Written Answers Nos. 30-42
30. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is satisfied with the most recent HIQA report into Oberstown child detention campus and the progress made at the centre; her views on whether additional resources are required in order for the centre to meet HIQA compliance standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45723/18]
View answerI welcome the most recent inspection report from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) into Oberstown Children Detention Campus, which was published on the 9th of October. HIQA had conducted a full inspection over five days, last March, and this report was the outcome of that inspection.
This report acknowledges that having undergone major change over the past few years, the campus is now enjoying a period of relative stability. Overall the inspection found that, where the focus of campus management and resources had been applied to address identified issues within the campus, improvements were evident.
I note the improvements in the management of challenging behaviours and a reduction in the use of restrictive practices found by this report (a reduction of 56% when compared to 2017 report).
I also welcome the management of risk, health and safety and other important changes in the development of the new management structures at Oberstown.
I also note that HIQA has raised issues for improvement. These include up-to-date training for staff in fire safety, adherence to placement planning system procedures to ensure comprehensive assessment of children’s needs and risks, and deficits in the recording, monitoring and management oversight of some restrictive practices.
In this regard, I welcome the very comprehensive Action Plan, which has been agreed between HIQA and Oberstown Management. This outlines the range of issues raised which will be addressed, following the timescale outlined in the agreed Action Plan. There has not been a request from Oberstown for additional resources to deliver this Action Plan.
I see this Plan as one of the ongoing measures which will bring about positive change in Oberstown and make it a safer environment for both young people and staff.
31. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to Tusla's decision to terminate its service level agreement with a programme (details supplied) in County Galway and the negative impacts this will have with young persons in the county. [45933/18]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency has an annual Service Level Agreement in place with the organisation to which the Deputy refers, YAP Ireland.
Under the terms of the current Agreement, the organisation is contracted in the Galway/Roscommon area to provide a support service to 18 young people in need. The young people are assigned an advocate that will work with them over a 6 month period.
During the course of this year, Tusla developed an initiative called Creative Community Alternatives (CCA) which is designed to support the planned exit of children and young people who are in residential care or foster care, and to avoid those at risk being placed in residential care. The overall aim of the Community Care Alternatives is to enable children and young people at risk to live in their own communities with wrap around supports.
Children and young people with extremely complex needs can display challenging and high risk taking behaviours, drug and alcohol issues, mental health issues, attachment issues, educational problems and family environmental issues.
The broad ranging intensive wrap around supports provided through the Creative Community Alternatives are designed to meet the identified needs of each child or young person.
One example is a nine month programme which works intensively with a child or young person who is identified at high risk of admission to care. It is a partnership between Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board, Foroige and Tusla. The programme sets goals and measurable outcomes for each young person. There is a heavy emphasis on participation and citizenship.
With the roll out of Community Care Alternatives in Galway, Tusla made a decision not to renew its Service Level Agreement in the Galway/Roscommon area with YAP Ireland.
Tusla has also advised me that the decision not to renew the Service Level Agreement was communicated to the CEO of YAP Ireland and the Director of Services on 28 June, 2018 and a meeting was held in September 2018.
I believe it is good practice for Tusla to review its services on a continuous basis, including the work carried out by Tusla staff in the Galway/Roscommon area through its Creative Community Alternatives plan. I have been assured by Tusla that the needs of children and young people in Galway will be met under the new arrangements.
Tusla will continue to work with YAP Ireland in the region until the end of 2018 in line with the Service Level Agreement signed by both parties.
Tusla is currently engaged with YAP Ireland in relation to the termination of the Service Level Agreement.
33. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide assistance to youth clubs and sports clubs orientated to young persons in Tyrrelstown, Dublin 15, following the closure of a centre (details supplied) due to building defects being found; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45878/18]
View answerMy officials made enquiries with Dublin/Dun Laoghaire ETB who are the intermediary body for youth projects in the Tyrrelstown area and have been advised that the Foróige projects and clubs in Tyrrelstown were in a fortunate position as the closure of the Centre coincided with the Halloween mid-term. Outreach and Halloween trips went on as planned and staff relocated themselves to the Blanchardstown Youth Service offices. My officials have been advised that the situation is manageable in the short term. However, if the situation was to continue in the long term then the issue for the young people would be lack of alternative suitable space in Tyrrelstown. My officials will continue to engage with the relevant parties and monitor the situation.
34. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the capital funding available to her Department for 2019; the level of expenditure per scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45876/18]
View answerBudget 2019 has made provision for a total allocation of €32 million in capital funding for my Department. The allocation is split between two programmes areas within my Department's Vote:
|
Programme |
Capital Allocation |
|
Children & Family Support |
€20.140m |
|
Sectorial Programmes for Children and Young People |
€11.860m |
|
Total |
€32.000m |
It is not possible at this time to identify the specific amounts that will be allocated to each project as this will be considered in the context of the finalisation of the REV 2019 in December next. However, at this stage I can confirm to the Deputy that the resources will support the continued investment in the following areas:
Early Years and School Age Capital Grant Schemes - to ensure the quality and supply of childcare places;
Youth Capital Funding Scheme - to support targeted youth projects across the country; and
a Capital Grant Scheme to support new and existing play and recreational amenities for children and young people.
Oberstown Children Detention Campus through the provision of safe and secure places.
35. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress that has been made in terms of recruitment and retention of staff at Tusla over the past year; if steps have been taken to ensure adequate resources are in place in order to provide counselling supports for victims; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45724/18]
View answerTusla has advised me that by the end of September 2018 a total of 678 appointments were made. 366 of the 678 were new hires to Tusla, with internal recruitment accounting for the remainder. I understand that 225 staff have retired or left Tusla during the same period.
I strongly support Tusla’s important work and by 2019 I will have secured an additional €110m for pay and service provision since becoming Minister in 2016. It must be acknowledged that Tusla is operating in a difficult recruitment environment. I am aware that Tusla Recruit, the Agency's in-house recruitment function, continues to be very proactive and I am advised that it has created or is in the process of creating panels for all grades.
I understand Tusla's overall staff turnover rate was approximately 5.1% in September and this is a marginal improvement compared to September 2017 when it was approximately 5.9%. Tusla has established a Retention Steering Group to develop a new retention strategy and to implement an integrated approach to retention throughout the Agency. In addition, I am aware that Tusla has a Health, Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programme, a Continuous Professional Development Strategy and the National Transfer Policy to support its retention strategy. Ultimately, Tusla expects these actions to increase its attractiveness as an employer of choice.
With regard to counselling supports, I am aware that the range of supports available across areas include social work support, family therapy, play therapy and one to one child counselling, such as that provided by CARI. Children with a mental health problem may be referred to their local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Family support or family resource centres can also provide significant support for both children and families and will often work closely with the child’s social worker.
I have also committed to establishing centres for supporting children who have suffered sexual abuse. These centres should minimise trauma while accessing care or health services, and engaging with the criminal justice system. The centres will bring together the protection, health, therapeutic and policing services and ensure child-centred services that minimise, as far as possible, any additional trauma for the child and their family. I also expect to see improved efficiency and effectiveness for the child being cared for by child sexual abuse support services. This proposal has the agreement of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Charles Flanagan TD and Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD. An inter-departmental working group has been established to explore the arrangements associated with setting up these cross-agency centres to support children and families who have suffered from child sexual abuse and I expect a pilot project to be established in early 2019.
36. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether there is a staffing crisis in the early years sector; the steps she is taking to combat same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45932/18]
View answer41. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way in which she will address the need for quality childcare and the low pay levels of staff in view of the fact that additional funding was announced for early years mostly targeted at the affordable childcare scheme. [45786/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 41 together.
Supporting the delivery of high quality early learning and care for children and families is at the centre of my Department's work. In recent years, we have enhanced supports for quality childcare provision in many ways, including:
Funding to support further and higher education, as well as continuing professional development, for staff in the sector;
Increases in capitation funding across all programmes;
Provision of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which supports service providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience;
Introduction of the Better Start national quality development service, which provides mentoring and training for providers to improve quality standards;
Statutory inspection of services by Tusla (the statutory regulator) as well as the introduction in 2016 of early years education-focussed Inspections undertaken by the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills; and
Capital grants to enable service providers to expand and improve their premises.
Regarding the pay and conditions of staff, I have been unequivocal in my support for better pay and conditions for staff in the sector. However, there are 4,500 childcare businesses nationwide. Those businesses are the employers of the early years sector staff. Given this context, I must be clear that there are limits to the action my Department can take.
I have engaged directly with the sector, and have suggested that one approach the sector could consider is applying for a Sectoral Employment Order (SEO) through the Labour Court, seeking a recommendation in relation to pay for the whole early years' sector. Under a SEO process, organisations substantially representative of employers and employees come together to agree a way forward and submissions are sought from key stakeholders. My Department would not be a party to the SEO process. However, as a significant funder, and with policy responsibility for quality, my Department would be well placed to make a submission to the Court once it publishes its notice in relation to the matter of the application for a SEO for the sector.
I have also introduced practical steps to improve the conditions of staff in any way I can. I have introduced additional capitation into our childcare programmes wherever possible, such as:
the higher rate of ECCE capitation for graduate-led pre-school rooms;
the recent 7% rise in ECCE capitation;
the increased capitation for services with qualified Inclusion Coordinators as part of AIM; and
the programme support payment in recognition the administrative roles services play in delivering my department’s programmes.
I have encouraged services to use additional funding to support the pay and conditions of the hard-working frontline staff that make such a lasting difference to children’s lives. While I am aware that some service providers are reporting difficulties with recruitment and retention of staff, I am confident that the changes being brought forward by my Department will lead not just to higher quality early learning and care, but to a more robust professional environment for both staff and employers.
I have outlined the Affordable Childcare Scheme in detail to the House on previous occasions; the development of the scheme, the expansion of the ECCE programme and the provision of increased funding and support measures for the Early Years sector are all aimed at increasing access to quality early learning and care for children while reducing the cost for parents, and providing greater income and stability for service providers. The development of the Affordable Childcare Scheme should not be seen as separate from the questions of quality and staff pay, as the scheme is intended to subsidise the cost of delivery of quality childcare, including helping services to meet the cost of staff wages, which are the main driver of overall costs.
My Department has also commissioned an Independent Review of the Cost of Delivering Quality Childcare, which is examining the factors that impact on the cost of delivering quality childcare, including staff wages. When complete, this will inform future policy development and funding decisions.
37. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she is satisfied regarding the availability of childcare facilities in view of the increasing necessity for both parents to be at work and to meet the requirements of one parent families; the ongoing work being undertaken to improve provisions in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45722/18]
View answerA key priority for me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is to ensure access to high quality and affordable early years and school-age childcare services.
Each year Pobal conducts research on behalf of my Department to examine a number of factors related to childcare services in Ireland, including the monitoring of capacity. The most recent Early Years Sector Profile 2016/2017 indicates that existing childcare provision in general meets the needs nationwide in terms of capacity. Latest available data from Pobal indicates that in general there remains no issue in relation to capacity.
I am delighted to have secured €8.86m in capital funding for childcare in 2019. While the precise details of 2019’s Capital offering have yet to be finalised, this funding will be used to meet the most pressing needs of the sector with the ultimate aim of benefitting parents and children through improving our childcare infrastructure.
Furthermore, under the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan published earlier this year, I ensured that Childcare was identified as one of our nation's strategic priorities with €250 million in additional funding to expand childcare capacity over the duration of the Plan.
I am also aware that many parents opt to use childminders to care for their pre-school and school-age children. In recognition of this, I commissioned a Childminding Working Group whose report was published in March 2018. In response, I have made a commitment to develop and publish by the end of the year a childminding action plan containing short, medium and long term goals for the childminding sector. This action plan will set out steps to move incrementally over the years ahead towards the wider regulation, support and professional development of childminders, along with a timescale for these to be carried out. My Department is currently developing the action plan, with the intention of publication before the end of December.
Another significant element of the increased childcare provision in Budget 2019 is the allocation of €0.5m to create a team of Childminding Support Officers to support the registration of childminders with Tusla and to help them upskill to the required regulatory standards to be introduced in the coming years. Only childminders registered with Tusla will be able to offer the Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS).
The scheme will provide financial support for parents, establish a sustainable platform for investment in the childcare sector for decades to come and- crucially- allow us to continue to invest in giving our children the best start in life. Its launch will mark a milestone in our quest to transform Ireland's childcare system from one of the most expensive in the world into one of the best.
As part of Budget 2019 my Department again delivered as promised on the commitment to continue investing in our children and young people. Budget 2019 represents another significant step in ensuring access to high quality, affordable childcare and early years education. The additional €89m in 2019 will allow for thousands of families to benefit under the Affordable Childcare Scheme.
38. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of her Department's reform of the guardian ad litem service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45936/18]
View answerMy Department is currently finalising the drafting of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2018, which provides for reform of the Guardian ad litem service, with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. Work is being progressed with a view to publishing the Bill as soon as possible.
A small project team is also working to plan for the establishment of the Guardian ad litem service within an executive office in my Department at the earliest possible date following enactment of the legislation.
My Department has established an Expert Reference Panel to provide additional specialised advice and opinion to the Department on a number of key operational aspects of the new Guardian ad litem service.
Officials are also organising a consultation with children and young people who are or have been involved in child care proceedings, with the assistance of the Child and Family Agency, to ensure that the views and opinions of children and young people play a central role in the design of the new service.
39. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will make the necessary funds available to an organisation (details supplied) in order that it can continue to offer the full range of crucial support services to vulnerable children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45826/18]
View answerI thank the Deputy for his question about the Cottage Home Family Support Service, which provides family support services to children and families in the South Dublin area. The organisation also provides a residential care service for young people. In 2018, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is providing €1.6 million in funding for the residential component of this service.
I have received correspondence from several members of the Oireachtas, including the Deputy, on this matter. I have also received detailed correspondence from the management of the Cottage Home detailing the nature of the valuable work that they do, the cost pressures they are under and the reasons they wish to receive State funding for their family support service in order to ensure its sustainability.
The provision of family support services is a matter for Tusla. I have raised the concerns of the Deputy and others regarding the future funding of this organisation with Tusla.
I have been informed that the family support service has been in operation for a number of years and to date, has been privately funded by the Cottage Home. It has not received funding from Tusla, or the Health Service Executive (HSE), which provided child and family services prior to the establishment of Tusla in January 2014.
Tusla acknowledges the value and benefits of this service in the community it serves. Tusla has advised me that the Service Director and the Area Manager are familiar with services provided by the Cottage Home and have visited the service.
I understand that, at the time when the Cottage Home made a request for funding, available resources for family support services had been allocated to services in the area. Tusla did, however, advise the Cottage Home to apply for funding through one of its funding streams, including support for Counselling, which would assist in the provision of some of its services.
Tusla has advised that it is currently compiling a Commissioning Plan for services in the area, which seeks to assign resources to areas of the greatest need, ensuring the best possible outcomes. Requests for funding from the Cottage Home will be considered in this context. The planning process will help inform any future spending in the area based on evidenced needs. Tusla has invited the Cottage Home to be involved in stakeholder consultations on the planning process early next year.
As previously highlighted, Tusla is committed to working with service providers in the area to ensure services are available to vulnerable children and families.
40. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is satisfied that the level of absenteeism from school is acceptable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45920/18]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, Tusla Educational Welfare Services (EWS) is responsible for addressing issues in relation to participation, retention and attendance in schools.
Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) work with young people and their families who are experiencing difficulty with school attendance. The main priority of their work is around the welfare of children and young people and on ensuring that concerns and problems around attendance are addressed before attendance becomes a crisis issue.
In schools participating in the Department of Education and Skill’s DEIS initiative (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the EWS has responsibility for operational management of two school-based support services: the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCLS) and the School Completion Programme (SCP).
The thrust of the HSCLS is preventative - to enhance pupils' outcomes, through improved attendance, participation and retention in the education system.
The SCP aims to increase the numbers of young people staying in primary and second level school and in doing so improve the numbers of pupils who successfully complete the Senior Cycle or the equivalent.
The latest figures available in the School Attendance Data suggest that whilst overall school attendance rates are very high there has been a very slight increase in the level of absenteeism between the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 school years. These being the latest figures available.
The percentage of overall student/days lost through absence in a school year was 5.9% in primary schools and 7.9% in post-primary schools. These figures represent an increase of 0.3 percentage points in primary schools and of 0.2 percentage points in post-primary schools.
I am conscious that it is vital that all children are provided with all the assistance possible with attending school and in this regard my Department will continue to work with colleagues in the EWS and the Department of Education and Skills to ensure that supports are available to those that need them.
42. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she is taking to support stay-at-home parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45832/18]
View answerThe Government is committed to supporting parents in caring for young children at home in a range of ways.
Within the remit of my Department, a number of schemes provide support to parents whether they work full time, part time, or look after their children at home.
For example, from September of this year, all children are eligible to avail of two years of universal pre-school, without cost, through the Early Childhood Care and Education programme (ECCE) prior to beginning primary school. Some 114,000 children are expected to benefit, many of whom will be children of stay-at-home parents.
Furthermore the current targeted early learning and care subsidy schemes are available to families where parents are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, medical cards, or GP Visit cards, again many of whom are stay-at-home parents.
A universal subsidy is available to all parents of children under the age of three, or whenever the child becomes eligible for the universal preschool programme, regardless of whether parents are working or not. The Affordable Childcare Scheme, ACS, which is under development will make early learning and care subsidies available on the basis of family income and will be available to stay-at-home parents. This is underpinned by the Childcare Support Act 2018.
My Department also provides funding for local parent and toddler groups to organise activities for parents and young children in the community to support their development through play. Both working parents and stay-at-home parents participate.
More widely across Government, there are various initiatives that support stay-at-home parents. A child benefit payment of €140 per child per month is available for all children. Budget 2019 announced an increase to the home carer tax credit to €1,500 per year.
There has also been a number of new measures to support parents to spend time at home with children in their early years. Two weeks of paternity leave and benefit for fathers was introduced in 2016. In 2017, there was an extension to maternity leave and benefit to mothers of babies born prematurely. Budget 2019 also announced the introduction of a new parental leave scheme which will be available to both fathers and mothers.
My Department has recently led the development of a Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families. The Strategy will include a range of measures to support families given the fundamental importance they play in shaping children’s outcomes. I look forward to updating the House on those developments later this year.
