Written Answers Nos. 390-400
390. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of implementing a living wage of €11.50 for all employees directly employed by or in agencies funded by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46410/15]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that based on current staffing figures, the additional annual salary cost to my Department of implementing a living wage of €11.50 per hour is estimated to be €592,301 for 171 staff.
These figures include bodies under the aegis of my Department with the exception of An Garda Síochána. I have asked An Garda Síochána to provide the information directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
391. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if children are being treated unfairly in regard to the early childhood care and education scheme based on date of birth (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46020/15]
View answerCurrently, children are entitled to one year’s free pre-school (i.e. 38 weeks during the academic year) under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. For the 2015-16 programme year, children who were born between 2 February 2011 and 30 June 2012 were eligible.
In Budget 2016 it was announced that, from September 2016, children will be eligible to start free pre-school when they turn age 3, and can continue in free pre-school until they start primary school (once the child is not older than 5½ years at the end of the relevant pre-school year i.e. end June). As part of the reform of free pre-school, children will be able to enrol in free pre-school at three different points in the year - September, January and April - so that they can access free pre-school as soon as possible after they reach age 3.
This budgetary measure implements a key recommendation of the Expert Advisory Group on the Early Years Strategy, which recommended that a free part-time place in early childhood care and education be available from every child’s third birthday, until they enter primary school. The Expert Group recognised that this would mean that the period of time a child would spend in free pre-school would vary depending on both the child’s birth date and the age at which they start primary school. The decision to allow children to register for free pre-school at three different points in the year was designed to ensure that children could access the benefits of pre-school as soon as they were old enough.
In addition, an upper age limit for participation in free pre-school was set by the Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment on the advice of the Department of Education and Skills. Limiting the diversity in age ranges in primary school is considered to be generally in the best interest of children, in relation to peer interaction in junior infants, as well as other educational considerations. This does mean that different children will spend different lengths of time in free pre-school, but our focus throughout in considering these issues was how to achieve the best outcomes for children.
In relation to the particular case raised by the Deputy, the child in question was born in January 2014. She will be eligible to enrol for the free pre-school in April 2017 and can continue in the programme until June 2019, a total of 88 weeks. If her parents decide to send her to primary school in September 2018 then she will avail of 50 weeks free pre-school.
Childcare providers will not be required to hold places open in expectation of enrolments in January and April. I am clear that more capacity will be required and that January and April enrolments may pose a challenge. Officials in my Department are committed to assisting with these challenges. They are already working closely with the City and County Childcare Committees and the Voluntary Childcare Organisations on a range of measures which will assist pre-school providers meet increased demand for free pre-school provision, particularly from January and April 2017. Further information on these measures will be available shortly.
392. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount his Department has received in fees from freedom of information requests in 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45754/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table.
|
- |
2014 |
2015* |
|
Initial Application Fees |
€360 |
€0.00 |
|
Search and Retrieval Fees |
€70 |
€0.00 |
|
Total Fees |
€430 |
€0.00 |
*Under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, since 15 October, 2014 no initial application fee is payable in respect of Freedom of Information requests and if the time spent on the search and retrieval of records in relation to a request is under five hours, no fees are charged in respect of same.
393. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the targets he is working towards for reducing child poverty and the specific steps he is taking to achieve these targets [45778/15]
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 prevention and early intervention 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.
394. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of political staff working in his Department, including the role and salary of each staff member. [45781/15]
View answerThere are six Ministerial appointees working in my Department, details of their roles and current salaries are set out in tabular format. All of my Ministerial staff appointments have been made in accordance with Instructions for Ministerial Appointments as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform 2014.
|
Position Held |
Current Salary |
|
Special Adviser |
€87,258 |
|
Special Adviser |
€82,587 |
|
Personal Assistant |
€47,304 |
|
Personal Secretary |
€29,342 |
|
Civilian Driver |
€32,965 |
|
Civilian Driver |
€32,965 |
395. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of Bills his Department has published since 9 March 2011; the number and Title of those Bills that included a regulatory impact assessment in advance of publication; the regulatory impact assessments published; the number of promised Bills for publication; the Bills that will include a regulatory impact assessment; the regulatory impact assessments that will be published before publication of the relevant Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45803/15]
View answerMy Department was established on the 2nd June 2011. Since then I have published the Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012 (No. 78 of 2012), the Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 (No. 81 of 2013), the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2013 (No. 10 of 2013), the Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2013 (No. 133 of 2013), the Children First Bill 2014 (No. 30 of 2014), the Children (Amendment) Bill 2015 (No. 43 of 2015) and the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2015 (No. 94 of 2015).
Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIA) were published in relation to the Child and Family Agency Bill 2013, the Children First Bill 2014 and the Children (Amendment) Bill 2015. I intend to publish the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill and the Adoption (Amendment) Bill. A RIA is being prepared in respect of each Bill and will be published in due course but not before publication of the Bills.
396. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when new community child care centres (details supplied) will be able to reapply for capital funding and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45913/15]
View answerFunding will be provided in 2016 as part of the Early Years Capital Programme. I am currently considering how best this funding can be targeted in the context of building capacity in the early years sector to meet the new demands for places under the extended Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme.
I hope to be in a position to announce the details of this programme of capital funding shortly.
397. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he envisages a more volunteer and business-friendly vetting system that could be adopted while maintaining the optimum level of protection for children, given that the current requirement on persons to obtain multiple vetting is proving highly impractical; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45992/15]
View answerThe vetting system does not come under the remit of my Department. It is more appropriate to the Department of Justice and Equality, who have responsibility for the relevant legislation, namely the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Adults) Act 2012.
398. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children who participate in some form of centre-based after-school care and the details of any studies and reviews which his Department, or a body under its aegis, has undertaken to measure potential demand for after-school care places or any estimates of the level of need for a State subsidy for after-school care places. [46125/15]
View answerData on the main after-school childcare arrangements for primary-school children are available from the Growing Up in Ireland Study. These data show that:
- 64% of five-year-old children are cared for at home by a parent after-school, 27% are in informal after-school childcare arrangements and 9% are in centre-based settings; and
- 77% of nine-year-old children are cared for at home by a parent after-school, 19% are in informal after-school childcare arrangements and 3% are in centre-based settings
I would like to inform the Deputy that earlier this year I established an Inter-Departmental Group 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.
399. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the urgency of commissioning a second sexual abuse and violence in Ireland report, into sexual abuse incidences, given than the previous report was 13 years ago and given the need to accurately target resources based on properly researched data [46222/15]
View answerThe Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland Study (SAVI 1) was published in 2002 following telephone research in which over 3,000 adults were surveyed. This resulted in a "snapshot" of the nature and extent of sexual violence in Ireland. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre have submitted a proposal to a number of Government Departments regarding the completion of a second such "snapshot" survey.
The costs of the proposed survey are considerable and my Department is currently considering the proposal. Considerations include the overall amount of funding available to my Department at any one time for research work, given the scale and duration of the investment required. In addition, the Department is considering whether and to what degree a repeat of this survey is the most effective use of funds to research both adult and child abuse survivors at this point. It is acknowledged that there is a need to take account of emerging issues and any research investment should be designed to meet with policy need and gaps in understanding and data. Finally, the question how a survey of this scale and cost would be commissioned in accordance with procurement and other rules will need to be considered.
I have been in discussions with my colleague the Minister for Justice on the matter and we are both anxious to work with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and other providers to determine data and research priorities in this areas. I have asked my officials to prepare a detailed review of the proposal in this context and having regard to the new National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence and the plans Tusla have in respective of the provision of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services.
400. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of appointments to State boards under the aegis of his Department and the number of appointments that have been advertised on his Department's website since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46249/15]
View answerSixty-six persons have been appointed to the boards of bodies under the aegis of my Department, since its establishment in June 2011. Details are set out in the following table.
|
Agency |
Board Membership |
Appointments since June 2011 |
|
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency |
9 |
9 |
|
Adoption Authority |
7 |
9 |
|
Children Detention Schools Board of Management, Oberstown |
13 |
13 |
|
Gaisce |
15 |
11 |
|
Family Support Agency |
Formerly 12 |
23 |
|
National Educational Welfare Board |
Formerly 13 |
10 |
In line with Government Decisions in 2011, all vacancies on the boards of State Bodies and Agencies operating under my Department's aegis have been published on my Department's website and expressions of interest sought from persons interested in being appointed to these boards. My officials acknowledged all expressions of interest received and maintained a database of those expressions.
In May 2013 the Public Appointments Service, on behalf of my Department, sought expressions of interest from those interested in being appointed to the Board of the Family Support Agency, having regard both to its then statutory functions and its planned role in facilitating the establishment of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The membership of the board of the Family Support Agency was appointed to the board of Tusla on its establishment on 1st January 2014. Following establishment, the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board ceased to exist and their roles were subsumed into Tusla.
New arrangements concerning appointments to State Boards were approved by Government in November 2014. Guidelines covering the process to be used were published on 25th November 2014 by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Under these new arrangements, the Public Appointments Service manages the process of advertising vacancies and selecting suitable potential appointees to State Boards. There is a link on my Department's website to the State Boards website. The Public Appointments Service recently assisted my Department in the appointment of the Board of the Adoption Authority of Ireland with effect from 1st November 2015.
