Peadar Tóibín
Question:741. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children living in State care currently. [41499/21]
View answerChildren in Care
Questions (741, 743)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:743. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children who are currently in the care of the State but not in fostering. [41501/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 741 and 743 together.
The 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.
Children in Care
Questions (742)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:742. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children who have come through State care in each of the past ten years. [41500/21]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Question No. 743 answered with Question No. 741.
Children in Care
Questions (744)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:744. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the longest length of time any child had to wait after being taken into the care of the State before being placed into foster care since 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41502/21]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Departmental Policies
Questions (745)
Fergus O'Dowd
Question:745. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current policy regarding the employment of persons with disabilities in his Department and in each State and semi-State body under the aegis of his Department; the disability quota of his Department at present; if there is an active campaign to increase the disability workforce from the current target of 3% to a minimum of 6% by 2024; if this quota has now been exceeded; if so, the details of same; if there has been an advertised competition in relation to the quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41588/21]
View answerWritten answers
Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out the legal obligations of public service bodies to meet a target of 3% of employees with disabilities. Under the Act, the National Disability Authority (NDA) has the statutory role to report, on an annual basis, on compliance with the 3% target.
The Disability Act 2005 defines disability as follows:
“Disability, in relation to a person, means a substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment.”
Under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015 - 2024 the Government has committed to increasing the public service employment target for persons with disabilities on an incremental basis from a minimum of 3% to a minimum of 6% by 2024.
In order to report on this target my Department asks every employee, whether or not they have any disability, to complete a census form and return it, in confidence and on a voluntary basis, to the nominated person in the HR Unit. Based on these returns, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth reported a total of 5.33% of staff in the Department who had declared a disability as at the 31st December 2020.
While this Department uses the Public Service Appointments to recruit new staff, the Department also participates in the Willing, Able and Mentoring (WAM) Programme which offers 6 month placements at EO level to graduates with disabilities. While the Association of Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) runs this programme, it works with PAS in identifying suitable candidates for this programme.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth acts as the monitoring committee for the collection of this data from the National Disability Authority, the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) and Oberstown Children Detention Campus (Oberstown). With the exception of Oberstown, these agencies all exceeded the 3% target. Oberstown was just under the target, having focussed its recruitment throughout 2020 on a particular area of frontline staff - Residential Social Care Workers. However, while Oberstown did not meet the statutory minimum for 2020, it did provide 4 work experience placements for people with disabilities through out the year which were not counted as part of their overall percentage return at end of 2020.
As independent bodies, the Ombudsman for Children's Office and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission report directly to the Department of Expenditure and Reform with their statistical returns on employees with a disability.
Rights of People with Disabilities
Questions (746, 750)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:746. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeline in relation to commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as to the implementation of the several pieces of legislation relating to persons with disabilities which have not yet been implemented in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41617/21]
View answer
Paul Murphy
Question:750. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are several pieces of legislation which have not been fully implemented in relation to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (details supplied); if he will share his proposal to ensure that the Government honours its commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41819/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 746 and 750 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. Initial priority has been given to meeting legislative commitments.
One of the key pieces of legislation to be progressed is the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 which is the responsibility of my Department and a commitment under the Programme for Government.
This is a very important piece of legislation that changes the existing law on capacity from the status approach of the wardship system to a flexible functional approach, whereby capacity is assessed on an issue and time-specific basis. It will abolish the wards of court system for adults by repealing the Lunacy Regulation (Ireland) Act 1871. We are working towards a date of June 2022 for full commencement.
Amendments are required to the 2015 Act before full commencement can take place. Work is actively taking place on an Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill, which is expected to be published by year-end and enacted early next year. 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 Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill is also being used to advance a number of other legislative provisions required by the UNCRPD. These provisions were previously contained in the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill which lapsed with the dissolution of the last Dáil, and include measures such as the role to be played by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the National Disability Authority in monitoring the implementation of the UNCRPD.
Children in Care
Questions (747)
Martin Browne
Question:747. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to review the rates paid to foster parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41623/21]
View answerWritten answers
There are no plans at present to change the rate of the foster care allowance. However, my Department is undertaking an extensive review of the Child Care Act 1991 and will examine foster care arrangements as part of this review. It will have regard to income support measures available to foster families generally.
I acknowledge foster carers as the backbone of child care services. Foster care is the preferred option in Ireland for children who cannot live with their parents or guardians. Approximately 92% of children in care are looked after by foster carers. More than one quarter of these children are placed with relative foster carers.
The foster care allowance is currently €325 per week per child under 12 years of age and €352 per week per child aged 12 years and over. This payment was protected during recent economic hardships and is tax-free. It is paid in respect of the child and provided in order to allow foster carers to meet all of the child's daily living needs, including food, clothing, basic travel, education costs and hobbies and sports activities. The allowance is not considered as means for social welfare purposes.
Foster carers also receive a number of targeted supports to ensure they continue to function as a recognised and valued part of the alternative care system. Key elements of this support include a link social worker, access to training and support group meetings and the allocation of a social worker for each child in care. It is important that foster carers have access to specialist services to meet the child's identified needs. Respite care for children may be arranged if it is part of their care plan.
Pre-assessment and ongoing training are compulsory for foster carers in order to equip them with the skills and knowledge to provide high quality care. Recognising the specific dynamics and the personal nature of relative care, Tusla addresses the training needs of relatives who are foster carers separately. In addition, Tusla provides funding for the Irish Foster Care Association which offers a range of supports to carers, including advocacy, mediation, training and a telephone advice service.
Health Services Staff
Questions (748)
Patrick Costello
Question:748. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 42 of 8 September 2020, the status of the 13 trainee psychologists who were being funded in September 2020; and if any additional psychologists have been funded for training and or employed since that date. [41804/21]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Child and Family Agency
Questions (749)
Patrick Costello
Question:749. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of the total budget for Tusla in 2021 that was set aside for counselling services. [41805/21]
View answerWritten answers
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 a range of counselling/psychotherapy and supports. 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.
While this Department provides the overall budget for Tusla, the amount that Tusla has budgeted specifically for counselling services in 2021 is a part of Tusla's own budgetary process. Therefore, I have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy as this is an operational matter for Tusla.
Question No. 750 answered with Question No. 746.