Written Answers Nos. 211-230
211. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if funding is provided for organisations offering child and adolescent psychotherapy services in respect of gender and domestic violence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10052/19]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility to support and promote the development, welfare and protection of children. In 2018, Tusla provided some €6m in funding to a range of organisations that provide child and adolescent counselling and psychotherapy services.
Children and young people who have been exposed to domestic violence may access specialist services either while residing in emergency domestic violence accommodation units or through community based domestic violence services. Those who have been assessed as needing psychotherapeutic intervention, may avail of Tusla funding on a case-by-case basis.
Tusla currently funds two specialist intervention programmes which are targeted at children and non-abusive parents who have been exposed to domestic violence; Domestic Abuse Recovering Together (DART) and TLC Kidz. These programmes are not classified as psychotherapeutic programmes.
In 2018, Tusla also provided funding for the delivery of ten courses, based on the DART or TLC Kidz models, throughout the country. Funding was also provided to plan for the future expansion of the aforementioned programmes for delivery in other locations throughout the country.
Tusla is commissioning a review of the current provision of therapeutic services for young people by Tusla - funded sexual violence organisations, or rape crisis centres. The review is due to be completed this year and will inform Tusla's future commissioning of therapeutic services for older children who are victims of sexual violence.
Tusla will continue to work closely with service providers to support children and young people at risk and the effective functioning of families.
212. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of staff at Oberstown Children detention campus who resigned from their post in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, by care and administration staff. [10064/19]
View answerI have been advised by Oberstown Children Detention Campus that the numbers of Residential Social Care Workers and administrative staff who have resigned from their posts from 2016 to date in 2019 are as follows:
|
Staff Category |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
Total |
|
Residential Social Care workers |
7 |
6 |
8 |
1 |
22 |
|
Administration staff |
1 |
3 |
4 |
||
|
7 |
7 |
11 |
1 |
26 |
213. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an injury payment for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10017/19]
View answerThe person concerned was in receipt of Occupational Injury Benefit ( OIB ) from 22 May 2018 to 19 November 2018. This is the maximum entitlement ( 6 months ) under this scheme. The person concerned then transferred to Illness Benefit from 20 November 2018 and is currently medically certified and paid up to 25 February 2019. Further medical certification should be submitted as soon as possible in order for further payments of Illness Benefit to issue.
As the Deputy has indicated that the person concerned is awaiting a decision on his OIB claim the Department will re-issue the original decision to the person concerned.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
214. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the procedure to be followed to register an Irish-born child in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10189/19]
View answerI am informed that the registration of the birth in question was completed on 28 November 2018, and I understand that the parent now wishes to obtain a birth certificate for the child.
A birth certificate can be obtained in a number of ways. The person in question can submit an application for a birth certificate to a local Civil Registration Office by post, or by visiting the office in person. Alternatively, a full standard birth certificate can be ordered online by visiting www.certificates.ie.
A full list of Civil Registration Offices in Ireland is available on www.hse.ie. The fee for a standard birth certificate is €20.00.
215. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when staff training will be completed to register the death of an Irish citizen who died abroad under the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10036/19]
View answerCommencement of section 13 of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014, which provides for the establishment of a record of deaths abroad, is dependent on provision of training to Civil Registration Service staff in the HSE.
I understand that management in the HSE are engaging to address any issues concerning the operation of the Civil Registration Service. When these issues have been resolved it is expected that registrars will become available for training as a matter of priority.
Officials from my Department, and the Department of Health are in contact at senior level to progress this matter and to offer any assistance necessary to bring about early delivery of training.
The General Register Office is in a position to provide this training as soon as the HSE notifies it of the available dates and venues.
216. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to a review of a working family payment in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10049/19]
View answerWorking Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax free payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children.
In order to qualify for Working Family Payment the customer must be working a minimum of 19 hours per week or 38 hours per fortnight.
The WFP of the person concerned was due for renewal from 31 January 2019. The evidence submitted in support of the application indicated that in the 4 weeks prior to that date, the person concerned did not satisfy the above condition and therefore had no entitlement to WFP.
However, further evidence has been submitted which shows they satisfy the condition from 7 February 2019 and their WFP has been awarded from this date.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
217. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average wait time for new applications, reviews and appeals, respectively, for all social welfare payments, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10121/19]
View answerThe average time to award new claims, broken down by social welfare scheme, is detailed in Table 1.
The average appeal processing times for all appeals determined in 2018, broken down by social welfare scheme, is detailed in Table 2.
I note that the Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
All claim decisions taken by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year approximately 85% of all claims are awarded by the Department and 1% are appealed.
The time taken to process an appeal reflects a number of factors including that the appeals process is a quasi-judicial process with appeals officers being required to decide all appeals on a ‘de-novo’ basis. In addition, appeals decisions are themselves subject to review by the High Court and decisions have to be formally written up to quasi-judicial standards.
Significant efforts and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeal process in recent years. Appeal processing times in respect of all schemes improved between 2011 and 2017 from 52.5 weeks for an oral hearing in 2011 to 26.4 weeks in 2017 and from 25.1 weeks for a summary decision in 2011 to 19.8 weeks in 2017. The corresponding processing times for the 2018 are 30 weeks for an oral hearing and 24.8 weeks for a summary decision.
The Chief Appeals Officer has advised me that appeal processing times continue to be a priority for her Office. Further steps are being taken to address these processing times by deploying additional resources to the Appeals Office.
However, the complexity of the appeals process means takes some time for new staff to be trained up and develop expertise.
Where a claimant has been refused a social welfare payment, regardless of the scheme involved, and is appealing that decision, if their means are insufficient to meet their needs it is open to them to apply for supplementary welfare allowance in the interim.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Tabular statement attached/…….
Table 1: Social Welfare claims by average waiting times 31 January 2019
|
Scheme |
Average Waiting time(weeks) |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
1 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
1 |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
5 |
|
State Pension Contributory |
9 |
|
Widow’s, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension |
2 |
|
State Pension Non-Contributory |
11 |
|
Household Benefits |
1 |
|
Free Travel |
2 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
11 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
1 |
|
Child Benefit (Domestic & FRA) |
3 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
6 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
6 |
|
Working Family Payment |
7 |
|
Carer's Allowance |
16 |
|
Carer’s Benefit |
12 |
|
Disability Allowance |
14 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
7 |
Table 2: Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 1 January 2018 – 31 December 2018
|
- |
Average processing times (weeks)Summary Decisions |
Average processing times (weeks) Oral Hearings |
|
Blind Person’s Pension |
33.7 |
27.7 |
|
Carer’s Allowance |
24.3 |
28.4 |
|
Carer’s Benefit |
22.2 |
25.6 |
|
Child Benefit |
36.1 |
42.7 |
|
Disability Allowance |
17.1 |
23.8 |
|
Illness Benefit |
30.7 |
36.5 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
32.6 |
32.8 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
31.6 |
36.2 |
|
Deserted Wife’s Allowance |
70.6 |
- |
|
Deserted Wife’s Benefit |
28.7 |
69.1 |
|
Farm Assist |
44.0 |
47.8 |
|
Bereavement Grant |
36.1 |
- |
|
Death Benefit (Pension) |
31.5 |
- |
|
Working Family Payment |
29.4 |
40.1 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
24.7 |
30.2 |
|
Liable Relatives |
44.0 |
30.7 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
30.4 |
30.7 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
32.7 |
23.0 |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
31.7 |
37.0 |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
39.9 |
50.2 |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
32.2 |
43.0 |
|
Occupational Injury Benefit |
36.0 |
50.7 |
|
Disablement Pension |
34.3 |
34.6 |
|
OIB-Medical Care |
17.5 |
- |
|
Incapacity Supplement |
38.7 |
29.7 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory) |
29.8 |
28.9 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Non-Con) |
25.5 |
29.6 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) |
31.9 |
36.8 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Payments) |
25.2 |
31.4 |
|
BTW Family Dividend |
30.8 |
- |
|
Jobseeker's Transitional |
30.1 |
28.5 |
|
Recoverable Benefits & Assistance |
34.9 |
- |
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance |
64.0 |
29.9 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
25.1 |
28.5 |
|
Insurability of Employment |
53.0 |
63.9 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
20.7 |
29.1 |
|
Widow/Widower's Pension (Contributory) |
35.0 |
32.8 |
|
Widow/Widower's Pension (Non-Contributory) |
28.4 |
25.7 |
|
Widowed Parent Grant |
45.1 |
43.7 |
|
All Appeals |
24.8 |
30.0 |
218. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made on a carer's benefit application by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10149/19]
View answerCarer's benefit (CARB) is a PRSI based payment, made to a person who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
Before a decision can be made on entitlement to CARB, evidence must be provided in respect of the care recipient’s care requirement, the level of care the carer provides, the carer’s hours of employment and their PRSI record.
An application for CARB was received from the person concerned on 19 September 2018.
Additional information in relation to the person’s application was requested by a deciding officer on 11 December 2018.
Further information was received from the person concerned on 15 February 2019 and a decision willissue on this application in the coming days.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
219. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) qualifies for a back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10187/19]
View answerNo recent application for Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) has been received from this gentleman.
On 25 February 2019 an application for BTEA issued to the person concerned for completion along with detailed information regarding his options for commencing a further education course.
On receipt of the completed application form along with confirmation of attendance at a course, a decision will be made on his entitlement to BTEA.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
220. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the correct rent support payable in the case of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10195/19]
View answerThe person concerned is receiving the correct rate of Rent Supplement Support based on their circumstances.
A Rent Supplement Review took place on 5th November 2018. The person's Rent Supplement was calculated based on their Jobseekers Allowance and their part-time earnings at the time.
Their next Rent Supplement Review is due on 11th March 2019. Should there be any change in their circumstances prior to this date, they should contact my Department.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
221. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a review and, if necessary, an appeal against the decision to attribute an overpayment of carer’s allowance will be arranged in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10199/19]
View answerDuring the course of a review of their entitlement to carer's allowance (CA), it was determined that the person concerned had not notified the Department of changes in their financial circumstances. When Department officials requested documentation pertaining to these changes, the person concerned failed to supply them.
On 13 November 2018, the person concerned was notified that their entitlement to CA from 22 May 2014 to date was under review and that should a Deciding Officer decide that she was not entitled to CA during that period or that she was entitled to lower rates than was paid, she would be liable to refund any monies paid to which she was not entitled. She was offered the opportunity to furnish any statement or evidence she wanted to supply in the matter.
On 7 February 2019, a Deciding Officer reviewed all the evidence and decided that the person concerned was no longer entitled to CA as she had failed to show that her means were not less than the statutory limit and had failed to supply documentation that was requested from her. In addition it was decided that she was not entitled to CA from 1 December 2016 to 13 February 2019 for the same reasons.
As a result, it was further decided that she had been overpaid an amount of money which she is liable to refund to the Department. My Department will engage with the customer regarding an appropriate debt recovery plan.
The person concerned was notified on 7 February 2019 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal. To date, no request for a further review or appeal has been received from the person concerned.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
222. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will address a matter regarding firefighters and retired firefighters (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10028/19]
View answerA full time firefighter is statutorily required to retire at age 55 under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004. This retirement age is set at 55 due to the physically demanding nature of the fire-fighter role. The retirement age for retained fire fighters is 55 with an extended period to age 58, subject to a formal application process including a compulsory medical assessment.
The enactment of the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 1989, underpinned by subsequent legislation, outlined in statute the duty of each fire authority, as an employer, to avoid placing employees at unnecessary risk. The retirement age was considered in this context given the physically demanding nature of the role.
A collective agreement was reached between the Local Government Management Services Board and the trade unions involved (SIPTU and ATGWU) in November 2002. This collective agreement provided, inter alia, for the appointment of an expert group which would advise on the retirement age for retained firefighters. The Report recommended that the retirement age for retained firefighters remain at 55, with provision for an annual extension, subject to medical assessment, up to 58 years of age. Following on from the Report a circular was issued by my Department in November 2003 setting out the age requirements in relation to retained firefighters.
In general, any major changes to the terms and conditions of fire-fighters, proposed by either management or unions are discussed and negotiated, as appropriate, under the established industrial relations processes. In this regard, I understand that the retirement age for firefighters was discussed recently as part of preliminary discussions on a range of issues at the Workplace Relations Commission, between the Local Government Management Agency (representing the employers) and SIPTU.
223. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the members of a family in receipt of RAS post-2011 can have their names added to the social housing local authority waiting list (details supplied). [10041/19]
View answerThe Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 gives legislative recognition to rental accommodation availability agreements which underpin the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), as a form of social housing support. Consequently, since 1 April 2011, RAS tenants are now considered to be in receipt of social housing support and should not generally remain on housing waiting lists for new applicants for social housing.
Recognising that tenants housed through RAS prior to this change might have had reasonable expectations in regard to retaining access to traditional local authority rented accommodation, guidance issued from the Housing Agency in 2011 recommended that there should be a special transfer pathway for pre-2011 RAS tenants to other forms of social housing support. The arrangement effectively allowed these households to be designated as a ‘transfer’ applicant and to maintain their position for allocation as they had on the main waiting list.
All tenants allocated RAS accommodation post 1st April 2011 (and thus under the provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009) were informed at the time of offer and allocation, that because RAS is now a social housing support, their housing need is met and that they will no longer remain on the main social housing waiting list.
However, it is recommended that allocation schemes also provide a ‘transfer pathway’ for new RAS tenants ,whereby households in RAS have access to the transfer list in the same way as tenants in local authority accommodation.
Where a vacant property arises, it is a matter for individual housing authorities, in accordance with their allocation schemes, to determine whether the allocation is made to a household on the main waiting list, or to a transfer applicant, such as a household from RAS, and the method of such allocation. It is open to housing authorities to specify in their allocation schemes the proportion of allocations which will be reserved for transfers, and within this, how many may be reserved for households seeking transfers to other forms of social housing support.
224. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the review of the income thresholds for social housing eligibility; and the timeline for the completion of the review and the possible introduction of new thresholds. [10045/19]
View answerThe Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.
The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. It is important to note that the limits introduced at that time also reflected a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn, both promoting sustainable communities and also providing a degree of future-proofing.
As part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority area is underway. The Housing Agency is continuing to carry out the detailed statistical work, which will underpin this review, on behalf of my Department.
The review will also have regard to current initiatives being brought forward in terms of affordability and cost rental and will be completed when the impacts of these parallel initiatives have been considered.
225. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a grade 3 clerical officer in the Royal Irish Academy of Music who is at the top of the pay scale for their grade transfers from this organisation to a grade 4 assistant staff officer position in a local authority, if they will be placed on the bottom point of the assistant staff officer pay scale; and if so, the reason therefor (details supplied). [10053/19]
View answerIn relation to staff transfers between public service bodies, Circular 05/2016 provides that where the appointee has been serving elsewhere in the public service in an analogous grade and pay-scale, and will be moving without break to another part of the public service at an analogous grade, the appointment may be made at the appointee’s current point on the scale. In terms of transfers to local authorities from elsewhere in the public service, under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, it is the Chief Executive of the Council who is responsible for staffing matters and the details of any such transfer. I understand that the grades in question are not analogous grades and therefore the provisions of the circular do not apply.
226. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the number of staff who will transfer from Cork County Council to Cork City Council after the extension of the boundary in June 2019. [10084/19]
View answerThe Cork boundary alteration is the most significant change of its kind undertaken in the State. It represents a major reorganisation of local government in Cork with a population of over 85,000 people in the relevant area transferring from Cork County Council to Cork City Council.
The Local Government Act 2019 came into effect on 31 January 2019 and provides primarily for the alteration of the administrative boundary between Cork County Council and Cork City Council, which is planned to take place when the new Councils take office after the local elections in May. The Act provides for the establishment of a statutory Cork Boundary Alteration Implementation Oversight Committee to ensure that the challenges of implementation are addressed effectively and to oversee arrangements for the alteration of the boundary in accordance with an Implementation Plan.
Generally, under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 the Chief Executive of the Council is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority. In the context of the Boundary alteration responsibility for the detailed planning and implementation of the reorganisation process rests primarily with the two local authorities, subject to guidance and oversight by the Oversight Committee and compliance with the Implementation Plan.
While this is undoubtedly a major change management project, I understand that good progress is being made towards the transfer day of 31 May 2019 and that work on the staff transfer plan is also progressing well. I expect to receive the statutory Implementation Plan from the Oversight Committee shortly.
227. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the social housing provision targets by local authority for 2019, by the target number of direct local authority builds, approved housing body new build, Part V new build, departmentally funded void return, local authority acquisition and approved housing body acquisition; the leasing targets by RAS and HAP, in tabular form; the funding allocated to each delivery stream by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10109/19]
View answerOne of the main outcomes of the Housing Summit with local authority Chief Executives held in early 2018 was a commitment to drive greater transparency and accountability at local level for the delivery of social housing, including the publication of detailed targets for each local authority at a high level for the remaining 4 years of Rebuilding Ireland, and then broken down into the primary delivery mechanisms of build, acquisition, leasing, HAP and RAS.
Delivery against these targets on a local authority basis for 2018 has recently been published on my Department's website and can be accessed at:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
Targets for 2019 are currently being finalised and will be published shortly. Delivery against these targets will be tracked on a quarterly basis. Overall it is expected that some 27,360 additional housing supports will be delivered in 2019, through build, acquisition, leasing, HAP and RAS schemes.
Funding allocations are not notified to individual local authorities for the delivery of housing in a particular year. My Department provides the relevant funding to local authorities as their social housing delivery programmes and individual projects are advanced.
228. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the decision to restrict mortgage protection insurance to certain insurance companies is a matter for local authorities; if the decision is made by his Department; the consumer protection laws both domestic and European that govern mortgage protection insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10162/19]
View answer229. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of persons who have taken out mortgage protection insurance as part of the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme; the number of companies that have been used for this insurance; the average cost per month for mortgage holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10163/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together.
It is a requirement that mortgage protection insurance (MPI) is taken out in respect of all local authority housing loans. The scheme applies to all house purchase loans approved by local authorities. One of the conditions of the scheme, which is a group policy, is that it is obligatory for all borrowers, who meet the eligibility criteria to join the scheme, except where their application has been rejected by the current insurance provider. Where a prospective borrower fails to qualify under the local authority MPI scheme, they must source comparable and alternative adequate cover elsewhere and provide evidence of this cover to the local authority. Therefore, for each Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan that has been drawdown to date, mortgage protection has also been taken out.
While there is provision under the Consumer Credit Act 1995, that where a lender offers a particular mortgage protection policy, in accordance with the requirements of that Act, the borrower can source an alternative policy to suit their needs, that provision does not apply to local authorities.
The local authority mortgage protection insurance scheme is overseen by the Mortgage Protection Committee which is a sub-committee of the County and City Management Association and consists of representatives from the CCMA, local authorities, the Housing Finance Agency and my Department. The policy is subject to periodic review and competitive tendering to ensure value for money for the policy holders over the entire life of the mortgage.
As the previous MPI contract (2012-2016) was ending on 31 December 2016, it was necessary to undertake a public procurement competition for the provision and administration of a new scheme from 1 January 2017 for a period of 3 years. As a result of the competitive process undertaken, there was no change in the insurance provider for the Scheme.
According to the most recent RIHL figures from the Housing Agency, as of the end of January, the average loan amount for all applications recommended for approval to date is €188,924. The current rate for the MPI scheme since the 01 January 2017 is 0.555%, therefore the estimated average monthly repayment for MPI is €87.38.
230. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10100/19]
View answerAs the Minister with responsibility for leading the Decade of Centenaries commemorative programme, my priority is to ensure that the Government's approach to the remembrance of the significant historical events and related themes of the period from 1919 to 1923 is appropriate, measured, respectful, inclusive and sensitive to the different perspectives that persist on the events of this period.
The role of women will be a significant theme of the commemorative programme. As you will be aware, 2018 marked the centenary of a new era for women with the passage of the Representation of the People Act and the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act . On the centenary of passage of the former last February, I launched a State programme to commemorate these significant legislative changes. The changes came from years of agitation by the suffrage movement and from the significant social change across Britain and Ireland that arose during World War One. My Department supported a number of initiatives during the year under the commemorative programme.
On 21 November last, I announced the Markievicz bursaries initiative to assist artists to produce new work that reflects on the role of women in the period covered by the centenary commemorations and beyond. Awards will be made to up to five artists/writers under the scheme each year (2019-2023) to a value of €20,000 per individual or group. The Arts Council is administering the bursaries on behalf of my Department and will begin accepting on-line applications from artists shortly under the initiative.
In bringing forward plans to mark the significant historical events that took place between 1919 - 1923, my approach will continue to be informed and supported by the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations and developed in consultation with the All-Party Consultation Group on Commemorations.
It is, I believe, very fitting that local authorities have a leading role in supporting inclusive, respectful and meaningful community-led commemorations, augmented as appropriate with support from the State, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
In recognition of the very important role that local authorities have played to date, and will continue to have, in encouraging measured and authentic citizen engagement which is sensitive to the local context, I have requested my officials to organise a special Decade of Centenaries forum for the local authorities, to take place on 13th March.
While the overall commemorative programme for the period, comprised of the measures set out above, will be subject to further development, there is at present no funding available from my Department for the purpose in question.
End of Take
