Written Answers Nos. 1194-1213
1195. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if assistance will be provided to find a suitable placement for a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39178/21]
View answerThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
1196. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will set out a roadmap to achieve a doubling of the investment in the early years sector to 2028 in accordance with the national early years strategy, First 5, in budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39211/21]
View answerFirst 5, the whole-of-Government strategy for babies, young children and their families, commits to at least doubling investment in ELC and SAC on 2018 levels in the decade to 2028. A key vehicle to ensure that such significant additional investment delivers for children, families and the State will be a new funding model. The new funding model will be the framework for additional investment in services in return for clear evidence of quality and affordability to ensure effective use of public funding.
An Expert Group has been leading the work on developing this new funding model since 2019. The Group is independently chaired and includes national and international experts in ELC and SAC systems, funding, quality, economics, and relevant policy experts from the Government Departments who will be involved in implementing the new funding model. They have met seventeen times to date and it is expected that their report will be submitted in November 2021.
Implementation of the Group's recommendations will be dependent on budgetary decisions. The allocation of public funding to implement specific programmes or initiatives takes place on an annual basis. It is therefore not possible to set out the level of investment in future years, which will be subject to the annual budgetary process. The full implementation of the Expert Group's recommendations is likely to be a multi-annual process, with funding likely becoming available on an incremental basis. In the short term, I anticipate that the Group’s recommendations will contribute to informing the Budget 2022 process and my officials are already engaged in that process.
Further information on the work of the Expert Group and documentation related to the process is available at www.first5fundingmodel.ie.
The Programme for Government commits to implementing First 5, which specifies the planned increase in investment over a number of years, and the new funding model will enable that increased investment to deliver the types of services that align with national policy objectives, resourcing quality provision and requiring affordability for participation in the new model.
1197. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of domestic births placed for adoption in each of the years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39265/21]
View answerAs the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter, I have referred the matter to the Adoption Authority for a direct reply.
1198. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of refugees resettled in the State annually since 1 January 2015; and the number of refugees that were under 18 years of age at the time of resettlement. [39304/21]
View answerI wish to confirm to the Deputy that the number of refugees resettled to Ireland annually since January 2015, and the number who were under 18 years of age at the time of resettlement are as follows:
2015: 163 arrivals of whom 90 were under 18 years of age;
2016: 596 arrivals of whom 297 were under 18 years of age;
2017: 788 arrivals of whom 382 were under 18 years of age;
2018: 608 arrivals of whom 311 were under 18 years of age;
2019: 783 arrivals of whom 422 were under 18 years of age;
2020: 195 arrivals of whom 110 were under 18 years of age; and
2021: 64 arrivals of whom 34 were under 18 years of age.
1199. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will encourage public sector and Civil Service employers to top-up the salaries of employees who receive parental leave and benefit (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39307/21]
View answerUnder the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019, and subsequent amendments made under the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021, working parents are entitled to five weeks of paid parent's leave for each relevant parent, as defined in the legislation, to be taken in the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. The definition of relevant parent under the Act includes a parent of the child and the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of a parent of the child.
The intention of parent’s leave is to enable parents to spend time with their child in the earliest years and is deliberately non-transferrable between parents to ensure that both parents are encouraged and supported in taking time out from work to spend time with their child. This is further supported through the provision of Parent’s Benefit, which is paid at an equivalent rate to maternity, paternity and adoptive benefits at €245 per week.
Parent’s Benefit is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection. Matters related to salary top-ups for public sector and civil service employees fall under the remit of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
My Department will monitor the uptake of family leaves to ensure that they meet the needs of working parents and families, including through public consultations such as the consultation on flexible working undertaken earlier this year.
1200. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of providing and maintaining a domestic violence refuge space per year; the number of domestic violence refuge spaces that are allocated for 2021; and the amount of funding that was provided for domestic violence refuges for 2021. [39308/21]
View answerThe response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue, with overall policy coordinated by the Department of Justice. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV. Capital funding for approved housing bodies, including services that provide refuge accommodation, is currently provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Tusla has previously advised that the cost of maintaining a single refuge family place is in the region of €100,000 annually. This does not include the initial capital costs for the development of these additional spaces. Capital costs for the development of refuges are not the responsibility of Tusla, and these are not included in the above figure. In addition to capital costs, delivery of additional family units of accommodation would require significant strategic funding, planning and collaboration between Government Departments, local authorities and State agencies. With regard to emergency domestic violence accommodation, Tusla reports that 141 family units were operational as of 29 April 2021.
The Department is providing Tusla with funding of €30 million this year for the provision of DSGBV services. I have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the specific funding provided to domestic violence refuges in 2021.
1201. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the impact that short-term contracts in this regard have on the running of centres and their ability to plan for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39317/21]
View answerI understand the Deputy's question is in reference to the operations of Family Resource Centres (FRC).
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme. Tusla provides core funding to 121 FRCs in marginalised communities throughout the country, which enables centres to leverage broader community support and access funding from other sources. Tusla encourages FRCs to access all funding streams that may be available to them, particularly where a FRC may have an area of interest aligned to another Government Department or State body. The range of services and supports in FRCs differs from centre to centre, and may depend on areas of interest in the community. Accordingly, some FRCs may choose to employ staff through community employment programmes operated by the Department of Social Protection.
In exchange for annual funding, FRCs sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Tusla on an annual basis, and agree to provide a specified level of service to those who may frequent its services. FRCs operate independently of Tusla. The recruitment of FRC employees and the terms and conditions under which they are employed, are a matter for the Board of Management of that FRC. Tusla is not the employer of the staff of FRCs and the remuneration or long-term employment of these staff is a matter for their own employers. Tusla assesses the agreed levels of service, and how that service is being provided, through the annual SLA process.
I am aware that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated financial pressures for many services in the voluntary sector, including FRCs. This is why I provided an additional €7m to some 700 community and voluntary organisations funded by Tusla, including FRCs. FRCs have shown tireless commitment and real innovation in providing services in response to the needs of families at this time. All FRCs have been allocated an additional once-off 5% funding increase in recognition of this.
Tusla continues to engage with FRCs on a regular basis in relation to pressure points and other ongoing issues. I would strongly encourage any service to make contact with Tusla as soon as possible, where issues are being experienced. Tusla is available to support and liaise with any FRC that is encountering difficulties at this time.
I am committed to working with colleagues in government, Tusla and across the FRC Programme to ensure the sustainability of FRC services to meet the needs of children, young people and their families across Ireland.
1202. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated first-year and full-year cost of increasing the ECCE capitation grant by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39426/21]
View answerThe ECCE programme runs for 38 weeks each programme year. The standard capitation rate paid to providers is €69 per child, per week, and the higher capitation rate paid is €80.25 per child, per week. The programme currently provides 15 hours of free early learning and care per week.
€289.3m has been allocated to ECCE in 2021.
The following table shows the financial impact of increasing the ECCE standard and higher capitation rates by 10% for the 2021/22 programme year and for subsequent years. A 10% increase in ECCE capitation rates would equate to a full year increased cost of €28.9million.
|
Capitation Increase |
Standard Capitation Rate |
Higher Capitation Rate |
Sep -Dec 2021 Cost |
Increase |
Full Year Cost (€m) |
Increase (€m) |
|
0% |
€69.00 |
€80.30 |
€121.81 |
n/a |
€289.30 |
n/a |
|
10% |
€75.90 |
€88.33 |
€133.99m |
€12.18m |
€318.23m |
€28.93m
|
1203. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated first-year and full-year cost of increasing the affordable childcare subsidy for children under three years of age by €1 per hour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39427/21]
View answerThe introduction of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) was a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. The objectives of the NCS are to improve outcomes for children, reduce poverty, have a positive impact on gender equality in relation to labour market participation, tangibly reduce the cost of childcare for thousands of families, and establish a sustainable platform for investment in the Irish childcare sector for decades to come.
The universal subsidy is available to all families with children aged between 24 weeks and 3 years (or until the child qualifies for the Early Childhood Care and Education programme if later). The universal subsidy is based on the child’s age, and not on income. Parents do not have to undergo an assessment to avail of this subsidy. The universal subsidy is currently provided at a rate of €0.50 per hour towards the cost of a registered childcare place up to a maximum of 45 hours a week.
The increase in cost for the universal subsidy from €0.50 to €1.50 is estimated as an extra 26m per year and 9m in year one assuming it commences at the start of the programme year (commences in late August).
These figures are calculated using a funding model of the NCS which is based on key assumptions around the preferences and behaviours of parents relating to working hours and childcare choice, rates of growth in demand, and certain metrics are extrapolated from available data. It is also based on a return to the expected growth levels which were estimated prior to the impact of Covid-19.
My Department remains committed to the success of the NCS in benefiting families across Ireland, and envisage further growth in the NCS in late 2021 as families make greater use of childcare services as we recover from the impact of Covid-19.
1204. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the length of time the Covid-19 rules on the number of children in a pod will be in place for childcare facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39428/21]
View answer1216. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will advise on a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) relating to childcare in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40050/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1204 and 1216 together.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has recommended the use of play-pods in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services as an alternative to social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The purpose of ‘play-pods’ is to limit the number of people a child has contact with, to facilitate contact tracing, and to support close, positive interactions between children and their adult caregivers. This system also reduces the amount of contact adults have with each other.
The public health advice from the HPSC is that while there is no evidence base on which to define a maximum play-pod size, play-pods should be kept as small as is likely to be reasonably practical in the specific childcare context.
The maximum adult-child ratios required by the Early Years Services Regulations, 2016 and the Early Years Services (Registration of School Age Services) Regulations 2018 are unchanged and so services must continue to operate within them. In most cases there should be either one or two adults in a ‘play-pod’ in order to keep play-pod sizes small. Therefore, play-pod size will be naturally limited by those ratios.
As play-pods are an alternative to social distancing, they will need to stay in place for as long as social distancing is required. Current advice from the HSE is that play-pods are likely to be in place until the end of 2021. The HSE, in conjunction with my Department, is keeping this guidance under review and will update as appropriate.
My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees around the country who are available to assist parents in identifying services in their areas. Information on these is available at myccc.ie. Information on services registered with Tusla, including contact details and inspection reports, is available on Tusla's website.
1205. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on a report (details supplied); his plans with regard to the report; the consideration given to include the alternative executive summary as an additional appendix to the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39465/21]
View answer1218. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on and response to the mother and baby homes commission of investigation report draft alternative executive summary document. [40178/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1205 and 1218 together.
While a range of views have been expressed in reaction to the Commission of Investigation's Final Report, it is important to emphasise that the Commission was entirely independent in the performance of its functions and this independence was guaranteed in law.
It was a matter for the Commission alone to reach whatever conclusions it deemed possible based on its assessment of the full body of evidence available to it, including through the work of the Confidential Committee. The Commission itself has previously highlighted the necessity to take all of its reports into consideration when assessing its outcomes and findings. The final report alone extends to over 2,800 pages and the Commission’s Executive Summary does not stand in isolation from the comprehensive analysis on each institution and related themes.
Although the academics in this instance did not have the powers and reach of a statutory Commission of Investigation, or access to the Commission's full archive of records, their report is nevertheless a valuable exercise because a plurality of voices and analyses can add to the understanding of our shared history. The Commission's terms of reference specifically acknowledge the importance of its work in supporting further historical research. I, therefore, welcome this academic engagement and the Government has committed to supporting further research and access to records as key parts of our response to the Commission’s Report.
The authors recognise that this is a creative academic exercise and not intended to replace the Executive Summary of the Commission’s report but, rather, to examine whether alternative findings were possible to those reached by the Commission. It is important to recognise that the Commission's reports were prepared and submitted in accordance with a robust statutory framework. Therefore, despite the suggestion by the Deputy, I do not have the legal authority to append material to the report of an independent statutory inquiry.
In relation to the academic report's conclusions on the role of the State in the Mother and Baby institutions, I said very clearly when publishing the Commission’s report, that the State failed, time and again, to protect some of its most vulnerable citizens, and to uphold some of their most fundamental rights. While the Commission’s Report is not the end point of the State’s response to mother and baby and county home institutions, it provides the initial basis on which we are building a series of responses to the needs and concerns of survivors and their families.
1206. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the implementation of each of the nine parts of the accommodation section of the White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service. [39529/21]
View answerThank you Deputy for your question.
The implementation of A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service is in its early stages, and much of the progress to date has focused on development of the high-level implementation plan. The Implementation Team for the transition to the new International Protection Support Service is working closely with the Housing Agency who have developed a number of papers who are preparing a number of different advice papers which will inform key decisions relating to accommodation.
In addition, the County and City Management Association are developing an allocation key on behalf of the Local Authorities. This allocation key will serve as a guide as to how many applicants for International Protection will be accommodated in each Local Authority area. DCEDIY should have this allocation key by the end of the month and can then start to plan how the new accommodation model will operate in more detail. I have met with both the Housing Agency and the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and my Department is actively engaged with them on their proposals.
The first meeting of the Programme Board to oversee the transition to the new International Protection Support Service will hold its inaugural meeting on Thursday 29 July 2021.
1207. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of disabled persons organisations across the country by CHO in tabular form; the number of them that have been engaged with by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39682/21]
View answer1208. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the specific supports that are currently being provided to disabled persons organisations; and the supports that are planned for them. [39683/21]
View answer1209. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans to make sure that disabled persons organisations are prioritised in the constitution of the new disability steering group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39684/21]
View answer1210. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the meaning of the term "representative organisations of disabled persons"; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many disabled persons are concerned that this phrase is being used to equate advocacy groups and service providers with disabled persons organisations and that the voice of the disabled persons organisations must be championed above all other organisations. [39685/21]
View answer1211. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to make sure that disabled persons organisations are being specifically distinguished over service providers and prioritised in consultative processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39686/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1207 to 1211, inclusive, together.
Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2018. This marked an important milestone in a process to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland that has gathered momentum since Ireland became a signatory to the Convention in 2007.
Our approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of progressive realisation, each year moving forward on key reforms, with the obligations arising from the Convention being met over time.
The Programme for Government, commits to establishing a UNCRPD Implementation Plan. This Plan will coordinate and monitor progress on implementing the UNCRPD across Government departments. My Department will play a lead role in coordinating the Implementation Plan with individual Departments also having responsibility for drafting their own individual plans to feed into the National Plan. A concept paper on the UNCRPD Implementation Plan was presented at the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group meeting in June 2021. This is the initial step on the design process for the Plan.
The UNCRPD requires State parties to actively involve people with disabilities in policy development (Article 4.3). It is important that the experiences and perspectives of people with disabilities are integrated into the development of policies and programmes so that they meet their needs effectively.
My Department has funded the development of a Participation and Consultation Network to build capacity within the disability community so that people with disabilities and their representative organisations can participate fully. The Network was formed in late 2020.
The Network has an organising member and four grant funded members that were selected by an open process. The organising member is tasked with organisational and administrative duties for the Network and for providing a single point of contact for the work it is involved in. There are four grant funded members who are funded to support their involvement in the Network and in engaging and providing supports to the wider membership. There are two organisations, of the four grant funded members, which state that they are DPOs. One of those organisations represent a number of DPOs.
The Network has a total of 117 members. Members include disability organisations, disabled peoples organisations, individuals with disabilities and family members and support groups. They represent a wide and diverse set of experiences of disabilities. The wide and varied membership ensures that there is a wide range of perspectives representing the diversity of people with disabilities.
This Network is an important initiative that will help us to realise both the spirit and the substance of the UNCRPD here in Ireland. It will provide a platform for people with disabilities to become actively involved in issues that affect their lives. Their perspectives are very important in the development of policy.
There is currently no central list of DPOS in Ireland. My Department is supporting a small number of DPOs through the Network and this will be kept under review.
My colleague Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, T.D., recently launched an expression of interest process for members of the Disability Stakeholder Group (DSG). The DSG plays an important role in monitoring the national disability strategies. Applications are invited from a range of stakeholders, including DPOs, but also including family members, individuals and academics. This is to ensure that the Group has access to a wide range of perspectives on the issues facing people with disabilities and those support them.
1212. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of efforts to provide access to paid maternity leave for parents of children born via surrogacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38569/21]
View answerPolicy on surrogacy rests with the Minister for Health while policy on parentage rests with the Minister for Justice. Legislation on family leaves must be developed in the context of the legal situation concerning parentage, including in relation to surrogacy. Any changes in the legal situation with regard to parentage and surrogacy are matters for the Minister for Justice and Minister for Health. Payments of benefit are a matter for the Minister for Social Protection.
Some forms of family leaves may be available to commissioning surrogate parents. These include parental leave and parent's leave and benefit.
1213. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of front-line workers who are applicants for international protection who are in accommodation provided by the HSE in Galway city and county; if issues have been raised with the HSE regarding the suitability of the accommodation; if these issues have been addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38880/21]
View answerMy Department does not hold the information as requested by the Deputy.
As the Deputy will be aware the State has a legal obligation to provide accommodation and other support services for international protection applicants. The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department currently meets this obligation through the Direct Provision system. The system is completely voluntary and people can choose not to accept it or to leave the accommodation placement at any time. As such, front line workers who are also International Protection applicants and who are availing of the HSE scheme, may not have been living in IPAS accommodation previously.
The temporary accommodation scheme for front line workers is operated by the HSE and all queries pertaining to such are entirely a matter for the HSE.
If any protection applicant wishes to leave HSE allocated accommodation, they may contact IPAS via the helpline: ipasinbox@equality.gov.ie. IPAS will arrange for accommodation to be provided in an IPAS accommodation centre. Protection applicants may have to accept that they may be initially accommodated in a temporary accommodation location until their needs are assessed and more suitable accommodation is found within the IPAS portfolio. In relation to Covid-19 guidelines, protection applicants will not be re-accommodated in a centre with an active Covid-19 outbreak.
