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Tuesday, 30 Nov 2021

Written Answers Nos. 403-425

Social Welfare Schemes

Questions (403)

Mark Ward

Question:

403. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to extend eligibility for the fuel allowance to households in receipt of the working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58823/21]

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Written answers

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 over a full fuel season) from October to April, to 369,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed to direct the limited resources available to the Department in as targeted a manner as possible, and so it is focussed on long term payments where an applicant satisfies a means test. People on long term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and are more vulnerable to poverty, including energy poverty. It is for this reason that the Department allocates additional payments, supports and resources such as Fuel Allowance to help this cohort of claimants.

The Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly, tax-free payment available to employees with children. It gives extra financial support to families with children with rates depending on their incomes and family size. It is not considered a long-term Social Protection payment and recipients are in full time employment and are more likely to have additional resources. A person in receipt of the WFP can continue to receive the payment for 52 weeks even if their income increases.

Any decision to include WFP as a qualifying payment for fuel allowance would have cost implications and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Benefits

Questions (404)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

404. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the financial assistance that can be given to a person (details supplied). [58852/21]

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Written answers

The person concerned is in receipt of State pension (contributory) since 8 January 2016. According to the records of my Department, they indicated on their pension application that they did not wish to apply for fuel allowance and have not applied for this payment since then.

Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards the cost of their heating needs. The main eligibility conditions that apply to the fuel allowance scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualifying persons. The fuel allowance means test is linked to the maximum rate of the state pension (contributory). The applicant and their spouse can have a combined weekly household income of €120.00 above the maximum rates for State pension (contributory) and Increase for qualified adult and still be eligible for a fuel allowance.

A fuel allowance application form has been sent to the person concerned. Upon receipt of a completed application form, their eligibility for the fuel allowance scheme can be determined and they will be notified of the outcome.

An application form for the Household Benefits Package has also been sent to the person concerned. The Household Benefits Package is a set of allowances aimed at assisting qualifying recipients with their household running costs. It includes an allowance towards their electricity or gas costs, as well as the cost of their television licence.

Under my Department’s Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances. Exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet from their own resources. The person concerned can contact their local Intreo office about applying for Community Welfare Services.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Departmental Correspondence

Questions (405)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

405. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to a document (details supplied); the date on which this document was received by her Department and or her Departmental office; the actions she has taken on foot on the contents; and if she has engaged with the named service providers in respect of the contents and or the substantive issues. [58890/21]

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Written answers

My Department received the document on 16th November 2021. Officials in the Human Resources Division of my Department are currently engaging with the person who submitted this correspondence. My Department has not engaged with the named service provider in relation to this document.

The named service provider, Employability West Cork is wholly funded by my Department. In 2012 my Department gave approval to the service provider to pay for legal advice in respect of the substantive issues referred to within this document. The issues were internal to the operations of Employability West Cork and my Department played no further part in the matter.

This matter was resolved by way of a confidential legal settlement in 2013 between the named service provider and an employee of the service provider. My Department was not a direct party to that settlement.

Social Welfare Appeals

Questions (406)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

406. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a carer’s support grant appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58903/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 24 August 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. Those papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 8 September 2021 and the case was referred on 5 October 2021 to an Appeals Officer. The Appeals Officer will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Insurance

Questions (407)

Michael Creed

Question:

407. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) can get a copy of their social insurance contributions with regard to determining eligibility for a State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58926/21]

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Written answers

I have arranged for a copy of their social insurance contribution record to issue directly to the person concerned.

Pension entitlement can only be assessed on the basis of the eligibility conditions applicable on the date an individual reaches pension age. The person concerned was born in 1959.

Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment.

Factors such as an individual’s social insurance record, their attachment to the workforce, and their countries of employment affect the rate of pension entitlement. Self-employed contributors shall not be regarded as satisfying the qualifying conditions for State pension (contributory) unless and until all outstanding self-employment contributions are paid.

A person employed in the public sector as a permanent member of staff prior to the 6th of April 1995 would have paid a modified or reduced rate of PRSI. This reduced PRSI rate conveys entitlement only to Widow (er)'s and Orphan's Contributory Pensions and limited Occupational Injuries Benefits but is not reckonable for State pension (contributory) purposes, therefore cannot be included in the calculation of a standard State pension (contributory).

However, modified contributions can be combined with full-rate contributions and credits to give an entitlement to a mixed insurance pro rata State pension (contributory). In order to be eligible for this pension an applicant must have 260 full-rate paid contributions.

A contributor who has not yet reached pension age is best advised to maintain their social insurance record as fully as possible over their working life. In the event that a person ceases insurable employment before reaching State pension age, they may wish to consider payment of voluntary contributions. Information about voluntary contributions, including eligibility conditions, is available by writing to Voluntary Contributions Section, Department of Social Protection, Cork Road, Waterford or emailing volcons@welfare.ie.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy at this time.

Community Employment Schemes

Questions (408)

Robert Troy

Question:

408. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has engaged with community employment supervisors to allow flexibility on the advertisement of additional positions which were put in place through the July stimulus package, specifically for the provision of caretaker, cleaner positions in the childcare sector (details supplied). [59035/21]

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Written answers

The Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis to improve their prospect of returning to employment.

Pathways to Work 2021-2025 is the Government’s national employment services strategy; the Government’s overall framework for activation and employment support policy. The aim of the strategy is to assist people back to work as the economy and labour market recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as supporting those who were unemployed pre-pandemic. Included in the strategy are 3,000 additional placement opportunities for the employment support schemes.

Following a call for expressions of interest from existing CE and Tús schemes earlier this year the Department received a broad range of applications from CE sponsoring authorities and Tús implementing bodies. Each application submitted was for a very specific role with related responsibilities and was evaluated and scored based on the data provided. Over 2,600 additional placements have been assigned to individual schemes to date; 1,475 additional placement opportunities have been assigned to CE schemes and 1,164 to Tús.

New places were approved and assigned based on applications by CE schemes, based on the original role applied for by schemes which were assessed against a set of common criteria. Care needs to be taken to ensure that changes, post approval, do not undermine the application and assessment process which was open to all CE and Tús schemes. CE sponsoring authorities and Tús implementing bodies have already commenced the recruitment to these new placement opportunities and a number have already been filled.

The primary focus for my Department is to continue to provide quality employment support opportunities for individuals who are long-term unemployed with the objective of bringing them closer to the labour market and employment opportunities.

The Department will continue to monitor the take up of these new places.

I trust that clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Appeals

Questions (409)

John McGuinness

Question:

409. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for a domiciliary care allowance by a person (details supplied) which is under appeal will be expedited and approved. [59036/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 3 September 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. Those papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 28 October 2021 and the case was referred on 18 November 2021 to an Appeals Officer .

The Appeals Officer will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Community Employment Schemes

Questions (410)

Robert Troy

Question:

410. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department is reviewing the manner in which employment scheme referrals are currently provided to the various bodies operating within this sector; if referrals currently must got to SEETEC and TURAS NUA and back to an INTREO case officer before being eventually referred to community employment; her views on whether this is a major contributing factor to the difficulty currently being experienced by community employment sponsors in filling vacancies. [59037/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis to improve their prospect of returning to employment.

Where vacancies occur on CE schemes, eligible candidates are identified by my Department’s Intreo activation services and are referred to fill placements on schemes. Jobseekers can also register their interest through www.jobsireland.ie, the Department’s online job advertising and recruitment service website or by contacting a case officer in their local Intreo Centre. CE candidates are then referred to the CE scheme once their eligibility has been confirmed and CE is considered to be a suitable activation measure for that jobseeker.

Under the Pathways to Work strategy, my Department appointed almost 100 additional dedicated Job Coaches nationwide to assist jobseekers in their efforts to return to full time employment. The role of the Job Coaches includes the referral of eligible jobseekers to CE sponsoring authorities; if participation on this employment support would be of benefit to them.

It should be noted that all long-term jobseekers who are currently engaged with the JobPath service continue to have opportunities to avail of placements on CE, while continuing to engage with the JobPath service. This will enable people with the JobPath service to continue to receive the personalised employment counselling and job search support provided by JobPath personal advisors but also to avail of a CE placement which will provide valuable occupational activity, training and work experience.

Where a jobseeker is already engaged with JobPath and wishes to participate on a CE scheme, they inform their JobPath personal advisor of their interest and the personal advisor follows up with the Department Intreo Service. A member of the Department’s Intreo activation team will then contact the jobseeker and refer them onto a CE scheme. This ensures that there is single point of contact with CE schemes for referrals to fill vacancies. I am not aware of any evidence, to date, that indicates that this is contributing to some recent issues experienced on recruitment onto CE schemes, which are largely COVID related. My priority and the priority of the Department is to ensure that the rate of referrals to CE schemes continues to increase and vacancies are filled, while continuing to comply with remaining public health restrictions.

During COVID, a number of contingency measures were introduced to support CE schemes, including on-gong extensions to existing CE participant contracts. These support CE schemes and participants during COVID, while also reducing the number of vacancies on schemes.

I am fully committed to the future of CE and will continue to support and improve the programme for the benefit of the CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (411)

Michael McNamara

Question:

411. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) has not been facilitated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59053/21]

View answer

Written answers

Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments towards their winter heating costs.

To qualify for fuel allowance a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfy a means test, and live alone or with other qualifying persons.

The person concerned applied for fuel allowance on 18 October 2021. As the person is not in receipt of a qualifying payment for fuel allowance, their application was disallowed. The person was notified in writing of this decision on 22 November 2021.

If the person’s circumstances change at a future date, it is open to them to re-apply for fuel allowance.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Eligibility

Questions (412)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

412. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the fuel allowance is not payable to a household (details supplied) in which a spouse is in receipt of a long-term illness benefit payment; if this application will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59088/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, to 369,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

Qualifying payments for Fuel Allowance are those payments that are considered long term payments and an applicant must also satisfy a means test. People on long term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and are more vulnerable to poverty, including energy poverty. It is for this reason that the Department allocates additional payments, supports and resources to help this cohort of claimants.

In the majority of cases, Illness Benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by their GP as needing to take time out from their employment due to illness, and accordingly is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance.

People who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for the non-means-tested Invalidity Pension, subject to satisfying the relevant social insurance and medical criteria. Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition may be eligible for the means-tested Disability Allowance, subject to meeting the relevant medical criteria. Recipients of both of these payments, subject to satisfying all qualifying conditions, may be eligible for Fuel Allowance.

Any decision to extend the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance to include people in receipt of Illness Benefit would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost, which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (413)

Gary Gannon

Question:

413. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a working family payment claim in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin. [59102/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 6 August 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. Those papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 17 September 2021 and the case was referred to an Appeals Officer on 22 September 2021.

It is envisaged that a decision on this appeal will issue to the person concerned in the near future.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Departmental Funding

Questions (414)

Carol Nolan

Question:

414. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent of a charity's (details supplied) involvement with the Irish Refugee Protection Programme; the overall funding provided to date to the charity for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58813/21]

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Written answers

The Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) operates a community sponsorship initiative whereby local communities sponsor individual programme refugees or refugee families. Community sponsorship is an alternative resettlement stream that empowers members of the public who wish to become the face of welcome in their local community and provide a range of integration supports to a refugee family.

Amnesty International Ireland, in line with the global Amnesty policy of supporting community sponsorship models (in particular in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and USA), has supported the development of community sponsorship in the Irish context. IRPP has worked with Amnesty and other NGOs to establish community sponsorship in Ireland.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth has not funded Amnesty International Ireland.

Research Funding

Questions (415)

Claire Kerrane

Question:

415. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding that will be made available as confirmed by her to a person (details supplied) in April 2021 to allow their critical research into children with intellectual disabilities and autism which parents and families are waiting on to begin. [58971/21]

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Written answers

The Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Disability, Ms. Anne Rabbitte TD, recognises the value of the research in question, and had suggested to the person concerned that a potential avenue to progress the research could be via an application for funding through the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund (DPAF), which was launched on 18 October this year.

The purpose of DPAF 2021 is to provide funding for Local Authorities across Ireland to support the participation of people with disabilities in local activities, to help remove barriers to community involvement, and to support the promotion and implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in communities.

Child and Family Agency

Questions (416)

Jennifer Whitmore

Question:

416. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the breakdown of TUSLA funding provided for in Budget 2022 which will go towards supporting domestic violence services in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58283/21]

View answer

Written answers

I was pleased to announce in Budget 2022 that Tusla will be allocated €899m for 2022, which is an increase of €41m over the amount allocated in Budget 2021. My allocation to Tusla for 2021 included €28m in core funding for DSGBV services and an additional €2m in contingency funding to support challenges of DSGBV service providers arising from Covid-19.

The specific amount to be used for the purpose outlined by the Deputy is not yet established. However, I have directed Tusla to use part of these additional resources to maintain supports for Domestic Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) services and address the recommendations arising from Tusla’s Accommodation Review relating to refuge provision.

I have issued my Performance Statement to Tusla outlining the overall parameters of Tusla's financial resources, and signalling my priorities for the coming year. In response to this, Tusla will prepare its annual Business Plan for 2022 in accordance with section 46 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. This outlines the proposed activities for the year and the details of the proposed allocation of total financial resources.

It is of the utmost importance that the needs of those who experience domestic violence are met in the most appropriate way possible. I strongly support the work of Tusla and its funded service providers and I am committed to supporting Tusla in meeting the needs of individuals who experience domestic violence.

Early Childhood Care and Education

Questions (417)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

417. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if funding is available for a group (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58300/21]

View answer

Written answers

My Department provides funding to support baby and toddler groups throughout the country. This funding is available to all Parent & Toddler Groups that are organised on a not-for-profit basis and who actively involve the participation of parents in the local community. The funds are allocated through the national network of City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs).

€250, 000 was awarded to Parent and Toddler groups in 2021. Grants ranged from €100 to €1250 and the funding can be used for expenses including play equipment, activities for the children and training for parents.

Applications for the 2021 grant scheme closed on 10 September 2021. The 2022 grant scheme will be launched in spring 2022.

Parents or not-for-profit community groups who wish to apply for funding for a new or existing Parent and Toddler group should contact their local CCC for details on the programme and the application process. Contact details and links to websites of all CCCs can be found on www.myccc.ie.

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Questions (418, 419, 420)

Paul Murphy

Question:

418. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 137 of 17 November 2021, the reason the deaths in institutions including Bessborough and Tuam are not considered potentially violent or unnatural for the purpose of inquests under the existing Coroners Act, bearing in mind their numbers and the absence of burial records. [58368/21]

View answer

Paul Murphy

Question:

419. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 137 of 17 November 2021, if the power of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications under section 46 of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1948 can be used to licence exhumation for the purpose of coroner’s inquests, bearing in mind this power was used to sanction the exhumation and cremation of all but one of 155 Magdalene women’s bodies in 1993 in circumstances in which many were not even identified with death certificates. [58369/21]

View answer

Paul Murphy

Question:

420. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 137 of 17 November 2021, if exhumation is achieved, do the existing purposes of a coroner’s inquest include identification of the deceased such that DNA testing could be carried out. [58370/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 418 to 420, inclusive, together.

The final report of the Commission of Investigation, which was published in January 2021, was shared with An Garda Síochána. I am aware that the An Garda Síochána carefully considered the Commission's final report and determined that there was insufficient information available in the report to commence criminal investigation. In April 2021 An Garda Síochána invited anyone who was the victim of a criminal act arising out of the Mother and Baby Homes, or who had information likely to assist an investigation into a criminal act committed at a Mother and Baby Home, to come forward and report this so that such crimes can be investigated where possible.

The publication of the Commission’s report followed on from confirmation by the Commission, in March 2017, of the presence of juvenile human remains at the site of the former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam. In response, the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs commissioned an Expert Technical Group (ETG) to outline the options available for responding appropriately to the situation. One of the key challenges highlighted by the ETG in its report, which was published in December 2017, was the absence of an oversight body, party or state agency to lead the decision-making process in this context.

Policy and legislation regarding exhumation or coronial inquests under the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1948 or the Coroner’s Act 1962, respectively, are not matters under the remit of my Department. However, the decision to develop the General Scheme of the Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill took into account the findings of the Expert Technical Group and the advice of the Attorney General, which underlined the need for a single statutory authority to oversee the full programme of intervention (including excavation, exhumation, identification and reinternment) required at the Tuam site and other locations should similar circumstances come to light. The Deputy may wish to note that existing coronial legislation makes no provision for a DNA identification process for sites such as the one at Tuam, and which is set out in the General Scheme of the Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill published by my Department earlier this year.

I would also like to highlight that under the proposed legislation where the Director overseeing the intervention at a site recovers remains, which show evidence of violent or unnatural death, the Director must immediately inform the coroner within whose district the remains were recovered and An Garda Síochána.

Question No. 419 answered with Question No. 418.
Question No. 420 answered with Question No. 418.

Departmental Schemes

Questions (421)

Seán Canney

Question:

421. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will introduce a fair, effective and simple transport support scheme in view of the commentary by the Ombudsman on the unequal access for people with disabilities to personal transport schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58392/21]

View answer

Written answers

I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment on these matters which are more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Transport.

Child and Family Agency

Questions (422)

Alan Kelly

Question:

422. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of vacancies in Tusla in County Tipperary; when each of these vacancies will be filled in tabular form. [58418/21]

View answer

Written answers

I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond to you directly on this matter.

EU Directives

Questions (423)

Carol Nolan

Question:

423. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if legal action is being pursued against his Department by the European Commission following failure to comply with reporting or other obligations under a European Union directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58509/21]

View answer

Written answers

I have not been made aware by any Unit in the Department of any legal actions by the European Commission against the Department following failure to comply with reporting or other obligations under a European Union directive.

Child and Family Agency

Questions (424, 425)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

424. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the level of funding Tusla will be allocating to domestic violence services nationally in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58543/21]

View answer

Thomas Pringle

Question:

425. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the level of funding Tusla will be allocating to domestic violence services in County Donegal in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58544/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 424 and 425 together.

I was pleased to announce in Budget 2022 that Tusla will be allocated €899m for 2022, which is an increase of €41m over the amount allocated in Budget 2021. My allocation to Tusla for 2021 included €28m in core funding for Domestic Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) services and an additional €2m in contingency funding to support challenges of DSGBV service providers arising from COVID-19.

The specific amount to be used for the purpose outlined by the Deputy is not yet established. However, I have directed Tusla to use part of these additional resources to maintain supports for DSGBV services and address the recommendations arising from Tusla’s Accommodation Review relating to refuge provision.

I have issued my Performance Statement to Tusla outlining the overall parameters of Tusla's financial resources, and signalling my priorities for the coming year. In response to this, Tusla will prepare its annual Business Plan for 2022 in accordance with section 46 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. This outlines the proposed activities for the year and the details of the proposed allocation of total financial resources.

It is of the utmost importance that the needs of those who experience domestic violence are met in the most appropriate way possible. I strongly support the work of Tusla and its funded service providers and I am committed to supporting Tusla in meeting the needs of individuals who experience domestic violence.

Question No. 425 answered with Question No. 424.
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