student should be expelled it is required to notify the local Education Welfare Officer in writing. Schools cannot expel the student before the passing of 20 school days from the receipt of this notification. During this period the Education Welfare Officer will contact and consult with all parties concerned to try and ensure that there is a continuum of education put in place for the student. If parties are agreeable, a meeting may be facilitated by the Education Welfare Officer in an effort to get the student returned to the school in which he/ she is registered.
If this proves unsuccessful and the pupil is expelled, the Board of Management of a school must advise the parents of their right to appeal. The Education Welfare Officer will provide advice and assistance in relation to this process as well as advising them with regard to making applications to other schools should their appeal be unsuccessful.
If a student who has been expelled is unable to find an alternative school placement in the short term the Education Welfare Officer will assist parents in applying for Home Tuition as an interim solution and will continue to assist them is sourcing a placement in a recognised school or a place in an alternative education provision. Details of the annual school attendance reports for the 2012-13 academic year and earlier years are available on Tusla's website at http://www.tusla.ie/services/educational-welfare-services/publications/.
343. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if all of the professional reports relative to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will be concluded without delay, as they are required for court; and if he will expedite the matter. [39564/15]
View answerThank you for bringing this to my attention but as the Deputy will appreciate, it is not appropriate for me to comment on an individual case. I have forwarded the information supplied by the Deputy to Tusla, and I requested a short report on the matter. I will revert to the Deputy with appropriate information when the report is received.
344. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if national lottery funding will be available from his Department in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39090/15]
View answerI believe that there is value in providing small grants targeted at specific projects or activities that benefit children and young people. With this in mind, I am working with my officials to put in place a scheme of modest one-off grants in 2016 for local projects or groups working with children and young people.
Rather than using National Lottery funding, the scheme will utilise some of the additional Exchequer funding which I secured for my Department's 2016 Vote as part of Budget 2016. The scheme will be as simple as possible, with clear, transparent criteria for qualification. I intend to finalise and announce details of the scheme shortly.
345. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs how the recently announced preschool child care provision will be implemented; if he has had representations from existing preschool operators who presently avail of classroom facilities to provide their service, inquiring if such facilities will continue to be made available; if his Department has discussed with the Department of Education and Skills whether it intends to make such facilities available, solely for the new scheme and not for existing private operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39124/15]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is currently provided by private commercial and community/not-for-profit pre-school services with more than 4,300 services throughout the country participating in the programme.
I announced in Budget 2016 additional annual funding of €85 million to support the achievement of affordable, accessible, high quality childcare. This additional investment provides for a considerable expansion of the ECCE programme with children qualifying when they reach 3 years of age and remaining in the programme until they make the transition to primary school. The extended free pre-school provision will be introduced from September 2016.
Following the introduction of this new measure, services that are presently providing the free pre-school provision will continue to do so if they renew their contract with my Department. Pre-school services applying as new entrants to the ECCE programme will be considered if they satisfy the ECCE programme requirements.
In relation to the provision of the ECCE programme from primary school facilities, 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%) were in the ownership of the Minister for Education and Skills. The remaining 94% of primary schools were in private ownership. The State has no authority to compel Patrons who are the owners of primary school sites to accommodate pre-school services on their own property or to direct them in relation to the selection of suitable pre-school providers to deliver these services.
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.
346. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a second free preschool year is available from now until June 2016 for a child born on 3 May 2011 who has already availed of one free preschool year and who will start primary school in September 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39200/15]
View answerAt present, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides one free pre-school year for each eligible child before commencing primary school. Each qualifying child is entitled to one free pre-school year only. As this child has received the full free pre-school complement in the 2014-2015 academic year, no additional provision can be made.
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 three years of age until they start primary school, come into effect from September 2016. This extended provision, when fully rolled out, will mean that children will have access to free education - either in pre-school or primary school - from the age of three. 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 benefitting from the programme, which are estimated to increase to approximately 127,000 per year from the current average of around 67,000 per year.
347. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the grant aid available for the child care sector, where care providers are planning to upgrade, enhance, or expand their operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39271/15]
View answerMy Department has provided funding over the past four years to support the upgrading and refurbishment of early years services under the Early Years Capital Programme as follows:-
- 2012 - capital funding of €6 million was provided to fund a maintenance programme for services (i.e. to address remedial, maintenance and renovation work and to purchase equipment). This funding, which provided grants up to a maximum of €50,000, was available to private and community/ not-for-profit services.
- 2013 - capital funding of €2.75 million was provided to support the on-going improvement of services. Both private and community/not-for-profit services participating in one of the national childcare programmes implemented by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs were eligible to apply for a grant under the Programme.
- 2014 - capital funding of €2.5 million for the maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit services. The objective of this funding was to ensure that previously-funded community/not-for-profit services remained fit-for-purpose thus protecting State investment.
- 2015 - capital funding of €7 million was provided. Of this funding, €5 million was made available for grants specifically for community/not-for-profit services. This funding provided for the allocation of capital grant aid in the region of €500,000 for significant upgrades of services such as major refurbishment or relocation to new premises. Grants of up to €50,000 for essential maintenance, or works undertaken to improve the energy performance of community/not-for-profit services were also provided. The remaining €2 million was made available for both private and community/not-for-profit services to access grants of up to €500 for quality improvement measures, specifically in the area of upgrading IT facilities.
Funding will also be provided in 2016 as part of the Early Years Capital Programme. I am currently considering how best this funding can be targeted.
In addition, a number of measures were introduced in Budget 2016, including a €3 million capital fund, which will be provided to enable both community/not-for-profit and private providers to develop after-school childcare services using existing school and other accessible community facilities.
348. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of foster parents who are eligible for the rate of €325 under the foster parent allowance scheme by age of child and location, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39460/15]
View answerUnder the Child Care Act, 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, the Child and Family Agency has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. The majority of children in care are in foster care, one third of whom are placed with relatives.
Foster care allowances are provided in order to allow foster carers meet all of the child’s daily living needs, e.g. food, clothing, school uniform, school books, extra-curricular activities, school trips, pocket money (depending on the age of the child), and treats such as toys, games or holidays. The foster care allowance is currently €325 per week per child up to and including 12 years of age, and €352 per week per child over 12 years of age. The foster care allowance is tax exempt.
Information on the ages of children in care is collated on an annual bases. The following table, dated 31 December 2014, shows how many children up to and including 12 years of age are in foster care, both general and relative foster care, in each particular area.
|
Children in Care aged 12 years and under in Foster Care Placement on 31 December 2014 |
General Foster Care |
Relative Foster Care |
Total Foster Care |
|
Dublin South Central |
171 |
60 |
231 |
|
Dublin South East / Wicklow |
137 |
50 |
187 |
|
Dublin South West / Kildare / West Wicklow |
181 |
92 |
273 |
|
Midlands |
162 |
51 |
213 |
|
Total Dublin/Mid Leinster |
651 |
253 |
904 |
|
Dublin North City |
238 |
139 |
377 |
|
Dublin North |
110 |
71 |
181 |
|
Louth / Meath |
174 |
49 |
223 |
|
Cavan / Monaghan |
93 |
14 |
107 |
|
Total Dublin North East |
615 |
273 |
888 |
|
Cork |
390 |
171 |
561 |
|
Kerry |
59 |
34 |
93 |
|
Carlow / Kilkenny / South Tipperary |
146 |
66 |
212 |
|
Waterford / Wexford |
258 |
58 |
316 |
|
Total South |
853 |
329 |
1182 |
|
Midwest |
262 |
109 |
371 |
|
Galway / Roscommon |
244 |
77 |
321 |
|
Mayo |
56 |
16 |
72 |
|
Donegal |
103 |
20 |
123 |
|
Sligo / Leitrim / West Cavan |
37 |
10 |
47 |
|
Total West |
702 |
232 |
934 |
|
National |
2821 |
1087 |
3908 |
I trust that this information is helpful to the Deputy.
349. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Seán Kyne den Aire Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige maidir le bearta Bhuiséad 2016, cad iad na céimeanna atá á dtógáil chun a chinntiú go ndéanfar leathnú sásúil ar áiseanna cúraim leanaí do phobail Ghaeltachta [39557/15]
View answerBa mhaith liom dearbhú don Teachta Dála go bhfuil na bearta a d’fhógair mé mar chuid de Bhuiséad 2016 ar fáil ag gach soláthróir cúraim leanaí, iad siúd atá lonnaithe i bpobail Ghaeltachta san áireamh.
Faoi láthair soláthraíonn mo Roinn maoiniú de níos mó ná ceathrú billiúin euro go bliantúil le tacú le cur i bhfeidhm roinnt clár tacaíochta cúraim leanaí a chabhraíonn le tuismitheoirí chun go mbeadh teacht acu ar chúram leanaí d’ardchaighdeán. Áirítear i measc na gclár tacaíochta cúraim leanaí seo clár Cúraim agus Oideachais na Luathóige (COLÓ); trí (3) chlár Cúraim Leanaí Oiliúna agus Fostaíochta (CLOF) (i.e. clár Tacaíochta Oideachais agus Oiliúna Cúraim Leanaí (TOOCL), Cúram Leanaí Fostaíochta Pobail (CLFP) agus clár Cúram Leanaí Iarscoile (CLIS) ) agus clár Fóirdheontais Chúraim Leanaí Pobail (FCLP). Soláthraítear clár COLÓ agus cláir CLOF trí sheirbhísí príobháideacha agus trí sheirbhísí pobail/neamhbhrabúis araon, agus faoi láthair soláthraítear clár FCLP trí sheirbhísí pobail/neamhbhrabúis amháin.
Le linn an Bhuiséid 2016, d’fhógair mé pacáiste €85 milliún infheistíochta breise do réimse an chúraim leanaí. Tá san áireamh ann maoiniú do na rudaí seo a leanas:
- Síneadh le clár COLÓ, síneadh a chuirfidh ar chumas leanaí leas a bhaint as an soláthar réamhscoile saor in aisce ó aois a trí bliana go dtí go n-aistríonn siad chuig an mbunscoil;
- Sraith de thacaí, a chinnteoidh gur féidir le leanaí a bhfuil míchumas éigin orthu páirt shuntasach a ghlacadh i gclár COLÓ, agus gur féidir leo tairbhe iomlán a bhaint as an gclár;
- Síneadh le clár FCLP faoi suas le 8,000 áit agus cur ar fáil an chláir seo, den chéad uair, trí sheirbhís phríobháideach ar fud na tíre; agus
- Acmhainn a chuirfidh ar ár gcumas tús a chur le hobair thábhachtach maidir le comhdhlúthú na gclár dírithe atá ann cheana a bhaineann le tacaíocht chúraim leanaí, lena n-áirítear cláir FCLP agus CLOF. Tá sé beartaithe go mbeidh clár nua dírithe simplithe a bhaineann le tacaíocht chúraim leanaí ar fáil trí sheirbhísí príobháideacha agus pobail/neamhbhrabúis ó 2017 ar aghaidh.
- Déanann Buiséad 2016 soláthar le haghaidh 8,000 áit bhreise chúraim leanaí faoi chlár Fóirdheontais Chúraim Leanaí Pobail (FCLP) a sholáthraíonn cúram leanaí ar phraghas réasúnta do theaghlaigh ísealioncaim. Beidh na háiteanna nua cúraim leanaí seo ar fáil trí sholáthróirí príobháideacha cúraim leanaí chomh maith le soláthróirí pobail/neamhbhrabúis den chéad uair. Beidh na háiteanna dírithe ar sholáthróirí príobháideacha i gceantair riachtanais aitheanta, agus mar nach bhfuil aon soláthróirí pobail/neamhbhrabúis ar fáil. Beidh mo Roinn ag comhoibriú go dlúth leis na Coistí Cúraim Leanaí áitiúla Cathrach agus Contae agus le Pobal le ceantair riachtanais a aithint agus táthar ag súil leis go mbeidh oiread de na háiteanna sin agus is féidir ar fáil faoi Mhí Mheán Fómhair 2016.
