Written Answers Nos. 40-59
40. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration his views on whether the model of accommodation for asylum seekers leads to a well-integrated society; if not, his plans for alternative models in view of the recent death by suicide in a direct provision centre in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22332/20]
View answerAt the outset, although it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the detail of an individual case, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep sympathy to the family and friends of Mohammed Arif Ahrar, and to the wider Afghan community in Ireland.
The tragic death of a person who comes to this country seeking our protection is something on which we should all reflect.
As the Deputy will appreciate, responsibility for Direct Provision currently lies with my colleague the Minister for Justice. Work on the transfer to my Department is at an advanced stage and we hope to have completed the full transfer in early October.
The Programme for Government is clear that the current model of Direct Provision has to go. We have to look closely at what kind of supports should be provided to people going through the system, the speed with which we can make a decision on their application, and how we transition successful asylum claimants to living independently in the community once they have passed through.
Deputies will be aware that the Expert Group on Direct Provision chaired by Dr Catherine Day is due to submit its final report to both myself and Minister McEntee very shortly.
This report will make recommendations concerning the whole architecture of Direct Provision, and following receipt of the report, I and my officials will start intensive work on progressing a White Paper that will set out the direction to what kind of asylum accommodation system we will be moving to in the coming years.
We rightly have a reputation around the world as a compassionate nation and fundamentally I want to ensure it’s that compassion and understanding of complex needs that is put at the heart of our reception and accommodation system. The first step will be getting the policy objectives right in the White Paper which we hope to have published by December.
41. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration his plans to support families and children at risk in view of the closure of many organised social activities such as indoor sports that provide support and structure to struggling families. [22376/20]
View answerI want to assure the Deputy of my commitment to young people and their families, particularly those who are vulnerable, marginalised or disadvantaged.
Structured services and activities, such as those provided by the youth sector, play an important role for young people, supporting their development, and helping their well-being and resilience.
I am pleased to report that funding to the youth sector has been protected throughout the period of the restrictions, while youth services responded quickly to the crisis, adapting and innovating in order to maintain services and supports.
I greatly appreciate the efforts of key representatives from the youth sector in assisting my Department to develop and update guidance for youth organisations in line with the Government Roadmap.
My Department has also worked with a Youth Advisory Group to design a consultation, with young people, called 'How’s Your Head’. The results of this will be published soon and will assist Government in developing appropriate policy responses to the issues that young people themselves have identified as of greatest importance to them.
In addition to youth work services, my Department and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency have a robust suite of services in place including the Prevention, Partnership and Family Support Programme.
This programme seeks to strengthen and develop Tusla’s prevention, early intervention and family support services and includes the Tusla ABC Programme intended to address multidimensional child poverty using an area-based approach.
Tusla has also developed Child and Family Support Networks across Ireland, and supports Children and Young People’s Services Committees which have a central role in service planning at a county level.
In addition, Family Resource Centres deliver services locally in domains such as education, community group support and counselling services.
Finally, my Department has also developed a range of online resources to ensure parents and families are aware of all available supports at this time.
42. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the timeline for the implementation of the commitment in the programme for Government for development of in-house therapeutic services within Tusla. [22368/20]
View answerTusla’s local area teams provide a range of therapeutic interventions and supports through directly employed Tusla staff. In addition, Tusla provides grant aid to community and voluntary agencies for the provision of a wide range of family support services including specific funding for counselling services.
Therapeutic and assessment services are also delivered through the specialised Tusla Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS) aligned to each region’s Special Care Units and Oberstown Youth Detention Unit. ACTS is a multidisciplinary team with a Clinical Team Manager and includes the disciplines of psychology, speech and language therapy, addiction counselling, social work and social care. The ACTS service is continuing to develop a community service for young people at risk of detention and special care. This model has already been rolled out in some Tusla regions.
Tusla funds a trainee Psychology programme to build capacity within the Agency . Currently 13 trainee psychologists are being funded. Five of these trainees are due to complete their studies shortly and will be offered posts in September 2020 aligned to local Tusla children in care teams.
Tusla is currently focussing on achieving consistent therapeutic service design and delivery across all regions. In this regard the in-house therapeutic model has been developed which supports and informs front line practitioners in their day to day work with children and families as well as providing multidisciplinary therapeutic services which can address more complex needs.
My officials will engage with Tusla to explore how best this model can be further developed as part of Tusla's service response for children and young people. This will be done having regard to the provision of related services offered by other state agencies and in the context of resource considerations.
43. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the additional supports being provided to children attending early years education and primary school settings for the first time. [22361/20]
View answerIn addition to supports provided to school going children through the Department of Education and Skills, my Department has worked in collaboration with that Department and a range of other relevant stakeholders to roll out the Let’s Get Ready campaign. This campaign was developed in response to the particular challenges arising from Covid-19 for children preparing to attend early learning and care services or schools this September.
The ECCE, free preschool programme provides children with an important early learning opportunity for the two years before they start school. Unfortunately, the programme was cut short on March 12 due to COVID 19. Those following weeks would have included many opportunities to help children (and their parents) transition in a very positive manner to primary school. I was delighted that many ECCE services continued to support children and parents with the transition through videos, virtual meetings, and play activities.
The Let’s Get Ready campaign supplemented the work of ECCE services and included guidance for parents on practical steps they could take to support their children over these months. Lets Get Ready provided tips on what children and parents could expect on their transition or return to pre-school and primary school.
The Let’s Get Ready campaign also included a Transitions Pack. This was distributed over the summer to all pre-schools and Home School Liaison Co-ordinators through the City and County Childcare Committees. Pre-school services were asked to send them to the children from their service who were starting school for the first time. The pack included a tip sheet for parents on supporting independence skills and well-being; a postcard for children to draw a picture of themselves for their new teacher; and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's Mo Scéal template for parents to fill in and provide information on their child for the school.
In addition, my Department worked with 24 agencies across the country to develop resources responding to parents' needs and to deliver supportive information to parents on transitions to creche and pre-school.
Officials in my Department have also been working closely with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre in the HSE to develop information needed by parents and service providers to assist a safe and reassuring return for children as pre-schools and schools reopen. This information has been widely disseminated through social media and through various partners.
44. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration when the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019 will be brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas. [22319/20]
View answerThe Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019 is an important piece of legislation which seeks to provide for much-needed reform of guardian ad litem (GAL) arrangements. Its objective is to regulate the existing system of GAL appointments and to extend the system so that GALs can be made available to a larger number of children on a more equitable basis. It provides a statutory basis for a nationally organised and managed service to ensure that a high quality and sustainable service is provided into the future.
The Bill fell with the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil in January.
I am pleased to note that the proposed reform enjoys broad support and I am determined to progress this legislation as quickly as possible. However, I also intend to take this opportunity to examine some issues raised by stakeholders and to ensure that I am fully satisfied with the proposed Bill before introducing it. My officials are currently seeking legal advice on matters that have been raised as part of this process. Once I have received this I expect to be in a position to bring proposals for the revised Bill to Government.
45. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if support will be provided to an early years provider in Gortnahoe, County Tipperary, to facilitate a child with special educational needs (details supplied). [22363/20]
View answerI am happy to confirm that the provider in question has over the past 3 years availed of a number of supports under the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which provides a range of supports to enable children with disabilities to access and participate fully in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.
In addition, I understand that there has been correspondence between the provider and officials in my Department with regard to a request for capital funding. I understand that my Department has informed the provider that under Level 5 of AIM, funding is available to provide specialised equipment, appliances or capital grants towards minor building alterations, where these are necessary to support access and to facilitate a child’s participation in pre-school. Where an application for minor building alterations is approved, a capital grant towards the cost of these alterations may be awarded to the pre-school provider, limited to a value of €7,000 inclusive of VAT.
In addition to this small-scale capital funding, other supports available under AIM include:
- expert advice and support from Early Years Specialists,
- therapeutic supports provided through the HSE where these are critical to a child's participation in the ECCE programme, and
- additional capitation to fund extra assistance in the ECCE pre-school room.
If the provider wishes to find out more about the range of supports available under AIM, or requires any further assistance with an AIM application, I recommend they either speak to their Early Years Specialist in Better Start or contact the Tipperary Childcare Committee.
46. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the status of the establishment of childcare Ireland. [22365/20]
View answer52. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the status of the establishment of childcare Ireland. [22367/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 52 together.
The Government has committed to establishing a dedicated agency, Childcare Ireland which was outlined in the 2020 Programme for Government. It is envisaged that Childcare Ireland will assist in expanding high quality childcare, best practice and innovation in community and private childcare settings. Childcare Ireland will also be tasked with developing career paths for childcare staff and for expansion of the Early Years Curriculum, Síolta.
In 'First Five, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families', published in November 2018, the Department committed to complete a comprehensive review of the operating model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) in this country.
The review's objective is to ensure that the operating system is equipped to implement the Departmental policy to the scale and standards required in a sector which has seen substantial growth in the past two decades, with the citizens of Ireland at its heart as core beneficiaries.
The final operating system will support high quality, accessible and affordable ELC and SAC services to children and families through the efficient and effective administration of a number of programmes, schemes, quality initiatives, and other functions such a compliance and communications.
This operating model will support service providers, operate transparently and accountably, provide value for money to the Exchequer and demonstrate good governance. The model will also enable appropriate linkages and effective working relationships with all other agencies and Departments charged with delivering better outcomes for children and families.
The review will formally commence at the end of this month and will conclude in July 2021. The review will be led by the Department, with appropriate assistance from external bodies, secured by tender. In addition, the Department will engage with all relevant stakeholders during the process.
The review will aim to explore a variety of options in relation to how best the ELC and SAC operating system can be overseen by the DCYA in the coming years. It is envisaged that the analysis carried out through the review will provide a robust evidence base to inform a decision concerning the establishment of Childcare Ireland and the range of functions it may provide and ultimately the role it will play in the Childcare sector.
47. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if rapid testing for Covid-19 will be arranged for childcare sector workers in line with testing arrangements for teachers and staff in schools. [22246/20]
View answerThe issue of prioritised Covid-19 testing for the childcare sector is one that my Department has raised with the HSE. The advice from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in the HSE at this point in time is that fast tracked testing is not required or appropriate.
Expert guidance on the safe reopening of Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic, published by the HPSC, notes that where testing is arranged for a child or staff member, it is done “through the usual pathway unless there is a specific clinical reason for prioritised testing.” The HSE has advised that turnaround on testing and tracing is well in line with international practice and experiences.
While there is currently no process in place to automatically “fast track” testing for staff or children in early learning and childcare services, officials in my Department are keeping the matter under review. I have also raised at senior levels and will continue to actively monitor the situation. My officials are also liaising with officials in the Departments of Education and Skills and Health to ensure that approaches in both education and childcare sectors are aligned where appropriate.
48. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if childcare providers have been given adequate support to reopen and manage the safe return of children (details supplied); the number of childcare providers that have not reopened since closing due to Covid-19; the number of childcare providers operating on reduced hours; and the number operating at reduced capacity. [22360/20]
View answerOn 10 June 2020, my Department announced a €75m package of funding to facilitate the reopening of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services. In accordance with the Government Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, and guided by the expert advice of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC), ELC and SAC services were able to resume from 29th June, 2020.
The new funding package contains a number of significant elements including a once-off reopening support payment (RSP), a once-off COVID-19 capital grant and continued access for eligible providers to the Revenue-operated Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS).
In addition to these supports, all ELC and SAC funding schemes administered by my Department resumed on 29 June.
My Department has made a significant range of online resources and guidance available to support service providers, practitioners and parents to prepare for the safe reopening of ELC and SAC settings, including childminders. All of these resources are available in the Guidance for Reopening webpage on the First 5 website.
It is normal for some Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services to close throughout the year.
Services intending to close must notify the childcare regulator, Tusla. The most recent available data shows that 123 services notified their closure to Tusla for the period to 21 August 2020, while 39 new services notified their intent to open in the same period. The number of services closing this year to date is actually slightly lower than the same time last year. 200 services closed in 2019 and 150 closed in both 2017 and 2018.
Services close for many reasons. A significant proportion of childcare services operate from the homes of childcare providers, and when these providers choose to retire, onward sale of the business can be very restricted. Others close for career or financial reasons.
For the 2020-21 programme year, 4,068 ELC and SAC services have already signed a childcare Funding Agreement with my Department and are open or intend to open in this programme year. This is already over 90% of last year’s numbers. I anticipate that additional services will sign Funding Agreements over the coming weeks.
My Department does not have the full data available on the number of services operating on reduced hours or at reduced capacity however my Department is not aware of any significant unmet need for early learning and childcare places since services began to reopen on 29 June. If a parent is having difficulty in finding a place for their child, they should contact their local Childcare Committee for advice on childcare options in their area. Details can be found on myccc.ie
I am committed to continuing to work with the City and County Childcare Committees and representatives of providers to address any issues which may arise in the coming months.
49. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the timeline for the delivery of baby boxes. [22364/20]
View answerThe First 5 strategy sets out work across Government to improve the experiences and outcomes of children in Ireland from birth to age 5. Piloting Baby Boxes is one of many initiatives under First 5. Others include supports for parents to balance working and caring, developments in early learning and care and health initiatives.
Baby Boxes are packages of items and information to assist with the transition to parenthood including safety items, baby clothes, small toys, baby toothbrushes, and books to support early development. The intention behind Baby Boxes is to welcome a new arrival to a family, acknowledging this very significant moment for parents.
The project will pilot and test the design, items for inclusion, registration and distribution of Baby Boxes in a selected geographic area. An evaluation will inform any plans about wider roll-out.
Owing to COVID-19, work on this project has been delayed. However, an oversight group will be established later this year to oversee this development.
An initial task of this Group will be to finalise the scope of this project and agree a detailed project plan. Key initial considerations will include the identification of the pilot geographic area, agreement on the optimal timing for (pre- or post- natal), and channel of, distribution of the baby box and the likely contents. A researcher will be appointed to oversee focus groups and/or consultations with new and expectant parents to inform the identification of items for inclusion.
Following this initial scoping phase, which should conclude by end Q1 2021, the Oversight Group will oversee a competitive procurement process to appoint suitable tenderers to a) develop and distribute the baby boxes and b) undertake a full evaluation of the pilot. Given the likely value of these contracts, the procurement process will take several months. It is therefore envisaged that distribution of the baby boxes will commence in end Q3 2021 / early Q4 2021.
50. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if his Department will take initiatives to support recruitment of Traveller families to become foster parents. [22369/20]
View answerI thank the Deputy for his important question.
My Department works closely with Tusla to support initiatives that will encourage and support Traveller families to become foster parents. I have recently approved funding under our What Works initiative for a pilot project in Tusla to support members of the Traveller and Roma communities to become foster carers. This will assist with progressing a specific action (Action 58) in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (NTRIS).
The new initiative is intended to have a positive impact on the number of Traveller and Roma families fostering children, allowing children who cannot live with their birth family to retain a connection with their ethnic background.
Tusla's Shared Rearing project is a long term initiative designed to encourage Traveller families to become foster carers which was established nationally during the 1990s. This project continues today and it is the intention of my Department and Tusla that this project will expand, from the relatively small number currently of 13 foster families from the Traveller community, to a greater number in the future.
In 2019 the recruitment of Traveller families was a specific focus of Tusla’s national fostering recruitment campaign and members of Traveller community assisted the campaign by speaking at the national launch of the campaign.
Tusla also worked jointly with a community health Traveller project and Pavee Point in 2019 to launch a revamped social media advertisement campaign. Using the TUSLA and Pavee Point websites and social media pages, Traveller families were encouraged to enquire about foster care. Additional information from TUSLA also featured in the Traveller Voice magazine in 2019 to strengthen awareness of the importance of this area.
These initiatives, and the most recent pilot project, are designed to encourage and support Traveller and Roma parents to consider becoming foster parents, and, should they decide to apply, to support them through the process.
My department will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders to implement improvements and improve outcomes for all service users, and to bring a focus on the particular needs of the Traveller and Roma communities.
51. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the steps he will take to improve the pay and conditions of childcare workers. [22326/20]
View answerI am very conscious that pay and conditions in the Childcare sector are a serious concern and impact on the quality of provision to children through their effect on the recruitment and retention of qualified staff. As the State is not the employer, the Deputy will appreciate that my Department does not set wage levels nor determine working conditions for staff working in the early learning and care and school-age childcare sector.
The level of staff turnover in the sector, at 23% in 2019, is unsustainably high. The most recent data (from May 2019) indicates that the average hourly wage in the sector is €12.55, which was a 3% increase on the previous year.
Increased investment in services has over a number of years aimed to support improvements in pay. Overall, investment in early learning and care and school-age childcare increased 141% over five budgets to 2020. This investment included specific measures to assist employers to improve pay and conditions such as: a 7% increase in ECCE capitation in 2018; higher capitation payments for graduates and Inclusion Coordinators; support for school-age childcare to make it easier to offer full-time, full-year employment contracts; and a pilot measure to fund participation in CPD.
In the medium-term, work that is currently under way to develop a new Funding Model and a Workforce Development Plan may provide new mechanisms by which the State can improve pay and working conditions in the sector. However, I am also keen to take further steps in the short-term that could support pay and working conditions. The Programme for Government commits to establish a Joint Labour Committee for the sector, with a view to developing an Employment Regulation Order. I have asked officials in my Department to examine this and other options that may be available.
54. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the arrangements being made for the childcare sector in circumstances in which staff are tested positive for Covid-19 and substitute staff will be required to maintain the child ratios. [22249/20]
View answerFrom the outset of Covid-19, my Department has engaged closely with the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre in keeping the sector informed of how to comply with public health guidance. This guidance includes advice for services on how to manage a confirmed case amongst their staff.
Where there is a confirmed case of Covid-19 in a service, local Public Health staff will contact the service to discuss the case, will identify close contacts of the confirmed case and will advise on any actions or precautions that should be taken. While the HSE assessment will be on a case by case basis, if children or other staff in the service are identified as close contacts they will be asked to restrict their movements for 14 days and tests will be arranged. Those who are asked to restrict their movements will not be able to attend the childcare service. In such cases substitute staff may not be required as the play-pod is likely to be closed temporarily.
There will also be cases where the staff member has tested positive but has not been in close contact with anyone in the service in the 48 hours prior to symptoms developing (e.g. if they were on leave). In such cases, it is a matter for the service provider to arrange cover and ensure adult-child ratios are maintained.
The Government Jobs Stimulus Package, announced in July, is a significant package of financial supports to help providers operate with reduced attendance and extra operating costs that may arise from Covid-19, including staffing needs. The package sees continuation of all DCYA subsidy schemes, access to the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), reopening grants, and a sustainability fund for providers who can demonstrate that the other measures are not sufficient by themselves to enable viable operation of their business.
55. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration when the final report of the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes will be published in view of the fact the report for survivors has been delayed several times. [22321/20]
View answerI am acutely aware of the importance of this Commission of Investigation and how much this report is anticipated by former residents and their families.
As the Deputy may know, the Commission's final report is due to be submitted to me on 30 October 2020 at the latest.
However, it is important to understand that when the Commission submits its final report there are a number of procedural matters which must be addressed before I can seek the approval of Government to publish it.
This will necessitate engagement with the Attorney General as the Government's legal advisor. Consequently, there will always be a time interval between receipt of such reports and the separate arrangements for their publication. A Commission does not publish its reports directly.
I understand that the anguish felt by many former residents of mother and baby homes and their families has been prolonged by the Commission's need for additional time. However, I know that they understand that this Commission is investigating very important, personal and sensitive matters which happened over a period of more than 75 years.
By any measure this is a complex undertaking and involves the Commission compiling and analysing a vast amount of information and documentation relevant to multiple lines of inquiry.
It is important to reiterate that the Commission is fully independent in the conduct of its investigations. It must, of course, operate within its terms of reference and the previous Government, in granting the extensions sought, had been satisfied that the Commission was using its best endeavours to conclude its report.
The priority has been to safeguard this substantial work so that the Commission can comprehensively address and conclude these crucial matters as expeditiously as possible.
I share the desire of all interested parties to see the Commission conclude its work, and I look forward to receiving the final report at the end of October. Our duty to the women and children who passed through these institutions is to ensure that their lived experiences are shared, acknowledged and understood.
I will keep former residents and the members of this House appraised of the situation when the report is received, and will publish it as soon as possible thereafter.
56. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration his plans to put in place supports to assist young persons in terms of their extracurricular development, namely youth centre supports. [22372/20]
View answerMy Department supports the provision of out of school supports to young people in their local communities. This support enables young people to achieve their full potential by strengthening their personal and social competencies.
This support is framed in my Department’s national policy framework for children and young people Better Outcomes Brighter Futures and its constituent National Youth Strategy. The goals of these strategies are embedded in the service delivered by funded youth organisations who support, and provide opportunities for, young people. These goals are also realised through the close involvement of young people in service provision by respecting their rights and hearing their voices as they transition from childhood to adulthood.
In Budget 2020, my Department was allocated nearly €62 million in funding to support the provision of youth services nationwide. This funding has been maintained throughout the recent challenging period and this has enabled the youth sector to continue to provide supports to young people, particularly to marginalised, disadvantaged and vulnerable young people.
It is of note that youth work services did not cease supporting young people during the period of restrictions, and I would like to commend the sustained effort and innovation of the youth sector during this time.
The largest share of youth funding directly supports the delivery of targeted youth services on the ground, with €38.8 million provided to funded organisations through UBU - Your Place, Your Space, a new youth funding scheme which opened on 1 July this year.
National Youth Organisations have benefited from over €11.5 million in funding under the Youth Services Grant Scheme . The universal youth work carried out by the national youth organisations, through volunteer led groups and clubs, is transformative for young people.
Over €2.1 million has been made available for the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme this year. This scheme supports youth work activities at a local level by providing small grants to youth clubs and groups.
I was also delighted to recently announce capital funding of over €2.3 million to 147 youth projects and services and 25 national youth organisations.
I want to assure the Deputy of my commitment to children, young people and their families, my commitment to the youth sector that provides such crucial support to them and my commitment to continue to invest in youth services as stated in the Programme for Government.
57. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the supports in place for childcare providers to continue to operate after-school care during the Covid-19 public health emergency. [22324/20]
View answerOn 10 June 2020, my Department announced a €75m package of funding to facilitate the reopening of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services. In accordance with the Government Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, and guided by the expert advice of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC), ELC and SAC services were able to resume from 29th June, 2020.
The new funding package contains a number of significant elements including a once-off reopening support payment (RSP), a once-off COVID-19 capital grant and continued access for eligible providers to the Revenue-operated Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS).
The closing date for applications for the RSP and the Covid-19 Capital Grant supports was extended from 28 August to 9 September 2020.
In late July I announced, as part of the July Stimulus, that childcare providers could access the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme and that they would be exempt from the 30% reduction in turnover rule. This is a major support to the sector as it ensures that up to €200 per staff member per week is available to support increased costs associated with public health requirements and costs associated with lower occupancy.
In addition to these supports, all ELC and SAC funding schemes administered by my Department resumed on 29 June.
58. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if he agrees that the cost of childcare is one of the main barriers for mothers accessing third-level education; and the steps he will take to help support mothers in third-level or who wish to enter third-level to cope with the burden of high childcare costs. [22359/20]
View answerEarly learning and care and school-age childcare allows parents (and mothers in particular) to participate in training and employment which in turn increases family income and reduces the risk of poverty.
The sector in Ireland has developed rapidly in the past decade, with State investment has increasing by 141% in the last five years. A major programme of reform is currently underway. The scale of this reform is outlined in First 5, A whole-of-government strategy for babies, young children and their families (2019-2028), published in November 2018. Significant progress has been to date, including the introduction of the National Childcare Scheme.
I am very aware of the struggle of many parents of balancing childcare with work and education commitments that is why the National Childcare Scheme is designed to improve the accessibility and affordability of quality childcare for all families. By replacing the legacy schemes, the Scheme has increased the number of families who can avail of subsidised childcare, and remove the many restricting eligibility requirements.
In this way, the NCS aims to combat the poverty traps which may exist within the legacy schemes, and to appropriately incentivise employment and education or training for parents, a policy objective that is known to benefit child and family outcomes
From this month, the maximum number of hours available for an enhanced award for parents who are working, studying or training will increase from 40 to 45 hours. The maximum subsidy available will rise from €204 to €229.50 a week.
The NCS study rule is generous and flexible. It allows parents access the maximum subsidised care per week when completing any NFQ qualification (from level 1) for a small number of hours per week.
At a broader level, my Department sits on the cross-departmental group convened to respond to the DES-commissioned Lone Parents Review 2017 where NCS forms a component of the response
Similarly, the implementation of the Scheme is also an action in the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017- 2020 includes NCS.
59. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Taoiseach the status of the international division of his Department. [22381/20]
View answerThe International Section of the Department supports my work at international level, beyond the EU, to promote Ireland’s foreign and economic policy objectives, and to maintain and develop strong bilateral and multilateral relations. Working closely with other departments, including Foreign Affairs, the International Section provides me with advice and briefing on international issues, bilateral and multilateral relations.
The International Section coordinates my international travel, including bilateral visits and attendance at multilateral engagements such as Leaders Summits at the United Nations. Under current circumstances, travel is curtailed and many engagements have moved online. The section also supports my engagement with Heads of State and Government and other senior international figures and organisations.
The International Section assists with coordination of relevant whole-of-government initiatives, such as the Global Ireland 2025 strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals implementation arrangements. It also supported the Department of Foreign Affairs with the successful campaign for Ireland’s election to the UN Security Council, and will work closely with that department as Ireland prepares to assume its seat from January 2021.
In recent months, the Section has contributed to work across government in relation to COVID-19, notably in monitoring the epidemiological situation, policy responses and practical actions taken by other countries.
