Written Answers Nos. 591-612
591. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount her Department has expended to date regarding awareness raising campaigns of Covid-19 in national newspapers, regional newspapers, national radio, regional and local radio stations and across social media platforms; and the amount committed to expend under any current contracts or agreements with same in tabular form. [10479/21]
View answerIn total, the Department delivered 18 public information campaigns related to COVID-19 during 2020. The aim of these campaigns was to increase public awareness of the available Covid-19 related income supports and other related Department services. Advertising included national and regional print publications, national and regional radio, as well as targeted digital and social media advertising.
The full year cost of COVID-19 related public information campaigns in 2020 was €1,832,537 excluding VAT and other fees including agency fees and the detailed spend per media channel is outlined in the table below. The below figures do not include creative costs.
2020 Expenditure on COVID 19 Campaigns, by channel:
|
Channel |
€ Expenditure (excluding VAT and agency fees etc) |
|
National newspapers |
411,588 |
|
Regional newspapers |
159,132 |
|
National radio |
627,129 |
|
Regional radio |
351,808 |
|
Digital programmatic |
153,269 |
|
Social media platforms |
129,611 |
To date in 2021, the Department has delivered 2 further public information campaigns in response to the introduction of Level 5 restrictions and a sharp rise in the numbers of COVID-19 infections.
The budgeted costs of these two COVID-19 awareness campaigns is €331,796 excluding VAT and agency and other fees and is detailed below by channel. These campaigns have not yet been invoiced, so costs below are estimates and not final.
2021 Budgeted Expenditure on COVID Campaigns, by channel (figures correct as of 19/02/2021)
|
Channel |
€ Expenditure (excluding VAT and agency fees etc) |
|
National newspapers |
133,165 |
|
Regional newspapers |
0 |
|
National radio |
63,679 |
|
Regional radio |
80,410 |
|
Digital programmatic |
42,542 |
|
Social media platforms |
12,000 |
592. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an enhanced illness benefit application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10496/21]
View answerThe enhanced Illness Benefit claim from the person concerned has been awarded. A payment of €733.34 has issued to her, paying her the full amount due for the duration of her claim.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
594. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10539/21]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered by that Office on 7 December 2020. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received from the Department of Social Protection on 8 December 2020.
The appeal is being considered by an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. Hearings are currently being conducted online or by telephone. Due to the current level of Covid-19 restrictions in-person oral appeal hearings have been suspended.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
595. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a personal public service number, PPSN, application by a person (details supplied). [10571/21]
View answerI can confirm that my Department has allocated a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) to the individual referred to by the Deputy. A letter issued on 19th February 2021 with details of the PPSN.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
596. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department has prepared legislation to implement breastfeeding breaks in accordance with WHO guidelines of two years for women in the workplace and as part of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020; the facilities available in his Department to facilitate breastfeeding breaks; if cross-Departmental engagement has taken place to address this action; if so, the status of such engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9366/21]
View answerUnder Section 9 of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004, mothers in employment who have given birth within the previous 6 months (26 weeks) and who are breastfeeding are entitled to take one hour paid time off work each day in order to breastfeed. At the choice of the employer, a breastfeeding mother may breastfeed in the workplace or express breast milk, where facilities are provided in the workplace by the employer or, where facilities are not made available, have their working hours reduced (without loss of pay) to facilitate breastfeeding. Employers are not obliged to provide facilities in the workplace to facilitate breastfeeding if the provision of such facilities would give rise to considerable costs. Breastfeeding breaks can be taken as a one hour break, two 30 minute breaks or three 20 minute breaks. Breaks may be longer and more frequent if agreed between the new mother and her employer. Mothers working part-time are also entitled to breastfeeding breaks, calculated on a pro-rata basis.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth adheres to the Provision of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007. Part 6, Chapter 2 of the regulations apply to employees that are pregnant, have just had a baby or are breast feeding. Two rooms are designated that can be used for the purposes of breastfeeding or expressing milk in the Department's offices. More detailed information on breastfeeding and lactation breaks for civil servants is set out in paragraph 9 of Department of Finance Circular 31/2006:- Implementation of the Regulations of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004, which is available at
https://hr.per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Circular-31-06-Implementation-of-the-Regulations-of-the-Maternity-Protection-Amendment-Act-2004.pdf
A commitment in “FIRST 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families” provides for a review of the relevant provisions of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 on the issue of extending the current entitlement to paid time off work for breastfeeding mothers from 26 to 104 weeks after the baby’s birth. This reflects a similar commitment in the National Strategy on Women and Girls 2017-2020.
Work is underway in my Department on legislative proposals in this regard. The provisions are being drafted for inclusion within an early appropriate Bill.
597. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to protect the records of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes prior to the dissolution of the Commission on 28 February 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9393/21]
View answer629. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider putting in place the necessary legislation to allow full access by those affected to the entire archive of administrative files gathered by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation and to end secrecy on the way the institutions and system of family separation were run; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10240/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 597 and 629 together.
The recently enacted Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another matter, Act 2020, was passed to protect the archive of records from the Commission of Investigation.
Once the archive of records transfers to my Department under section 4 of the Act, my Department will become the data controller in respect of the personal data contained in the records. I am cognisant that, on becoming a data controller later this month, my Department will assume particular responsibilities under GDPR including the right to rectification under Article 16. It is my intention to apply the principles of GDPR to applications by individuals to seek access to their personal information.
I am also committed to legislating to provide the widest possible access to early life information for individuals seeking this information. To this end, the Heads of Bill for the forthcoming enhanced Information and Tracing legislation will be ready for pre-legislative scrutiny by the end of March or early April.
As part of its recommendations, the Commission has also highlighted the potential to further develop the database it compiled during the course of its investigation. While this will require bespoke legislation, the Government is certainly committed to further development of the database and to the creation of a central repository of records.
As a first step, my Department has appointed an archivist to lead the work on the preservation of, and public access to, the relevant records within my department. This archivist is part of a new dedicated Information Management Unit which my Department has established to lead on receipt and management of the Commission’s archive, applications for access to these records, in addition to broader records management work.
598. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason for the refusal of the Tusla education service to fund a maternity leave replacement from early May 2021 to replace a full-time project worker (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9435/21]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.
599. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of early learning initiatives funded by his Department; the changes that have been made in the context of Covid-19; and the funding commitment and arrangements for 2021. [9450/21]
View answerThe Early Learning Initiative (ELI) at?National College of Ireland operates as part of the Tusla Area-Based Childhood (ABC) Programme. The Tusla ABC Programme is an area based prevention and early intervention initiative delivered across 12 areas of significant socio-economic disadvantage in areas across the country. It operates as part of the wider Tusla Prevention, Partnership and Family Support Programme (PPFS).
My Department is conscious of the difficulties vulnerable children, young people and their families may face in light of COVID-19 and the associated public health measures.
In the context of COVID-19, all services for children, young people and families have had to adapt to challenging situations. Families may have emerging or changing needs which services must address, or services may have to adapt to deliver support in new ways. In 2020, my Department launched the Supporting Children campaign to encourage all of us to look out for those who may be particularly vulnerable. It also draws attention to the robust service and support network in place through my Department and Tusla, including the Tusla ABC Programme.
The Tusla ABC Programme have reported several adaptions to services including sites ensuring that the needs of some of their targeted families from the Traveller communities, families living in homeless hubs and Direct Provision are identified are met, delivering Speech and Language services using tele-therapy and home learning packs, and strengthened collaborative planning in delivery of practical supports to children and families across Tusla’s prevention and early intervention programmes, such as ABCs, Family Resource Centres, Child & Family Support Networks and CYPSCs.
The 2021 Tusla ABC Budget has been secured and funding commitments have been communicated to local partners, including Early Learning Initiative/Docklands ABC. As of 2021, Tusla PPFS including the Tusla ABC Programme are administered as part of a general Tusla budgeting process.
600. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he expects the extension to parental leave to be implemented. [9451/21]
View answerThe 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. Legislation is currently being developed in this regard and it is anticipated that it will be introduced in early 2021.
601. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will consider issuing retrospective grants to childcare providers that paid for works in 2019 to comply with Tusla fire safety standards to re-register their businesses in view of the fact that grants were paid out later to those in the same situation (details supplied). [9522/21]
View answerThe 2021 capital funding programme is focused on ensuring fire safety in early learning and care childcare services around the country. The 2021 Capital grant funds were voted are part of the 2021 budget and can only be used for expenditure incurred in 2021. It is not possible to use these funds to compensate early learning and childcare providers for works they undertook in 2019.
I appreciate that many early learning and childcare services already hold a fire safety certificate for their childcare premises. However I am informed by Tulsa, the independent regulator of the childcare sector, that over 1, 000 services have yet to submit a fire safety certificate to them as part of the registration process. I understand that the remedial works may be needed by these providers to qualify for a Fire Safety Certificate.
Given the absolute priority to keep children safe in their early learning and childcare services, I have made the entire 2021 early years capital budget of €10.5 million available to assist services complete any outstanding fire safety works required to obtain a fire safety certificate.
If any of the €10.5 million available for the 2021 Fire Safety Grant is not required for this purpose, my Department will distribute the balance by way of a second round of grants, which will focus on outdoor play. Further detail on this will be announced later in the year. Services which have not received a fire safety grant will be prioritised in any second capital grant programme.
602. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the names and contact details for each special adviser requested for appointment by him in tabular form. [9591/21]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, on the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The appointment of Special Advisers is subject to section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997.
The names of my Special Advisers are set out below.
These appointments were made in accordance with the Instructions for Ministerial Appointments as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in August 2020. The Special Advisors can be contacted by email at contact@equality.gov.ie and via the Department's main telephone number which is 01 6473000.
|
Name of Special Advisers |
|
Eoin Wilson |
|
Tom Sheppard |
603. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children who have been referred to Tusla for suspected cases of abuse; the breakdown of the respective figures for physical, sexual, emotional or other types of abuse in each of the years 2016 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9653/21]
View answerThe Deputy refers to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct reply issue to the Deputy in due course.
604. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of staff employed in his Department by gender and by Civil Service salary scale in tabular form. [9656/21]
View answerThe table below shows the number of staff employed in my Department by gender and by civil service salary scale as of 31st January 2021.
605. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes will not dissolve on 28 February 2021; and if it will be extended for another year (details supplied). [9675/21]
View answerThe Commission has discharged the statutory function set by the Oireachtas and exhausted its remit. It has delivered its report in accordance with Section 43 of the Commissions of Investigation Act, 2004.
I am aware of recent calls from some advocates and public representatives for the timeframe of the Commission to be extended to enable it deal with concerns relating to its report and its records.
Any call to extend the timeframe of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes must have regard to the fact that the independent Commission has completed the inquiries it was established to conduct.
I have engaged intensively with the Commission to resolve the understandable concerns of survivors in relation to the audio recordings made by the Confidential Committee. The Commission notified me on Monday 22 February that it had retrieved the backup tapes containing the audio recordings from the Confidential Committee from its off-site storage. An IT expert has checked whether the audio recordings are retrievable by testing a random sample and verified that they are accessible and audible. The Commission has agreed to deposit the audio recordings with my Department, a commitment that is in keeping with other actions it is taking to transfer the rest of the archive to me by 28 February.
The retrieval of these audio recordings by the Commission is a significant and welcome development. Their transfer to my Department this week will provide an avenue for those who consented to the recording of their interview to seek access to this personal data.
It is not clear at this stage what would be gained by extending the term of the Commission. I am also conscious that there could be other, broader unintended consequences associated with extending the timeframe of this Commission when it has completed its work and so any action in this direction would have to be very strongly and clearly justified, having due regard to what it will serve to achieve and how related risks and unintended consequences can be managed.
606. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current number of live studies, reviews and research undertaken or commissioned by him; and the date by which each study, review and research is scheduled to be completed in tabular form. [9678/21]
View answerMy Department currently has 28 live studies, reviews and research projects underway. All bar two of these projects involved the commissioning of external experts.
For a full set of details included projected completion dates please see the table below:
607. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons in domestic violence refuges in County Donegal in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9711/21]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DGSBV). As the question relates to operational matters, I have requested that Tusla responds directly to the Deputy on this matter.
608. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of domestic violence refuge places in County Donegal compared to the recommended number of refuge places; the refuge capacity by county in tabular form; his plans to increase access across Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9712/21]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DGSBV). With regard to the request for operational data in the Deputy's question, I have requested that Tusla responds to you directly on this matter.
The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue. Policy is coordinated by the Department of Justice. Capital funding for approved housing bodies, including services that provide refuge accommodation for victims of DSGBV, is provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments regarding DSGBV, including an audit on segmentation of DSGBV responsibilities across government departments and agencies, which will inform future investments in this area.
The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and
Domestic Violence (known as the Istanbul Convention) sets out signatory obligations. The Convention does not set out a single standard or recommended number of refuges. A policy document "Combating Violence Against Women: Minimum Standards for Support Services", published by the Council, references two standards: either one shelter space per 10,000 head of adult population, or one shelter space per 10,000 head of female population, with specific mechanisms for measuring population and calculation of shelter spaces. In line with reporting conventions previously used by the Department of Justice, Tusla has applied the latter standard, given that this reflects the community-focused integrated response for victims, where community-based organisations and outreach supports are in place alongside refuges.
Tusla is undertaking a review of emergency accommodation nationwide. This will assess the current and requisite distribution of safe emergency accommodation. The review's findings and the recommendations of the Monitoring Committee of the Second National Strategy on DSGBV will inform Tusla's future decisions on priority areas for investment and development of services. Tusla has advised me that the report will be published in Quarter 2 this year.
It is of the utmost importance that the needs of those who experience domestic violence are met in the most appropriate way possible. I strongly support the work of Tusla and its funded service providers and I am committed to supporting the Agency in meeting the needs of individuals who experience domestic violence.
609. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of adults and children in direct provision accommodation in County Donegal in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9713/21]
View answerThere was no international protection accommodation centre in Donegal until 2019, when the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department first began to accommodate residents in Portsalon House.
The below table provides the number of adults and children accommodated in Co. Donegal for each of the years 2019, 2020 and up to 14th February 2021.
|
Year |
Adults |
Children |
Total |
|
2019 |
14 |
7 |
21 |
|
2020 |
12 |
10 |
22 |
|
2021* |
12 |
10 |
22 |
*up to 14th February
610. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration will be given to issuing a pandemic extension to carer's leave for persons that were on carer’s leave prior to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly given the impact on vulnerable persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9794/21]
View answerSection 6 of the Carer's Leave Act 2001 provides that employees with at least one year's continuous service are entitled to take up to 104 weeks of carer's leave to enable them to provide full-time care and attention to a person who is in need of such care.
Carer's Leave is unpaid but an employee may also qualify for Carer's Benefit or Carer's Allowance, the payment of which is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection.
There are no plans to amend the Carer's Leave Act at present.
611. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to reintroduce the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme for children of non-essential workers. [9875/21]
View answerAs announced by An Taoiseach on 23 February 2021, ECCE services will reopen for all participating children on 8 March 2021, without any eligibility requirement related to whether their parents are essential workers.
612. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of investments made through the National Integration Fund in tabular form; the further plans he is considering to enhance community integration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9891/21]
View answerThe National Integration Fund (NIF) is a key element of the Migrant Integration Strategy and was developed to help facilitate the effective integration of migrants, or persons of migrant origin, into communities all over Ireland on an equal basis with those of Irish heritage. Its primary objective is to ensure that barriers to full participation in Irish society are identified and addressed and it provides funding to national organisations and larger-scale initiatives to empower new members of Irish society to play an active role in their communities.
The NIF does not make investments as such but rather makes grants to organisations following a competitive funding process. Approximately €750,000 in funding was made available in 2020 through the NIF, with almost €2.3m in total funding being committed to this programme over a three-year period.
My Department will continue to explore funding opportunities to promote migrant integration at a local and national level.
The table below sets out the funding granted to each successful project under NIF 2020:
|
Name of organisation |
Funding Granted |
|
An Cumann Peile Boiteimeac, Cuideachta Faoi Theorainn Ráthaíochta (The Bohemian Football Club Company Limited By Guarantee) |
€67,500.00 |
|
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Ireland |
€67,232.70 |
|
Focus Ireland |
€173,196.00 |
|
Bridgeways Family Resource Centre |
€54,000.00 |
|
Nasc, the Migrant and Refuge Rights Centre |
€74,876.40 |
|
Serve the City Ireland |
€120,000.00 |
|
SPORT AGAINST RACISM IRELAND (SARI) |
€153,000.00 |
|
Dublin City Community Co-operative ('the Co-op') |
€206,758.20 |
|
Fingal Migrant Integration Forum |
€22,500.00 |
|
Meath County Council |
€132,480.00 |
|
Galway City Partnership |
€30,996.00 |
|
South Dublin County Partnership |
€148,773.60 |
|
Dublin City University (DCU) |
€164,955.57 |
|
EQUAL Ireland Education Research & Related Services Co. Ltd |
€165,204.00 |
