Written Answers Nos 21-40
21. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will revise the terms of the Mother and Baby Home Commission to include St. Patrick's Guild in view of the transfer of more than 13,500 files from St Patrick's Guild Adoption Agency to Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22971/16]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware, the central focus of the Commission of Investigation established by SI 57 of 2015 is on mothers and children accommodated in Homes for the purposes of extended ante- and post-natal maternity and infant care services. On that basis it would not be appropriate to include St Patrick's Guild as a Mother and Baby Home, as it did not provide this range of services.
However, in accordance with Article 1(VII) of their Terms of Reference, the Commission is directed to investigate the exit pathways of children from the homes listed in Appendix 1 of the relevant SI. and to examine the extent to which other institutions were part of the entry or exit pathways for single mothers and children into or out of these Homes. It is certainly open to the Commission to give consideration to the types of institutions raised by the Deputy in this context. It should also be noted that the issues to be examined by the Social History Module described in Article 11 (I) of the Terms of Reference explicitly cite adoption societies in this regard.
I am satisfied that this independent Commission has sufficient scope to examine a broad range of concerns, and to make a determination on their relevance to the central issues in question, and where appropriate to make any recommendations to me which the Commission deems necessary.
22. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered a review of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23039/16]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 was signed into law in December of last year. The Act, which amends the Child Care Act 1991, has three distinct elements. While the main body of provision relates to aftercare (under sections 2-9), the legislation also includes technical amendments on foot of the commencement of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 (under sections 13-15), as well as amendments to sections governing early years services (under sections 10-12).
The early years elements of the Act were commenced by the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 (Commencement) Order 2016, Statutory Instrument (SI.) No. 203 of 2016. The Commencement Order appointed 26 April 2016 as the day upon which the early years elements of the Act came into operation.
With regard to the technical amendments, covered under sections 13, 14 and 15, a draft Commencement Order is currently being finalised by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. The commencement of these sections will need to be sequenced appropriately with the commencement of related sections of the Health Act 2007 and the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011. It is anticipated that the technical amendments will be commenced shortly.
Finally, with regard to aftercare, which is covered under sections 2 to 9 of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015, commencement of the relevant provisions will depend on the outcome of consultations with Tusla with regard to appropriate timing and the readiness of the Child and Family Agency to implement same.
Officials will continue to keep the provisions of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 under review once all elements of the Act have been commenced.
23. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for the reinstatement of the child minding advisory service. [23036/16]
View answerIn 2002, the Health Service Executive (HSE) agreed to fund a Child minding 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 child minders of training opportunities, providing networking opportunities and supporting the CCCs with their work with child minders.
In recent years, HSE funding for the Child minding 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 child minding sector is an integral part of their work. As a result, child minders 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 Child minding 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 child minders. This national association supports quality development in family based care for children. It supports parents with childcare choices and concerns and also child minders. 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 Child minding Sector.
Decisions on how best to regulate and support the child minding 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.
24. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress she is making with the recommendations in the UN committee's report on the rights of the child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22969/16]
View answerMy Department coordinates reporting of the actions of all Government Departments in relation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and it liaises with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. In that capacity, my Department has circulated the UNCRC Concluding Observations, published in February 2016, to all Government Departments for attention regarding recommendations appropriate for consideration and action. These observations include a number of recommendations which engage the areas of responsibility of various Departments.
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020), which was launched by the Government in April 2014, is solidly rooted in the principles and values of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Framework contains 163 commitments, from across all policy domains relevant to children and young people, and there are further commitments in allied constituent strategies subsequently brought forward by my Department; such as the National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making (2015-2020). As one might expect, there is a significant degree of commonality between these commitments and the recommendations of the UN Committee in its Concluding Observations.
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures provides for a robust infrastructure to oversee implementation, which is led by my Department. The Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium is the keystone of the implementation framework, and is responsible for having oversight of cross-government implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures and its constituent strategies.
Since my appointment as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I have been chairing the Consortium personally. The Consortium is the primary forum for whole of government working in respect of children and young people, and with the other elements of the implementation infrastructure, will drive the progression of the UN Committee’s recommendations. Membership of the Consortium comprises high level representation at Assistant Secretary level from all Government Departments whose policies have an impact on children and young people. It also includes senior representatives from the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána, the City and County Managers Association, the Chair of the Children and Young People’s Services Committees National Steering Group, as well as the Chair and three rotating members of the Advisory Council, established under Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. The membership of the Advisory Council, which has an independent chairperson, is drawn from pillars representing the Early Years and Children and Youth sectors and also independent experts.
My Department’s first Child Summit will have its inaugural event in September 2016. This event, which is being hosted by the Children’s Rights Alliance in partnership with my Department, will focus on the Concluding Observations on Ireland under the UNCRC. The purpose of this high-level conference is to examine from various stakeholder perspectives how the recommendations of the UNCRC may be progressed through existing structures and frameworks, in particular through Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures and other departmental strategies. Attendees at the event will include a broad range of stakeholders including representatives of Government departments and non-governmental organisations.
In addition to the arrangements set out above, my Department in exercising its coordination role going forward will consult relevant Departments on a periodic basis regarding plans and actions relating to the Committee’s recommendations.
25. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will change the situation where grandparents are disallowed from caring for their grandchildren if they are 40 years older than the grandchildren given that this does not make sense as there are many parents who are over 40 years or more older than their children. [18702/16]
View answerI do not have a role in relation to the private family arrangements that may be made for the care of children by their grandparents. Where a child is in the statutory care of the State, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Wherever possible, Tusla will consider a suitable relative, including a grandparent, to provide care for the child.
The age of the carers is never the sole reason for deciding on the suitability of a placement for a child in State care. A key consideration for Tusla when placing a child in foster care is to consult with the child, family members, foster carers and other people involved with the child to ensure that the child's needs are being met and that the care being provided is what is best for the child in the long term.
The guidance to Foster Care Committees on recruiting foster carers is being reviewed. I have been advised that the CEO of Tusla has asked the current guidance around age to be examined with a view to modifying it or removing it altogether.
26. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered advocating for the services of the Garda youth diversion projects to be extended in north inner city Dublin, as well as other targeted urban areas, as part of a long-term plan to prevent young persons becoming involved in crime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23038/16]
View answerStatutory provision in relation to young offenders is set out in the Children Act 2001. The elements of the Children Act relating to the operation of the Garda Youth Diversion Programme, matters relating to criminal proceedings against children, criminal law issues and the operation of the Children Court under the Act come within the remit of the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality. The operation of the children detention school system under Part 10 of the Act is under the remit of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The Irish Youth Justice Service, based in my Department and staffed by officials from both Departments concerned, oversees the operation of the Act and all relevant policies and programmes.
There is significant investment in community based programmes which are directed at diverting young people from further involvement in criminal or anti-social behaviour. In 2016, just under €17 million has been allocated by the Department of Justice and Equality to the Irish Youth Justice Service to administer Garda Youth Diversion Projects and Young Persons Probation Projects. These projects also benefit from support under the European Social Fund.
Overall funding of almost €900,000 is being provided this year to support these important initiatives in the Dublin north inner city area. In particular, the Garda Diversion projects provided support and services to over 140 young people who were referred in 2015. I welcome this allocation of funding for 2016. Each project works in conjunction with An Garda Síochána to develop a youth crime profile of the catchment area and the young people living there so that services are targeted effectively. I will continue to engage with the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality on the operation of the Garda Youth Diversion Projects, through the cross - agency structure of the Irish Youth Justice Service.
27. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to assist in the provision of additional child care places and-or the upgrading of existing facilities for community and private providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22938/16]
View answerI was delighted to announce recently that more than €6.5m in capital funding has been allocated through my Department to 1,006 pre-school providers nationwide. This represents an increase of over €2.5m on the amount of €4m announced for this programme in February 2016. This grant has been made available for early years pre-school services, both private and not-for-profit/community, that are intending to expand their service to provide for more capacity in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Grants of up to €10,000 per provider are being provided. The extension of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) pre-school scheme so that every child will be able to access free pre-school from the age of three until they start school (entering pre-school in the September, January or April after they turn three) is a welcome development for children, parents and Early Years providers. It will see more than 60,000 additional children enrolled in the programme by April 2017. Children will now benefit from an average of 61 weeks of the scheme, up from 38 weeks. In order to ensure that there is sufficient capacity in the sector to provide for these children, this is one of a number of measures my Department has developed to assist services to expand.
My Department is consulting closely with the County Childcare Committees (CCCs), the Early Years Sector representatives and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in order to ensure the readiness of preschools to accommodate the additional children enrolling in ECCE from this coming September.
My Department made data available to the 30 CCCs earlier this year detailing the number of children that will be eligible for ECCE in September 2016, January 2017 and April 2017 per Electoral Division. This greatly assisted CCCs and service providers to determine the capacity for business expansion.
My Department has altered ECCE’s rules to allow for higher capitation to be payable to services on a room by room basis. This would allow services with two rooms, but only one graduate, to still receive higher capitation for one of the rooms. This assists services in expanding capacity and incrementally increasing the number of graduates in their employment.
My Department has worked closely with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to consider planning issues for services wishing to expand their service. Earlier this year the DOECLG issued a circular to all Local Authorities asking them to assist early years providers with their planning queries and the pre-planning consultation phase in so far as possible.
29. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the need for more quality affordable child care, and on maintaining community-based not-for-profit child care facilities for example (details supplied); if she will ensure that they will retain their ethos and not be forced into commercially run childcare facilities with threatened cuts to community employment workers in these facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23033/16]
View answerWhen 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 Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or equivalent. Under new Childcare Regulations, the level 5 requirement came into effect as of 30 June 2016 for newly-registering services and will come into effect for existing services on 31 December 2016. At present, Community Employment (CE) scheme workers form part of the adult:child ratios in some, but not all, community childcare facilities. The new qualification requirement will mean that such workers will no longer be permitted to count towards the required adult:child ratio unless they hold the required minimum qualification.
While I understand that these new regulations may cause initial difficulties in some community childcare services; I am committed to ensuring that all childcare is of an appropriately high quality, and this involves ensuring that every child is cared for by a suitably qualified person, whether a facility is provided on a community-not-for profit basis or not. To support staff to meet the new qualification requirements, my Department established the Learner Fund which has already allocated €3.5 million to over 3,000 staff for the purpose of upskilling. My Department is continuing to support upskilling in the sector and is working with community childcare facilities to ensure their financial viability.
At the request of my Department, the City and County Childcare Committees have established a project to examine the impact of these changes on the sustainability of community childcare services that are currently dependent on CE workers to meet the ratio requirements. My Department has advised childcare providers who consider that the sustainability of their service is at risk as a result of this measure to contact their local City or County Childcare Committee immediately to discuss this matter.
I am committed to making high quality childcare more accessible and affordable to more families. I also greatly value the service provided by Community-Not-for-Profit Childcare facilities.
30. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to address concerns that the planned expansion of the community childcare subvention scheme is not taking place due to the low level of subsidy given to private child care providers to take up the scheme. [23059/16]
View answerMy Department has been monitoring the take-up of both the Childcare Subvention programme (CCS) and the Childcare Subvention Programme (Private)(CCSP) places and will be instituting a number of initiatives to increase public awareness of the CCS Programme overall. These initiatives include advertisements on social media sites, local and national newspapers and within community settings and support services. It is hoped that as a result of this campaign, additional families will avail of this programme. Demand for CCS has reduced in 2015 and 2016, possibly partly due to the economic recovery.
The number of applications under the CCSP Programme should increase when the school year starts in September 2016 as services have indicated to my Department that they did not wish to implement the programme mid year.
The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to childcare services to enable them to provide quality childcare, including after-school care, at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents. Parents qualify as disadvantaged or low income on the basis of means-tested entitlements. In the case of full day care, parents qualifying for the higher rate of subvention under the CCS programme can have up to €95 per week deducted from the overall charge for childcare in the participating childcare facility.
At the end of 2015, using savings from that year, my Department lifted the cap on the number of CCS places available through community services and encouraged these services to provide additional CCS places. Since this time, 1,380 additional places have been provided under CCS by Community services and this number is expected to continue to rise.
Budget 2016 provided €16m to create an additional 3,200 (full-time equivalent) Community Childcare Subvention ( CCS) childcare places, or approximately 8,000 places based on average uptake. Traditionally, CCS has only been available through community (not for profit) childcare services of which there are approximately 900 across the country. Eligible families who did not live in an area with a community service could not traditionally access the programme, hence my Department extended the terms of the CCS Programme so that it could be provided by private childcare providers across the country. The Community Childcare Subvention Private (CCSP) Programme launched in March of this year. 1,227 individual children have been approved for funding under CCSP and this number is expected to continue to rise.
31. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is aware of the premature removal of funding by HSE Donegal for SEN grants for children with disabilities attending mainstream preschool education; and if she is further aware of the potential consequences of this removal of funding to the new access and inclusion model recently launched as a cross-departmental initiative between her Department, and the Departments of Education and Skills and Health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22966/16]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that I am aware of the issue of the alleged withdrawal of HSE supports for children with disabilities attending the Early Education and Care Programme in County Donegal.
My officials have been informed by the HSE this week that no services are being withdrawn and that the same amount of funding continues to be allocated to these supports. However, with the extension of the free preschool programme ( Early Childhood Care and Education Programme), many children are now availing of supports for a longer period of time i.e. they continue to retain the full HSE grant towards a Special Needs Assistant for a second year of free preschool. This can mean that there is less funding freed up to support new entrants to the free pre-school programme.
However, this should not negatively affect children who are entering preschool for the first time as, in June of this year, I introduced the new Access and Inclusion Model (AIM).
AIM is a new programme of supports to enable children with a disability to access and fully participate in the free pre-school programme. The AIM initiative is led by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, in close collaboration with the Department of Health, the Department of Education and Skills and others. It involves seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted based on the needs of the child and the service provider. Applications can be made by service providers to Pobal who are administrators of the scheme.
32. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of social workers who have been recruited for the child welfare and protection services to date in 2016; the number who have left the services in the same period; the measures being taken to reach the target number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23045/16]
View answerSince the beginning of 2016 Tusla has recruited 167 social workers, 64 have resigned and 10 have retired.
In this context, I strongly support Tusla's three-year plan that will provide extra staffing to meet critical service concerns. These include children who have no allocated social worker. The plan involves increasing overall staffing levels in Tusla by 323 whole-time equivalents, with an investment of €19.4m over the period 2016-2018. We allocated €6.1m for this purpose in 2016 for unallocated cases, to fund a net increase of 168 social workers by the end of this year. It will be important to recruit other grades also, to ensure an efficient service with the right mix of staffing including family support staff and administrative support.
Tusla has been pro-active in its efforts to meet its recruitment targets in a competitive environment. Progress is being made and at the end of May 2016, in excess of 170 additional staff were employed directly by Tusla compared to the same period in 2015. This includes more than 100 social workers. Furthermore, Tusla Recruit is currently interviewing in excess of 300 applicants for its graduate intake later this year. Planning for the 2017 graduate recruitment campaign has commenced and will include colleges in Derry, Belfast and Manchester.
33. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to address concerns over inadequate case management by social worker services of adult disclosure cases and the lack of an overarching strategy for dealing with adult disclosure cases by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. [23057/16]
View answerAdult disclosure, or retrospective cases, are where an adult comes forward and makes a complaint that he or she was abused as a child. The vast majority of such complaints relate to sexual abuse. The Gardaí are always informed of these complaints and their role is to carry out a criminal investigation into the complaint. Tusla's job is to try and establish if the alleged abuser poses a risk of abuse to children currently, and if so, to put in place protective measures in relation to identified children. The sharing of information by Tusla with third parties must follow fair procedure with the exception of cases where there is an immediate risk to children.
In terms of overall strategy, retrospective allegations are dealt with by Tusla under its national policy for handling allegations of abuse, "Policy and Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Child Abuse and Neglect", which has been in place since 2014. I am aware of the complexities of such cases and raised this issue at my meeting with the Chair of the Board and the CEO of Tusla in June. I emphasised the importance of dealing with cases as soon as possible, while recognising the practical difficulties that can often arise in relation to alleged events of many years ago. I have asked to meet with senior officials in Tusla next week to be updated on the steps they are taking to deal nationally with these cases, and on cases currently before the Courts which may impact on Tusla's practice in these matters.
Tusla's policy is informed by both child protection principles and fair procedures, and sets out the specific steps for Tusla social workers to take in carrying out a risk assessment of an adult where an allegation of abuse has been made against them. As Tusla is not a policing body it does not have such powers of investigation. Tusla cannot compel co-operation with individuals against whom an allegation has been made, or indeed the person making the allegation, and must proceed on the basis of fair procedure and due process. As such, Tusla works closely with the Gardaí in such cases.
Tusla is undertaking a full review of all referrals of allegations of retrospective abuse. This review is looking at all referrals to establish their priority for action. I am expecting this review to conclude later in the year and I have requested Tusla to keep me up to date on its progress and on any emerging issues of concern. Tusla is also identifying specialist staff to undertake this work nationally.
34. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the capital funding available in 2016 towards the provision of child care places and-or the upgrading of existing facilities for community and private providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22937/16]
View answerI was delighted to announce recently that more than €6.5m in capital funding has been allocated through my Department to 1,006 pre-school providers nationwide. This represents an increase of over €2.5m on the amount of €4m announced for this programme in February 2016. This grant has been made available for early years pre-school services, both private and not-for-profit/community, that are intending to expand their service to provide for more capacity in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Grants of up to €10,000 per provider are being provided. The extension of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) pre-school scheme so that every child will be able to access free pre-school from the age of three until they start school (entering pre-school in the September, January or April after they turn three) is a welcome development for children, parents and Early Years providers. It will see more than 60,000 additional children enrolled in the programme by April 2017. Children will now benefit from an average of 61 weeks of the scheme, up from 38 weeks. In order to ensure that there is sufficient capacity in the sector to provide for these children, this is one of a number of measures my Department has developed to assist services to expand.
The award of funding was based partially on evidence of current need and/or projected future demand for additional ECCE places in 2016/2017 in the catchment area of each applying service. The relevant City/County Childcare Committee assisted Pobal with demand versus supply data. Value for money was also an awarding criteria and the costs/grant requested relative to the number of ECCE places being created was taken into account when evaluating grant applications.
I am delighted that so many high quality applications were received under this scheme, and that the majority of applications were approved for drawdown of funding. I look forward to working with the sector to deliver further improvements in childcare quality, availability and affordability over the coming year. It is hoped that it will be possible to make a similar capital fund available next year. This is something that will be addressed in the context of the estimates process and Budget 2017.
35. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will consider a role in co-ordinating and progressing the prevention and education arm of the national drug strategy in respect of children and young persons which currently involve a number of Departments. [22965/16]
View answerThe Minister of State with responsibility for the Drugs Strategy and Communities has overall responsibility for coordinating the National Drugs Strategy across Government Departments. My Department has a key role in the prevention arm of the current National Drugs Strategy 2009- 2016. In 2016, funding of €51m (current) and €3m (capital) has been allocated to my Department to support the provision of youth services, by the voluntary youth sector, to young people throughout the country, including those from disadvantaged communities. Some 380,000 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 years participate in youth services. The 250 local projects funded under the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund and the Local Drugs Task Force Projects scheme are targeted at young people who are ‘at risk’ of drugs in disadvantaged areas.
My Department is a member of the Oversight Forum on the National Drugs Strategy, which oversees progress with the Strategy.
The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Health has set up a Steering Committee, comprising all stakeholders to advise on the development of a new National Drugs Strategy to come into effect in 2017 when the current Strategy ends. My Department is actively involved in the development of the new Strategy. My aim is to work closely with the Minister of State and with the Oversight Forum on Drugs in its development and implementation.
The National Drugs Strategy is a key commitment in Better Outcomes Brighter Futures- the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014- 2020 and a priority action in the National Youth Strategy 2015-2020. I plan to utilise the role of the Better Outcomes Brighter Futures structures for coordination across government and services so that we increase the National Drugs Strategy’s effectiveness in securing good outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.
36. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is aware of findings of a survey carried out by Donegal county childcare committee (details supplied) which found a significant reduction in HSE grant allocations for special needs assistant supports for the 2016-17 preschool year since the introduction of the new access and inclusion model to support children in ECCE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22967/16]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that I am aware of the issue of the alleged withdrawal of HSE supports for children with disabilities attending the Early Education and Care Programme in County Donegal, although I have not seen the specific survey referred to by the Deputy.
My officials have been informed by the HSE this week that no services are being withdrawn and that the same amount of funding continues to be allocated to these supports. However, with the extension of the free preschool programme (Early Childhood Care and Education Programme), many children are now availing of supports for a longer period of time i.e. they continue to retain the full HSE grant towards a Special Needs Assistant for a second year of free preschool. This can mean that there is less funding freed up to support new entrants to the free pre-school programme.
However, this should not negatively affect children who are entering preschool for the first time as, in June of this year, I introduced the new Access and Inclusion Model (AIM).
AIM is a new programme of supports to enable children with a disability to access and fully participate in the free pre-school programme. The AIM initiative is led by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, in close collaboration with the Department of Health, the Department of Education and Skills and others. It involves seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted based on the needs of the child and the service provider. Applications can be made by service providers to Pobal who are administrators of the scheme.
37. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if measures are being taken to ensure that all children, irrespective of their date of birth, can avail of the early childhood care and education scheme programme for two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23042/16]
View answerIn Budget 2016, my Department announced a significant expansion to preschool provision under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. This measure, which will be introduced from September 2016, means that children will be eligible to start free pre-school when they reach the age of 3, and continue to avail of free preschool until they start primary school (once the child is not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the pre-school year i.e. end June). Following the introduction of the expanded programme there will be three opportunities each year - in September, January and April - for eligible children to enrol for the free pre-school provision. This will ensure that children aged 3 or over have the opportunity to enrol as soon as possible after their third birthday. The maximum number of free pre-school weeks to which a child is entitled will depend on their date of birth, and the age at which they start primary school. As the Deputy will appreciate, the fact that the school year starts in September means that not all children will necessarily be able to avail of two full years after turning three, and prior to starting school; but on average, from September 2016, children will benefit from 61 weeks, up from the current provision of 38 weeks. The extension of ECCE on this basis was a recommendation of "right from the Start", the Expert Advisory Groups on the Early Years Strategy 2017.
The expansion of the ECCE programme is a major development that will see the number of children benefitting from the Programme rise from around 67,000 to around 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.
The upper age limit for participation in free pre-school was set by the Interdepartmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare on foot of advice received from the Department of Education and Skills. As the Deputy will be aware, 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 my Department's focus throughout in considering these issues has been on how to achieve the best outcomes for children.
39. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department has been in a position to strategically examine and assess any specific deficiencies in respect of child care, youth support and-or development services with particular reference to identification of any problems arising at the earliest stage; if she is in a position to establish adequate supports to assist children or teenagers who might be vulnerable; the extent to which she and her Department continue to liaise with specific groups in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22940/16]
View answerIt is recognised that particular groups of children and young people can face more challenges in achieving the five national outcomes set out in Better Outcomes Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020), and numerous specific commitments of the Framework reflect this.
My Department identified prevention and early intervention as a key cross-sectoral priority for 2015-16. This is being addressed through the Area-Based Childhood programme, the development of a Quality and Capacity Building initiative, and supporting relevant priorities of other Government departments. As part of this, the Advisory Council for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, which brings together members of the community and voluntary sector as well as independent experts, has worked on a number of priority areas including homelessness and child poverty. Members of the Council and officials from my Department recently met with representatives from Focus Ireland and St. Vincent de Paul to progress these issues. They have also met with young people working with the Migrants Rights Centre Ireland to discuss issues facing undocumented young people.
My Department commissions, conducts and consults a wide variety of analysis of the requirements of children in their early years, and this is central to policy development. Evidence from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study informed the recent introduction of new childcare regulations, and the July 2015 report of the Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare was also based on a wide consultation.
In relation to youth services, my Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of services to young people throughout the country. Targeted programmes support the provision of youth services for young people who are at risk of drugs and/or alcohol misuse, early school-leaving, homelessness or who are living in disadvantaged communities. Overall, 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 2016, funding of €51 million has been secured by my Department for these schemes.
I and officials of my Department continue to meet regularly with many voluntary organisations and groups providing services to children and young people, to see how we can work together to bring about the best possible outcomes.
40. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to address concerns over private residential care homes, specifically that many such homes provide less quality care to children in their care than voluntary and State care homes; the reason Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, relies so heavily on private residential homes rather than State-provided care homes. [23058/16]
View answerI reject the characterisation put forward by the Deputy regarding the quality of provision across the range of residential services provided by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. In the case of private residential centres, Tusla carries out a robust process of registration, monitoring and inspection. This process ensures that the quality of provision is put in place from the start and maintained as part of the service agreement with the provider. The inspection reports are published on the Tusla website.
A child is placed in a residential setting only where they have an identified need that can be met by this service. This is often where an alternative arrangement, such as a fostering placement, is not considered suitable. Approximately 5% of children in care across the country use residential services. The availability of these services need to be responsive and flexible enough to meet existing demand as well as specialist needs of children, availability in emergency cases, or areas where there is an emerging demand for residential services. Whether operated by Tusla, managed by voluntary groups or run by private companies, the mix of different types of provision provides Tusla with the operational flexibility to meet demand for residential services as it arises.
