Written Answers Nos. 1 - 29
9. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he has adequate resources for the provision of youth support services; the extent to which he continues to receive submissions from bodies providing such services regarding the need for ongoing resources; if he will enhance such supports in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42640/15]
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. In 2015, funding of €49.9 m was provided to my Department for these schemes.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Budget 2016 has provided an additional €1.1m in current youth funding to my Department bringing the total allocation for the youth services to €51m in 2016. This additional funding will be used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services.
An additional €2.25m in capital funding, also provided in Budget 2016, will be used to support small scale projects, including refurbishment, health and safety fit-outs and accessibility improvements in local youth services.
In October, I announced a new €600,000 Youth Employability Initiative, funded under the Dormant Account Funding Scheme. The initiative will provide grants to youth services for innovative programmes that target young people who are not in education, employment or training to improve their employability skills.
Last week, I was pleased to allocate €1.17m in ‘once-off’ funding to assist youth projects that are experiencing budgetary difficulties as they approach the end of the year. The youth projects came to my Department's attention through engagement with the national youth organisations, youth officers in the Education and Training Boards, through representations and submissions received and through regular meetings with youth services in the course of the year.
These additional investments in the voluntary youth services in 2015 and 2016 have been widely welcomed by youth sector interests.
10. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs how the €85 million in funding for child care will improve affordability and accessibility to early childhood care; if there is a reduction in available child care places due to the extra free pre-school year announced in budget 2016; how he will address this sudden increase in demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42675/15]
View answerThe additional €85 million investment announced in Budget 2016 will provide for the enhancement of a number of childcare support programmes implemented by my Department.
This investment will fund a suite of supports to ensure children with a disability can access and meaningfully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. It will also fund the significant expansion of the ECCE Programme.
At present, children qualify for the free pre-school provision under this 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. The recent Budget decisions, mean that children can access the ECCE Programme from the time they are 3 years of age until they start primary school.
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. In addition, the number of children benefiting from free pre-school provision is expected to increase from around 67,000 to 127,000 in a given programme year.
In order to provide the early years sector with the time to expand provision to meet the increased demand, a decision was made to introduce this new measure from September 2016. This timeframe will allow pre-school providers to make any necessary infrastructural or service changes and to put in place extra staff resources to accommodate the additional demand.
The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme is also implemented by my Department and supports disadvantaged parents, parents in low paid employment and parents in training or education, by enabling those who qualify to avail of reduced childcare costs at participating community/not-for-profit childcare services.
Due to economic constraints, Budget 2012 closed the CCS programme to new applications from community/not-for-profit childcare services wishing to enter the programme and to the expansion of services by existing providers. Under Budget 2016, I lifted these restrictions and provided €16 million in additional funding to further expand the CCS programme, to include its roll-out to private childcare providers, in a targeted manner. This additional investment will create a further 8,000 places in areas identified as being in significant need of CCS provision.
To meet the increased demand for childcare that will result from this very significant investment, Budget 2016 also provides funding for a number of measures to improve the quality of childcare and to build capacity in the sector. These measures include a restoration of capitation rates to pre-2012 levels for pre-school providers delivering the ECCE Programme, funding to upskilling the workforce and funding for the Early Years Capital Programme 2016.
In addition, and in recognition of the significant barriers childcare presents to parents wanting to take up employment, education or training, and the complexities of working through the different childcare programmes funded by my Department, the Budget 2016 package also funded the establishment of a dedicated Project Team to develop a single Affordable Childcare Programme to provide working families with good quality childcare at a cost they can afford. Work on the Affordable Childcare Programme will begin immediately, so that it can be in place in 2017. This single programme will replace the existing CCS, along with the Training and Employment Childcare programmes, comprising the After-School Childcare, Childcare Education and Training Support, and Community Employment Childcare. It will provide a new simplified subsidy programme, available through both community/not-for-profit and private childcare providers. As more investment is made available over the coming years, it can be directed to families through this subsidised programme. The objective is to make childcare more affordable for more families.
11. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps he will take to expand the role of the National Educational Welfare Board by liaising with other Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42648/15]
View answerThe National Educational Welfare Service was established under Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, on 1 January 2014. This brought together the statutory functions and educational welfare programmes which had been under the remit of the then National Educational Welfare Board. These include the statutory Educational Welfare Officers service, the School Completion Programme and the Home School Community Liaison scheme. The reorganisation of services is part of a new integrated response to meet the needs of children at risk of disadvantage, including educational disadvantage.
Tusla has a wide ranging remit in services to protect children, support families and secure good outcomes for children who are at risk of disadvantage including educational disadvantage. Tusla has strong cooperation arrangements in place with relevant Government departments and agencies to support this role. At national level, Tusla works as part of the Children and Young Peoples Policy Consortium, which comprises high level representation from Government departments and agencies to drive the implementation of Better Outcomes Brighter Futures 2014-2020, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People. At local level, Tusla works with cross sectoral interests in the Children and Young Peoples Services Committees throughout the country.
In my view, Tusla’s role, encompassing the key educational welfare programmes, along with its focus on child and family welfare, presents an opportunity to shape more effective policy and practice that will help to address educational disadvantage.
Tusla has taken a number of actions to strengthen the operation of its education welfare programmes, to integrate them at both national and local level, and to build strong links with relevant agencies and Government departments, as part of a ‘whole child’ approach to meeting the needs of children and their families. Tusla works closely with my Department and with the Department of Education and Skills to achieve these aims.
My Department will participate in the Inter Departmental Group that the Minister for Education and Skills is establishing on the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) programme. Tusla will have a key role in the work of the Group to deliver support in a ‘joined up way’ and secure improved outcomes for children at risk of educational disadvantage.
12. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs why a number of recommendations made in the Ryan report have yet to be implemented; if the increased budget for Tusla - Child and Family Agency in 2016 will be adequate to implement the recommendations in full. [42682/15]
View answerThe Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (The Ryan Report) was published in 2009 and detailed disturbing and significant levels of historic abuse of Irish children who were placed, by the State, in residential institutions run by religious orders. The Government accepted all of the recommendations of the Ryan Report, and in response developed an Implementation Plan. The Implementation Plan set out a series of 99 actions which addressed the recommendations to improve services to children in care, in detention and at risk.
The Government approved the Fourth and Final Monitoring Report of the Ryan Implementation Group which illustrated that the vast majority of the recommendations (i.e. 94 out of a total of 99), have been implemented or are being implemented on an ongoing basis. The fourth and final report was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 13 March 2015.
It should also be noted that the Monitoring Group, which authored the Report, welcomed the significant positive developments that have taken place over the lifetime of the Implementation Plan. While overall progress in relation to the actions in the Ryan Implementation Plan was good, it was noted that 5 of the 99 actions were not yet complete, namely actions 1, 65, 75, 76 and 96. Actions 65, 75 and 76 relate to the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) as follows:
- Action 65 - a longitudinal study over ten years was to be undertaken which would follow young people who leave care, in order to map their transition into adulthood;
- Action 75 - a professionally managed national archive was to be developed as a central repository for the records for all children in care; and
- Action 76 - records created in non-statutory agencies should be secured in the national archive.
These actions have not been implemented to date due to the resource implications and the challenging economic environment we faced. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware that I have secured an allocation of funding of €676m in 2016 for Tusla. This is an increase of €38m over the 2015 provision and may give Tusla the opportunity to progress a number of valuable projects, including the Ryan actions. The Performance Statement issued to Tusla from my Department for 2016 references these projects, and my Department will engage with Tusla to explore options on how best to proceed in relation to these actions in the context of Tusla's business planning processes for 2016.
The remaining actions, Nos 1 and 96, relate to the Department of Education and Skills and the Court Services, respectively. I have asked to be kept informed of developments in this regard.
In relation to all five outstanding recommendations I will continue to liaise with relevant Government colleagues and Tusla as regards implementation. I have undertaken to keep the Government informed of progress until full implementation is achieved, and I intend to revert to Government in early 2016 with an update in this regard.
13. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures he will put in place for the smooth and prompt implementation of the extension of the early childhood care and education scheme to a second year; if every support will be offered to child care providers to ensure they receive payment under this scheme without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42512/15]
View answerAt present, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme covers children who have reached the age of 3 years and 2 months by 1st September of the relevant year. From September 2016, I am expanding this Programme to allow children enrol in free pre-school from the time they are 3 years of age and to remain there until they start primary school. This extended free pre-school provision was first recommended by the Expert Advisory Group on the Early Years Strategy in 2013. It was also one of a series of recommendations of the recent Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare, which I established in January last. The Group consulted widely with a range of stakeholders, including the early years sector, during the course of its work.
Under this extended Programme, there will be three opportunities for eligible children to enrol during the pre-school year: children who reach the age of 3 between April and August will have the opportunity to enrol in September; children who reach the age of 3 between September and December will have the opportunity to enrol in January; and children who reach the age of 3 between January and March will have the opportunity to enrol in April. As a result of this extension, the number of children benefiting from the Programme is expected to rise from around 67,000 to 127,000 in a given programme year. For the 2016/17 programme year, it is estimated that 89,500 children will be eligible to enrol in the Programme from September 2016, 22,000 from January 2017 and 15,500 from April 2017.
In order to provide the early years sector with the time to build capacity to meet this increased demand, a decision was taken to introduce this new measure from September 2016. As the increased demand for Programme is not expected to peak until January and April 2017, this timeframe should allow pre-school providers to make any necessary infrastructural or service changes and to put in place extra staff resources to accommodate the additional demand.
I am satisfied that there is already additional capacity in the early years sector to cope with some of the increased demand. Indeed, the Annual Survey of Early Years Services, which was conducted in December 2014, estimates that there are more than 24,000 vacancies in early years services across the country with almost 13,000 of these vacancies in sessional services. I am also aware that every year a significant number of new pre-school providers apply to participate in this Programme. The increased demand for, and additional investment in, free pre-school provision going forward should encourage a greater numbers of applicants.
The restoration of capitation rates to pre-2012 levels from September 2016 should also encourage a greater number of new applicants and encourage existing pre-school providers to expand.
I am clear that more capacity will be required and that the implementation of this extended programme of free pre-school provision may pose a challenge for pre-school providers. Officials at my Department are already working closely with the City and County Childcare Committees and the Voluntary Childcare Organisations to develop a range of measures, which will assist with meeting this challenge. Further information on these measures will be available shortly.
My Department has recently completed the development of an on-line management platform - the Programmes Implementation Platform - to provide for the administration of a range of childcare programmes including the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme. The objectives of this development are to reduce paperwork and duplication of effort, to simplify administration and to enhance the service experience of pre-school providers and the other stakeholders involved, including City or County Childcare Committees. The IT system also provides more efficient work practices, greater visibility and control of funds and assists greatly with prompt payment of pre-school providers.
14. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he has met with Respond Housing Association regarding the closure of a refuge centre (details supplied) in Dublin 24 on 12 December 2015. [42643/15]
View answerI facilitated a meeting with Respond on 3 November, at its request, to get an account of the nature of the service provided, the reasons behind the decision to close the service, and to get a better understanding of Respond’s previous interaction with state bodies in relation to the Centre referred to by the Deputy.
The Centre, in the main, provides second stage residential accommodation for persons whose emergency needs arising from domestic violence have been met.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in discharging its statutory responsibility, funds emergency refuge services for adults and children fleeing domestic violence, as well as providing a range of ongoing community supports. Tusla will continue to provide such supports in the future.
Respond informed me that it is not accepting any new referrals to the Centre. At the time of the meeting there were five families in residence at the Centre. Permanent accommodation had been secured for two of the families. The remaining three families residing at the Centre required to be housed. The local housing authorities are best placed to address such needs.
At the meeting, Respond outlined how it decided to build the Cuan Álainn Centre on foot of its own needs analysis, which determined that the area did not need another domestic violence refuge, but there was a need for move-on accommodation for those using emergency refuges.
In general, the Centre provides transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence after their emergency needs have been met. The majority of referrals to the Centre are from existing domestic violence refuges already funded by Tusla.
Each of the families at the Centre has housing needs, and these are best provided through mainstream housing supports via local authorities.
I advised Respond that I would contact my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to establish what can be done to assist the families involved, particularly in light of the housing needs of the families who reside at the Cuan Álainn Centre. I have done that and also asked Minister Kelly to ensure that there is further engagement by the relevant local authorities with Respond regarding the future of the service.
I would also like to assure the Deputy that Tusla will continue to work closely with these families by providing appropriate community supports.
15. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the findings published on 22 October 2015 by the Health Information and Quality Authority following an unannounced inspection of the detention schools in Oberstown campus which outlined a number of recurring issues which had not been addressed, such as single separation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42542/15]
View answerI have noted the recent report from HIQA which is based on the robust inspection process for the Children Detention Schools under section 185 of the Children Act 2001. This process continues to highlight the need for ongoing improvements in the operation of the Oberstown campus. However, it must be acknowledged that the HIQA report also outlines a number of clear improvements since the previous inspection. These include for example: the commissioning of new residential units from March 2015; the employment of new residential care staff; the progress being made toward a new offending behaviour programme; significant improvements in handling of child protection concerns and complaints oversight, and the focus on mental health needs of children under the Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service.
I accept that more work is necessary on a number of issues identified by HIQA, in particular that of single separation of children. On this issue, the report found that management were actively engaging with staff teams on the use of single separation, and that the policy for authorisations of separation had significantly improved. However, ongoing work is required to address the issues related to its use and this is reflected in the updated action plan which has been drawn up by the Oberstown campus and agreed with HIQA on foot of recommendations made in the inspection report. I have also commissioned a review by my Department of the single separation policies in use across the range of children’s residential care settings and this has recently commenced.
The updated action plan identifies ongoing areas of improvement for the delivery of services on the campus to ensure the journey of a young person through Oberstown is seamless. This incorporates areas such as care, education, health, offending behaviour and preparations for discharge. A full time training manager has recently been appointed for the campus and an updated training plan is currently being delivered covering areas such as management of challenging behaviour, fire safety, crisis prevention and intervention, manual handling, child protection, safeguarding and first aid. Further improvements in medication management and staff supervision are also being pursued.
A further inspection was also carried out by HIQA in November and I understand that the initial feedback from this inspection has been broadly positive.
I also wish to note that a comprehensive reform programme has been underway on the campus in recent years to provide improved facilities, in order to accommodate older children under the Government commitment to end the practice of detaining children in adult prison facilities. The steps contained in the updated HIQA action plan will be implemented in parallel with this on-going reform programme.
16. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the plans in place to provide care and protection to incoming refugee children from war torn areas, as agreed under the European Union recommendations, where the children's welfare and safety are identified as a concern. [42690/15]
View answerIncoming refugee children can arrive in Ireland either accompanied by their parents or customary care providers or unaccompanied. My colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, has primary responsibility in the area of asylum and immigration, including direct provision. My Department’s policy responsibility for the refugee children arriving with their parents relates to providing family support and care and protection for any child where a concern is identified for their welfare and safety.
Children living in Direct Provision are in the care of their parent(s). Where there are concerns about their welfare, safety or well-being this should be referred to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in line with Children First guidelines. Tusla works closely with the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of the Department of Justice and Equality, regarding issues which impact on the ongoing welfare and protection of children living in direct provision. Tusla has appointed identified lead social workers to liaise with managers of direct provision regarding support and information for newly arrived residents. There are a range of family support type provision, and early years education in direct provision centres. Additionally there are supports provided by the HSE and the Department of Social Protection.
Separated Children Seeking Asylum are placed in the care of the State, with Tusla. Following a residential assessment, the majority of separated children are placed in foster care and Tusla has a dedicated Social Work team to deal with this vulnerable cohort. The State is duty bound by international and domestic law to protect and provide for separated children in the same way as it does for children normally resident in the State. A social worker is allocated to each separated child and they have responsibility for the development and implementation of an individualised statutory care plan for the child. Tusla maintains the equity and equality of services to separated children vis a vis other children in state care and ensures that there is no differentiation of standard care provision, care practices, care priorities, standards or protocols. All foster care organisations and residential centres are inspected against national standards.
In relation to minors arriving unaccompanied under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, my Department and Tusla have been in contact with the Department of Justice and Equality to ensure all support services are identified, and to ensure the necessary attention and support is given to their needs on their arrival into Ireland.
17. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide Kerry Diocesan Youth Service with the necessary funding to further develop its comprehensive work programme for 2016 and with the capital funding to progress its extensive facilities throughout County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42677/15]
View answerMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2015, funding of €49.9m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Budget 2016 has provided an additional €1.1m in current youth funding to my Department to support the provision of youth services. This additional funding will be used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services.
An additional €2.25m in capital funding has also been allocated to my Department in Budget 2016. In the main, this funding will be used to support smaller scale projects in local youth services, such as refurbishments, health and safety works, and accessibility improvements.
Kerry Diocesan Youth Service provides a wide range of services for children, young people and their families throughout County Kerry. It receives funding from a number of statutory bodies including my Department for these services. My Department provides funding to Kerry Diocesan Youth Service for youth services under the Special Projects for Youth scheme which supports projects which target young people who are disadvantaged including young Travellers and young people who are out of school and at risk of drugs, substance abuse or homelessness. Funding is also provided for a youth information centre in Tralee. In 2015, funding of €429,285 has been allocated to Kerry Diocesan Youth Service for these youth services.
In addition, a further allocation of €32,462 is being provided to Kerry Diocesan Youth Service to support services in Killarney, Listowel and Castleisland and to meet end-year budgetary commitments in 2015.
Kerry Diocesan Youth Service has recently made a submission to my Department in relation to a proposal to develop a European Youth Centre that would meet the quality criteria set out by the Council of Europe. A meeting is being arranged between the Kerry Diocesan Youth Service project organisers and officials of my Department to discuss the proposal and to identify the options that may be available to Kerry Diocesan Youth Service to progress this ambitious project, having regard to the resources that are available to my Department at this time.
18. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which he continues to be in a position to identify the extent of children at risk, with particular reference to early identification and remedial action; if the structures in place are adequate to deal with the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42641/15]
View answerMy Department has a range of systems in place to ensure it is informed of risk to children and families. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, within its national office, has a dedicated Quality Assurance Team. This team produces monthly, quarterly and annual reports in respect of Tusla's functions, and includes detailed reporting on key performance indicators. These reports give a good indication of the number of children and families in receipt of or requiring intervention. The reports also provide statistical evidence of improvements to child welfare and protection services and highlights challenges and areas where further improvement is required. The reports show the number of child welfare and protection referrals in the period, the numbers that have been screened and assessed and those cases that are awaiting an allocated social worker.
Tusla also provides me with information on children in care, their placement type, care status and allocation of social worker. Within my Department there is a Unit which scrutinises these reports and briefs me and senior officials on issues of note. This Unit also reviews and analyses HIQA and Tusla inspection reports of children's residential centres, special care centres, fostering and child protection services. The overview from these reports provides me with a level of assurance on the overall capacity of Tusla to identify and provide services to families and children at risk. Additional information is gleaned from the National Review Panel reports on individual cases, and investigations conducted by the Omudsman for Children.
Additionally, my officials frequently meet with Tusla to review the overall level of provision of service, including areas in need of improvement. I also meet with Tusla on a quarterly basis in this regard. There are protocols in place for the Agency to inform my Department of specific issues where risks are identified and to ensure that robust management responses are put in place.
The additional funding of €38 million which I have allocated to Tusla for 2016, will give the Agency greater capacity to respond to current risk and anticipated demand. These additional resources are intended to alleviate pressures being faced in the areas of unallocated cases, private residential and foster care, and Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence Strategy.
19. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will re-introduce funding for the young people's facilities and services fund; his views on the substantial benefits this will have for young persons in their formative years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42688/15]
View answerMy Department administers a number of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2015, current funding of €49.78m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
The Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund is one of five such schemes. It was established by the Government in 1998 to assist in the development of preventative strategies in a targeted manner through the development of youth facilities, including sports and recreational facilities, and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. There are 282 youth projects funded under the scheme and in 2015, €18.4m was allocated under this fund.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Budget 2016 has provided an additional €1.1m in current youth funding to my Department bringing the total allocation to €51m to support the voluntary youth services in 2016. The additional funding will be used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people, including the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund, and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services.
In addition, €2.75m in capital funding has been allocated to my Department in Budget 2016. In the main, this funding will be used to support smaller scale projects, such as refurbishments, health and safety works, and accessibility improvements in youth services, including youth projects funded under the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund.
My Department has commenced work on the detailed allocations for the national youth organisations and local services and projects funded under the various schemes. Every effort is being made to notify youth organisations and projects of their 2016 allocation as soon as possible. Details of the new capital funding scheme will be announced early in the New Year.
20. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs given the publication of the Child Care Law Reporting Project, his views on the need to extend this worthwhile project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42500/15]
View answerThe Child Care Law Reporting Project (CCLRP) is an independent project authorised under Section 29 of the Child Care Act 1991 (as amended by the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2007), and in accordance with Regulations made under that Section to report on child care proceedings. The project is supported in this work by my Department, the One Foundation and Atlantic Philanthropies.
The aims and objectives of the project are to:
- Provide information to the public on child care proceedings in the courts;
- Conduct research on these proceedings in order to promote debate and inform policy-makers;
- Make recommendations to address any short-comings in the child care system identified by the research;
- Assist in the implementation of these recommendations; and
- Promote confidence in the child care system.
The project pursues its aims and objectives by attending the courts where child care cases are heard in order to report on those proceedings while protecting the anonymity of the children and their families. The CCLRP publishes reports of child care cases for the public and all relevant stake-holders, collects and analyses data from the proceedings, publishes reports on the nature and outcomes of the child care proceedings and seeks to promote a public debate on the issues raised through seminars and conferences. One such conference took place in April of this year in the form of an International Conference on Child Protection and the Law, which considered some of the findings up to that point, and heard from international contributors in relation to alternative models of care and child protection.
Child care cases, heard mainly in the District Courts, involve applications by the Child and Family Agency for orders to protect children, including supervision orders, emergency and interim care orders and full care orders. Under supervision orders, families receive help and supervision from the Agency; under care orders, the child is placed on either an interim or more permanent basis in care. The cases are heard in camera in order to protect the privacy of the children and their families. There are rarely written judgments in the District Court.
To date, the project has published 11 volumes of case reports – four volumes each year in 2013 and 2014 and three so far in 2015, the most recent of which was published on 1 October, 2015 and which contained 37 case histories. It has also published two interim reports, in November, 2013 and October, 2014. As the Deputy will be aware, the final report was published on Monday last (30 November).
Thus far, the project has highlighted variations in child care applications and outcomes, including by region, ethnicity and by family status. These require further research to determine the reasons for the variations and to see how more targeted interventions can, where possible, ensure that the level of intervention is the most appropriate.
Overall, the project will provide a measure of the effectiveness of current systems and policies in the area of child protection and that of court administration, and assist in identifying areas where corrective action may be required. Ultimately, it will assist my Department in gaining a greater depth of knowledge and understanding of child care cases and will increase the evidence base on which future policy formulation is based.
The Deputy will be interested to learn that my Department will continue to fund the project until 2017.
21. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the national play and recreation policy; if this policy is being amended to provide for play and recreation space and time for children experiencing homelessness given the lack of play and recreation facilities in this type of emergency accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42537/15]
View answerI and my Government colleagues are extremely concerned about the issue of homelessness. The Government continues to work hard to house families living in hotel rooms and guest houses.
Play and recreation facilities are important to children and young people in all settings, including in the type of emergency accommodation referred to by the Deputy. Most emergency accommodation is not equipped with play and recreation facilities. This is one of the areas highlighted in Ready Steady Play! - A National Play Policy, which was published in 2004 with a five year lifespan.
The National Recreation Policy, teenspace, aims to provide strategic direction to Government departments, Local Authorities, the youth sector, the community and voluntary sectors, and other interested parties, to develop recreational opportunities for young people in an informed and appropriate manner. Among their other objectives, both policies seek to maximise the range of play or recreational opportunities available for children and young people who are marginalised, disadvantaged or who have a disability.
My Department supports the implementation of the objectives of the National Play Policy and the National Recreation Policy through the provision of funding for National Play Day and National Recreation Week Activities. A capital grant funding scheme for play and recreation was introduced in 2013 to provide capital funding to support new and existing play and recreation facilities for all children and young people.
My Department also provides funding to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth services. An amount of €2.75m in capital funding has been allocated to my Department in Budget 2016 for voluntary youth services. In the main, this funding will be used to support smaller scale projects, such as refurbishments, health and safety works, and accessibility improvements in youth services, including those that provide services for disadvantaged young people, including young people at risk of homelessness.
22. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 12 of 21 October 2015, if he has met with the Respond Housing Association to discuss and resolve the issue of funding for Cuan Álainn. [42651/15]
View answerI facilitated a meeting with Respond on 3 November, at its request, to get an account of the nature of the service provided, the reasons behind the decision to close Cuan Álainn, and to get a better understanding of Respond’s previous interaction with state bodies in relation to the Centre.
Cuan Álainn, in the main, provides second stage residential accommodation for persons whose emergency needs arising from domestic violence have been met.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in discharging its statutory responsibility, funds emergency refuge services for adults and children fleeing domestic violence, as well as providing a range of ongoing community supports. Tusla will continue to provide such supports in the future.
Respond informed me that it is not accepting any new referrals to the Cuan Álainn. At the time of the meeting there were five families in residence at Cuan Álainn. Permanent accommodation had been secured for two of the families. The remaining three families residing at the Centre required to be housed. The local housing authorities are best placed to address such needs. It was reassuring to hear that should the Centre close, Respond will be in a position to ensure that they find accommodation elsewhere.
At the meeting, Respond outlined how it decided to build the facility on foot of its own needs analysis, which determined that the area did not need another domestic violence refuge, but there was a need for move-on accommodation for those using emergency refuges.
In general, Cuan Álainn provides transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence after their emergency needs have been met. The majority of referrals to the Centre are from existing domestic violence refuges already funded by Tusla.
Each of the families at the Centre has housing needs, and these are best provided through mainstream housing supports via local authorities.
I advised Respond that I would contact my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to establish what can be done to assist the families involved, particularly in light of the housing needs of the families who reside at the Centre. I have done that and also asked Minister Kelly to ensure that there is further engagement by the relevant local authorities with Respond regarding the future of the service.
I would also like to assure the Deputy that Tusla will continue to work closely with these families by providing appropriate community supports.
23. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is satisfied that Tusla - Child and Family Agency has support resources to adequately fund and manage its remit regarding family resource centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42678/15]
View answerThere are currently 109 communities supported through the Family Resource Centre Programme which is funded by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla provides core funding to Family Resource Centres to cover the employment of two to three members of staff and some overhead costs. The Family Resource Centre Programme's funding for 2015 provided by Tusla was €13.09 million.
Family Resource Centres (FRCs) are front-line services rooted in the community they serve. 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 in their community. While Family Resource Centres operate an open-door policy and provide many services and development opportunities at a universal level, they also proactively target specific cohorts within their communities.
In addition to funding individual Family Resource Centres in 2015, Tusla also provided funding of €60,000 to the Family Resource Centre National Forum (FRCNF) to assist it in providing support to Family Resource Centres around the country. The Agency fully appreciates and values the work of the Forum as a support network working with all the Family Resource Centres throughout Ireland.
As the Deputy will be aware, I announced a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla for next year. Tusla will have available to it some €676 million in funding, representing an increase of €38 million over 2015.
The precise level of funding to be provided to Family Support Centres for next year will now be considered by Tusla in developing its Business Plan for 2016, which will be sent to me for consideration.
The Government, since its establishment, has attached particular priority to supporting vulnerable children and families and the significant increase in funding being made available to Tusla next year represents further evidence of our delivery on this ambition.
24. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he has had discussions with the Department of the Taoiseach or with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade regarding the welfare of a person (details supplied) who is currently imprisoned without trial in Egypt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42680/15]
View answerI have not had discussions with the Taoiseach or the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with regard to the person concerned.
25. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of proposals to assist parents with after-school child-minding services in public schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42509/15]
View answerI established an Inter-Departmental Group earlier this year to consider options for future investment in early years and after-school childcare. This Group reported to Government in July this year, setting out a range of options for future investment to enhance affordability, increase the accessibility and improve the quality of early years and after-school childcare.
Several recommendations of the Group, which relate to after-school childcare, were considered as part of the Estimates process for the Budget and will be funded in 2016. These include 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. Work will also begin on the development of Quality Standards for After-School Childcare, along with a consultation with children on their views about after-school childcare.
These new developments add to the range of programmes implemented by my Department to assist parents in accessing quality and affordable after-school childcare. These include:
- The After-School Childcare (ASCC) programme that provides after-school care for primary school children of eligible parents for a period of 52 weeks. Eligibility for the programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection. The programme contributes €40 per week for an after-school place or €80 per week in situations where the childcare service provides a pick-up service that collects the child from school. The programme also provides a full day care rate of €105 per week, for a maximum of 10 weeks, to cater for school holiday periods. In all cases, the maximum fee payable by parents is €15 per week per child.
- The Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme, which is targeted specifically at participants in the Community Employment (CE) schemes operated by the Department of Social Protection. Under this programme, €80 per week is provided for pre-school places for children up to the age of 5 and €40 per week for after-school places for primary school children up to the age of 13, with a set charge of €15 per week to the parent in either case. The programme also provides a part time day care rate of €80 per week, for a maximum of 10 weeks, to cater for school holiday periods. Places are approved for 50 weeks. Eligibility for the CEC programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection.
- The Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme, which provides childcare places, including part-time and after-school places, to qualifying Solas or Education and Training Boards (ETB) trainees or students for the duration of their courses. Eligibility for the CETS programme is determined by the Department of Education and Skills.
- The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to community childcare services to enable them to provide quality childcare, including after-school care, at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents.
Progress has already been made to begin implementation of the specific measures related to after-school childcare that I announced as part of Budget 2016. For example:
- The City/County Childcare Committees and the Voluntary Childcare Organisations funded by my Department have already agreed to work collaboratively in 2016 to develop Quality Standards for After-School Childcare,
- The Citizen Participation Unit in my Department has agreed to undertake the consultation with children on their views about after-school childcare. This consultation process, which will inform the work on quality standards, will be undertaken in the first half of 2016, and
- The terms and conditions for the €3 million capital fund, which will be provided to enable both community/not-for-profit and private providers to develop after-school childcare services, are currently being drafted. It is envisaged that this programme of capital funding will be announced in the first quarter of 2016.
In addition, the Budget 2016 package also funded the establishment of a dedicated Project Team to develop a single Affordable Childcare Programme to provide working families with good quality childcare at a cost they can afford. Work on the Affordable Childcare Programme will begin immediately, so that it can be in place in 2017. This single programme will replace the existing programmes which support early years and after-school childcare. It will provide a new simplified subsidy programme, available through both community/not-for-profit and private childcare providers.
26. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps he and Tusla - Child and Family Agency are taking to ensure that adequate child protection and welfare measures are in place in emergency homeless accommodation. [42676/15]
View answerPolicy responsibility for homeless young people, insofar as it extends to my Department, relates to children under 18 and any child welfare and protection concerns that may arise in the context of the Child Care Act 1991. Children under 16 who present as being homeless to emergency services are taken into care. Children aged 16 and 17 may be taken into care, or provided a service under section 5 of the Child Care Act 1991 (accommodation for homeless children). Young people who were formerly in the care of the State and presently in receipt of aftercare services have their accommodation needs identified as part of this support.
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.
As the Deputy is aware, the statutory role of Tusla - the Child and Family Agency is to ensure the protection and welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care. A child can only be received into the care of the Child and Family Agency where there are welfare or protection concerns. Homelessness as part of a family group is not, in and of itself, a basis for seeking to receive a child into care.
In cases where there are welfare or protection concerns in relation to children in families presenting as homeless, the reporting of such concerns to the Child and Family Agency is governed by Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2011). This national policy sets out the non-statutory child protection requirements which are in place for all sectors of society. The Children First Act 2015, which has recently been passed into law, will place key elements of the Children First National Guidance on a statutory basis. In parallel to the legislation, the existing Children First: National Guidance is currently being revised and updated.
As the Deputy will also be aware, on the 4th of December 2014, Minister Kelly hosted a special summit on homelessness to reaffirm the Government's commitment to end involuntary long-term homelessness, including that of families with children, by the end of 2016. A number of actions arising from the summit were formalised into an action plan to address homelessness, and substantial progress has been made in implementing that plan. Overall progress is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. The plan and progress reports are available on the website of Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Additionally, the local authorities collect data in relation to the number of dependants, as part of a family, who are homeless.
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 particular protection and welfare needs that might arise for families in emergency accommodation.
Tusla has had meetings with Focus Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and Dublin City Council in relation to vulnerable families. Additionally, I have been informed that Tusla and the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive are currently developing a joint protocol which includes guidance on working with families where child protection concerns arise within emergency homeless accommodation. Significant progress has been made to date and there is a commitment to finalising a draft of the protocol for consultation as soon as possible.
27. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his assessment of child poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42511/15]
View answerBetter Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014 - 2020, was published and launched by Government in 2014. It provides the overarching framework for the development and implementation of policy and services for children and young people. This is a whole of government framework, implementation of which is overseen by my Department.
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures set out a target of lifting over 70,000 children out of consistent poverty by 2020, a reduction of at least two-thirds on the 2011 level. The Department of Social Protection have the lead role in coordinating government strategies on child poverty and are the Sponsor of outcome 4 of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures - economic security and opportunity. The Department of Social Protection also has lead responsibility for the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion. Its work is also informed by the European Commission Recommendation on ‘Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage’. The Department of Social Protection have identified child poverty as a key cross-sectoral priority to be addressed in 2015 and 2016 under the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures structures.
To assist in this, the Advisory Council for Better Outcomes, Brighter Future, which brings together key members of the community and voluntary sectors who work with and for children and young people, and the Department of Social Protection have co-convened a subgroup with officials from my Department and other relevant Departments to progress solutions to the issue of child poverty. This group has held two meetings in September and November 2015, and two more are planned for the near future.
Although the level of consistent poverty among children has fallen slightly from 11.7% to 11.2% between 2013 and 2014, the Government acknowledges the challenge in successfully achieving the child poverty target, but remains committed to meeting it. The timescale for achieving the target will be influenced by the pace of economic and employment growth. However, we believe having an ambitious target and actively monitoring this will provide a roadmap towards which we can develop and implement a strong multi-dimensional policy response.
As part of this multi-dimensional approach and the importance accorded to the development of effective and quality focused services and support for children and young people, my Department in collaboration with the DSP will hold an EU Peer Review in February 2016 to explore innovative responses in policy and provision to address child poverty and disadvantage. This event will involve ten Member States and the European Commission.
My Department continues to work closely with the Department of Social Protection supporting this mutli-dimensional approach to child poverty. There are also a number of areas of focus that support our response to child poverty within my Department. My Department invests €260 million annually on early childhood care and education and after-school support programmes which provide care to 100,000 children. A number of these programmes are targeted at those on lowest incomes. In addition in early 2015, I established an Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and After-School Care and Education. The work of the group was focused on identifying policy objectives to guide future investment in this area. This report was published in July 2015 and informed the estimates process for Budget 2016. Budget 2016 provides for an additional €85 million investment in 2016.
My Department is also leading the implementation of the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme (2013-2017). The ABC Programme is co-funded by my Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies and will have a total funding allocation of up to €29.7 million. The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme aims to improve the outcomes for children, young people and existing service by drawing on best international practice to break the cycle of child poverty where it is most deeply entrenched. It is overseen by an inter-departmental project team.
My Department also provides targeted support for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through a range of schemes totalling €49.93m of funding. The purpose of recently published National Youth Strategy 2015 - 2020 is to enable all young people aged 10 to 24 to realise their maximum potential with regard to the five national outcomes in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. It is a universal strategy for all young people. It has a particular focus on the needs of young people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing the poorest outcomes.
Finally, as part of my Department's response, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is also responsible for the delivery of a range of services focusing on the welfare, protection and support for children, young people and their families which are key to supporting outcomes which assist in actively mitigating the impact of child poverty.
28. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he has had met with youth groups such as Future Voices Ireland, Soar Foundation, Youth Work Ireland, SpunOut.ie, Young Social Innovators and the Union of Students in Ireland regarding the welfare of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42681/15]
View answerI have not had meetings with the youth groups referred to with regard to the person concerned.
29. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress achieved in enhancing the training and up-skilling opportunities for persons working in the early education and child care sector which is an objective relevant to a number of commitments contained in the "Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures" national policy framework for young persons. [42644/15]
View answerMajor progress has been made in improving qualifications in the early years sector in the past 5 years. Prior to the introduction of the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) Programme in 2010, there was no minimum qualification for staff working in the early years sector. Under the ECCE programme, all pre-school leaders were required to hold a Level 5 qualification. In addition, ECCE services could qualify for a higher capitation rate where all the pre-school leaders, in the ECCE room, held a Level 7 qualification, and all the pre-school assistants held a Level 5 qualification. This represented a major step forward in improving the quality of early years services.
When the Early Years Quality Agenda was introduced in 2013, in order to further improve quality in pre-school services, one of the items to be progressed was the introduction of a requirement that all staff working with children in early years services should hold a qualification in early childhood care and education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) or equivalent and that pre-school leaders in ECCE services would be required to hold a minimum Level 6 qualification, or equivalent. These requirements will be fully introduced in 2016 following the publication of new Childcare Regulations.
In order to support existing staff to achieve these minimum qualifications, the Government introduced a Learner Fund. €3.5m has been provided under this Fund since 2014 and more than 3,000 staff have completed (or are currently completing training) to allow them to meet the minimum requirements.
These initiatives and this investment have resulted in significant increases in the number of ECCE services under contract to deliver the ECCE Programme who now meet higher capitation criteria.
- In 2010, a total of 3,787 ECCE services were under contract to deliver the ECCE Programme. Of these: 82.0% met the basic capitation criteria, and 11.0% met the higher capitation criteria.
- In 2015, a total of 4,371 ECCE services are under contract to deliver the ECCE Programme. Of these: 72.0% meet the basic capitation criteria, and 28.0% met the higher capitation criteria.
Additionally, according to the findings from the Annual Survey of Early Years Services undertaken by Pobal on my Department’s behalf, there have also been significant increases in the number of staff in early years services who hold a qualification equal to or higher than NFQ Level 5 over the same time period:
- In 2010, 71.4% of staff had a qualification equal to or higher than NFQ Level 5, and
- In 2014, 86.8% of staff had a qualification equal to or higher than NFQ Level 5.
Further funding to improve the qualifications in the early years sector was secured as part of Budget 2016. This includes:
- €1.5 million, which will be directed towards a Learner Fund in 2016. I will announce details of this Learner Fund shortly.
- €1.5 million, which will fund the delivery of a 'Higher Education Programme for Inclusion Co-ordinators in Early Years Settings' as part of the model of supports I recently announced to ensure children with a disability can access and meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme. This funding will meet the costs for the first intake of participants (up to 900 early years practitioners) who are expected to commence in this Programme in April 2016. It is envisaged that, over the next four years, at least 80 per cent of ECCE services will avail of this training fund, which will cost €1.5 million per annum.
In 2016, my Department will also continue to provide funding of €13 million for City and County Childcare Committees and National Voluntary Childcare Organisations to support 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.
