Written Answers Nos. 140-159
140. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of State pension (contributory) and State pension (non-contributory) respectively, who were also claiming an increase for a qualified adult in 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13850/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement below:
|
1990 |
Recipients without Adult Dependants |
Recipients with Adult Dependants |
Total Recipients |
|
Old Age Pension Contributory |
55,148 |
19,322 |
74,470 |
|
Old Age Pension Non Contributory |
109,271 |
8,952 |
118,223 |
|
Retirement Pension |
31,167 |
17,308 |
48,475 |
|
2000 |
Recipients without Adult Dependants |
Recipients with Adult Dependants |
Total Recipients |
|
Old Age Pension Contributory |
64,489 |
21,728 |
86,217 |
|
Old Age Pension Non Contributory |
85,481 |
5,171 |
90,652 |
|
Retirement Pension |
54,571 |
23,799 |
78,370 |
|
2010 |
Recipients without Adult Dependants |
Recipients with Adult Dependants |
Total Recipients |
|
State Pension Contributory |
215,377 |
65,042 |
280,419 |
|
State Pension Non Contributory |
94,217 |
2,962 |
97,179 |
|
2020 |
Recipients without Adult Dependants |
Recipients with Adult Dependants |
Total Recipients |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
391,427 |
58,015 |
449,442 |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
92,353 |
3,112 |
95,465 |
141. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the total receipts of her Department in PRSI contributions in 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13851/21]
View answerThe table below provides details of PRSI receipts for each of the years 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 as requested by the Deputy.
|
- |
1990 |
2000 |
2010 |
2020 |
|
Social Insurance Fund |
€1,604 million |
€3,726 million |
€6,701 million |
€10,639 million |
|
National Training Fund |
€188 million |
€311 million |
€719 million |
|
|
Health Contribution |
€140 million |
€680 million |
€2,018 million |
|
|
Total receipts |
€1,744 million |
€4,594 million |
€9,030 million |
€11,358 million |
Up to 2010, receipts included the health contribution which was abolished from January 2011 and was subsumed into the Universal Social Charge. The National Training Fund was introduced from 2000.
142. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that regular basic social welfare payments are made in the case of a person (details supplied); if their payment will be guaranteed on an emergency basis until such time as the residency element is complied with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13865/21]
View answerAs previously outlined in Dáil Questions 519 and 587, payment of a Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) in the case of the person concerned ceased on 23/12/2020 and is currently suspended pending the provision of a current Irish Residence Permit (IRP) formerly known as a GNIB card. This permit is required to verify continued entitlement to JA.
The person concerned applied for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance payment on 13/01/2021 and this claim is also pending the provision of a current IRP.
Whilst receipt of this documentation is pending, the person concerned has been receiving weekly Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) with effect from 08/01/2021.
On 01/02/2021 the person concerned submitted to my Department written confirmation from the Immigration Office that she does not currently have permission to reside in the State and that she was required to obtain a passport in order to renew her IRP. On the same date, my officials requested written confirmation from the person concerned that she has applied for a new passport through the relevant embassy together with 3 months up-to-date bank statements for all financial accounts held by her. To date this documentation has not been provided.
As the person concerned does not currently have permission to reside in the State and in the absence of any written confirmation of efforts to obtain a passport, the designated officer issued a letter of disallowance on 15/02/2021 advising that her payment will be withdrawn in 21 days if written proof of her efforts to obtain a passport are not provided. The person concerned received her last ENP on 09/03/2021.
To ensure that further ENPs can continue to issue, the person concerned must provide to my Department written confirmation from the South African Embassy of her attempts to obtain a passport together with 3 months up-to-date bank statements for all financial accounts held by her.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
143. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which consideration has been given to the extension of maternity leave for expectant mothers that have been diagnosed with cancer with a view to alleviating the impact of the diagnosis during their pregnancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13635/21]
View answerThe Maternity Protection Acts 1994-2004 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.
There is a provision within the Maternity Protection Acts to allow for the termination of additional unpaid maternity leave in the event of sickness of the mother. If a mother becomes ill while on additional maternity leave, they may ask their employer if they can end the additional leave. Subject to the employer's agreement, this absence will then be treated as sick leave and the employee may qualify for illness benefit. However, the additional maternity leave cannot be taken after the illness.
The provision of maternity and illness benefits falls under the remit of the Minister for Social Protection.
The Government has no plans to make any further amendments to maternity leave.
144. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if Ireland is deemed to be in compliance with the European Communities reception conditions Regulations 2018 Statutory Instrument Number 230/2018. [13674/21]
View answerOn 6 July 2018, the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 230 of 2018) transposed the recast EU Reception Conditions Directive into domestic law. It laid down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection and has brought us into line with the norms and standards for reception conditions for international protection applicants across the EU. i consider that Ireland is in compliance with these Regulations.
The Regulations include responsibilities for a number of Government Departments and agencies including my own Department.
When the transfer of functions took place between my Department and the Department of Justice on 14 October 2020, the Regulations pertaining to the provision of material reception conditions, which include housing, food, clothing and a daily expenses allowance, came under my remit.
The National Standards for accommodation offered to people in the protection process were published on 15 August 2019 and are fully compliant with the Directive. The Standards address a range of themes including accommodation; food and catering; individual, community and family life; health and wellbeing; governance; and meeting the special reception needs of applicants. The National Standards provide a framework for the continual development of person-centred, high-quality, safe and effective services and supports for residents living in accommodation centres. The purpose of the National Standards is to improve quality of care and ensure consistency across accommodation centres. The National Standards also provide residents with a guide as to what they should expect during their period of residence in an accommodation centre. The Standards are applicable as of 1 January 2021.
A new Vulnerability Assessment process is currently being piloted by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department. The pilot commenced in December 2020 and was extended to all new applicants for international protection from the beginning of February.
The purpose of these assessments is to determine if, by virtue of a particular category of vulnerability, an applicant is deemed to have special reception needs, what those needs are and what actions are required to address those needs.
Assessment questions are based on the various categories of vulnerability identified within the EU Reception Conditions Directive 2013/33/EU, and have been refined within the Irish context with the help of the HSE.
As the Deputy will be aware, I have now published the White Paper White Paper to End Direct Provision and to establish a new International Protection Support Service. The White Paper sets out a new Government policy to establish a new International Protection Support Service which I envision will be fully operational by December 2024.
145. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if five weeks' parental leave will commence in April 2021. [13852/21]
View answer146. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the parent’s leave and benefit (amendment) Bill 2020 will be introduced in Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13575/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 146 together.
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.
In December 2020, the Government approved the drafting of a Parents' Leave Bill to provide an additional three weeks of paid Parents' Leave to each parent, and to extend the period in which the leave can be taken to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.
The Family Leave Bill 2021 was published on 9 March 2021 and the Bill will proceed to Second Stage in the Seanad on 12 March 2021. It is anticipated that this legislation will be enacted by the beginning of April 2021.
147. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if since 2014, it is accurate to state that no funding has been provided by his Department to meet the specific requirements for support of naíonraí outside the Gaeltacht; the way he plans to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13615/21]
View answerMy Department is committed to supporting ELC and SAC services operating through the medium of Irish.
The Department’s ELC and SAC funded programmes are available to all services. In this regard, there are currently 267 services identified as naíonraí with Pobal and these services received over €94m in funding since 2014 from my Department in respect of the national childcare programmes.
I believe that there is much value in supporting the provision of services in the Irish language to children at an early age. Early learning and childcare services play an important role here, in particular in promoting Irish as a living language. Research shows that it is easiest to acquire a new language in the earliest years, and supporting young children to develop their Irish language skills whilst in early learning and childcare settings will benefit them as they transition to school, and can enable the revitalisation of the Irish language in communities.
In this regard my Department has collaborated extensively with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media (formerly the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht) in agreeing a comprehensive set of actions under the 5 Year Action Plan for the Irish Language 2018-2022. These actions are in support of the overarching 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, and are designed to affirm the importance that early learning and care settings have in encouraging the development and revitalisation of the Irish language. The aim of these actions is to build on the existing measures, supports and partnerships in place in the area of Irish-medium early learning and care, and to further improve these supports and services.
First 5, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, launched by my Department in 2018, contains two actions specifically aimed at supporting the development of the Irish language within the ELC and SAC sector. These actions involve ensuring that children in Gaeltacht areas have access to ELC and SAC services through Irish, and developing mechanisms to provide Irish language supports to services where there are high proportions of children learning through the medium of Irish.
Since the onset of Covid-19, my Department engaged with Irish language organisations and provided significant resources for parents, ELC and SAC providers and practitioners, and childminders on-line. Material was made available in both Irish and English.
In addition, the current Continuous Professional Development offer in Irish, funded by my Department, includes child protection training and training in diversity. Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta provide the Department’s programme of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training through the medium of Irish as well as the foundation level Children First training as part of the national ELC Children First implementation plan. Tusla has made the Children First eLearning module available in Irish. Online resources relating to the early years curriculum, the Aistear-Síolta Practice Guide, are available in Irish on the NCCA website.
148. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the needs of the naíonraí are excluded from the planning stages for new strategies, schemes, facilities, services, inspections and so on by his Department or its funded agencies; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this leaves naíonraí without the correct support or funding from the State; the way he plans to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13616/21]
View answerMy Department is committed to supporting ELC and SAC services operating through the medium of Irish.
Officials have engaged in numerous strategies whose aim is to encourage the development of the Irish language in the early learning and care (ELC) and school age childcare (SAC) sector. Collaboration between my Department and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media (formerly the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht) has resulted in a set of actions under the 5 Year Action Plan for the Irish Language 2018-2022. These actions are in support of the overarching 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language, and are designed to affirm the importance of ELC in encouraging the development and revitalisation of the Irish language. These actions will build on the existing measures, supports and partnerships in place.
First 5, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, launched by my Department in 2018, contains two actions specifically aimed at supporting the development of the Irish language within the ELC sector. These involve ensuring that children in Gaeltacht areas have access to early learning services through Irish, and developing mechanisms to provide Irish language supports to services where there are high proportions of children learning through the medium of Irish.
My Department also engages extensively with the ELC and SAC sector, including Irish language stakeholders on a range of issues, including development of new plans and initiatives. Irish language stakeholders have been represented at the Early Learning and Care Stakeholder Forum since its inception in 2016 and consultations conducted by my Department, including recent consultations on a childminding action plan, a new workforce development plan and a new funding model for the sector were conducted in both Irish and English
In addition, inspections of ELC services are carried out by two Inspectorates, the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate and the Department of Education (DE) Early Years Inspectorate.
The dedicated early-years DE Inspectorate team, since its establishment in 2016, conducts inspections to support a key action in the Policy on Gaeltacht Education – to enhance the delivery of inspection services through Irish in naíonraí. DE carry out inspections nationally in naíonraí. The reports for these ELC settings are published in both Irish and English. Over the past year, the DE have also developed a series of communications in both Irish and English to share the findings from inspection in ELC settings and provide advice and guidance to support internal self-evaluation and review processes in support of quality improvement. The Insights: Quality in Education webinar series can be accessed on: https://www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/leargas/. The DE are currently developing a webinar on supporting immersion language education in naíonraí drawing on the findings of their published education inspection reports in Irish medium ELC settings in both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas.
Of the current total inspection team of 20 (Whole-time Equivalent) inspectors, seven have strong capacity to engage in Early Years Education Inspection (EYEI) fully through Irish, including the writing of inspection reports, providing feedback for continuous improvement and responding in Irish to issues raised by personnel in the early years’ services. All inspectors who have the capacity to conduct EYEI through Irish are available to do so on an ongoing basis.
In addition to the inspection activity, DE have also endeavoured to provide feedback to the ELC sector on the progress and findings of their inspection activity. DE have published a revised Guide to EYEI informed by extensive consultation with stakeholders and partners in the ELC sector including Irish language organisations. All of these inspection materials are available in both Irish and English.
Tusla’s Early Years Inspectorate has shown a strong commitment to supporting ELC services where Irish is spoken. Tusla have one Irish language Inspector, and inspection reports are made available to services in Irish. Other Inspectorate documents, such as the recently published Quality & Regulatory Framework (QRF) for Sessional services, are translated into Irish and made available in hard and electronic copy. The Inspectorate engages with Irish language representative organisations operating in the sector such as Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta (CNNG).
Since the onset of Covid-19 related, my Department engaged with Irish language organisations and provided significant resources for parents, ELC and SAC providers and practitioners, and childminders on-line. Material was made available in both Irish and English.
149. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is no official recognition for naíonraí services that operate through the medium of Irish which means that there is no proper inspection or quality assurance system to ensure that Irish is the language of the naíonra; the way he plans address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13617/21]
View answerEarly learning and Childcare (ELC) services are private businesses, and determine themselves the medium through which they provide their service. My Department provides funding to ELC providers through various funding programmes to subsidise the cost of ELC, and this is available to both Irish and English medium services. There are currently 267 services that identify as naíonraí with Pobal.
Although it is not within the remit of my Department to inspect the quality of the language spoken in an ELC service, the Better Start Quality Development Services, which is a national initiative established by my Department to bring an integrated national approach to developing quality in ELC, have three staff currently working with the Department of Education on the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Pilot Project (Irish) Working Group. This is a three-year pilot project based on a CLIL approach to the teaching and learning of Irish in a number of ELC settings and primary and post-primary schools.
Furthermore, the Department of Education are currently developing a webinar on supporting immersion language education in naíonraí drawing on the findings of their published education inspection reports in Irish medium ELC settings in both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas.
My Department remains committed to supporting ELC and SAC services operating through the medium of Irish.
150. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that initial training and certified continuous professional development through the medium of Irish is not available to naíonraí outside the Gaeltacht; the way he plans to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13618/21]
View answerMy Department strives to support and facilitate early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services operating through the medium of Irish, both inside and outside the Gaeltacht.
The Department encourages all ELC and SAC services to engage in continuing professional development (CPD) on an ongoing basis to ensure quality of provision and to meet regulatory requirements. Central to training, mentoring and CPD supports are the Better Start Quality Development Service and supports for the implementation of the Aistear national curriculum framework and Síolta national quality framework, which are available in all areas of the country.
The Better Start Quality Development Service provides mentoring supports to ELC services including through the medium of Irish, and an Irish-speaking mentor can be requested at entry to this process. The foundation training courses in Aistear and Síolta, and the follow-on Aistear and Play CPD programme, are available in Irish when requested. Online resources to support services with implementing the Aistear-Síolta Practice Guide are available in Irish (at https://www.aistearsiolta.ie/ga/) through the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. The online foundation level in Children First child protection training is also available in Irish.
As part of the response to Covid-19 restrictions on ELC and SAC services, a new online repository of CPD resources and training has been made available on the First 5 website, which is available in Irish (https://first5.gov.ie/practitioners/forbairt-ghairmiuil-leanunach). Some but not all of the CPD resources available through this website are in Irish.
My Department is currently engaged in a significant planning process for training and continuing professional development in the ELC and SAC sector through the Workforce Development Plan. This work will include consideration of the availability of CPD through the medium of Irish.
More broadly, while a wide range of supports are available in Irish to services both inside and outside the Gaeltacht areas, my Department continues to examine how further to strengthen engagement and supports to our important Naíonraí services.
151. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a huge administrative burden for early years staff reporting on schemes and inspections which is even more burdensome for naíonra staff given their working language is not taken into account; the way he plans to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13619/21]
View answerIn 2017, my Department introduced Programme Support Payments (PSP) to recognise the additional time required of early learning and childcare (ELC) providers to complete the administrative work associated with DCEDIY funding programmes. The payment also recognises the time required to perform activities outside of contact time with children, such as preparing materials for sessions and engaging with parents.
For the last programme year 2019-20, €19.4 million was paid out to services in PSP based on the number of children registered in the service. An amount of €19.4 million has again been secured for the current programme year 2020-21 and will be paid out at the end of June 2021.
The City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) also provide support and guidance to local ELC providers and parents in relation to the DCEDIY funding programmes, and support quality in keeping with national frameworks and policy objectives.
Within the CCCs in the Gaeltacht areas, there are a number of Irish speakers that offer support to the ELC providers operating though the medium of Irish. The Comhar Naíonra na Gaeltachta (CNNG) development workers provide direct support to the stiúrthóirí in these services. The CCCs also offer support to the CNNG development workers or to address any issues or challenges that may arise with regard to the administration of the DCEDIY funding programmes. CCCs also provide local training to the staff within these services.
Inspections of ELC services are carried out by two Inspectorates, the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate and the Department of Education (DE) Early Years Inspectorate.
The dedicated early-years DE Inspectorate team, since its establishment in 2016, conducts inspections to support a key action in the Policy on Gaeltacht Education – to enhance the delivery of inspection services through Irish in naíonraí. DE carry out inspections nationally in naíonraí. The reports for these ELC settings are published in both Irish and English. Over the past year, the DE have also developed a series of communications in both Irish and English to share the findings from inspection in ELC settings and provide advice and guidance to support internal self-evaluation and review processes in support of quality improvement. The Insights: Quality in Education webinar series can be accessed on: https://www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/leargas/. The DE are currently developing a webinar on supporting immersion language education in naíonraí drawing on the findings of their published education inspection reports in Irish medium ELC settings in both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas.
Of the current total inspection team of 20 (Whole-time Equivalent) inspectors, seven have strong capacity to engage in Early Years Education Inspection (EYEI) fully through Irish, including the writing of inspection reports, providing feedback for continuous improvement and responding in Irish to issues raised by personnel in the early years’ services. All inspectors who have the capacity to conduct EYEI through Irish are available to do so on an ongoing basis.
In addition to the inspection activity, DE have also endeavoured to provide feedback to the ELC sector on the progress and findings of their inspection activity. DE have published a revised Guide to EYEI informed by extensive consultation with stakeholders and partners in the ELC sector including Irish language organisations. All of these inspection materials are available in both Irish and English.
Tusla’s Early Years Inspectorate has shown a strong commitment to supporting ELC services operating through the medium of Irish. Tusla have one Irish language Inspector, and inspection reports are made available to services in Irish. Other Inspectorate documents, such as the recently published Quality & Regulatory Framework (QRF) for Sessional Services, are translated into Irish and made available in hard and electronic copy. The Inspectorate engages with Irish language representative organisations operating in the sector such as Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta (CNNG).
152. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reasoning that led to the exclusion of the boarded-out children from the investigation into the mother and baby homes. [13642/21]
View answer153. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the process by which the terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes were drafted in 2014. [13754/21]
View answer154. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the then acting Secretary General at the Department of Children and Youth Affairs had an input into the drafting of and discussions regarding the terms of reference for the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation in 2014 to 2015. [13755/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 152 to 154, inclusive, together.
The Terms of Reference for the Commission were developed in accordance with the legislative requirements of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, and agreed by the then Government in 2015. The draft Government Order to establish the Commission was also approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas at that time.
The overarching objective in developing the terms of reference was to establish a statutory investigation capable of providing a full account of what happened in these institutions over the period 1922 to 1998. The approach taken involved a clear and deliberate emphasis on the experiences of women and children who resided in Mother and Baby Homes over the period.
In examining the exit pathways of children, Article 1(VII) of the terms of reference tasked the Commission with examining the nature of the relationship between Mother and Baby Homes and other key institutions – these included children’s homes; orphanages; and adoption societies. This involved the identification of patterns of referral and the practices and arrangements for the placement of children. It also included where an intermediary organisation was involved in arranging a subsequent placement.
The Commission’s final Report addresses important questions in relation to the practices for the placement of children that were in place during the period under investigation. The Commission was able to cross-reference information from the institutional records, State records, testimony from witnesses and evidence from other sources.
For this reason, it is not accurate to suggest that the experiences of persons who were boarded were excluded from the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters). This is evident in the 77 pages of detailed analysis on related matters in Chapter 11 - Boarded Out Children of the Commission's Final Report.
The process of developing the detailed terms of reference for the Commission was led by the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and supported by a high level Inter-Departmental Group on Mother and Baby Homes.
Following a motion approved by Dail Eireann on 11 June 2014, which committed to the establishment of a Commission of Investigation, the then Minister engaged in a comprehensive scoping process to define the appropriate scope and format for this investigation. The Minister was assisted by an Inter-Departmental Group established with the task of gathering relevant information and reporting to Government on the means by which these complex matters could be investigated.
The role of the Inter-Departmental Group was to inform the Government's deliberations on the scope, format and terms of reference of the Commission of Investigation. The Group comprised of representatives from eight Departments and the Attorney General's Office and was chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The process drew upon a number of cited secondary sources, in particular a number of published social histories, to complement information from records held by the Department of Health and the General Registrar’s Office.
The Group's Report was published in July 2014 and is available on my Department's website. This initial examination served to highlight the complexity of the issue and the volume of records that were potentially relevant to the work of the Commission.
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs also had regard to his consultations with opposition parties, key stakeholders and the response to the call for submissions on the Terms of Reference, all of which informed the Government’s considerations. I understand that over one hundred submissions were received.
The scope of the investigation, including the Commission’s terms of reference, were decided by Government on the advice of the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
155. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the attention of his Department was drawn to the issue of illegal birth registrations; the person or body that drew the attention of his Department to the matter; and the actions that were taken by his Department at the time. [13757/21]
View answerIn 2018, Tusla the Child and Family Agency alerted the Department to concerns of cases of illegal birth registration in the St Patrick Guild files. 126 cases were subsequently confirmed as illegal birth registrations, and the process of informing the individuals concerned commenced. The number of confirmed cases from those files has now increased to 151.
While there have been suspicions about the practice of illegal or incorrect registrations for many years, and indeed the Department was informed of such suspicions, it is very difficult to confirm cases of illegal birth registrations. This is due to a number of factors including the historic nature of the cases, and the fact that, as falsely registering a birth is and always has been an offence, it is very unlikely that records will be kept of the practice.
The State has a responsibility to reach a high level of certainty before it determines that births have been illegally registered and proceeds to contact the individuals concerned. The cases uncovered in the St Patricks Guild files were confirmed once a rigorous process was completed to ensure that the State could be as confident as possible that these individuals' births were in fact illegally registered. To the Department's knowledge, the cases announced in May 2018 represent the first time the required threshold of a high level of certainty was reached on the basis of the information on the files, and in particular the existence of a marker "adopted from birth”. There is no guarantee that the same level of evidence is to be found in relation to other historic adoption records, that would allow a suspicion to be confirmed as an illegal birth registration.
Following the discovery of evidence of illegal birth registration in the St. Patrick Guild files, an independent review was commissioned in 2018 to investigate whether there are markers to indicate a practice of illegal birth registration in the records of other adoption agencies and similar institutions. The publication of this review, which took place yesterday, had to await the final report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission, as it encroached on the work of that Commission. A copy of that report is available on my Department's website.
156. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the employer groups and trade unions his Department has consulted with on the establishment of a statutory entitlement to paid domestic violence leave in tabular form. [13768/21]
View answer157. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the dates on which the establishment of a statutory entitlement to paid domestic violence leave has been included on the meeting agenda of the monitoring committee of the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in tabular form. [13769/21]
View answer158. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that his Department’s scoping of a scheme of domestic violence leave which includes the international models and the identification of best practice is not included in the current list of live studies, reviews and research undertaken or commissioned by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13770/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 156 to 158, inclusive, together.
Since its formation, the Government has made clear that tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a key priority. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to investigate the provision of paid leave and social protection provision to victims of domestic violence with a view to establishing a statutory entitlement to paid domestic violence leave. My Department is currently examining the feasibility of introducing such proposals and has committed to developing a report to Government within six months, with legislative proposals to follow within 4 months.
As the Deputy is aware, the development of a scheme of domestic violence leave is currently being scoped by officials in my Department, which will include the examination of domestic violence leave at international level, the identification of best practice and the development of a suitable model for rollout in Ireland. This work will inform policy development and proposals in this area. However, as it is being undertaken by my officials, it was not deemed to fall under the list of live studies, reviews and research undertaken or commissioned.
My Department is engaging in a broader consultation process with relevant stakeholders and social partners to examine how a scheme of paid leave should operate to address the needs of victims most effectively. At my Department’s request, the Department of Justice convened a special meeting of the monitoring committee of the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence on 16 February 2021 to explore this issue with service providers and victims’ representative groups. A number of consultations have been conducted with employers groups and trade unions, with further consultations planned with stakeholders of the national Equality Strategy Committees falling under my Department’s remit. Written submissions have been invited from relevant stakeholders, which will identify key issues arising for both employees and employers, and inform future policy development in this area.
The table below contains details of stakeholder consultations conducted to date:
|
Date |
Stakeholder Consultation |
|
16/02/2021 |
Monitoring Committee of the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence |
|
25/02/2021 |
Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) |
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25/02/2021 |
The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) |
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01/03/2021 |
Chambers Ireland |
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04/03/2021 |
Ibec |
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11/03/2021 |
Strategy Committee of the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy |
159. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the external audit of the way responsibility for domestic, sexual, gender-based violence is segmented across State bodies is not included in his Department’s current list of live studies, reviews and research undertaken or commissioned by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13772/21]
View answerIt is my understanding that the Deputy's question is referencing my response to Parliamentary Question 606 of 24 February 2021.
While my Department continues to play a central role on issues pertaining to the audit to which the Deputy refers, the audit was not commissioned by my Department and was therefore not included in the table provided as part of my reply of 24 February 2021. My Department continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in order to finalise the audit, which is expected shortly.
