Written Answers Nos. 541-565
541. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the necessary infrastructure will be in place and ready to be operational at Dublin Airport and Dublin Port on 31 October 2019 in the event of a no-deal Brexit. [43402/19]
View answerThe Government has preparations in place for a possible no-deal Brexit on 31 October 2019. In its Action Plan published in July 2019, the Government acknowledged that a no deal Brexit will be highly disruptive and will have profound implications across all aspects of society. It will be impossible for the UK to maintain the current seamless arrangements with the EU across the full range of sectors including transport connectivity, trade flows and supply chains.
The contingency plans in place, including in the transport sector, will mitigate but cannot eliminate the impacts of a no-deal Brexit. The establishment of the additional controls at Dublin Port and Dublin Airport that would be required in a no deal Brexit scenario is being co-ordinated by an interdepartmental group under the chairmanship of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with representation from a range of stakeholders across Government. The Office of Public Works has been tasked with delivering the required facilities for agriculture, health and customs checks at Dublin Airport and Dublin Port. In addition to this new infrastructure, new procedures have been implemented to facilitate trade.
Testing of the robustness of the proposed inter-agency arrangements by the relevant agencies is continuing. In addition, the testing of traffic flows in Dublin Port is also underway. An inter-departmental group, under the Chair of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, is in place to coordinate this work.
542. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of an application for a sports capital grant by a club (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43410/19]
View answer2,337 applications were submitted under the 2018 round of the Sports Capital Programme seeking a total of €162m in funding.
186 of these applications were for projects that were deemed invalid under the 2017 round of the programme that subsequently submitted corrected documents. These applications were assessed first and approximately €7m in allocations to 170 projects were announced on the 17th January.
619 equipment only applications were assessed next and 466 allocations with a value of €9.8m were announced to these organisations in May.
Work is now underway in assessing the remaining applications for capital works, including an application from the organisation referred to by the Deputy.
For the first time, applicants who submitted incorrect documentation under this round were given the opportunity to correct their application during the assessment period. In view of the opportunity to correct documentation, the record number of applications received and the detailed information contained in each application, it is likely to take a further number of weeks before allocations are announced.
543. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the sports capital grants for 2019 will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43431/19]
View answer2,337 applications were submitted under the 2018 round of the Sports Capital Programme seeking a total of €162m in funding.
Up to 186 of these applications were for projects that were deemed invalid under the 2017 round of the programme that subsequently submitted corrected documents. These applications were assessed first and approximately €7m in allocations to 170 projects were announced on the 17th January.
Up to 619 equipment only applications were assessed next and 466 allocations with a value of €9.8m were announced to these organisations in May. Work is now underway in assessing the remaining applications for capital works.
For the first time, applicants who submitted incorrect documentation under this round were given the opportunity to correct their application during the assessment period. In view of the opportunity to correct documentation, the record number of applications received and the detailed information contained in each application, it is likely to take a further number of weeks before allocations are announced.
544. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the next round of applications on sports capital grants will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43432/19]
View answerUp to 2,337 applications were submitted under the 2018 round of the Sports Capital Programme seeking a total of €162m in funding.
Up to 186 of these applications were for projects that were deemed invalid under the 2017 round of the programme that subsequently submitted corrected documents. These applications were assessed first and approximately €7m in allocations to 170 projects were announced on the 17th January.
Up to 619 equipment only applications were assessed next and 466 allocations with a value of €9.8m were announced to these organisations in May.
Work is now underway in assessing the remaining applications for capital works. For the first time, applicants who submitted incorrect documentation under this round were given the opportunity to correct their application during the assessment period. In view of the opportunity to correct documentation, the record number of applications received and the detailed information contained in each application, it is likely to take a further number of weeks before allocations are announced.
As soon as allocations have been made, my Department will carry out a review of all aspects of the 2018 round of the programme to include any possible improvements for the future. This review will include consideration of the timing and scale of the next round.
545. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details on all applications sent from County Kildare for the sports capital grant. [43433/19]
View answerDetails of all applications submitted under the 2018 Sports Capital Programme are published on a county basis on the Department's website at
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/887916-2018-sport-capital-programme-applications/
546. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will request that the NTA examine the bus currently operating through Chapelizod, Dublin 10, at peak hours between 7.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. on Monday to Friday in view of the fact that current service levels mean buses are full and passing intending passengers at peak hours in the village; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43489/19]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport in Ireland. The issue raised is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) in conjunction with the relevant transport operator and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
547. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding to carry out major improvement works on a road (details supplied) from a location will be allocated to the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43546/19]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant County or City Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the Council.
Prior to the financial crisis, applications for funding for road improvement projects would have been considered as part of the Specific Improvement, and Strategic Regional and Local Road Grant Schemes. However, the extent of the cutbacks in grant funding during the crisis meant these grant schemes had to be curtailed after 2013 because expenditure on maintenance/renewal was falling well short of what was required to adequately maintain the regional and local road network.
The National Development Plan does provide for the gradual build up in funding for the road network but it will take some time yet to reach the level required for the adequate maintenance and renewal of the network. For this reason there is limited scope at present for funding projects under the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes.
Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and my Department's Capital Appraisal Framework and it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.
Under the capital project appraisal process a Preliminary Appraisal has to be submitted in relation to each proposed project. Once an appraisal is received it is assessed taking into account other competing projects and the overall roads budget. To date no appraisal has been received by my Department from Offaly County Council in relation to the R444 road from Clonmacnoise to Shannonbridge.
548. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the qualifying criteria for the large sports capital grant of €2 million; the types of organisations or groups that can apply for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43620/19]
View answerThe National Sports Policy which was published last year provided for the establishment of a new Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The aim of the fund is to provide support for larger sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the Sports Capital Programme (SCP). These may be projects where the primary objective will be to increase active participation in sport or large scale venues/stadia where the focus is more related to social participation and high performance sport. The new fund is designed to provide a transparent and robust system for funding such projects.
The Government has provided a capital allocation of at least €100m for the period to 2027 for the LSSIF. The new scheme closed for applications on the 17th April 2019 with applications initially confined to local authorities and National Governing Bodies of sport. By the closing date, 72 applications were received. Details of the scheme along with all applications received have been published on the Department's website along with the evaluation procedures and guidelines.
549. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of a grant application by a club (details supplied); if the application will be awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43625/19]
View answer2,337 applications were submitted under the 2018 round of the Sports Capital Programme seeking a total of €162m in funding.
Up to 186 of these applications were for projects that were deemed invalid under the 2017 round of the programme that subsequently submitted corrected documents. These applications were assessed first and approximately €7m in allocations to 170 projects were announced on the 17th January.
Up to 619 equipment only applications were assessed next and 466 allocations with a value of €9.8m were announced to these organisations in May.
Work is now underway in assessing the remaining applications for capital works, including an application from the organisation referred to by the Deputy.
For the first time, applicants who submitted incorrect documentation under this round were given the opportunity to correct their application during the assessment period. In view of the opportunity to correct documentation, the record number of applications received and the detailed information contained in each application, it is likely to take a further number of weeks before allocations are announced.
550. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has contacted Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland regarding a recent report on the overlapping tourism strategies of the two agencies. [43642/19]
View answerI, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, determine tourism policy and, supported by my officials, I provide the strategic direction to the tourism agencies that is required to support the growth of a competitive and sustainable tourism industry. Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, operating under the aegis of my Department, implement tourism policy. It is essential that the tourism agencies work collaboratively to maximise efficiencies and outputs, and provide the best possible service to industry and to the consumer in line with Government policy priorities.
My Department engages regularly with the agencies on governance matters, including matters relating to the agencies’ strategies. Recently, my Department carried out a Value for Money and Policy Review of the Tourism Marketing Fund. My officials are engaging with both tourism agencies on the outputs from that review with a view to maintaining, and improving where possible, the effectiveness of the Tourism Marketing Fund, having due regard to Tourism Ireland’s status as a North-South body.
551. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the cost incurred in establishing the National Transport Agency and Transport Infrastructure Ireland; the operational cost of each; the number of staff in each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43650/19]
View answerThe National Transport Authority (NTA), was established 10 years ago on 1 December 2009, under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, as amended by the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009. While the NTA assimilated most of the functions of the previous Dublin Transportation Office (DTO), it also took on a deeper and wider remit under the terms of the 2008 and 2009 Acts, and subsequent legislation. The NTA’s main focus is on planning, development, regulation and funding of public transport – e.g. through securing the provision of Public Service Obligation (PSO) bus and rail services nationally, licensing commercial bus operations, and regulating the taxi industry – and it also has an important role in relation to active travel. The NTA also has particular statutory responsibilities in relation to the planning and development of transport throughout the Greater Dublin Area. On relevant matters, it works closely with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which has responsibility relating to infrastructure procurement and operation.
On establishment, the budget for the NTA’s operation comprised the allocation previously provided for the DTO: Exchequer funds of €1.012 million directly, plus €1.3 million via a range of transport agency sources. Discussions on final staffing levels took place with the Department of Finance, within the broader parameters of the then Employment Control Framework arrangements for non-commercial state bodies, resulting in a revised 2010 allocation for the NTA of €3.608 million. Together with the €1.3m mentioned earlier, the necessary set-up and administrative costs of the NTA amounted to €4.908 million.
The 2018 Annual Report and Accounts of the NTA show total administration costs of €17.742m. The NTA has delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (DPER) for 140 permanent staff during 2019, an increase of 26 staff on the number sanctioned for 2018. The NTA also has 145 outsourced placements from third party service providers, which are necessary to deliver its strategic programme.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) was established 4 years ago, on 1 August 2015, under the Roads Act 2015, as a merger of the two agencies previously responsible for the major Exchequer-funded capital infrastructure projects in the transport area, namely the National Roads Authority and the Railway Procurement Agency. TII’s main focus is on the building and operation of Ireland’s national roads network and light rail infrastructure throughout Ireland. It works closely with the NTA on relevant matters, especially in relation to light rail.
The merger was one of the measures followed under the State Agency Rationalisation Plan, and TII was established at zero net cost, because savings on the rationalisation of premises covered any once-off costs of establishment.
At end Q3 2019, TII has 262.2 (full time equivalent) staff in place. The 2018 Annual Report and Accounts of TII show total administration costs of €24.448 million.
552. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will address a matter regarding rape crisis guidelines (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43170/19]
View answerThe Children First Act 2015, which I fully commenced in December 2017, provides for a number of key child protection measures, including raising awareness of child abuse and neglect, improving child protection arrangements in organisations providing services to children and the introduction of mandatory reporting of child protection concerns by certain key professionals.
Under the Act mandated persons are required to report child protection concerns at or above a defined threshold to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Mandated persons are people who have contact with children and/or families and who, because of their qualifications, training and/or employment role, are in a key position to help protect children from harm. The list of mandated persons, which is set out in schedule 2 of the Act, includes persons employed as psychotherapists or providing counselling and registered with one of the voluntary professional bodies.
The obligations under the Children First Act 2015 and who they attach to are also described in Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, which operates side-by-side with the Act. The guidelines have been in place since 1999 and were fully revised and published in October 2017 to reflect the provisions of the Act. The guidance advises that adult disclosures of abuse that took place during childhood should be reported to Tusla as the alleged abuser may pose a current risk to children. It recommends that if providing counselling as a mandated person, clients should be advised before the counselling starts, that if any child protection issues arise and the alleged perpetrator is identifiable, that information must be passed to Tusla.
Requirements for reporting to An Garda Síochána under the Withholding Act or other criminal justice legislation is a matter for the Minister for Justice and Equality. However, it should be noted that in the course of carrying out its child protection duties if Tusla suspects that a crime has been committed and a child has been wilfully neglected or physically or sexually abused, it will formally notify the Gardaí without delay.
553. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding a childcare facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42923/19]
View answerMy Department provides capital funding annually to early learning and care and school age childcare services. The capital programme is designed each year to ensure that capital grants have a positive, lasting impact on the childcare sector including increasing capacity.
A service wishing to increase capacity can apply towards the costs of constructing a new premises or extending an existing one for the purposes of the creation of the additional places.
In 2019 the three strands of capital funding available were divided as follows:
- Strand A offered grants of up to €50,000 to early learning and care providers for the creation of new 0-3 places where demand for these was clearly evidenced.
- Strand B offered individual grants of up to €15,000 to aid community/not-for-profit early learning and care services in addressing fire safety issues that had been highlighted in inspection reports by Tusla, the HSE or Local Authorities.
- Strand C offered individual grants of up to €20,000 to school age childcare providers for the creation of new school age places where demand for these was clearly evidenced.
The application window for the 2019 Capital programme closed on 27th March 2019 with decisions issued to applicants in June 2019.
Whilst there are no other capital funding programmes available in 2019, planning for 2020's Capital offering is currently underway and the details of this will be communicated to providers in the coming months. The description I have provided above around the 2019 capital programme gives an indication of the nature and scale of the annual capital programme undertaken by my Department.
In the longer term I have also been successful in securing capital funding under the National Development Plan to support the Early Learning and Care sector. While this funding is not due to come on stream for a number of years, most likely 2023 to 2028, my officials have commenced work to assess how best this funding might be targeted.
554. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Tusla has a policy of drawing up a reunification plan for children in foster care; if so, the percentage of children in foster care who have a reunification plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43022/19]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for his question. As this is an operational matter I have referred the question to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for their direct reply.
555. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason the MICAT team run by Tusla in the midlands is to lose its psychologist. [43089/19]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency's Midlands Child Assessment Team (MICAT) provides a service for children to disclose child sexual abuse. The service comprises of a multidisciplinary team of Social Work, Social Care, Public Health Nursing and Psychology, and is jointly provided by both Tusla and Health Service Executive (HSE).
I have requested Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to operational matters regarding the position of the psychologist on the MICAT.
I understand the Department of Health will also provide information to the Deputy as the HSE is involved in the provision of this service.
556. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Irish adolescents are still being deferred to a service (details supplied) in the UK; the number of Irish children placed there; the amount spent by Tusla on deferrals in each of the years 2014 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43115/19]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for his question. As this is an operational matter I have referred the question to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for their direct reply.
557. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way in which she can address low pay, high staff turnover and perceived crippling administrative burdens in the early years sector through investment in line with the increased hours set out in the national childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43174/19]
View answerThe most recent data on current pay and conditions indicates that the average hourly pay in early learning and care and school-age childcare is now €12.55 (as of May 2019). Low pay and poor working conditions in the sector remain a serious concern and impact on the quality of provision to children through their effect on the recruitment and retention of qualified staff. The lack of consistency of care caused by high staff turnover impacts directly on quality, while low wages are a constraint on plans to upskill and professionalise the workforce. My support for improved pay and conditions for early learning and care professionals has been explicit, as their role is critical to supporting children’s development and delivering better outcomes for children and families.
Budget 2020 saw a 9% increase in investment in early learning and care and school age childcare. Additional investment of €54.5m will bring spending to €628m in 2020, a 138% increase in investment over five budgets. The very welcome level of investment needs to continue if we are to offer services that are of high quality, affordable and accessible. However, increased investment by itself will not ensure that staff wages and conditions will improve.
As the State is not the employer, my Department does not pay the wages of staff working in early learning and care settings, and I cannot set wage levels or determine working conditions for these staff.
I am, however, doing all that is in my power to improve wages and working conditions in the sector. I have repeatedly called for the sector to pursue a Sectoral Employment Order. My Department will readily co-operate with such a process when it is under way.
The National Childcare Scheme will launch in November 2020. This will represent a landmark moment for the early learning and care and school age childcare sector in this country. The new scheme will provide the necessary infrastructure, for the first time, to enable increased State investment be funnelled into the sector, not only targeted at low income families, but, as increased investment becomes available, to middle income families also. It will enable us move away from being one of the most expensive countries in the OECD for childcare.
The NCS is based on hourly subsidies for different age groups. These subsidies were calculated to reflect the cost of provision and the higher costs associated with certain quality measures, eg. the highest subsidy is paid for babies where the regulatory requirement is one staff member to 3 children. The subsidies can be increased to respond to higher costs that may be linked to, for example, better terms and conditions of staff. In this way, the sophistication of the design of the scheme will allow it respond, over time, to policy development to support improved pay and conditions.
Alongside increased funding for the National Childcare Scheme in Budget 2020, I secured increased funding for the sustainability fund for the sector. This will see funding to support sustainability rising from €1.7m to €2.2m per annum. The fund will assist high quality services which are experiencing financial difficulties to transition themselves to a sustainable footing, and will also assist with needs arising in the event that the Labour Court introduces a Sectoral Employment Order.
Other recent measures I have also taken to assist employers to improve the pay and conditions of their staff whilst also addressing administrative demands include: a 7% increase in ECCE capitation in 2018; higher capitation payments for graduates and Inclusion Coordinators; annual Programme Support Payments to recognise administrative demands; support for school-age childcare which will make it easier to offer full-time, full year employment contracts; and a pilot measure to fund participation in CPD. In April I announced capital funding for service providers who sign up to the National Childcare Scheme. This funding allowed service providers to purchase ICT support which will assist them in recording and reporting children’s attendance.
I have set out my vision for the sector, and a roadmap to achieve it, in First 5, which contains a commitment to develop a Workforce Development Plan. This Plan, work on which began in recent months, will identify measures to ensure appropriate numbers of early learning and care and school-age childcare staff at all levels in the sector, to achieve a graduate-led workforce by 2028, to ensure an appropriate focus on both centre based and home based services, and to raise the profile of careers in the sector. As part of this work, a series of public consultations will be carried out involving those working in the sector (centre based and home based) and other stakeholders. Plans for the consultation process will be finalised in the coming weeks. First 5 also commits to develop a new funding model for the sector, which may open up new mechanisms to influence pay and conditions in the sector.
558. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a facility (details supplied) will be approved for funding under the school meals local project scheme. [43233/19]
View answer561. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a facility (details supplied) will be approved for funding under the school meals local project scheme. [43289/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 558 and 561 together.
The Minister would like to thank the Deputy and the facility for their interest in the pilot preschool meals programme.
First 5, Ireland's Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families was published in November of last year. The strategy's publication was followed in May of this year with the Implementation Plan for the first phase of implementation in 2019-2021.
Informed by research, which shows us the value of the provision of adequate and nutritious meals for a child’s health and learning, First 5 outlines Government’s intention to pilot a meals programme in early learning and care settings.
In line with the First 5 Implementation Plan, I will provide the funds to commence this pilot in 2020.
The pilot will run in a sample of community not-for-profit early learning and care settings. It will focus on the ECCE Programme and will operate for the full duration of the 2020/2021 programme year (i.e. 38 weeks from September to June). A range of meals options will be piloted, including a hot meals option. Rates for meals will be based on the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection’s School Meals Programme.
A Working Group to oversee this pilot will soon be established to lead the development, roll-out the pilot and procure the services of an external evaluator. No decision has yet been made on how preschools will be selected.
Following the conclusion of the pilot and the evaluation, consideration will be given to extending this meals programme to a larger number of early learning and care settings and on a more a permanent basis.
559. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if parents must have a public services card to avail of the national childcare scheme. [43234/19]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme has always been designed such that, when it is fully up and running, applications will be accepted both online and by post. A Public Services Card (PSC) and verified MyGovID account are required to apply for the Scheme online only.
The online system will offer a user friendly and effective system for parents, whilst offering greater efficiency in the administration and costs associated with the operation of a Government scheme. A secure identity verification system is required for any such IT system and the Public Services Card and MyGovID offers such security in the safeguarding of applicants' information and the administration of public funding.
For online applicants, the PSC has authenticated their identity to SAFE 2 level, which is the highest standard available for the public service. Where a postal application is used, applicants are required to provide proof of identity alongside their application.
The Scheme will launch to online applications on 20th November, with payments flowing from 25th November. Following expert advice regarding the launch of the new Scheme, the online application process is being introduced first, followed shortly thereafter in January 2020 by the paper based application process.
With regard to the report by the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) into the PSC, the Government and the Attorney General have carefully considered the findings of the report, including the legal basis for the use of the PSC by specified bodies or persons (such as the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs). The Government has agreed to challenge the findings of the report, as based on the legal advice received, it does not believe the DPC’s findings are correct in law.
The advice of the Attorney General’s Office is that there is a strong legal basis for the continued public service wide use of the PSC.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs remains committed to delivering the National Childcare Scheme and, in so doing, assisting thousands of families to access high quality and affordable early learning and care and school age childcare. Over 3.2 million of the population already have the PSC, many of whom it is believed are the parents of young children who may be interested in the subsidies available under the National Childcare Scheme. The thousands of families already availing of current childcare schemes can remain on their current subsidy payment or switch over to the National Childcare Scheme, depending on their preference.
560. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there were provisions in budget 2020 for survivors of mother and baby homes; if so, the details of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43236/19]
View answerThe 2020 budget allocation to my Department includes an indicative €3.9m to meet the costs of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and related activities. This allocation will support salaries, fees and other operational costs relating to the work of the independent Commission of Investigation, and the costs incurred by my Department in supporting this work and responding to its interim reports.
In addition, the budget allocation will also facilitate dialogue with former residents, through the work of the Collaborative Forum, which I established to enable former residents of these institutions to directly engage on the issues of concern to them and their families.
The Collaborative Forum has made a series of recommendations to Government, which I am progressing in partnership with my Government colleagues.
The working group set up by my colleague, the Minister for Health to progress health and well being supports for survivors, is finalising its deliberations with a focus on delivering tangible health measures as an initial response to the recommendations of the Forum’s first report.
On the basis of the Forum's work to date, I made a strong case to the Minister for Public Expenditure in the course of recent Budget discussions seeking additional funding to be made available. I am meeting with the Collaborative Forum in early November to update them on progress and I hope to make further announcements in relation to these matters in the coming weeks.
My Department is progressing specific measures in relation to research on language and terminology, memorialisation and statutory access to adoption information and tracing services, and I am satisfied that the resources available in 2020 will enable my department to further advance these measures.
562. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the consultancy service providers engaged by her Department from 1 January 2018 to 1 January 2019; the costs associated with each (details supplied); the reason for each service engagement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43308/19]
View answerMy Department engaged two consultancy services under the parameters provided, from the 1st January 2018 to 1 January 2019 the details of which are enclosed in the following table.
|
Consultancy Service Provider |
Reason for engagement |
Costs (€) |
|
Clare Taylor |
Copy editing / proof reading, ready for print in plain English of a number of reports , strategies and newsletter |
5,174 |
|
Mazars |
Internal Audit services in respect of audits under the 2018 Audit Plan |
50,292 |
563. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of each value for money and policy review conducted by her Department from 1 January 2018 to 1 January 2019; the cost of each exercise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43325/19]
View answerMy Department engages in a range of evaluation projects on an ongoing basis.
In terms of value for money and policy reviews, my Department completed a Focused Policy Assessment, titled, "Focused Policy Assessment of the Affordable Childcare Scheme: Cost Drivers, Model Assumptions and Policy Extensions". The assessment was conducted internally, at no additional cost, with oversight provided by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The assessment report was published on the website of the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service in October 2018.
564. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will report on the administration of the school completion programme and on the request by Tusla for the implementation of the recommendations by an expert panel on the programme which reported in 2017. [43398/19]
View answerThe School Completion Programme (SCP) continues to deliver a valuable service for some of our most vulnerable young people. Currently, the SCP receives annual funding of €24.7 million.
My Department works with the Educational Welfare Service (EWS) in Tusla to ensure that necessary resources are available to support this programme and to ensure staffing levels are sufficient to deliver a high quality service for those young people most at risk of early school leaving.
However a number of long term complex issues continue to exist in relation to both the governance and the staffing of the programme.
In recognition of the need for a strong policy platform for educational welfare services, including the SCP, I requested that my officials establish a Task Group to support the further development and integration of these services.
The work of this group is near completion. As someone with a background in educational welfare, I am eager to ensure that the output will result in a clear blueprint for the development of the three strands of the EWS, including the SCP.
A consultation event on the blueprint was held on June 10th where those working with vulnerable young people as part of the EWS were able to express their views and help shape the policy blueprint prior to its publication.
The closing date for the consultations was extended to mid-September at the request of some stakeholders. 58 submissions were received and are now being examined. Next steps are being informed by the content of these submissions and action will proceed on that basis with the aim of completion by the end of the year.
As part of the implementation of the actions contained in the blueprint I have requested that a new SCP scheme be scoped out and developed to ensure that its reach, resources and impact are maximised in supporting young people.
My Department has worked closely with colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure and reform in relation to the employment status of SCP Coordinators and Project workers and I will also continue to examine options in relation to this in the context of the development of this new scheme.
In Budget 2019 I secured an additional €500,000 in funding for the EWS and the Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service which I have maintained in Budget 2020. This has allowed the Educational Welfare Service to increase its numbers of Educational Welfare Officers and to provide additional administrative support which has allowed these Educational Welfare Officers to focus on working with young people who are experiencing difficulties with school attendance.
In addition Officials in my Department have been working closely with colleagues in the Department of Education and Skills, the Educational Welfare Service and local stakeholders in the development of Boston College's City Connects programme for the North East Inner City. This is an evidence-based intervention, committed to an ongoing and scientifically rigorous evaluation of results. It is a strengths-based programme and works to the principle of progressive universalism.
This approach means that the strengths of each individual child within a school setting are identified and a set of supports identified which can build on these strengths, while addressing areas of need. DCYA in conjunction with DES and the Irish Youth Foundation through North East Inner City (NEIC) Initiative funding is reviewing the adaptability of the City Connects programme in the 10 primary schools in the NEIC with the expectation of implementation in 2020.
I will continue to lead on advancing supports both in policy and provision in this crucial area.
565. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made to ensure that an adverse childhood experiences framework will be adopted to ensure greater prevention and early intervention in health, social and educational services for all children. [43399/19]
View answerI take it that the Deputy is referring to the 'Adverse Childhood Experiences' framework which shows that the experiences of a child in early childhood may impact their health and well being throughout the life course. International research suggests that long-term harms may result from chronic, 'toxic' stress during childhood. The research indicates that stress arises when children are routinely exposed to factors such as physical abuse, neglect, substance abuse in the home, or other negative experiences. Such childhood stressors are known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Pilot work on ACE application is ongoing in five cross border projects.
However, while ACEs may be a useful research tool, it is important to acknowledge that the chief object of prevention and early intervention approaches is to build sustainable, resilient communities for all. The role of prevention and early intervention within the continuum of care is not merely to combat risk and emerging issues, but to heighten the positives in the lives of children and young people. This includes educational engagement, positive health behaviours and confident parenting.
My Department has developed a robust suite of structures which support such high-quality, evidence informed prevention and early intervention approaches. The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme, delivered as part of Tusla’s wider Prevention, Partnership and Family Support (PPFS) Programme, aims to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches to improve outcomes for children, young people and families living in poverty in 13 areas of disadvantage across Ireland. It complements the work of Tusla under PPFS to support a paradigm shift towards prevention and earlier intervention support.
At a county level, Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) act as a driver of inter-agency working and collaboration to improve outcomes for children and young people. CYPSC bring together a diverse group of agencies in their local areas to engage in joint planning of services for children and young people.
'What Works' is my Department’s initiative to support high quality, evidence-informed prevention and early intervention approaches across the system of policy, provision and practice. What Works is designed to nurture, grow and champion evidence-informed prevention and early intervention approaches. What Works aims to enhance the use and availability of data and evidence; support capacity development; and ensure quality at the levels of policy, service and provision.
What Works is designed not merely to address challenging areas, but to recognise the good work parents, practitioners, providers, and policymakers are already doing and support them to keep doing it. It aims to secure the best possible return on the State’s significant investment in prevention and early intervention services in the past decade.
Considerable work has gone into raising the profile and practice of prevention and early intervention in the recent past. My Department ensured that earlier intervention and prevention was included as a transformation goal in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014 – 2020. I am pleased that continued emphasis on this area has stimulated development with supportive partners in Tusla PPFS and the community and voluntary sector. I will ensure prevention and early intervention continues to be foregrounded in future policy statements published by my Department and developments in this area will in due course take into account the evaluation of the pilot work on ACE projects.
