Written Answers Nos. 209-24
209. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for stamp 4 and naturalisation the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3861/16]
View answerI am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned currently holds an immigration permission which expires on 14 June, 2017.
I am also advised by the INIS that the processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person concerned is ongoing and the case will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
210. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will expedite a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3866/16]
View answerI am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that an amended decision letter issued to the person concerned, including the correct name of the child, on 26 January, 2016 in respect of their permission to reside in the State under the Free Movement provisions.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
211. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will extend statutory remit and responsibilities over service provision of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency; and the discussions he has had with other Departments in this regard. [3469/16]
View answerTusla - the Child and Family Agency was established on 1 January, 2014 in accordance with the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 and has service responsibility for:
- Child welfare and protection services formerly operated by the Health Service Executive (HSE), including family support and alternative care services;
- Child and family-related services for which the HSE formerly had responsibility, including pre-school inspections and domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services;
- Certain services relating to the psychological welfare of children and their families currently provided by the HSE; and
- Services provided by the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board which formerly operated as separate bodies under the aegis of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, and which were merged into the new Agency.
The Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency made recommendations on a range of other services relevant to children and families, including:
- public health nursing;
- speech and language therapy;
- child and adolescent mental health; and
- children’s detention.
The practical implications of the scale of the ongoing organisational change are such as to require the consideration of the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency’s wider recommendations and, should it be considered appropriate, their implementation take place according to a less immediate timescale. This will allow for more careful review and consideration in conjunction with relevant Departments, principally the Department of Health, in due course.
The Child and Family Agency, in conjunction with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, is adopting a cross-Government approach to ensure delivery of a comprehensive and integrated service to vulnerable children and families. This will require the support and input of various Departments and agencies. It will also support transition to new arrangements in any future expansion of the Agency's services.
Under its statutory functions, the Agency is currently engaged in rolling out its Strategy of Prevention, Partnership and Family Support. This approach will aim to bring together, and give single coherent direction to, all of the strands of service for families most in need, including prevention and early intervention programmes, both universal and targeted. This strategy represents a significant ongoing change in service orientation.
212. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the entitlement of a child (details supplied) in County Tipperary to free preschool; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3477/16]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is implemented by my Department and provides free pre-school for all children before they commence primary school.
Children born between 2 February 2011 and 30 June 2012 are eligible to avail of the free pre-school provision in the current school year which commenced in September 2015. In Budget 2016 I announced the expansion of the ECCE programme which means that from September 2016 children can access the ECCE Programme from the time they are 3 years of age 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). Children born between 1 January 2012 and 31 August 2013 will be eligible to enrol for the programme in September 2016.
Based on the information provided by the Deputy, the child in question is eligible to avail of the free pre-school provision in the current school year and also to enrol for an additional 38 weeks free pre-school in the school year commencing in September 2016.
213. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding he allocated and the funding spent on capital projects and other initiatives in the constituency of Louth, by project and initiative, by completion date and by cost, for the past five years. [3556/16]
View answerIn the first instance I would state that records relating to capital projects and spend are not maintained on a constituency basis. However, for indicative purposes, the following table sets out projects supported in the Meath and Louth areas. These projects were funded through the National Lottery Scheme administered by my Department, through youth capital grant schemes and through schemes administered by Tusla. Further details relating to projects supported through the Early Years area in my Department are being compiled and will be forwarded once available.
I would note that completion date details are not available for these projects.
|
YEAR |
PROJECT TITLE |
AMOUNT |
|
2011 |
Meath Youth Federation (Summer camps for disadvantaged youths), National Lottery Funding 2011 |
3,000 |
|
2011 |
Apple Tree Foundation (now Dundalk Youth Centre), Young People's Facilities & Services Fund (2) Capital Funding 2011 |
8100 |
|
2011 |
Apple Tree Foundation (now Dundalk Youth Centre) Young People's Facilities & Services Fund (2) Capital Funding 2011 |
32,684 |
|
2011 |
Ballivor Community Childcare Limited (Youth Café Navan), Youth Café Funding Scheme 2011/2012 |
75,300.00 |
|
2011 |
The Meath Youth Federation Limited ("Meet & Eat" Youth Café), Youth Café Funding Scheme 2011/2012 |
10,000.00 |
|
2011 |
Drogheda Youth Development (Youth Café Drogheda)Youth Café Funding Scheme 2011/2012 |
58,000.00 |
|
2011 |
Apple Tree Foundation (Dundalk Youth Café) Youth Café Funding Scheme 2011/2012 |
10,000.00 |
|
2012 |
St. Oliver's Scout Group Drogheda, Co. Louth , National Lottery Funding 2012 |
3,500.00 |
|
2012 |
Daughters of Charity Child & Family Service Meath, National Lottery Funding 2012 |
2,000.00 |
|
2012 |
Foróige /Ballinabreackery GAA Club Meath, National Lottery Funding 2012 |
5,000.00 |
|
2012 |
RAY Youth Café, Trim Co. Meath (Youth Café Funding Scheme 2011/2012) |
4,000.00 |
|
2013 |
Autism Support Louth & Meath, National Lottery Funding 2013 |
5,000.00 |
|
2013 |
Foróige Junior Youth Club Meath, National Lottery Funding 2013 |
1,500.00 |
|
2013 |
The Kilberry School of Montessori Meath, National Lottery Funding 2013 |
9,950.00 |
|
2013 |
Ashbourne Playspace Network Meath, National Lottery Funding 2013 |
4,000.00 |
|
2013 |
Moylagh Community Centre Club Ltd Meath, National Lottery Funding 2013 |
2,000.00 |
|
2013 |
Meath Community Drug & Alcohol Response, National Lottery Funding 2013 |
1,950.00 |
|
2013 |
Navan Springboard Family Support Services, National Lottery Funding 2013 |
2,500.00 |
|
2013 |
House at Glenwood Estate Dundalk (for the then Child & Family Service) |
21,672.00 |
|
2013 |
Foróige Slane Co. Meath,Youth Café Funding Scheme 2013 |
50,000.00 |
|
2013 |
Provision of a Playground, Trim, Co. Meath |
€20,000.00 |
|
2013 |
St. Helena's Park, Dundalk- Regeneration and purchase of new equipment |
€10,000.00 |
|
2013 |
Omeath District Development Company Limited, Youth Café Funding Scheme 2013 |
€50,000.00 |
|
2013 |
Drogheda Youth Development Limited, Youth Café Funding Scheme 2013 |
€50,000.00 |
|
2014 |
New build capital project Dundalk (funded by the Child & Family Agency, Tusla) |
€1,400,000.00 |
|
2014 |
Youth Work Ireland Coxes -small to medium equipment & upgrade projects, 2014 Youth Capital Funding Scheme |
€3,020.00 |
|
2014 |
Dundalk Youth Cafe -small to medium equipment & upgrade projects 2014 Youth Capital Funding Scheme |
€9,520.00 |
|
2014 |
Involve County Meath -small to medium equipment & upgrade projects 2014 Youth Capital Funding Scheme |
€12,142.62 |
|
2014 |
Women's Aid Dundalk, National Lottery Funding 2014 |
€7,000.00 |
|
2014 |
10th Louth Cu-Chulainn Scout Troup, National Lottery Funding 2014 |
€2,500.00 |
|
2014 |
Rape Crisis North East Louth, National Lottery Funding 2014 |
€2,400.00 |
|
2014 |
Dundalk Counselling Centre Louth, National Lottery Funding 2014. |
€2,300.00 |
|
2014 |
Trim FRC, Meath. National Lottery Funding 2014 |
€4,000.00 |
|
2014 |
Coder Dojo Navan, Meath. National Lottery Funding 2014 |
€2,500.00 |
|
2014 |
SMART Project Meath, National Lottery Funding 2014 |
€600.00 |
|
2015 |
Kells playground regeneration & provision of new playground Enfield |
€20,000.00 |
|
2015 |
Dundalk Youth Centre - Provision of dedicated music room & emergency exit -2015 Youth Capital Funding Scheme |
€17,932.00 |
|
2015 |
Minor Capital Works Louth & Meath (funded by Child & Family Agency, Tusla) |
28,000.00 |
214. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if administrative staff employed on behalf of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, through an agency (details supplied) and other agencies undertaking similar work to their colleagues, who are employed through the public service, are entitled to incremental pay increases, occupational pensions, sick leave and certified sick leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3637/16]
View answerThe Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012 provides for equal treatment in terms of basic working and employment conditions for temporary agency workers as if they were recruited directly by the hirer to the same job.
Accordingly, administrative staff assigned through the agency specified by the Deputy, or any other agency, to work for Tusla receive equal treatment of basic working conditions such as pay (including increments), working time and annual leave. The Act does not cover entitlement to paid or unpaid sick leave or access to a pension scheme.
215. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, plans to hire, on a permanent basis, staff currently employed on its behalf, through an agency; if this applies to social workers and administrative staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3638/16]
View answerTusla has no plans to hire, on a permanent basis, staff currently employed on the organisation’s behalf through an agency.
Tusla is currently recruiting social workers and other staff through normal recruitment channels and agency workers assigned to Tusla are eligible to apply for such positions, where suitably qualified. Tusla should be contacted directly by any agency worker interested in such positions for further information and qualifying conditions.
216. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the availability of adequate resources to respond to and provide for the needs of children at risk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3660/16]
View answer223. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the number of children deemed to be at risk for whatever reason continues to be monitored; if adequate resources by way of follow-up and early response are in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3667/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 223 together.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that significant extra resources have been allocated to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency for 2016. The overall funding allocation for Tusla in 2016 is €676 million, representing an increase of €38 million over the 2015 allocation. This includes €662.4 million in current expenditure and €13.6 million in capital expenditure.
The overall level of funding that I have provided significantly strengthens Tusla's base funding level and provides the Agency with the necessary investment to increase staffing levels to meet identified risks and anticipated demand. The additional resources are intended to alleviate service pressures in child welfare and protection services, in particular pressures being faced in the areas of unallocated cases, private residential and foster care and domestic, sexual and gender based violence services.
I wish to assure the Deputy that Tusla deals immediately with emergency cases, including for instance, if a child has been abandoned or is in immediate physical danger or at immediate risk of sexual abuse. Social work duty teams keep high priority cases under review by regularly checking to ascertain risk to the child, and where necessary will reprioritise the case.
My Department has a range of systems in place to ensure it is informed of risk to children and families. Tusla, 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 workers. 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 service provision, 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 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 this year represents further evidence of our delivery on this ambition.
217. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if child care facilities will expand to meet the growing need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3661/16]
View answerA number of childcare programmes are implemented by my Department which support parents with the cost of childcare. The most significant programme in terms of State investment is the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme which currently provides free pre-school care and education for children who have reached the age of 3 years and 2 months by 1 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.
As a result of the Budget extension, the number of children benefitting 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, an additional 22,000 from January 2017 and a further 15,500 from April 2017.
I decided to introduce this new measure from September 2016 in order to provide the early years sector with the time to build capacity to meet the increased demand. As the increased demand for the Programme is not expected to peak until 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 some additional capacity in the early years sector to cope with some of the increased demand. 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. This increased demand for, and additional investment in, free pre-school provision should encourage a greater numbers of applicants.
It is clear that more capacity will be required to cater for the expanded free pre-school year programme. Officials in my Department are working closely with the City and County Childcare Committees and the Voluntary Childcare Organisations to identify measures to help increase capacity.
218. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he continues to fund voluntary agencies involved in providing child care; if he will provide further resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3662/16]
View answerMy Department provides significant funding to a number of Voluntary Childcare Organisations (VCOs) which provide quality support within the childcare sector. Details of the funding provided to these Organisations in 2015 is provided in the following table.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs recently introduced the Better Start Initiative with the objective of applying an integrated national approach to the development of quality in early years education and care for children aged from birth to six years in Ireland. This initiative is designed to co-ordinate and to extend the choice of supports and services already provided through all of the stakeholders in the quality process, including the VCOs.
In 2016 the Department will be commencing the preparation of a Better Start Strategy, which will involve consideration of the roles of all the stakeholders, including the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate, Pobal, the Early Years Specialist Service, the Department of Education and Skills Early Years Inspectorate, the City and County Childcare Committees, and the VCOs.
|
Organisation |
€ |
|
Barnardos |
€553,000 |
|
National Childhood Network |
€240,000 |
|
Childminding Ireland |
€340,000 |
|
Early Childhood Ireland |
€1,190,000 |
|
Irish Steiner Kindergarten Assoc. |
€50,000 |
|
St Nicholas Montessori |
€69,000 |
|
Total |
€2,442,000 |
219. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if sufficient emergency child care and intervention facilities exist; if augmentation is required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3663/16]
View answerUnder section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991, an Garda Síochána has the power to remove a child from the care of their parents/guardians, into the care of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, where there is an immediate and serious risk to the health or welfare of the child. Tusla will then seek an Emergency Care Order or return the child to their parents or a person acting in loco parentis.Children who are not in the care of their parent/s or guardians and present as out of home to emergency services have their needs assessed and, if appropriate, are received into care under the Child Care Act 1991. Tusla has in place a range of foster and residential care facilities for children in care and to provide for emergency placements that may arise.
During office hours the local Tusla duty office is the first point of contact for the emergency services. Where emergency situations in the area of child welfare and protection arise out of hours, a system has been in place for a number of years and this has been enhanced recently. The new service allows An Garda Síochána to contact a national emergency social work out-of-hours phone service for general advice or consultation. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Tusla commenced the new Emergency Out-of-Hours Social Work Service last November.
220. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will meet the resource requests of youth support organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3664/16]
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. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Budget 2016 has provided an additional €1.1 million in current youth funding to my Department bringing the total allocation for the youth services to €51 million 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.
Some €2.75 million 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.
Last 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 December, I was pleased to allocate €1.17 million 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.
221. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children now in State care and in foster care; the duration of their stay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3665/16]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection and, if necessary, to receive a child into the care of the State. As of 31 October 2015, there were 6,331 children in the care of the State. Of these 93% were in foster care, with 4,047 in a general foster care and 1,818 in foster care with relatives.
As the majority of children in care are in foster care family settings in the community, indicators of stability of the placement and participation in education are useful in monitoring the performance of Tusla in relation to overall welfare. Provisional figures from Tusla show that at the end of December 2014, 14% of children had been in care less than a year, with 48% in care for between 1 to 5 years and 38% had been in care for longer than 5 years.
222. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs how many children in care normally progress to adoption or fosterage or return to their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3666/16]
View answerA child may be received into care under a voluntary basis or by order of the Courts. A significant amount of work takes place between social workers and parents/guardians to create a situation where a child can return home with a focus on their welfare and safety. Provisional figures from Tusla show that of the 1,360 children discharged from care in 2014, 83.2% returned home to their families, with the remainder opting for independent living, supported lodgings or remaining with their carers. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a duty to ensure that returning a child to their parent or guardians is both safe and in their best interests. Sadly, this is not always possible.
Ireland has a high rate of children in care placed in a family setting, with 93% of children in general or relative foster care at the end of October 2015 (5,865/6,331). This is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their parents. According to the Adoption Authority of Ireland Annual Report 2014, there were 24 adoption orders made for children in long term foster care in that year.
Question No. 223 answered with Question No. 216.
224. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if sufficient resources continue to be available to provide medical, psychiatric and counselling services for children at risk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3668/16]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, in discharging its functions, is placing a strong emphasis on prevention, early intervention, family support, therapeutic and care interventions, all of which are key to the provision of integrated, multi-disciplinary services for vulnerable children and families.
Tusla has specific responsibility for psychology services for children as set out in Section 8 of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013. These services for children are currently provided by arrangement with the HSE.
The provision of resources for medical services is a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Children in the care of the State can access publicly funded child and adolescent mental health teams and primary care psychology services provided by the HSE.
Clinical psychology services are directly provided by Tusla within multi-disciplinary teams deployed by the Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS). Services provided include assessment and focused interventions for children and young people with complex clinical needs and high risk behaviours. The service also provides support to other professionals in order to guide interventions for children and families.
Where children have suffered sexual abuse, therapy services are available in a variety of settings. There are specialist sexual abuse Centres at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin and Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. Therapy services are also provided by HSE community based psychologists and HSE Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) for children who have moderate to severe mental health problems. If a child is taken into care as a result of sexual abuse the allocated social worker will provide counselling and support.
Tusla, also provides funding to voluntary organisations offering a range of counselling and support services to children and families. In 2015, Tusla provided funding of €5.8 million to support counselling services. The funding provided by Tusla focuses on the development of support services in the community for families to enhance stability in family life and to assist children and families and their members in dealing with difficult periods in their lives.
As the Deputy will be aware, I announced a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla for this year. Tusla has available to it some €676 million in funding, representing an increase of €38 million over 2015.
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 this year represents further evidence of our delivery on this ambition.
