Thursday, 13 Oct 2016

Written Answers Nos. 179 - 187

Child Care Services

Questions (179)

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

179. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for the regulation of the growing childminding sector. [30055/16]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

My Department provides annual funding to each CCC to enable them to support and advise all childcare providers, including childminders, 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 disbursement to eligible childminders by way of Childminding Development Grants. My Department also provides annual funding, totalling €2.44m in 2016, to six 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.

Under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, services providing care for children aged 0-6 years 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.

My Department has asked Childminding Ireland to chair a working group on reforms and supports for the childminding sector. It is expected that this group will produce a Report for my consideration by the end of May 2017. The Group's recommendations will, inter alia, inform future policy in relation to the regulation of the childminding sector as a whole.

Inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge sa Státseirbhís

Questions (180, 181, 182)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

180. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige cad é an líon daoine a bhfuil cumas feidhmeach acu sa Ghaeilge agus atá ag obair ina Roinn. [30067/16]

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

181. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige an bhfuil sprioc leagtha amach maidir le líon daoine a bhfuil cumas feidhmeach acu sa Ghaeilge a bheith ag obair sa Roinn de réir reachtaíochta agus an bhfuil an sprioc sin bainte amach go fóill. [30082/16]

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

182. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige an bhfuil beartas earcaíochta faoi leith i bhfeidhm chun aon chuóta maidir le líon daoine a bhfuil cumas feidhmeach acu sa Ghaeilge, má tá a leithéid ann, a bhaint amach. [30097/16]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Molaim Ceisteanna Uimh. 180 go 182, cuimsitheach, a fhreagairt le chéile.

Tá triúr ball foirne fostaithe a chabhraíonn lena gcomhghleacaithe i gcursaí Gaeilge ar bhonn deonach ó am go chéile. Níl beartas earcaíochta faoi leith i bhfeidhm sa Roinn chun sprioc nó chuóta maidir le líon daoine a bhfuil cumas feidhmeach acu sa Ghaeilge a bhaint amach. Táimid ag iarraidh beirt oifigeach nua a fháil a bhfuil acmhainn acu chun cabhrú leis an Roinn seirbhís a sholáthar trí mheán na Gaeilge d'aon duine a lorgaíonn í. Tá an dá phost ag fanacht ar leithdháilte acmhainní tríd an tSeirbhís um Cheapacháin Phoiblí atá ag plé le seirbhísí earcaíochta. Níl aon phost áirithe sa Roinn a bhfuil riachtanas Gaeilge ag baint leis.

Area Based Childhood Programme

Questions (183)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

183. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of early intervention ABC programmes that are in operation by county; the services they provide; the way they are funded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30124/16]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a joint prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies. The ABC Programme commenced in 2013 and was co-funded for the period 2013 to 2017 in the amount of €29.7m. The programme is managed by CES and Pobal on behalf of the funders. The aim the programme is to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches in areas of disadvantage in Ireland to improve outcomes for children, in particular children and families living in poverty. The focus of the work under the ABC Programme covers: Child Health & Development; Children’s Learning; Parenting; and Integrated Service Delivery.

There are 13 sites across Ireland participating in the ABC programme. Eight of these are based in Dublin: CDI Tallaght; Preparing for Life; Youngballymun; Clondalkin Behavioural Initiative; Better Finglas; Dublin Docklands and East Inner City; Grangegorman and Ballyfermot. The remaining five sites are located in Cork; Louth; Bray; Limerick and the Midlands.

Prior to the ABC Programme, the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme (PEIP) ran from 2007-2013 and it funded the following three organisations which transitioned into the ABC programme: Youngballymun, Childhood Development Initiative Tallaght, and the Preparing for Life Programme Darndale. The other ABC sites are funded through the following lead agencies or consortia: Clondalkin Behavioural Initiative; Louth Leader Partnership; Barnardos; National College of Ireland; Bray Area Partnership; Northside Community Health Initiative (Cork) Ltd; Dublin Institute of Technology; Ballyfermot/Chapelizod Partnership and People Action Against Unemployment Ltd.

The services provided by the ABC sites in each area are set out in the table. These services include parenting supports and interventions, early years practitioner and primary teacher training and the delivery of programmes to expectant mothers, parents of infants and children and their parents from the early years upwards.

The Government is fully committed to ensuring that learning from all sites funded under the ABC programme will inform other services and supports for children in the area of prevention and early intervention. Such an approach would offer a greater reach, in scope and depth, which will in turn enhance outcomes for children throughout the country. As there is effective work being done on a range of themes across all 13 ABC sites, a key focus over the next year will be to determine the high-impact programmes and provision across these areas so that a more strategic approach can be taken to mainstreaming such learning.

ABC Programme – Site Activity Areas

October 2016

	ABC Area	Programme	Target Population
1	CDI Tallaght	Antenatal to Three Initiative	Professionals working with pregnant women and parents of children aged 0-3 years
		Doodle Den	Children aged 5-6
		Doodle Families	Children aged 7-8 and their parents
		Parental support in EY services (including Parents Plus)	Parents of children aged 0-5
		Restorative Practices	Children over 5; their parents; young people and adults
		Speech and Language Therapy Model	Children aged 3-6 years and their parents and carers; early practitioners and teachers
2	PFL - Preparing for Life Northside Partnership Dublin	Antenatal Care and Development Checks	Expectant mothers from targeted areas
		Early Years Programme	ECCE Practitioners with children in early years settings aged 2-5
		Home Visiting Programme	Families taking part in PFL; children aged 0-4
		PAX Good Behaviour Game	Initially Children aged 6-8; extending to children aged 5 to 12.
		Play to Learn	Children aged 4-7
		Triple P Positive Parenting	Parents of children aged 2-12 years
		Write to Read	Children aged 4-12
	Youngballymun	Antenatal Service	Pregnant women and birth partners/ friend or relative.
		Breakfast Buddies	Parents of 3-12 year olds & community project workers
		Incredible Book Club	Parents of 3-8 year olds participating in Incredible Years parent programmes
		Incredible Years 20-Week Parent Programme	Parents of 4-8 year olds with conduct problems
		Incredible Years Basic Parent Programme/Incredible Years Parent and Toddler Programme	Parents of 3-10 year olds/Parents of 1.5 to 2.5 year olds
		Infant Massage	Parents and caregivers of new born babies and infants up to the age of crawling
		Infant Mental Health Therapeutic Support	Parents and children aged 0-3 with attachment difficulties and/or parental mental health issues
		Story Sacks	Parents of children aged 3-8
		Talk and Play Every Day	Parents and toddlers aged 12-24 months
4	Clondalkin Behavioural Initiative Ltd. t/a Archways	Early Years & Transitions programme	Children in early years settings; early years practitioners.
		Incredible Years Basic Parent Programme	Parents of children aged 3-8 years; Teachers and staff from organisations working with parents of 3-8 year olds.
		Incredible Years Classroom Dina and  Small Group Dina Programme	Early years practitioners and primary teachers.
		Incredible Years Parent and Toddler Programme	Parents of children aged between 1 and 3 years
		Incredible Years Parents and Babies Programme	Parents of children aged 0 -12 months.
		Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management	Training and support for teachers of children aged 3-7.
		Peep - Learning Together Programme	Parent & toddler groups in the area; Hard to reach/marginalised parents.
		Universal oral language supports	Children age 0-2 for direct support with their parents; teachers and early practitioners for training and skills development.
		Upto2 Programme	Expectant and new mothers from targeted areas.
		Working with parents to support their children's learning	Primary school principals; teachers and early years practitioners in the area.
5	Genesis – Louth	Coaching Support to IY Group Leaders	Incredible Years Group Leaders
		Incredible Years Basic Parent Programme	Parents of children aged 3-8 years
		Incredible Years Classroom Dina Programme	Primary school students
		Incredible Years Classroom Dina Programme in the EY	ECCE practitioners
		Incredible Years Incredible Beginnings Programme	EY Practitioners working with children aged 1 - 5 years
		Incredible Years Parent and Baby Programme	Parents of children aged 0 -12 months
		Incredible Years Parent and Toddler Programme	Parents of children aged between 1 and 3 years
		Incredible Years Small Group Dina Programme	Primary school teachers
		Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management	Teachers of children
		Preparing for Baby Programme	Pregnant women
6	Better Finglas – Barnardos	Community Mothers Programme	Parents of infants aged 0-2 years
		Early Years Programme	Early years practitioners working with children aged 0-5 years.
		Infant Massage	Parents of Infants aged 0- 1 years
		PfL Home Visiting Programme	Families of  children aged 0-3
		Triple P Positive Parenting	Parents of children aged 0-11 years
		Wizard of Words	Children aged 6-8
7	Docklands - National College of Ireland	ABC 0-2 Years programme; incorporating Community Mothers	Parents of children aged 0-2
		Doodle Den	Five and six-year-old children in Senior Infants classes in schools
		Early Years Programme	Early years practitioners
		NEYAI Early Numeracy Programme	Children aged 0-6 years
		Parent Child Home Programme	Children aged 18 months-3 years and their parents
		Restorative Practice	A wide range of organisations and sectors in the Docklands and East Inner City; including schools; early years’ services; youth services; workplaces; communities and families
		Zoom Ahead with Books	Children aged 0-6 years and their parents
8	SPECS - Bray Area Partnership	Parents Plus Early Years Programme	Parents of children aged 1-6 years.
		PFL Home Visiting Programme	Parents of children from pre-birth to 5 years
		Roots of Empathy	Primary school students
		Siolta Framework Quality Standard Implementation	EY practitioners
		Strengthening Families Programme	High-risk 6-11 year olds and their parents
9	Young Knocknaheeney	Infant Health and Wellbeing Programme	Parents and caregivers of children aged 0-3; practitioners and services
		Early Care and Education	Early  Years Practitioners with children aged 0-5 and parents/caregivers
		Speech; Language and Literacy	Teachers and early years practitioners; parents
		Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management	Teachers of children aged 3-7
		Incredible Years Classroom Dina Programme	Children in primary school
		Prosocial Behaviour and Self Regulation; Incredible Years Preschool Basic Parent Programme	Parents of children aged 3-6
10	Grangegorman – DIT	Doodle Den	Children aged 4-6
		Incredible Years Basic Parent Programme	Parents of children aged between 1 and 3 years
		Incredible Years Parents and Babies Programme	Parents of children aged 0 -12 months
		Incredible Years Small Group Dina Programme	ECCE practitioners
		Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management	Teachers of children aged 3-7
		Parent-Child Home Programme	Children aged 18 months-3 years and their parents
11	Ballyfermot/Chapelizod Partnership	Chatter Matters	EY services & primary school children & parents
		Community Mothers Programme	First Time parents of infants aged 0-12 months
		Family Development Service	Hard-to-reach families including Traveller families
		Oral Language Programme	EY services & primary school children & parents, carers;
		Youth Mental Health Programme	EY practitioners and teachers.
12	Limerick - PAUL Partnership	Community Mothers	Parents of children aged 0-3
		Enhanced Supports for Children Aged 3-6	Children aged 3-6
		Homemaker Family Support Service	Families with children aged 0-8
		Incredible Years Basic Parent Programme	Parents of children aged 1-6 years
		Incredible Years Classroom Dina Programme and Classroom Dina Programme in Preschools	Junior Pre-school and junior infant children school class teachers and ECCE practitioners
		Incredible Years Parent and Toddler Programme	Parents of children aged between 1 and 3 years
		Incredible Years Small Group Dina Programme	Junior school class teachers and ECCE practitioners
		Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management	Pre-school and junior infant children
		Little Voices Oral Language Programme	Teachers of children in junior and senior infant classes
		Positive Parenting Campaign	Children aged 0-4 and their families
		Quality Early Years	All parents and children/Early years practitioners
		StartRight Community Wraparound	Antenatal and child and family services working with 0-3 year olds and their families
		Transition programme	Early years practitioners and teachers; children making the transition from pre-school to primary school
13	Midlands	PAX Good Behaviour Game	Children aged 6-8

Child Care Services

Questions (184)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

184. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to introduce a minimum subsidy of €20,000 for small community crèches in isolated rural areas and islands as existed previously to ensure these communities have access to child care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30129/16]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

There is currently a minimum subsidy of €20,000 for a small number of childcare services funded under the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme. This top-up payment originated in the transition from the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) funding to the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) and was ostensibly to support rurally isolated service providers with small numbers of children to maintain viability.

However, the introduction of CCS, CETS and ECCE necessitated a review of this support. In order to receive the subsidy a service must meet specific criteria and be unable to sustain operations without a guaranteed minimum funding level.

The combined level of funding, from all childcare programmes administered by the Department, must not exceed €20,000 or a pro-rata amount linked to the number of weeks open if less than 50. There are no plans to add new services at this time.

Those childcare services in receipt of this top-up payment are made aware the payment remains under review each year.

Inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge sa Státseirbhís

Questions (185, 186, 187)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

185. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den an Taoisigh agus Aire Cosanta cad é an líon daoine a bhfuil cumas feidhmeach acu sa Ghaeilge agus atá ag obair ina Roinn. [30069/16]

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

186. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den an Taoisigh agus Aire Cosanta an bhfuil sprioc leagtha amach maidir le líon daoine a bhfuil cumas feidhmeach acu sa Ghaeilge a bheith ag obair sa Roinn de réir reachtaíochta agus an bhfuil an sprioc sin bainte amach go fóill. [30084/16]

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

187. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den an Taoisigh agus Aire Cosanta an bhfuil beartas earcaíochta faoi leith i bhfeidhm chun aon chuóta maidir le líon daoine a bhfuil cumas feidhmeach acu sa Ghaeilge, má tá a leithéid ann, a bhaint amach. [30099/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

Molaim Ceisteanna Uimh. 185 go 187, cuimsitheach, a fhreagairt le chéile.

Tá seisear sa Roinn faoi láthair atá tar éis iad féin a chur chun cinn chun cabhrú le seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil agus is leor an méid sin chun na riachtanais atá ann a shásamh. Déantar athbhreithniú leanúnach ar na hoibrithe deonacha atá ar fáil.

Níl aon phoist sa Roinn Cosanta a chuireann ceangal ar dhuine a bheith ábalta an tseirbhís áirithe sin a chur ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Níl ach éileamh teoranta ón bpobal i gcoitinne ar sheirbhísí na Roinne a chur ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge.

Faoi mar a fhoráiltear i Scéimeanna Teanga reatha na Roinne agus sna Scéimeanna a bhí ann roimhe seo, tarraingíonn an Roinn ar bhuíon ball foirne atá bunaithe chun cabhrú le brainsí na Roinne seirbhísí a chur ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge ar bhonn deonach agus déileáil le custaiméirí sa teanga sin más gá.