Written Answers Nos. 954-971
954. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the capacity of Wexford women’s refuge; the current occupancy level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33407/20]
View answerThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) provided €25.3m to Tusla for DSGBV services this year, with an additional €1.2m allocated for additional costs incurred due to COVID-19. Spending on DSGBV services has increased by €4.7m since 2016. In Budget 2021, I prioritised additional resources for Tusla, so that it can meet the needs of its diverse base of service users, including victims of DSGBV. This is particularly important for DSGBV services in the context of COVID-19.
Tusla is currently undertaking a strategic review of emergency accommodation for victims of domestic violence. The review will provide insight into current distribution of services and unmet needs. This review and the recommendations of the Monitoring Committee for the Second National Strategy on DSGBV will inform decisions on future service provision.
With regard to the Deputy's specific query on the current capacity and occupancy levels of Wexford Women's Refuge, this is an operational issue for Tusla. I have requested that Tusla respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
955. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will clarify the regulations regarding after-school care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33607/20]
View answerThe Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Registration of School Age Services) Regulations 2018, announced in December 2017, came into force on 18th February, 2019. These Regulations enable School Age Childcare (SAC) services to register with Tusla and participate in the National Childcare Scheme.
These initial Regulations are limited in scope and intent, providing primarily for the registration process, and they will need to be replaced by comprehensive Regulations, which are expected to address wideraspects of quality, including qualification requirements for staff. My Department is working through all the interconnected elements, but I also recognise that there are complex legal issues involved – likely to require amendments to primary legislation – that may take time to address.
In September 2020, I launched the National Quality Guidelines for School Age Childcare Services. The Guidelines set out desirable good practice to which services should aspire rather than minimum requirements that all services must meet (which is the focus of Regulations). These Guidelines describe the characteristics expected of a high quality SAC service, and are expected to provide a basis for future training courses on quality SAC, mentoring supports, and self-evaluation tools by which SAC providers can seek to assess and improve their own practice.
956. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the changes he plans to make in respect of the parental and maternity leave schemes in 2021; if indicated changes can be brought forward to facilitate mothers that had their babies earlier in 2020 when very strict Covid-19 restrictions were in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33933/20]
View answerTo support paretns of children born during the strict lockdown measures, the Government intends to extend parent's leave from two weeks to five weeks for each parent of all children born or adopted on or after 1 Nov 2019. The Government also intends to extend the period in which parent's leave can be taken up until that child turns two or, in the case of an adoption, two years after the adoption placement date of the child. This extension will apply to parents who may have already availed of their existing entitlements.
Heads of a Bill to effect these changes are currently being drafted in my Department and I hope to bring these to Government shortly.
The extension of parent's benefit is a matter for the Minister of Social Protection and I understand that it will take time for the relevant IT system changes to be made and that it will likely be April 2021 before the necessary updates can take place. However, it may be possible for parent's leave to be taken in advance of these changes and the benefit claimed retrospectively, once the legislation has been enacted, and I will ensure that parents are fully informed on their entitlements in this regard..
The extension to parent's leave and benefit follows a number of advancements in family leaves in recent years, including the introduction of parents leave and benefit in 2019 and the extension of unpaid parental leave to 26 weeks in September this year for a child under 12 years.
957. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of and position regarding the extension of three weeks of maternity leave introduced to alleviate the Covid-19 restrictions which applies to parents of children born after 1 November 2019; the timeframe for the leave to be initiated; if the leave will be paid; if there were changes in Budget 2021 referring to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32316/20]
View answerThe Parent’s Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 provides for two weeks of parent’s leave and benefit for all new parents in employment or self-employment in respect of children born or placed for adoption on or after 1 November 2019. This is to facilitate parents to spend more time with their children in their critical first year of life.
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced in Budget 2021 that he would extend parent’s leave by a further three weeks for all children born or placed for adoption on or after 1 November 2019, and extend the period in which this leave can be taken to two years. This means that each parent will be able to avail of five weeks of parent’s leave for a child born on or after 1 November 2019.
Legislation will be required to progress this commitment and work is now underway in my Department in this regard. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has indicated that parent's benefit will be payable from 1 April 2021. Parents will be able to take parent's leave once the legislation is in place and to apply for the parent's benefit retrospectively.
958. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 340 of 13 October 2020, the approximate waiting times for victims of sexual abuse to receive specialist counselling at each of the crisis centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32597/20]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). In 2020, I am providing core funding of €25.3m to Tusla to support the DSGBV sector, including 16 rape crisis centres throughout the country. In addition to core funding, an additional €1.2 million has been reserved for DSGBV services funded by Tusla to respond to the challenges arising from Covid-19 in 2020.
As Tusla provides direct funding to rape crisis centres, each organisation has a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Tusla, and engages with Tusla in relation to service issues on a regular basis. I have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy with regard to waiting lists for counselling in individual rape crisis centres around the country.
959. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views regarding the amount of bureaucracy involved for childcare providers wishing to avail of the national childcare scheme; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some childcare providers are leaving the scheme due to additional Covid-19 preventative measures leading to a shortage of childcare places available; the actions he plans to take to deal with the problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32628/20]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS), the pathway to quality, accessible, affordable Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare went live in November 2019.
It is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. Through this entitlement, the NCS aims to improve children's outcomes, support lifelong learning, reduce child poverty and tangibly reduce the cost of quality childcare for thousands of families across Ireland.
The introduction of the NCS aims to removed the administrative burden from childcare providers of applying for childcare supports on a parent’s behalf. Parents now apply to the Scheme directly, and only approach childcare providers once they have completed their application and have a CHICK to register.
The scheme also integrates key financial and governance controls to ensure we are maximising the benefits of public monies and that the investment is following the child.
Over 2,900 childcare providers are currently contracted to provide the National Childcare Scheme. I am aware of the challenges faced by some of those providers in changing to a new scheme and a new IT system. Pobal as scheme administrator have provided comprehensive training and information resources and will continue to support providers through this change process.
My Department will continue to examine the scheme including considering administrative efficiencies where these are consistent with overall policy objectives.
With regard to the issue of shortage of childcare places, capacity in the sector has grown by about 60% over the last 5 years, the average service size has grown from 33 in 2014, to 47 in 2019.
Following the reopening of the sector this summer, while some childcare settings may have reduced capacity depending on their layout, there are no required capacity reductions for the sector, and most childcare providers should be able to comply with the public health advice with no or little reduction in the number of places provided. Overall, there is no significant variation in the number of childcare services operating in 2020 when compared with 2019.
A package of supports worth nearly €300m was introduced in July to assist the sector to reopen, recognising the importance of the sector for children’s positive development and in terms of supporting the economy to return to normal.
The Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS) was introduced to sustain the sector during the closure necessitated by COVID-19, building on top of the Wider Revenue-operated Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme. Over 3,800 childcare providers signed up to receive this support (approximately 84% of the sector).
Over 3,800 childcare providers also applied for the Reopening Support Payment this year, which was introduced to support childcare providers in meeting the reopening guidelines necessitated by COVID-19, and to meet additional staffing needs.
960. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to introduce mandatory paediatric first-aid training for childcare workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32743/20]
View answerIt is a regulatory requirement for an early learning and care service to have a person trained in first aid for children immediately available, at all times, to the children attending the service. In the Quality and Regulatory Framework published in 2018, Tusla, the independent statutory regulator, recognised the First Aid Responder (FAR) education and training standard established by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) as meeting this requirement as it is inclusive of content and instruction relating to first aid for children.
Whilst it was originally planned that services would have until June 2020 to comply with this new requirement, Tusla have agreed that due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the timeframe would be extended into 2021. In addition, for those staff that already have FAR certification which has now expired or is due to expire, their certificates will remain valid until FAR training courses are up and running again.
In 2019, my Department made financial support available to enable early learning and care services, including Tusla-registered childminders, to avail of FAR training, through the Learner Fund. This funding was continued into 2020. By the end of this year, my Department will have provided more than €376,000 to support 1,867 individuals in early learning and care services to complete the training.
961. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the breakdown of the €5 million funding announced in the Budget for youth services (details supplied). [32804/20]
View answerI am pleased to confirm that I secured an additional €5 million in current funding for youth services nationally as part of Budget 2021. My officials are currently working on the apportionment of these funds in the context of the publication of the Revised Estimates Volume later this year. As such, I am not in a position as yet to provide a detailed breakdown of these allocations.
As part of the Budget 2021 announcements, the youth sector has also been allocated a capital sum of €3m. This funding, which is the same amount as provided in 2020, will support the annual youth sector capital scheme to be designed and rolled out in 2021. While no decisions on areas to be prioritised as part of this fund have yet been made, ICT was a prominent feature of the scheme in 2020.
Furthermore, I have secured an additional amount of €1m capital funding in the current year to support ICT procurement in the youth sector before year end. This grant scheme is being rolled out through the ETBs in their role as funding intermediary for youth schemes and was formally announced in the last few days. This sum is additional to the Covid-related small grant scheme for the sector recently announced.
This additional funding allocated to youth services in the coming year will support the delivery of universal and targeted youth services nationwide with a particular view to the role played by youth services in supporting mental wellbeing, fostering resilience and developing the social and personal competencies of young people, including disadvantaged, marginalised or vulnerable young people.
962. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the additional supports the early years sector will receive for the duration of the level 5 restrictions in view of the fact they are expected to remain open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32810/20]
View answerMy Department has introduced a number of measures to support the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector during these unprecedented times.
The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) was introduced on 1 August 2020. EWSS is an economy-wide enterprise support for eligible businesses in respect of eligible employees. It provides a flat-rate subsidy to qualifying employers based on the numbers of paid and eligible employees on the employer’s payroll; and it charges a reduced rate of employer PRSI of 0.5% on wages paid that are eligible for the subsidy payment.
ELC and SAC services registered with Tusla received an exemption from the EWSS turnover requirements. The rate of subsidy the employer will receive per paid eligible employee under EWSS was enhanced on 20 October 2020 in response to nationwide level 5 restrictions.
Under the enhanced rates, ELC and SAC services with EWSS will have approximately 80% of payroll costs covered. This equates to approximately 50% of the usual operating costs of these services – allowing them to operate sustainably with lower occupancy rates and higher delivery costs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Government introduced the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with Covid-19 on 15 September 2020. The plan outlines the medium-term approach to managing risk and supporting society and business through Covid restrictions at each level from 1 to 5. The plan recognises that education (ELC, SAC and schooling) provides for the holistic development of children and young people and is the foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. It is also essential to parents’ abilities to balance work with family responsibilities especially those in the workforce on whom we rely to deliver essential services. For this reason, keeping ELC and SAC open is a top priority at each level of restrictions.
Under the July stimulus support package, my Department continues to provide all ELC and SAC subsidy schemes at existing capitation and subsidy rates. These include the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), Community Childcare Subvention Plus (CCSP) Saver Programme, Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Saver Programme and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme.
The recent introduction of the Covid-19 Sustainability Support Fund 2020 is in addition to the all-of-Government July Stimulus package for ELC and SAC Services. The purpose of the grant is to support the sustainability of ELC and SAC services whose viability is still negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic - in circumstances where supplementary support is required in addition to other July Stimulus supports such as the EWSS.
This is the first time that my Department’s sustainability funding has been made available to both private for-profit providers and community non-profit providers, subject to eligibility criteria and an assessment of need. The funding is also available to eligible sole traders for whom the EWSS is not applicable because they do not have employees, including ECCE providers
The sustainability grant provides funding to successful applicants to offset losses caused by a decrease in occupancy and/or an increase in costs. Sustainability will be supported by providing a grant proportionate to the short-term level of loss in 2020.
While it is hoped that the recently-announced enhancements to the EWSS will result in a significant decrease in need for this funding, the Covid-19 sustainability support remains available, where needed. Applications for the first round of funding closed on 20 October, and the dates of future application windows will be announced shortly.
In addition to the Covid-19 sustainability support, my Department oversees a case management support facility through which local CCCs and Pobal work together to assess and provide assistance to ELC and SAC services in difficulty. This support, can include help with completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios, fee setting, cash flow difficulties, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances. Any service that needs this support should contact their local CCC in the first instance.
In terms of the provision of specific public health advice and guidance for the sector, expert health guidance on the safe reopening of ELC and SAC services during the Covid-19 pandemic was published by the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on 29 May and updated on 31 July. No additional measures apply under the current level 5 restrictions.
963. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the research from an organisation (details supplied) on financial abuse and the erosion of financial independence for vulnerable persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32901/20]
View answerI am not in receipt of this report. My officials will certainly review if if the Deputy can provide me with a copy for examination. I agree as to the clear importance of protecting vulnerable people from financial abuse.
964. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department carried out a data protection impact assessment on the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter Bill 2020; and if so, if the assessment will be made available. [33100/20]
View answerAs I have previously advised, a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) has been conducted by my Department pursuant to Article 6(4) of the General Data Protection Guidelines, in relation to the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Act 2020.
A DPIA is considered best practice, and has been carried out by my Department in order to identify, address and mitigate potential data protection considerations associated with the changes proposed by the Act, which is a requirement given the nature of the data involved and the context of the processing. The DPIA has been shared with the Data Protection Commission.
The DPIA is an iterative process and the assessment was updated and refined in the course of developing the legislation. I have asked my Department to publish the document on my Department's website.
The Child and Family Agency is also conducting a parallel DPIA process as part of its due diligence exercise in preparation for receipt of the database and related records under the Act. This separate DPIA will be focused on the operational aspects arising from the Act.
965. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of his engagement with the forum for the survivors of Mother and Baby Homes, including the number of meetings, since he took office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33119/20]
View answerThe Collaborative Forum process, established by my predecessor as a representative advisory body on these matters, was unfortunately interrupted by the general election and subsequent change in Government. In addition, it was necessary to put its meetings on hold in the context of the restrictions introduced in an effort to reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19. A number of members travel from outside the jurisdiction and, given the age profile involved, some members could also be categorised as being in the at risk groups identified by public health authorities.
Notwithstanding these challenges I am committed to effective stakeholder engagement on all matters that impact former residents of these institutions and their advocates. I am considering how best to facilitate that in the immediate term, in particular, in light of current public health restrictions related to Covid-19.
The Deputy may wish to note that a copy of the Collaborative Forum's report was provided by my Department to the Commission of Investigation for its appropriate attention and consideration in the context of its statutory investigations. I have recently received the final report from the Commission of Investigation and arrangements are being advanced for its publication as soon as possible. I will keep former residents appraised of developments in this regard through the established communication channels.
It is important to recognise that the significant work of the Collaborative Forum, to identify the priority concerns of those most centrally involved, will greatly assist in formulating an appropriate State response to the findings and recommendations of the Commission. Further engagement and consultation with former residents, their families and advocates will also be central to this process.
966. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeline for the introduction of legislation to ensure the survivors of mother and baby homes have access to the archive of the Commission on Mother and Baby Homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33120/20]
View answerI recognise the importance to adopted people and others impacted by birth family separation of having access to information related to their original identity and family history, including medical history. I am absolutely committed to addressing the wider matter of providing a new architecture surrounding access to birth information and tracing. This will require extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. My Department is working on advancing the required Information and Tracing legislation, with a view to its publication next year.
I am committed to protecting the archive of records, which I will receive from the Commission on its dissolution by 28 February next year, and to ensure that the rights of all citizens to access personal information about themselves, under data protection legislation and the GDPR, are fully respected and implemented. The Attorney General has confirmed that individuals will have a right of access to their own personal data held by the Minister, noting that such rights of access are subject to the provisions set out in section 39 of the 2004 Act. For the avoidance of any doubt, it is important to clarify that the recently enacted Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Act 2020 was brought forward to ensure access to personal information contained in an extensive database compiled by the Commission, tracking entry and exit pathways in the main Mother and Baby Homes.
I recognise that the broader issues of access the Commission's archive for historical research or other purposes, while outside the parameters of existing legislation, are important ones and, in this regard, I would point to the Government's recent commitment to a National Archive and I will be working in conjunction with the Department of the Taoiseach to advance this further.
967. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the financial support provided by his Department to the St. John’s Ambulance service for 2020; and the estimated support for 2021 [33134/20]
View answerMy Department does not have a direct funding relationship with St John Ambulance.
St John Ambulance does not receive targeted funding for youth services from my Department nor does it receive funding as a national youth organisation under my Department’s Youth Services Grant Scheme.
However, there have been occasions when St John Ambulance youth groups have received funding from Education & Training Boards (ETBs) under schemes funded by my Department.
The awards process for the schemes, including decision, is handled by the various ETBs.
In this regard, an amount of €3,000 was awarded for 2020 to St John Ambulance Ongar via the Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB under the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme.
As awards made by ETBs under the scheme are done on a once-off annual basis without my Department's involvement, it is not possible to determine whether any youth club associated with St John Ambulance will seek funding from an ETB scheme in 2021.
However, in the interest of transparency, I am providing details of St John Ambulance youth clubs that have received funding from ETBs under the above scheme in the years since 2017.
|
Recipient |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
City of Dublin Youth Service Board |
||||
|
St John Ambulance Clontarf Cadet Division |
||||
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme |
€2,300.00 |
€2,380.00 |
||
|
Local Youth Club - Capital Grant Scheme |
€5,000.00 |
|||
|
St John Ambulance Finglas/Glasnevin |
||||
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme |
€2,240.00 |
|||
|
Cork ETB |
||||
|
St. John Ambulance Glanmire Cadets |
€1,350.00 |
|||
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme |
||||
|
Dublin & Dún Laoghaire ETB |
||||
|
St John Ambulance Castleknock |
||||
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme |
€1,561.50 |
|||
|
St John Ambulance Ongar |
||||
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme |
€1,561.50 |
€3,000.00 |
||
|
TOTAL |
€12,663.00 |
€2,380.00 |
€1,350.00 |
€3,000.00 |
968. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 335 of 13 October 2020, when they will commence and issue. [33159/20]
View answerThe PQ referred to in the Deputy's question was part answered by my department, the other part being answered by my colleague the Minister for Health, Parliamentary Question No. 424 of 13 October 2020. Having consulted with the Deputy's office, I believe the focus of the question relates to the part transferred and would be more appropriate to be answered by the Minister for Health.
969. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will order an immediate and extensive review of the engagement between Tusla and persons (details supplied) which resulted in the grandparents providing a home for the children without financial support from Tusla or the State; if he will include in this review the minutes and reports from the meeting held some years ago refusing to acknowledge the grandparents as foster carers thus depriving them and the children of appropriate financial support in the interest of their health and well-being; if he is satisfied that this was not a catastrophic failure of the State to care for a vulnerable family the negative impacts of which are being felt to this day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33209/20]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that it is not appropriate for me to comment on individual cases. I am also not in a position to interfere with the professional judgement or social work decision making in a case. I can confirm that I have referred your questions to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for direct reply to you.
Tusla works in partnership with families and their networks to develop plans for children based on the strengths of the family and the individual circumstances of the child. Tusla endeavour, where possible, to support children at home or for their return home where this is in their best interests. Where this is not possible Tusla may apply to the courts to receive the child into care or enter into a voluntary agreement with the parent/guardian.
An application can be made for a Guardianship Payment to the Department of Employment and Social Protection if a child, who is an orphan or abandoned, is being cared for on a full time basis by adults who are not their parent/guardian.
970. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question Number 22 of 20 October 2020, if he will specifically answer the question in relation to term time when children are attending schools and the allocation of afterschool hours (details supplied); and if he will provide a copy of the specific piece of research that he is basing this new policy on. [33249/20]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme supports families not in work or study with access to childcare for hours known to be needed by children for their development, but not any additional hours.
As the Scheme promotes both child development and labour market activation, a balanced approach to eligibility for subsidies was incorporated into the Scheme to recognise both elements. It looks to support improvement of outcomes for children through poverty reduction and facilitation of labour activation. These can be achieved by encouraging and supporting work or training.
The number of NCS hours available during term time will depend on the education stage of the child, and whether the parent is engaged in work or study. Since September, the maximum number of ‘wrap-around’ hours has increased by one additional hour. As the Deputy is aware the definition of work under the NCS is extremely broad, covering all forms of work arrangement: full-time, part-time, week-on/ week-off and zero hour contracts. The study rule is also a generous one and allows parents to access up to 45 hours of childcare when completing any NFQ qualification, from level 1, for even a small number of hours per week.
The policy basis and under-pinning research for the National Childcare Scheme is set out in the Policy Paper on the Development of a New Single Affordable Childcare Scheme published in October 2016.
Of particular note with regard to children's outcomes is Melhuish, E. et al. (2015) A Review of Research on the Effects of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) on Child Development , Curriculum and Quality Analysis and Impact Review of European Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC-CARE).
This research concludes that the benefits of early care and education are, for most children, achieved with part-time participation.
I would also note that where children are not in school (i.e. during school holidays), they can continue to access childcare provision for up to 20 hours per week where one of the parents is not in work or study. In this way, stay at home parents can have a continuum of access to external child development supports through the school and through childcare provision
971. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of contracts approved in his Department in 2019 and to date in 2020 without competitive tender; the details of the contract; the company awarded the contract; and the full value of the contract in tabular form. [33266/20]
View answerFrom the available information compiled to date by my Department there are seven contracts in 2019 and four contracts to date in 2020 that were approved without competitive tender which are outlined in the table below. We are continuing to liaise with the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation regarding their contracts. The list does not include contracts approved by the former Department of Justice and Equality prior to the transfer of functions last month.
|
Name of Company / Consultant |
Contract Details |
Full Value of Contract (€ ex VAT) |
|
2019 |
||
|
Centre for Effective Services (CES) |
The contract was engaged to support the ongoing reform of the Targeted Youth Funding Scheme including the roll-out of the Area Profile, Needs Assessment and Service Requirement process, the design and delivery of capacity building measures to support the reform process, and the embedding of processes developed under the Goal programme. Contract duration: 5 months |
24,685 |
|
Dr Geoffrey Shannon |
To provide a Report on the Collection of Tuam Survivors' DNA; Contract duration: 5 weeks |
10,000 |
|
Dr Gráinne Healy |
Chairperson of the Collaborative Forum of former residents of Mother and Baby HomesContract duration: 6 months |
5,850 |
|
Fusio |
Development and service of online public consultation regarding open adoption.Contract duration: 2 weeks |
3,325 |
|
Institute of Public Administration (IPA) -Consultant |
To provide consultancy services and project management expertise to the GAL Executive Office (GEO) Project Team.Contract duration: 18 months for 10 days consultancy work |
9,500 |
|
Mr George Maybury |
Formative Evaluation of the Collaborative Forum of former residents of Mother and Baby HomesContract duration: until completion of evaluation/Report |
2,425 |
|
Version1 |
Support, including licences, for a Financal Management System (software) . Fixed contract and additional drawdown supportContract duration: 1 year |
74,385 |
|
2020 |
||
|
IPSOS MRBI |
Wave 1 Poll of Parents to capture data on demand for early learning and care and school age childcare at a point in time in order to plan for phased reopening.Contract duration: 1 month |
15,276 |
|
IPSOS MRBI |
Wave 2 Poll of Parents to capture data on demand for early learning and care and school age childcare at a point in time in order to plan for phased reopening.Contract duration: 1 month |
14,476 |
|
Mr Liam O'Daly |
Legal services in relation to the Commission of Investigation Mother and Baby Homes BillContract duration: 2 months |
2,800 |
|
Vidappt |
Bespoke build of survey of early learning and care and school-age childcare providers to capture data on the physical infrastructure of services and anticipate supply of ELC and SAC places and workers at a point in time in order to plan for phased reopening. Complex phone survey design capturing significant volume of data from 4,500 providers.Contract duration: 1 month |
12,960 |
