Written Answers Nos. 1029-1038
1029. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will report on her recent meeting with EU ministers to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the youth sector; and the actions she will take to further support the sector. [9334/20]
View answerI attended an informal video conference of EU Ministers for Youth on 19 May. At this meeting I communicated my intention to continue funding for youth organisations in Ireland throughout this crisis period. I highlighted in particular how this funding would allow the continuation of targeted youth support to marginalised, disadvantaged and vulnerable young people.
In the present difficult circumstances, I have made my position clear that the funding provided to youth services across the country is both necessary and essential. Funding to services, for youth clubs and to national youth organisations has been maintained. I secured €61.79 million in current funding for my Department's youth funding, an increase of €1.4 million on 2019.
My officials have been in regular contact with the national youth organisation and the Education and Training Boards to monitor the situation affecting youth services funded by my Department. I applaud the many services that are delivering essential work in their communities and that have innovated and adapted to find new and different ways of engaging young persons.
Some organisations now find themselves in financial difficulty due to the ongoing crisis. My colleague the Minister for Rural and Community Development put in place a scheme using Dormant Accounts funding. This comprises €35 million for a Covid-19 Stability Fund and €5 million as a commitment to a Philanthropy Fund, ‘Innovate Together’, to focus on projects that provide innovative and adaptive solutions to existing and emerging challenges.
Finally, officials from my Department have been working with representatives from funded youth organisations to develop sector specific guidance consistent with the roadmap for the re-opening of services and companies that was published by the Government recently.
1030. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will include representative groups for au pairs and in home care in her Department’s planning for reopening services on 29 June 2020, in view of the increase in remote working; if she will support agencies to place persons legally in the family home; if she has set a date from when agencies can start placing persons legally in family homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9341/20]
View answerThe Deputy has raised a number of issues regarding my Department’s planning for the reopening of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector on 29 June 2020.
The Deputy will be aware that I recently established an Advisory Group and a Reference Group to facilitate effective consultation with representative groups in the ELC and SAC sector on the phased re-opening of services. Childminding Ireland is a member of the Advisory Group and represents the interests of childminders in the State.
I wish to advise the Deputy that childcare provided by an au pair in a family home is a private commercial arrangement between an employer (e.g. parent/guardian) and an employee (au pair) and any legal questions in this regard do not come under the remit of my Department. Agencies which place au pairs in family homes also do not come under the remit of my Department.
Childminders have been permitted to care for the children of essential workers in the children's home since childcare facilities were closed on 12 March. Such childminders are classified as essential workers.
Phase 3 of the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, which is currently scheduled to begin on 29 June, allows for the provision of childminding services in childminders' own homes where there is strict adherence to HSE guidance.
1031. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she is taking to provide young persons with non-formal educational and outdoor activities resources and opportunities for the summer months in the context of an absence of usual summer camps. [9383/20]
View answerMy Department does not have policy responsibility for summer activities that may be organised by local communities or are provided through the private sector. Funding from the Department's Youth Affairs Unit is to youth groups and clubs around the country, some of which will operate in the summer months.
The advice to these funded organisations has been to follow the guidance being issued by the Department of Health and the HSE. In addition, officials from my Department have been working with representatives from funded youth organisations to develop sector specific guidance consistent with the roadmap for the re-opening of services and companies that was published by the Government recently. This guidance should support funded youth organisations to safely plan for the provision of youth services during the summer period and beyond.
1032. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of discussions regarding the establishment of a transition task force or an alternative version by which a multi-departmental forum considers the needs of children and young persons as Ireland transitions out of Covid-19 restrictions and other issues affecting this cohort of the population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9444/20]
View answerOfficials in my Department are currently compiling the information as requested by the Deputy. This information will be supplied to the Deputy in no later than 10 working days. I have asked my officials to follow up on this to ensure delivery as a matter of urgency.
1033. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the efforts she is making to ensure online safety for children using remote learning applications in conjunction with their schools; if data protection guidelines were sent to schools in advance of them setting up remote learning networks; her views on whether the current use of remote learning applications is in line with the national conversation with regard to children and online safety; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9446/20]
View answerAn identical question (Dail ref No. 147) has been transferred to and answered by the Department of Education and Skills as this question is more appropriate to the Minister for Education.
1034. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there will be extra funding for counselling and other therapeutic interventions for youth and children services when they reopen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9464/20]
View answerThe provision of counselling and therapeutic services is primarily in the remit of the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health. The Department of Health has informed my Department that transfers are currently not being accepted. I advise the Deputy to resubmit this Parliamentary Question directly to the Department of Health.
1035. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of her discussions with childcare providers to ensure sufficient supports are in place to allow them to open in the coming weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9523/20]
View answerThe Deputy is aware that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented situation that has required a series of emergency responses from the Government and my Department.
My Department and I are engaging extensively with stakeholders in the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age (SAC) sector.
Consultation with stakeholders has always been central to the work of my Department, and the Early Years Forum (EY Forum) is a key part of this. The EY Forum meets several times a year and includes representatives of providers, parents and academics with an interest in the ELC and SAC sector. I established the ‘EY Forum Plus’ in March 2020 to widen representation by the sector, to aid my Department in developing a response to Covid-19. This group has met on a number of occasions over the past three months.
I recently established an Advisory Group and a Reference Group on the phased re-opening of ELC and SAC services on 29 June 2020. The Advisory Group had its first meeting on 13 May and has met 4 times since. A separate Reference Group representing other stakeholders had its first meeting on 28 May.
With regard to supports that are currently available to ELC and SAC providers to allow them to open in line with the Government’s Roadmap for the Reopening of Society and Business, I was delighted to note, in a report to Government last week, the HPSC Guidance for settings providing childcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an extremely valuable resource for all childcare providers and indeed for parents making decisions about returning their children to childcare. I am very grateful to the HSE and HPSC for their time and expertise in developing this resource and for their collaboration with my officials.
In terms of financial supports that will be available, the Programme Support Payment (PSP) for the 2019/20 programme year will issue in June. This payment totals €13m (an additional €6m was already issued in April) and acknowledges the administrative workload on providers delivering my Department’s subsidy payments to almost 200,000 children every year.
The Deputy will be aware that the Capital Programme for 2020 was suspended in March, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I now plan to launch a revised capital programme in June that will seek to support services with COVID related challenges. Under this new capital grant programme, funds will be made available to services to enable them to carry out preparatory work in advance of opening. The application process, which will be administered by Pobal, will go live in the coming days. The application process will be user-friendly and simple to use. Providers will receive confirmation of the funding they are to receive before they reopen.
I am continuing to work with my officials, members of the Advisory Group and colleagues across Government on a range of other supports and I will be happy to update the Deputy further when these are more advanced.
1036. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the pressure that owners and operators of childcare facilities are experiencing as the direct result of the cessation of funding streams specifically those grants available for new crèches that require a fit-out to open; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9626/20]
View answerSince 2015 my Department has administered an annual capital funding programme, under which service providers registered with Tusla are invited to apply for capital funding to increase the capacity of their services, or to maintain and improve their services.
In 2020 I secured €7.2m in capital funding for early learning and care (ELC) and school age care (SAC). I launched the application programme for the 2020 Capital Programme on 28 February but this had to be suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
I am currently reviewing the allocation of the 2020 capital budget and I intend to launch a new capital grant programme in the coming days. In doing so, I am conscious that demand for childcare services after COVID may be reduced, at least initially. I believe the best use of capital funding in 2020 will be made through supporting services and places already in existence, to reopen after the closure period, and to support them meet the new HPSC guidance.
The application process for the 2020 Capital programme, which will be administered by Pobal, will go live shortly.
1038. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount that has been spent on advertising in 2020 by her Department and its agencies on social media platforms (details supplied) in tabular form; the name of each campaign advertised. [9833/20]
View answerDetails of expenditure on social media advertising in 2020 to-date by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs is set out as follows. Information readily available in respect of bodies under remit is also set out. Tusla and Ombudsman for Children's Office will respond directly to the Deputy.
|
|
Platform |
Campaign |
Spend |
|
DCYA |
Facebook and Instagram |
Parents Centre |
€41,844 |
|
Oberstown Children Detention Campus |
|
Communications Officer |
€380 |
|
Gaisce |
|
Maith Thú |
€25 |
|
Gaisce |
|
Maith Thú |
€50 |
|
Adoption Authority of Ireland |
|
|
NIL |
