Written Answers Nos. 293-308
293. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of civil servant posts that were filled through open and internal panels, since April 2020, in her Department and the bodies under the aegis of her Department, by county and by month in tabular form. [27603/21]
View answerThe staff in the Agencies that operate under the aegis of my Department, namely the Pensions Authority and the Citizens Information Board, are public servants rather than civil servants.
Details of the posts filled in both Agencies and my Department since April 2020 by way of Open or Internal competition panels are shown in the tables beneath.
Pensions Authority
Citizens Information Board
Department of Social Protection
294. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to address the concerns of family resource centres that they will not have enough space to provide group activities given the impact of Covid-19; the assistance that will be provided to ensure they comply with all health and safety guidelines while continuing to be able to cater for service users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27122/21]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, is responsible for the administration of the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme which involved the allocation of approximately €18m in 2020 towards the core costs of 121 existing FRCs.
My Department and Tusla have secured €0.62m in Dormant Accounts Funding for 2021 to support the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme. This funding will allow established FRCs to carry out maintenance works, to purchase essential equipment and furnishings, and undertake additional works and service developments required to respond to the impact of COVID-19. Tusla will invite FRCs over the coming months in each area to make an application for funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund.
I appreciate the excellent work that FRCs have been providing to families and communities across Ireland. I recognise the effort FRCs have made over the past 14 months by continuing to make their services, physically and virtually, available during the COVID-19 pandemic.
295. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to provide for the additional demand for mental health services at family resource centres; if he plans to provide supports to expand these services in line with demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27123/21]
View answerThe provision of mental health services is a matter for the Minister for Health.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency provides funding to counselling services, through a network of community-based counselling service providers and Family Resource Centres that offer the following types of counselling/psychotherapy and support:
- Marriage and Relationship Counselling;
- Child Counselling;
- Rainbows peer support programme for children;
- Bereavement Counselling and support on the death of a family member.
Tusla funding to such counselling services in 2020 was some €6.7m. This funding is provided where there is a genuine need and demand for services and where they can be provided at low cost to adults, couples, children, young people and families.
Tusla, in partnership with the HSE Health and Wellbeing and Community Healthcare, also supports the Mental Health Promotion Project across 6 Health and Wellbeing Community Referral Sites in Cork and Kerry. The Tusla budget for this project in 2021, which supports FRCs in promoting best practice in relation to suicide prevention and the promotion of positive mental health, is €100,000.
Tusla acknowledges the importance of these services at this time, given the current pressure on families, the impact of bereavement and grieving; and the need to support access to services at reduced cost given the sudden financial pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I recently met with the Family Resource Centre National Forum (FRCNF) and they described first-hand the surge in demand that FRCs are managing due to an increase in mental health issues within their communities. I recognise the ease of accessibility of FRCs for families which can provide early intervention counselling within the community at a low cost.
While FRCs are continuing to provide counselling services they can also assist and direct families in accessing mental health supports from other agencies.
296. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the way short-term funding for services provided by family resource centres such as counselling and therapy inhibits same from being able to guarantee long-term services; the way short-term funding of this nature can have an impact on the progress being made by persons availing of mental health supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27124/21]
View answerAs Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, I value all the services that Family Resource Centres (FRC) provide across the country. I greatly appreciate FRCs providing low-cost counselling, play therapy and other therapeutic services to support children and families within the community. It should be noted that overall responsibility for mental health services lies with the Department of Health.
I am conscious of the challenges posed for service planning by the annual nature of the budgetary cycle. The management of grant funding is governed by Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 13/2014 Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds which requires that all grants be expended by year end. While I would welcome further discussion in relation to this, the Public Spending Code and a move to providing long term or multi-annual funding is a matter for central Government and will require cross-government and legislative consideration.
Since 2014, the number of grant funded organisations, including FRCs and other community and voluntary organisations funded by Tusla under section 56-59 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, has increased, as has the total amount of funding provided. My Department and Tusla have worked to promote investment in FRCs and to develop a commissioning approach to ensure that funding and resources available to children and families, are used in the most effective, equitable and sustainable way possible.
297. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a schedule will be provided of IT and email security costs incurred over the past five years to date; and the contractor engaged to deliver the services and or system. [27272/21]
View answerICT services are provided to my Department by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). The provision of ICT security is part of that service, which implements a security-by-design and defence-in-depth approach to cyber security.
My ICT Staff are engaging closely with the OGCIO on this issue, who in turn are engaging with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to ensure that best practice is followed as it relates to all aspects of Cybersecurity.
For operational and security reasons, the NCSC has advised not to disclose details of systems and processes which could in any way compromise those efforts. In particular, it is not considered appropriate to disclose information which might assist criminals to identify potential vulnerabilities in departmental cybersecurity arrangements. Therefore it is not considered appropriate to disclose particular arrangements in place in relation to cyber security tools and services and my Department does not comment on operational security matters.
298. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the decision support service will become operational; and the financial investment since the inception of the service. [27298/21]
View answerThe Government made a commitment in the Programme for Government to commencing the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act), recognising the importance of the much needed reform it represents. The Government is working towards a date of June 2022 for full commencement of the 2015 Act, with the Decision Support Service opening for business immediately thereafter.
Before the 2015 Act can be commenced the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill needs to be enacted. This Bill is expected to be enacted by year end. Priority drafting has been secured and publication of the Bill is expected in the Autumn. The amendments will streamline processes, in the interests of those using its provisions. They will also strengthen the safeguards included in the 2015 Act.
The Decision Support Service has made considerable progress in putting in place the administrative and IT systems needed to operate the 2015 Act. €8,606,000 has been given so far to the Decision Support Service as follows:
€2,111,000 for 2018
€2,700,000 for 2019
€3,260,000 for 2020
€535,000 (out of a budget of 5.8m) for 2021.
299. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department is fully compliant with GDPR EU requirements and the EU network and Information Security Directive and standards with respect to his Departments IT infrastructure including Article 29 of GDPR which requires that data processors access only the data they need for their task; if ISO 27001 Annex 9 standards on privileged access are fully met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27334/21]
View answerOn the broader matter of Departmental compliance with the GDPR, I can state that the Department continues to be actively engaged in meeting the wide range of obligations that the Regulation imposes on data controllers.
Responsibility for implementation of NIS (EU Network and Information Security directive) in Ireland lies with CSIRT-IE, in Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. DCEDIY is a member of the CSIRT network.
ICT services within the Department are provided and managed by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and operate to agreed standards including the principle of least privilege.
300. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if any state or semi state bodies which report to his Department are fully compliant with GDPR EU requirements and the EU network and Information Security Directive and standards with respect to their IT infrastructure including article 29 of GDPR which requires that data processors access only the data they need for their task; if ISO 27001 annex 9 standards on privileged access are fully met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27352/21]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked the agencies under the aegis of my Department to respond directly to you on this matter.
301. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of youth workers excluding Garda youth diversion workers funded to work in the north County Dublin area in each of the past ten years; his plans to increase the number of youth workers in the area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27372/21]
View answerMy Department does not collect information of the nature requested by the Deputy.
While my Department provides funding for the provision of national and local youth services through three different funding schemes:-the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme, the Youth Services Grant Scheme and the Local Youth Service Grant Scheme; this funding is not allocated based on the number of youth workers or the youth population in an area and is instead targeted towards disadvantaged, marginalised or vulnerable young people. The recruitment and employment of staff including youth workers are matters for the youth organisations and services themselves.
The provision of youth funding in north County Dublin is delivered through the Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board. The ETB has responsibility for the governance and oversight of the funding provided by my Department for youth services in Dun Laoghaire, South County Dublin and Dublin Fingal. As additional funding becomes available, new or augmented services can be developed and an application considered by my Department under the UBU Your Place Your Space Policy and Operating Rules. The application process is preceded by a local needs analysis undertaken by the ETB. Further additional funding may be provided as part of the Estimates process, and in 2021 this resulted in a 2.5% increase to services funded under UBU Your Place Your Space. In Dublin Dun Laoghaire ETB, my Department has provided almost €7.8 million for funded youth organisations under this scheme in 2020, with an increase of approximately €190,000 on the previous year.
In regards to youth sector funding, I secured an increase of €5 million in funding for youth services in 2021. €66.8 million is being provided to youth services nationwide this year. Funding during Covid 19 restrictions was maintained. The additional funding allocated to youth services in 2021 will support the delivery of universal and targeted youth services nationwide, with a particular view to the role played by youth services in fostering resilience and developing the social and personal competencies of young people.
302. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of plans to reform the CAO system of access to third-level education; if plans will come on stream in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26966/21]
View answerA key priority of my Department is strengthening the pathways between post-primary and further and higher education. Crucial to this is the creation of a single application portal that is user-friendly, clear and offers equal visibility of all the options for all learners and potential learners in a single location.
There has been regular and ongoing engagement over the last couple of years around the CAO and transitions, not just into further education and training but between further and higher education. This has involved a range of stakeholders including the CAO itself, but also IUA, THEA, ETBI and QQI.
Engagement is ongoing between SOLAS, the CAO and ETBI to explore options for how an integrated application process could work.
303. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of progress of the Cassells report with input from the European Commission; when the report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26967/21]
View answerMy Department's Statement of Strategy, which I published on 8 March last contains a commitment to put in place a sustainable funding model for the higher education. This is essential in ensuring that our higher education institutions can effectively meet high standards of quality and performance, and achieve critical outcomes for our economy and society.
A comprehensive economic evaluation of the funding options contained in the Cassells Review was commissioned by the European Commission and undertaken by independent expert consultants. This review is currently being finalised.
This review will provide a detailed analysis of the options presented in the expert group report, Investing in National Ambition: A Strategy for Funding Higher Education” (Cassell’s Report 2016). As the Deputy may be aware the Cassell’s Report confirmed that higher education makes a hugely positive contribution to the development of individuals, employers, society and the state. The report also concluded that the approach to funding was unsustainable, and that substantial increases in investment in higher education must be made to ensure that the sector can remain viable and provide the capacity to meet the major increase in student demand projected up to 2030. This is being carefully examined in the current DG Reform review.
Since the publication of the 2016 report my Department has been working hard to deliver a significant programme of re-investment in higher education. Currently, Government provides significant financial support to the higher education sector through direct recurrent grants, and indirectly through a number of measures including free fees, funded policy initiatives, Apprenticeships, Springboard, Human Capital Initiative and student grant fee supports. Funding and policy developments taken in recent Budgets have taken significant steps to address the funding needs of the sector resulting in annual additional investment of nearly €550m in 2020 (including covid provision).
Most notably, and in line with the recommendation of the Cassells report, a new stream of employer funding was introduced upon a review of the National Training Fund. This level of investment responded to demographic pressures and underpinned a range of initiatives in the higher education sector, including a new research initiative, a substantial investment in the evolution of Technological Universities, significant skills-enhancing opportunities for individuals, sectors and regions most vulnerable to Brexit as well as updating skills more generally to prepare Ireland’s society and economy for a future world of work transformed by technology and automation.
In 2021, exclusive of research provision the total planned Departmental and NTF current expenditure funding of the HE sector for 2021 is in the order of €1.98 billion.
I look forward to the completion of the funding review which will provide the basis for determining how best additional investment in higher education can meet future requirements, in particular in supporting access to higher education in terms of the totality of the costs of participation. This is an essential to meeting a core objective of my mission as Minister is that everyone regardless of their background, age, gender, or address achieves their best potential.
304. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the demand for the skills to advance the programme for the hospitality sector; his plans to advance a similar project for those in the retail sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26962/21]
View answerA new initiative under Skills to Advance has been developed in response to a request from the Irish Hotels Federation to boost the retention and career progression of key talent in the hospitality and tourism sector. Two dedicated programmes have been developed by SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in consultation with the Irish Hotels Federation, Fáilte Ireland and the Regional Skills Fora.
Providing highly subsidised training to upskill team leads and supervisory management staff, these programmes will maximise the ability to deal with the new business environment, its challenges and opportunities.
Since its launch on 12th February:
- 12 ETBs have either started or have scheduled programmes for Developing Leaders for Hospitality and Tourism with 317 participants across Level 5 and 6
- 12 other programmes relevant to hospitality and tourism have been delivered with 90 employees participating in a range of training opportunities such as Customer Service, Training Needs Identification and Design and in Patisserie & Confectionary Skills
- To date in 2021 the total number of participants from the sector engaging in upskilling through the ETB programmes is 407.
Plans to advance a similar project for employees in SMEs, including those working in the retail sector, are in development.
305. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress on funding for the further education and training sector under the current National Development Plan, part of Project Ireland 2040; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26963/21]
View answerThe current National Development Plan (NDP) provides for the first time a dedicated capital envelope for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector. Expenditure increased from €5.5m in 2018 to €16.7m in 2020 with planned investment of €32.5m in 2021.
Expenditure of €16.7m in 2020 provided an opportunity to support a range of programmes including:
- Targeted support of €4.2m for further education and training apprenticeship equipment across 11 ETBs to support new and modernised apprenticeship syllabi.
- A Devolved/Minor Works Grant of €5.55m allocated across 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) to provide funding for minor capital projects and equipment renewal. This devolved funding allowed ETBs to prioritise and undertake a range of small-scale works and/or equipment renewal.
- Expenditure of €2m in respect of 15 capital projects spanning a range of objectives, including health and safety, access, and capital requirements emerging from Brexit. Three of the 15 projects related to works commenced in 2019, with the remaining 12 projects going to site in 2020.
- An ICT grant of €5m to provide devices for disadvantaged students during the move to online and blended learning as a result of COVID-19.
For 2021, the total available allocation for the FET sector is €32.5m. An allocation for apprenticeship capital investment of €10m was announced earlier this year. Approval of €8m for a Devolved/Minor Works Grant has been conveyed to SOLAS for the FET sector. Other funding streams in 2021 will be allocated to priorities including emergency health and safety works, projects in the pipeline from 2020 and strategic opportunities.
308. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the additional provisions being made to ensure an adequate supply of graduates with appropriate qualifications in the sciences, innovation and research with particular reference to the need to enhance Ireland’s capabilities in these areas and to fill the posts currently required and likely to be required in the future given international progress in these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5976/21]
View answerThe development of a country’s talent entails lifelong investment and commitment on the part of both the individual and the State. From pre-primary through to further and higher education and throughout an individual’s career, skills and knowledge need to be continuously enhanced if individuals, employers and countries are to realise their potential.
The role of education, research and innovation, and their relationship with skills development, are key drivers of productivity in the workforce and in businesses. This, through the work of my department, is a key component of the development of a sustainable economy and society.
Strong collaborative links between the further and higher education system and enterprise have been developed and expanded over recent years. The National Skills Council, the Regional Skills Fora, the National Training Fund Advisory Group and the Apprenticeship Council are some of our partnership mechanisms, with the education and training system, and their industry representatives. These relationships allow us to gather insights and data directly from enterprise that feed into high level national policy decisions and allow us to know exactly what enterprise wants us to deliver.
Postgraduate education delivered by higher education institutions is critical to Ireland’s research system. In addition to contributing to knowledge, postgraduate researcher education drives participants to develop their own research skills that can be applied in a range of environments, in academia or industry, at home or abroad.
It is imperative that we continue to develop a pipeline of research talent if Ireland is to realise its ambitions under the new Programme for Government and Project Ireland 2040 and my officials will be exploring this as part of the development of the next national research and innovation strategy currently underway at my department and due to be published later this year. We recognise that Ireland needs to intensify its commitment to building a knowledge-based economy in an increasingly competitive global environment, reinforcing and building on existing competitive strengths. My hope is that the Strategy will not only re-commit to the vision for Ireland to be a Global Innovation Leader but will chart an ambitious but achievable course to get there.
Key measures:
- In 2019, there were 77,815 graduates from the Higher Education sector. Of these, 4,916 were in ICT, 8,116 in Engineering Manufacturing and Construction and 6,472 in Science and Maths.
- In 2018/2019, total enrolments at Research Masters and Ph.D. level was 10,529, the highest amount enrolled since the peak of 10,774 in 2009/10. Of those currently enrolled, approx. 62% are in STEM areas.
- Technology Skills 2022: Ireland’s Third ICT Skills Action Plan is a collaborative effort by Government, the higher and further education and training system and industry to meet Ireland’s high level ICT skills needs. The plan has devised measures that will boost the supply of ICT graduates to meet the ambitious level of demand forecast for the coming years. By 2022, the interventions outlined in this plan aim to deliver up to an additional 5,000 graduates per annum through indigenous supply, with the remainder serviced by inward migration.
- Innovation 2020, set the target of increasing 1st year enrolments in PhD and Research Masters courses by 500 by 2000, this was achieved in the 2018.2019 academic year with an additional 530 enrolments compared to the 2013/2014 baseline . Additionally, overall numbers of PhD and Research Masters graduates reached 2,017 in the class of 2019, the highest amount since the class of 2014.
- The Business Expenditure on R&D Survey 2019-20 found that 31.5% of enterprises have indicated they are quite likely or very likely to recruit at PhD level in the next 5 years. Furthermore, 62% of all enterprises have indicated they are quite likely or very likely to recruit at Masters level.
- In the IMD World Talent Rankings 2020, Ireland ranked 9th out of 63 countries for workforce readiness, which encompasses the degree to which education meets the needs of employers, place of STEM in education, languages, availability of skilled labour as well as other factors related to the labour force.
- In last year’s European Innovation Scoreboard, in which Ireland is ranked the 9th most innovative Member State in the EU, Ireland performed well with its skilled workforce. Ireland came 7th overall and higher than the EU average in the Human Resources dimension, which measures the availability of a high-skilled and educated workforce. Within this, Ireland was 7th for New Doctorate Graduates, 2nd for Population completed tertiary education (aged 25-34) and 9th for Lifelong Learning.
We must continue to evolve and improve in order to meet the rapid changes and challenges of the future world of work, and to shape the economy and society that we want to have. I know that my Department, in collaboration with key stakeholders, will continue to do this work, to help ensure that we meet skills needs on an ongoing basis, and to support economic recovery and economic success.
