Written Answers Nos. 260-267
260. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she will provide information on the number of persons of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds currently working in her Department and in other public service organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20439/16]
View answerRecruitment to my Department is undertaken principally by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) through competitions advertised publicly, setting out the competencies required for general civil service posts and technical/professional posts as appropriate. The Department is an Equal Opportunities Employer and the PAS operates under relevant Codes of Practice and its Customer Charter in an open and fair manner for all clients and customers.
No data is collated by my Department on the ethnic and cultural background of staff. My Department has a diverse workforce, including some with skills in languages other than English, as reflected, for example, by the commitment in the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to provide for Inspectors with specific language skills. In this regard, Inspectors were recruited who were proficient in languages including Polish, Lithuanian, Czech and Russian, with some Inspectors proficient in multiple languages. There are currently eight such Inspectors in post.
261. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Post, Fiontar agus Nuálaíochta cén líon státseirbhíseach atá earcaithe le bliain anuas in a Roinn a bhfuil Gaeilge agus Béarla acu; cén grád ar a earcaíodh iad; cén líon iomlán státseirbhíseach a earcaíodh i rith an ama sin agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [20447/16]
View answerNíl aon phost sainaitheanta ag mo Roinn ina próiseas pleanála fórsa saothair ina bhfuil inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge ina réamhriachtanas. De réir Scéim Teanga 2015-2018, tá mo Roinn tiomanta do mheasúnú a dhéanamh ar bhonn leanúnach ar leibhéal an éilimh ar sheirbhísí trí Ghaeilge lena chinntiú go gcoinníonn sí uirthi ag comhlíonadh an éilimh sin ar bhealach pleanáilte comhtháite inrochtana. Go háirithe, tá gealltanas sa Scéim Teanga reatha go sainaithneofar, faoi dheireadh 2016, aon phost a bhfuil inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge ina bunriachtanas lena aghaidh agus go ndéanfar gach iarracht leis na riachtanais seo a chomhlíonadh faoi dheireadh na scéime agus aird ar bheartais earcaíochta, ardaithe céime agus oiliúna, de réir mar is cuí.
Ceapadh 60 státseirbhíseach ar fad chun mo Roinne le bliain anuas (15 Oifigeach Cléireachais Shealadacha, a ceapadh le haghaidh tréimhse theoranta, ina measc) trí phróisis earcaíochta na Seirbhíse um Cheapacháin Phoiblí agus, mar atá tugtha le fios agam, ní riachtanas ab ea inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge.
Rinneadh suirbhé foirne in 2012 chun leibhéal an éilimh ar sheirbhísí trí Ghaeilge ón Roinn a fháil amach. Dhearbhaigh torthaí an tsuirbhé sin go raibh an méid cumarsáide i nGaeilge a fuarthas le blianta beaga anuas an-íseal. Léirigh an suirbhé seo freisin gur thug 22% de na baill foirne a ghlac páirt ann le fios go raibh siad in ann gnáthchomhrá a dhéanamh. Thug 34% le fios go raibh siad in ann ciall ghinearálta litreacha agus ríomhphost a thuiscint, agus thug 17% le fios go raibh siad in ann litreacha agus ríomhphoist bhunúsacha a scríobh i nGaeilge.
262. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs for clarification on who are the employers of the staff in school completion projects, given the confusion as to whether staff are employed by education and training boards or by local management committees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19921/16]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has advised that when the School Completion Programme was establishment it was envisaged that local management committees would have responsibility for the management of the programme. Over time however a wide variety of arrangements have come into being. Some local management committees employ staff directly and others are limited companies. A number of local management committees have chosen to ensure employment arrangements are carried out on their behalf by other organisations and bodies.
The Agency has confirmed that a recent audit has revealed the diversity of employment and contractual arrangements within the School Completion Programme. Tusla is currently reviewing these arrangements with a view to providing a more cohesive model of employment.
Meanwhile, the Agency has advised that it has put in place arrangements to support local projects with HR, governance and finance issues. These arrangements include an independent HR adviser and a helpline as well as support from Foróige, the national youth development organisation and The Wheel, the support and representative network for the community and voluntary sector in Ireland.
263. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered increasing capital expenditure for Scouting Ireland to expand its facilities to cope with ever growing numbers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19926/16]
View answerMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector, to young people throughout the country. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people. The voluntary youth sector involves approximately 1,400 paid staff, including youth workers and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. Budget 2016 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 was a 2.5% increase over 2015. It 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. Scouting Ireland receives funding under the Youth Service Grant Scheme administered by my Department. In 2016 current funding of €834,606 has been allocated to the organisation. In addition, Scouting Ireland will receive €200,000 under the Dormant Accounts scheme to support its Lelievlet youth employability initiative for young people who are disadvantaged.
Some €2.6m in capital funding, provided in Budget 2016, is also being made available to my Department to support small scale projects, including refurbishment, health and safety fit-outs and accessibility improvements in local voluntary youth services. This year the scheme has been made available to national organisations, such as Scouting Ireland, to assist their work. The applications for capital grants, under the scheme, are currently being processed and I hope to announce details of the successful applicants in the coming weeks.
264. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered reviewing the implementation of the Charities Act in voluntary youth services due to the huge burden placed on these services by increasing administration costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19927/16]
View answerMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector, to young people throughout the country. The funding schemes support 30 national organisations, 477 local projects and provision for some 380,000 young people. In 2016 my Department will administer funding amounting to some €51m to support these youth services.
Funding for local youth services is administered on behalf of my Department in the main by local Education and Training Boards. All applicant organisations for this funding are expected to be fully compliant with legislation in relation to charities, revenue, the Companies Acts and Children First guidelines. My Department works closely with the voluntary youth sector to assist them in meeting these obligations and most importantly in the development of responsive youth services that meet young peoples needs.
Youth Officers in the Education and Training Boards provide support to services in the implementation of the National Quality Standards Framework. Good governance and operational management is an important part of this process for services. The aim is to provide assurance to my Department, the public and young people themselves that resources are being used effectively and that services provided are quality assured and focused on young people.
I, and officials from my Department, regularly meet with national youth organisations and services throughout the country to hear the challenges the voluntary youth sector faces. My aim is to work collaboratively with the youth sector to ensure the provision of youth services that are accessible and are fully accountable to the tax payer and meet high quality standards particularly for vulnerable young people.
265. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is she aware of the Labour Court decision that only allows the employment of public health nurses as Tusla - Child and Family Agency inspectors; if all these public health nurses have the appropriate qualifications to carry out these inspections; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19928/16]
View answerTUSLA has responsibility for the inspection of childcare services. Inspection is carried out to monitor compliance with the Child Care (Pre-School) (No 2) Regulations with the aim of ensuring the health, safety and welfare of children enrolled in pre-school services. When the regulations were introduced in 1996, the role of preschool inspector was assigned to public health nurses, whose training and experience gave them a particular expertise in child development. A Labour Court decision allowed for those who hold a public health nursing qualification and are engaged in the task of inspection of early years services to be remunerated at the grade of Assistant Director Public Health Nursing. The Labour Court decision did not address the professional qualifications of the Early Years Inspectors.
The majority of the current cohort of early years inspectors are public health nurses, however, TUSLA has inspectors from other disciplines. It is satisfied that those engaged in the inspection of early years services have both the professional knowledge and experience necessary to carry out their duties. Inspection officers must have five years post qualification experience with children and are qualified to level nine (Masters Level) on the National Qualifications Framework.
I understand that TUSLA intends to recruit additional inspection officers this year and it is observing the appropriate industrial relations consultation protocols with a view to expanding the range of professional backgrounds, which might include Early Years professionals. When agreement is reached TUSLA will invite applications from prospective persons with an appropriate professional qualification.
266. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the securities in place to encourage take-up by providers under the early childhood care and education scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19929/16]
View answerMy officials contacted Deputy Ó Laoghaire's office and this Parliamentary Question is to be re-submitted.
267. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered reinstating the child minding advisory service and developing a national approach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19935/16]
View answerIn 2002, the Health Service Executive (HSE) agreed to fund a Childminding Advisory Officer post in each county, who would work with the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) funded under the Childcare Programme, implemented by the then Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The role included notifying childminders of training opportunities, providing networking opportunities and supporting the CCCs with their work with childminders.
In recent years, HSE funding for the Childminding Advisory Officer posts has gradually decreased, and is no longer in place in the majority of areas. The funding of the 30 CCCs was also reduced as part of expenditure reviews in recent years. However, the CCCs continue to provide valuable services at local level and supporting the childminding sector is an integral part of their work. As a result, childminders continue to have access to some level of support, training and advice.
My Department provides annual funding to each CCC to enable them to support and advise all childcare providers at local level. In 2016, the total amount allocated to the CCCs was €10.4m. In addition, in 2016 my Department provided €250,000 to the CCCs for Childminding Development Grants. My Department also provides annual funding, totalling €2.44m in 2016, to seven National Voluntary Childcare Organisations to provide support at a local level to their members. This included €340,000 for Childminding Ireland (CMI), the representative body for childminders. This national association supports quality development in family based care for children. It supports parents with childcare choices and concerns and also childminders. My Department will soon commence work with Childminding Ireland through a consultative group to inform policy on a programme of supports and reforms for the Childminding Sector.
Under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, services providing care for children who have not yet commenced primary school are required to register their service with the Early Years (Pre-School) Inspectorate in Tusla, and are subject to inspection and report by the Inspectorate on a regular basis. Services covered by the Regulations include full-time, part-time, temporary, overnight, and sessional services, as well as childminders taking care of more than three pre-school children from different families in the childminder's home.
Childminders taking care of not more than three pre-school children from different families are not covered by the Regulations. Decisions on how best to regulate and support the childminding sector will continue to form part of the ongoing work and considerations of officials working on the Early Years Strategy which is due to be finalised by the end of 2016.
