Written Answers Nos. 562-581
562. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a plan for the early years service beyond 29 January 2021 will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4139/21]
View answerBetween 11 and 31 January, access to early learning and childcare services is restricted to the children of essential workers and vulnerable children. In addition, the resumption of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) pre-school programme has been delayed.
During this period, my Department is continuing to provide funding under its schemes (ECCE, NCS, CCSP and TEC) as long as early learning and childcare services remain open for essential workers and vulnerable children, or have been directed or approved to close.
In addition, all early learning and childcare services remain eligible for support under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and are exempt from the turnover rule. With enhanced EWSS subsidies in place until 31 March, EWSS subsidies are estimated to cover up to 50% of the operating cost of these services.
My officials are engaged in detailed planning as regards the arrangements for early learning and childcare services from February onwards.
Progressing the implementation of these plans will depend on the decision to be taken by Government on COVID-19 restrictions from 1 February.
To inform planning in the context of current restrictions and restrictions from February onward, my officials and I have engaged with the COVID-19 Advisory Group, which comprises representatives from the early learning and childcare sector.
563. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the phone number provided by his Department for inquiries by survivors regarding the mother and baby homes report is subsequently directing them to the institutions in which they spent time. [4162/21]
View answerI was acutely aware that publication of the Final Report from the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and related institutions would be a difficult time for former residents and their families.
With this in mind my Department has staffed a dedicated information line to assist callers in relation their queries on the Report. The contact details for this information line and a related email address have been included in my public communications since the publication of the Commission's Final Report. My officials are available to receive any feedback which survivors may wish to provide and will arrange for a hard copy of the report to be provided where this is required.
The information line is available from 9.30am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday, and officials endeavour to provide practical information and support to callers in response to the diverse and deeply personal issues which may be raised. Separate arrangements are in place through the Health Service Executive to assist persons who require professional counselling support. Such queries may relate to a request for access to personal information which may be available from institutional records. Where appropriate, staff will provide relevant contact details to callers in relation to any further information they may require. As the Deputy will be aware, many of the available institutional records are now held by Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland, as the majority of the institutions in question are no longer in existence. I am not aware of any specific concerns in relation to the assistance being provided in this regard.
564. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the capital budget allocation for Oberstown Children Detention Campus in each of the years of 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [4173/21]
View answerThe capital budget allocation for Oberstown Children Detention Campus is as follows:
|
- |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
Capital (€000) |
4,200 |
2,000 |
3,800 |
3,000 |
565. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a copy of a report will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4198/21]
View answerA copy of the final report of the Commission of Investigation, which includes extracts of the information provided to the Confidential Committee, will be made available to all former residents who wish to receive one. I have requested my officials to contact the person concerned to make the necessary arrangements.
On the 13 January, my Department issued an email to our contact list of survivors and advocates and posted a notice on my Department's website, to outline how survivors and their advocates could secure a copy of the full report or an abridged version, whichever is preferred. My Department can be contacted at 01-6473200 from Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 6pm, or by emailing motherandbabyhomes@equality.gov.ie. There is no charge for any former resident to be provided with a copy of the report.
The published report of the Confidential Committee does not contain identifying information on any individual. The more recent contact from the Commission was to ascertain the person's preference in respect of their name remaining associated with the administrative record of their engagement with the Confidential Committee. While these administrative records will transfer with the Commission's archive of records when it is submitted to the Minister by the end of February, the requester will need to contact the Commission if they wish to see this document prior to it being submitted to the Minister. Thereafter, individuals will be able to apply to my Department for access to personal information contained within the Commission archive in accordance with GDPR.
566. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of a research report on socio-economic disadvantage as a new grounds of discrimination commissioned by his Department; when he expects that a public consultation on the insertion of socio-economic status as a grounds for discrimination will be commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4237/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine the introduction of a new ground of discrimination, based on socio-economic disadvantaged status to the Employment Equality and Equal Status Acts. In addition, a broader review of the Equality Acts is also planned.Research is being undertaken at present and, following receipt of this, I hope to undertake a wider public consultation on potentially amending the Equality Acts to include a socio-economic ground for discrimination. This body of research has not yet been finalised as it has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, my understanding is that it will be completed shortly.
567. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the outcome of an application for ECCE overage exemptions by persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4270/21]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the September start date and a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the ECCE programme year.
In certain circumstances an overage exemption is granted to children with additional needs subject to an application to my Department.
Overage exemptions for the ECCE programme provided by my Department are governed by three guiding principles:
- A specialist has recommended the additional time in ECCE
- The child not reaching 6 years of age before beginning primary education as per the Educational Welfare Act, 2000, and
- If a child has already availed of the full two years of ECCE, they will not be eligible for a further year.
Where an application does not fulfill the above criteria the application is declined.
This application was refused as, if granted, the children would have been over six in their first year of primary school. In considering applications for overage exemptions my Department is guided by expert advice that children should progress to primary school with their age cohort.
Supports are available for school aged children with additional needs, further information on which can be found on the website of the National Council for Special Education, https://ncse.ie/.
Guidance is also available to parents at a local level via City / County Childcare Committees and contact details are available on: www.myccc.ie
568. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a crèche (details supplied) will receive a visit from Tusla for approval to open when restrictions are lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4350/21]
View answerBetween 11 and 31 January, access to early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services is restricted to the children of essential workers and vulnerable children. In addition, the resumption of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) pre-school programme has been delayed.
My officials are engaged in detailed planning as regards the arrangements for ELC and SAC services from February onwards. Progressing the implementation of these plans will depend on the decision to be taken by Government on COVID-19 restrictions from 1 February. To inform this work, officials have been engaging with the COVID-19 Advisory Group, which comprises representatives from the ELC and SAC sector.
There are currently no plans to include an inspection by Tusla as a condition prior to the lifting of restrictions on opening of ELC and SAC services to all children.
569. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the expected timeline for completion of legislation to extend paid parental leave by an additional three weeks; if payment for additional parental leave taken prior to the passing of this legislation can be backdated for parents whose child was born or adopted on or after 1 November 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4370/21]
View answerThe Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid parent’s leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Under proposals approved by Government in December 2020, each parent will be given an additional three weeks of paid parent's leave, and the period in which it can be taken will be extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. It is anticipated that the legislation will be introduced in early 2021.
Payment of Parents’ Benefit is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection, and I understand that it will take time for the relevant IT system changes to be made. As a result, the estimated timescale for the necessary updates being put in place is April 2021 .
Legislation is currently being developed to provide for the additional views of Parents' Leave.
The extension to parent's leave and benefit follows a number of advancements in family leaves in recent years, including the extension of unpaid parental leave to 26 weeks for a child under 12 years.
570. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on an inaccuracy (details supplied) in the Mother and Baby Homes report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4402/21]
View answerI thank the Deputy for raising this matter with me. The Commission of Investigation into mother and baby homes was independent in the conduct of its investigation and the production of its reports. I had no role or influence in relation to the inquiries conducted in accordance with the legislative framework of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004. I have sought advices on the matters raised and I will revert to the Deputy shortly.
571. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the Covid-19 protection guidelines that are in place for all childcare facilities; if there has been an update to these guidelines in recent weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4406/21]
View answerPublic health experts have confirmed that Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services may continue to operate during the current Level 5 restrictions. While no environment is without risk in relation to Covid-19, and this has been the case throughout the pandemic, services can significantly reduce their risk level by closely following the expert guidance provided by the HSE. This expert guidance was prepared specifically for ELC and SAC services by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) last May and was updated at the end of July following the initial weeks of operation. The guidance is available at https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/childcareguidance/Guidance%20for%20services%20providing%20childcare%20services.pdf.
It is important to remember that the incidence of Covid-19 positive cases in children under 13 remains significantly lower than the population at large.
The advice from the HSE is that no change is required to the Infection Prevention and Control guidance for settings providing ELC/SAC during the pandemic. Services have been following this guidance effectively since reopening last June and it has helped to minimise risk of spread of infection within settings. My Department, in conjunction with the HSE, will keep this under review and will update as appropriate.
572. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the budgetary analysis being carried out to plan for long Covid-19 impacts in his Department and each State agency under the remit of his Department in tabular form. [4481/21]
View answerI take the Deputy's reference to "long Covid-19" to mean the medical condition whereby a person experiences long-term symptoms of Covid-19.
My Department has continued to deliver on its full range of responsibilities throughout 2020 and into 2021, while working remotely for the most part. To date, any impacts of Covid or “Long Covid” have been met within the budgetary resources available to my Department. While the full effect of any impacts of Long Covid-19 on my Department’s staffing cohort has not yet emerged, the situation is being monitored and will be kept under review.
In respect of my Department's agencies, neither the Adoption Authority of Ireland nor Oberstown Children Detention Campus have identified specific impacts due to "long Covid-19" to date.
I have referred the question to Tusla and the Ombudsman for Children's Office for direct reply.
573. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will amend the regulations for the Covid-19-related additional three weeks maternity and parental leave to allow women and parents finishing their maternity leave before April 2021 to add the extra three weeks of parental leave to the end of their existing maternity leave rather than having to return to work before being able to take the extra leave from April 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4500/21]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Maternity Protection Acts provide for up to 26 weeks paid Maternity Leave, and a further 16 weeks unpaid leave. Where a child is born prematurely, additional weeks may be available.
In addition, the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid Parents' Leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Under proposals approved by Government in December 2020, each parent will be given an additional three weeks of paid Parents' Leave, and the period in which it can be taken will be extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.
Payment of Parents’ Benefit is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection, and I understand that it will take time for the relevant IT system changes to be made. As a result, the estimated timescale for the necessary updates being put in place is April 2021.
Legislation is currently being developed to provide for the additional views of Parents' Leave. I am examining whether it may be possible for Parents' Leave to be taken in advance of these changes and the benefit claimed retrospectively once the legislation has been enacted. I will take advice from Parliamentary Counsel to ensure that it is possible to draft the legislation in this way. I will ensure that parents are fully informed of their entitlements in this regard as soon as possible.
The extension to Parents' Leave and Benefit follows a number of advancements in family leaves in recent years, including the extension of unpaid Parental Leave to 26 weeks for a child under 12 years.
574. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of printed copies of the final report of the Commission of Investigation Into Mother and Baby Homes requested by and sent to survivors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4501/21]
View answerA printed copy of the Final Report of the Commission is available to any survivor who wishes to have one.
The Report was made available in digital format in the first instance so as to immediately make it available to the widest possible audience. This is particularly important having regard to the sheer size of the report and the challenges which arise in disseminating hard copies, due in part to current necessary public health restrictions.
On the 13th January, my Department issued an email to our contact list of survivors and advocates and posted a notice on my Department's website, to outline how survivors and their advocates could secure a copy of the report. My Department can be contacted at 01-6473200 from Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 6pm, or by emailing motherandbabyhomes@equality.gov.ie. There is no charge for any former resident to be provided with a copy of the report.
The Department has an abridged version of the Report, containing the main chapters such as the Executive Summary, Recommendations, and of course, the key chapters containing Survivors’ own stories, for any survivor who requests one. The Department also has printed copies of the full report (comprising six volumes of almost 3,000 pages and weighing 8.5kg) which if preferred, are also available for any survivor who requests one. My Department has limited stocks of both formats but additional copies will be produced to meet demand.
My officials has procuring the services of a third party to deliver hard copies of the full report, hence the need for written consent from individuals. Names and addresses will be processed in full compliance with General Data Protection Guidelines.
When the public health situation permits, the Department will also make available printed copies of the full report in specified public facilities. Further details of these arrangements will be publicised in due course.
As of Tuesday 26th January, the Department has received 196 requests for copies of the abridged version of the report. 191 copies of this have been posted and the remainder will issue this week. The Department has also received almost 400 requests for copies of the full report. Approximately 50% of these requesters have given consent for their contact details to be shared with our distribution supplier and sufficient copies to meet this demand have been provided for distribution. Deliveries of the full report are expected to commence this week. Arrangements are being put in place for the printing of additional copies to meet the anticipated demand for the full report.
575. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the white paper on ending direct provision will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4502/21]
View answer576. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of implementing each of the recommendations of the report of the advisory group on the provision of support including accommodation to persons in the international protection process relevant to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4503/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 575 and 576 together.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to ending the Direct Provision system and replacing it with a new International Protection accommodation policy, centred on a not-for-profit approach. The Government has also committed to the development of a White Paper which will set out how this new system will be structured and the steps to achieving it. The recommendations of the Advisory Group on the Provision of Support, including Accommodation, to Persons in the International Protection Process will inform the White Paper.
My Department is currently developing the White Paper, which will set out options, together with the recommended direction, for the new model of accommodation and services for International Protection applicants and the transitional processes needed to implement the model. Options for developing a not-for-profit approach are currently being examined in this regard.
A programme of consultations involving Government Departments and State bodies has taken place. The Ombudsman, the Ombudsman for Children, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, and the City and County Managers' Association were some of the bodies included in these consultations. In addition, representatives of accommodation centre residents and civil society organisations with refugee policy/practice expertise and housing policy/practice expertise (including Approved Housing Bodies) have been consulted.
Good progress has been made on drafting the White Paper and work is now focusing on testing the accommodation proposals that will be contained in it. In view of the extent of change proposed, the White Paper will take some more time than originally envisaged and I now expect it will be published in the second week of February.
577. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the gender disparity data report on Irish radio; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4504/21]
View answerWhilst the particular responsibility for the monitoring of gender balance on radio under the Broadcasting Act 2009 rests with my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, I wish to inform the Deputy that I am aware of the report in question. My Department has overall responsibility for the National Strategy for Women and Girls, and work is underway on the successor to the current strategy at present. Part of that focus will be on measures to ensure equal visibility in society of women and girls, and in that context I will seek to have the findings of the report in question considered as part of these ongoing deliberations.
578. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the absolute and relative number of persons with disabilities employed by his Department in each of the years 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020; if these persons are in full-time or part-time roles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4521/21]
View answerPart 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out the legal obligations of public service bodies to meet a target of 3% of employees with disabilities. Under the Act, the National Disability Authority (NDA) has the statutory role to report, on an annual basis, on compliance with the 3% target.
The Department reports to the monitoring committee in DPER on its compliance as at the 31st December of each year
|
Year |
Number of staff who declared a disability |
Number of staff with a disability as a percentage of overall staff numbers |
Full-time |
Availing of a work sharing Pattern |
6 month placement from the Willing, Able and Mentoring Programme (WAM) run by Ahead for placement of graduates with disabilities |
|
2015 |
8 |
5% |
6 |
1 |
1 |
|
2016 |
12 |
6.23% |
10 |
1 |
1 |
|
2017 |
13 |
5.37% |
11 |
1 |
1 |
|
2018 |
14 |
5.05% |
13 |
1 |
0 |
|
2019 |
15 |
5.23% |
14 |
1 |
0 |
The information for 2020 has not been collated and finalised for the monitoring committee at this time.
579. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the chairpersons of HEA-funded Irish higher education institutions; the term of office of each; the number of terms served by each; the method of appointment, annual remuneration and expenses for each in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3772/21]
View answerAll of the information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and in some cases is not easily accessible due to the restrictions currently in place as a result of the current public health crisis. However, the information is currently being collated, insofar as possible, and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
580. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the terms of reference of the independent person he appointed on 28 July 2020 to accelerate plans for a technological university in the south east; if there was an advertisement or tender in respect of the appointment; if the appointment was made to a person or to a firm; the value of the contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3773/21]
View answerI announced the appointment last year of a programme executive director to progress relevant aspects of the TUSEI consortium’s proposals to develop a technological university in the south east, however the appointment was made by the TUSEI consortium comprising IT Carlow and Waterford IT. As such, the Deputy’s queries should be directed to and are matters for the consortium.
581. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount received by each higher education institute under the student assistance fund; the amount distributed to students in each institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3835/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is in the attached file.
The file includes the allocations to each HEI and net payments made by the HEA to HEIs in respect of Student Assistance Fund in academic years 2019/20 and 2020/21, which takes into accounts balances in HEIs. Expenditure by individual HEIs in 2019/20, as reported to the HEA, is also included. The amount of funding given to each student is at the discretion of each HEI who operate within the overall SAF guidelines. Expenditure by HEIs for the 2020/2021 academic year is not available at this time.
It should also be noted that SAF funding for 2020/21 academic year was increased by €8.1m under the COVID-19 support package.
