Written Answers Nos. 161-180
161. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way that he plans to respond to the expert group report partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5313/22]
View answer196. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way that he plans to respond to the Expert Group report Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5476/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 196 together.
An Expert Group to develop a new funding model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) was established in 2019. It was independently chaired and comprised of national and international experts across multiple fields. It met 21 times and has now completed its work.
The report of the Expert Group, Partnership for the Public Good: A new Funding Model for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare , was published on 7 December 2021 following consideration by Government and acceptance of its 25 recommendations. Work has now commenced on implementation of these recommendations.
Announcements in Budget 2022 signaled the commitment to the first stage of implementation of the Expert Group’s recommendations. Full implementation of all recommendations will be progressed in the coming years as additional funding is secured through the annual Estimates process.
I was very happy to have had the opportunity to meet the chair of the Expert Group in advance of the Estimates process to allow the emerging recommendations to inform the developments being introduced in Budget 2022.
In particular, a new Core Funding stream for services to support improved quality, affordability, and sustainability and the establishment of an Employment Regulation Order, is being introduced and will be worth up to €69 million in 2022, equivalent to €207 million in a full year. Participation in Core Funding will require services not to increase fees to parents above the September 2021 rates.
A Transition Fund will be also available to ELC and SAC services from May to August inclusive, during the period between the phasing out of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) in April and the introduction of the new Core Funding stream in September. Transition Fund will also include the condition that services do not increase the fees charged to parents above September 2021 levels.
Budget 2022 also announced an extension in the age of children who are eligible for the universal National Childcare Scheme (NCS) subsidy and a change to how 'wraparound hours' for NCS subsidy are determined. These measures were also recommended by the Expert Group.
The recommendations of the Expert Group are designed to deliver quality for children, affordability for parents, stability for providers, and support employers to improve pay and conditions for staff. The report of the Expert Group is available here: first5fundingmodel.gov.ie/report/.
The new funding model outlined in Partnership for the Public Good comprises four key elements: two new elements (Core Funding and Tackling Disadvantage funding) and two elements which are developments on the existing funding approaches of the ECCE programme and the NCS.
These four elements, and their associated conditions, will form an interlocking and integrated system of funding which is designed to ensure progress on each of the main goals of ELC and SAC policy, and move in the direction of enhanced public management.
In order to deliver such significant change, the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare Division within the Department. Officials has been reconfigured and scheme development and ICT planning is underway in collaboration with Pobal in order to put in place the systems and processes for services to apply for Core Funding, calculate allocations, disburse funding and report on funding.
An impact monitoring element of this approach to funding is also being developed which will capture data on key indicators that it is anticipated will be addressed through the scheme including workforce pay, qualifications, turnover rates, non-contact time etc.
Progress on the implementation of the Expert Group’s recommendations will be reported in the context of the Annual Implementation Report for the First 5 whole-of-government strategy for babies, young children and their families.
163. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of applicants for the national childcare scheme in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5314/22]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare costs in Ireland. Since the introduction of the NCS in November 2019, over 177,324 applications have been submitted, relating to over 137, 000 children. 85, 000 children have received NCS subsidies since the programme launched.
76, 000 applications for the NCS subsidies for individual children were made in 2021.
164. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider regulations requiring local authorities to undertake an accessibility study on all public realm planning going forward. [5346/22]
View answerAs Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, I have no role in planning regulations. My colleague at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Minister Darragh O'Brien T.D., has legislative responsibility for public realm planning under the Planning and Development Act 2000.
I, along with my colleague Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte T.D., and our officials are available to support any work on the accessibility on public spaces and work towards this goal in the context of the functions that lie with my own Department.
165. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he and his Department can ensure early intervention in all cases in which children may be at risk, whether in public or private institutions or in any way dependent on support arising from their vulnerability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5341/22]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. If I, or my officials, become aware of a situation in which a child is considered to be at risk, that concern is communicated to Tusla as a matter of urgency.
If a child appears to be at risk of harm or neglect, the concerns should be reported to Tusla. Anyone can report a concern about a child to Tusla, and information on how to do so is available on the Tusla website. If a child is at immediate risk or in danger, An Garda Síochána (AGS) should be alerted without delay.
Tusla acts urgently on notification of an immediate risk to a child. Children who are in a situation of immediate risk may initially be dealt with by AGS or by Tusla, but in the main both agencies work together in such cases. Referrals to Tusla increased by 8% in 2021.
Tusla has an out of hours emergency number for AGS which provides advice to the AGS based on the circumstances and also can identify where a child is listed on the Child Protection Notification System. There is a 24/7 'out of hours' social work team available in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Cork and on call social workers in other areas. Tusla has a network of emergency foster care placements for children in need of emergency care out of hours.
Gardaí have specific powers under Section 12 of the Child Care Act to remove a child from a situation of danger, and under Section 13 of that same act, to deliver that child into the custody of Tusla. Tusla will at that point carry out an assessment to determine the child's needs. This may in some cases include applying for an Emergency Care Order. In all cases, a plan will be put in place to ensure that the child is safe from harm. Where a child is already in care, Tusla will make a determination as to whether the child is safe in their placement or if they need to be moved.
In April 2021 Tusla published research undertaken by National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) which examined the actions undertaken by Tusla social workers when AGS transfer custody of a child to their care, following the AGS removing the child under Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991.
A total of 452 cases recorded in Tusla’s Section 12 database for the period July 1st 2016 to June 30th 2017 were analysed. The findings showed that most of the children were aged 15 to 17 years and there were slightly more boys than girls. The research also showed that the most commonly reported reasons for invoking a Section 12 were:
- Severe parenting difficulties
- Parental Alcohol/Drug Abuse
- Child behaviour difficulties.
As the data for the report was collected in 2016/2017 many of the findings of the report, and subsequent recommendations, have been addressed through ongoing service development and improvement in Tusla, including, as mentioned, the standardised processes of communication between Tusla and AGS.
In relation to children in institutions, HIQA inspect all Tusla children's residential centres and the Registration Unit in Tusla inspect and register voluntary and privately run children's residential centres. Reports of inspections are available on the HIQA and Tusla websites.
166. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the development of the successor to the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures National Policy Framework for Children and Young People including consultation mechanisms to ensure the voices of children and young persons are heard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5437/22]
View answerCarefully listening to the voices of children and young people is centrally important when devising any new policy which will affect their lives. It is particularly important now that we are developing a successor policy framework to Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People.
On Thursday, 27 January I launched a public consultation which will give children and young people, parents, practitioners and others working with children and young people, as well as the wider public, the opportunity to input into the successor framework. This consultation seeks general views on what is going well in children and young people's lives, and what is not going well. I am looking forward to working with my officials to ensure the feedback we receive from the whole of society influences the new policy framework when the consultation closes on Monday, 28 February.
However, I also recognise that we need to take additional steps to listen to the voices of groups who have not been heard sufficiently in the past. My Department has studied the many consultations undertaken by Government in the recent past to identify cohorts with whom specific consultation will be required. My Department will also make use of existing Government consultations to inform a policy framework which will deliver meaningful change in children and young people's lives.
The new policy framework will be developed to incorporate the EU Child Guarantee National Action Plan, which I will bring to government shortly. The plan will address a number of critical matters: securing free access to early childhood education and care; education; healthcare for children in need; healthy nutrition; and adequate housing.
With a strong focus on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and having regard to the government's wellbeing framework, the new framework will be one which can promote social progress and better standards of life and deliver the special care and assistance due to all children, particularly the most vulnerable.
167. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on whether children and young persons are one of the cohorts most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic given the loss of social outlets during lockdowns; and the funding he will provide to ensure a fair and equitable recovery for children and young persons including but not limited to the Tusla family support service grant and local youth club grant. [5366/22]
View answer186. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures his Department is putting in place to support children and young persons in Ireland’s development, following the easing of public health restrictions in January 2022. [5484/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 186 together.
Thank you Deputies for your parliamentary questions pertaining to the actions taken by my Department to ensure a fair and equitable recovery for children and young people from the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the negative impact that Covid-19 has had on all our people both young and old. Secondly, I would like to commend our children and young people for the way they have dealt with the impact of the pandemic on their lives. The loss of social outlets during lockdowns has been felt across our society and my Department has put a number of measures in place to aid the recovery of our children and young people from the impacts of the pandemic.
Given the importance of early learning and childcare for children, their families, and society more broadly, I have put in place a range of supports for the early learning and childcare sector since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic.
Supports include tailored funding arrangements during periods of closure and restricted access to services, a range of capital programmes, an antigen programme, sector-specific infection prevention and control guidance, and access to the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS).
Ensuring that early learning and childcare services can continue to operate safely for children, families and staff, is among the key objectives of these supports.
While there has been an easing of many restrictions more broadly, the current position is that early learning and childcare services should continue to operate under sector-specific infection prevention and control guidance. This approach is in line with schools and is in effect until 28 February 2022.
To defray the additional costs associated with this guidance and to ensure these costs were not passed onto parents through higher fees, early learning and childcare providers continue to be eligible to access the EWSS, with an exemption to the turnover rule, which I negotiated for the sector. With the value of EWSS at standard rates since 1 February, estimated to cost €22m per month, the support under EWSS remains in excess of what is required to support the implementation of sector-specific infection prevention and control guidance.
Throughout the pandemic, my Department has been engaging with children and young people to learn about their experience during the pandemic.
In the summer of 2020, my Department, the Department of Health and the youth sector, collaborated with SpunOut.ie to undertake an online survey of young people’s experiences of COVID-19. A Youth Advisory Group worked with officers from my Department to guide the development and analysis of the consultation.
The consultation asked young people about what has been working well for them and the challenges in maintaining their wellbeing during COVID-19. This engagement by my Department gave young people a chance to provide us with feedback on what could be useful in improving their mental health and wellbeing over the coming months.
The ‘Supporting Children’ media campaign which ran from June to September 2020, and for a further six weeks following the increased restrictions at the beginning of 2021, was also created in response to the pandemic and the identification of a need for awareness raising in respect of the systems and supports available to vulnerable children, young people and families.
The Growing up in Ireland Survey has tracked the outcomes for children before and during the pandemic. The survey showed that many children spent less time with friends and participated in organised activities less during the pandemic.
Children and Young People Services Committees (CYPSC) have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and have utilised my Department’s programme funding to help coordinate initiatives in response to identified needs for children and young people and their families. Examples of this important work include the delivery of school meals, family educational and activity packs, and food packs to local families. This work is being done in collaboration with local partners in the Community & Voluntary sector, such as the Children’s Rights Alliance. This work is ongoing, with CYPSCs continuing to identify and address the needs of disadvantaged communities throughout the pandemic.
Supporting parents and enabling them to fulfil their roles will be vital as the country recovers from the impacts of the pandemic.
My Department is currently finalising a national model for parenting supports, which seeks to support all parents to be confident and capable in their parenting role, and to achieve the best outcomes for children and families. The model will be published later this year, and recognises the importance of all persons who play a parenting role in the lives of children and young people.
Recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic will also be a key focus in the successor framework to Better Outcomes; Brighter Futures, which is currently being developed by my Department.
168. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the publication date of Tusla’s review into the provision of accommodation for victims of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5322/22]
View answerI informed the Deputy in December 2021 that Tusla’s review to which she refers is completed. I had intended that it would have been published in January. I intend to submit a joint Memorandum for the Information of the Government with my colleague Minister Mc Entee on the matter shortly, at which time Tusla will publish the Review.
Tusla’s Accommodation Review has examined the current level of refuge provision, evidence of demand for services, unmet need and the proximity to refuge by local communities. The Review has made a number of recommendations on the location of refuge facilities, funding and future configuration of services that will support the needs of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV).
A draft of the Review has been shared with all stakeholders on the Monitoring Committee of the 2nd national DSGBV strategy.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has agreed that the Department of Justice will be the lead Department with responsibility for responding to DSGBV. On 18 January, I met with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice to discuss this integrated and dedicated response to DSGBV and to ensure prompt advancement of actions to address this issue. Earlier this week we met with Opposition leaders to further discuss this important matter.
I am committed to ensuring that the findings of the Review will inform the approach to refuge provision and will also inform the strategic actions under the forthcoming Third National Strategy on DSGBV.
169. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans with regard to the expansion of parent’s leave in 2022; if the leave will be granted retrospectively in respect of children born before its intended introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5316/22]
View answerProvision has been made in Budget 2022 to increase the number of weeks of Parent's Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents from five weeks to seven weeks from July 2022. The additional two weeks’ leave and benefit will apply to parents of children who are under the age of 2 in July 2022, or in the case of adoption, children who have been placed with their parents for less than two years at that point. The extension of Parent’s Leave and Benefit will require the making of an Order as well as amendments to social protection legislation, which the Department of Social Protection will bring forward. Practical changes to the Department of Social Protection benefit systems will also be required.
No date for implementation is yet available but a date will be publicized in due course.
171. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Cork City Council does not employ a disability officer. [5345/22]
View answerThere is no statutory requirement for a disability officer in public bodies, but there is a statutory requirement to authorise an access officer.
To support persons who may have particular needs, section 26 of the Disability Act 2005 requires the authorisation of at least one officer of a public body to provide or arrange for and co-ordinate the provision of assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities in accessing its services. This officer is referred to as an 'access officer' in the Act.
I am contacting the CEO of Cork City Council in relation to these statutory obligations.
174. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way that Tusla has responded to the arrival of 36 unaccompanied child refugees in 2021; the supports that were made available to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5442/22]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a dedicated social work team for Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP). Over the past 20 years the SCSIP Team has developed expertise through Ireland’s participation in International Refugee Protection Programmes and by caring for the greater number of separated children seeking international protection who arrive unannounced at Irish ports and airports.
Children who arrive in Ireland as separated children seeking international protection are received into care. These children are placed by Tusla either in specialist residential care centres with a maximum of six children, or with specifically recruited foster families under a Failte Foster care programme. The children are automatically entitled as children in care to a medical card, access to education services and have a social worker allocated to them.
I was delighted to secure €5 million funding for Tusla to ensure Ireland could honor its 2018 commitment to receiving 36 separated children seeking international protection from Greece under the European Union Relief Projects. By end 2021, 37 children, including one infant, had arrived in Ireland from Greece.
The age range of the group, excluding the infant, was from 10 years to 17 years old at date of relocation. 7 of these young people have reached 18 years of age and are now in receipt of Tusla aftercare services while the other children are placed in residential group homes, foster care or transitional foster care for older teenagers. All were allocated a Social Worker and had a Care Plan. School placements, medical treatment and dental treatment were provided. The young people were enrolled in English language support and had therapeutic supports available to them.
In addition, the young people had recourse to legal advisors and were supported in their applications for reunification with displaced family members.
175. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress of the Tusla review of the provision of accommodation for victims of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5436/22]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that the review by Tusla to which she refers is completed. I had intended that it would have been published in January. I intend to submit a joint Memorandum for the Information of the Government with my colleague Minister Mc Entee on the matter shortly, at which time Tusla will publish the Review.
Tusla’s Accommodation Review has examined the current level of refuge provision, evidence of demand for services, unmet need and the proximity to refuge by local communities. The Review has made a number of recommendations on the location of refuge facilities, funding and future configuration of services that will support the needs of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV).
A draft of the Review has been shared with all stakeholders on the Monitoring Committee of the 2nd national DSGBV strategy.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has agreed that the Department of Justice will be the lead Department with responsibility for responding to DSGBV. On 18 January, I met with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice to discuss this integrated and dedicated response to DSGBV and to ensure prompt advancement of actions to address this issue. Earlier this week we met with Opposition leaders to further discuss this important matter.
I am committed to ensuring that the findings of the Review will inform the approach to refuge provision and will also inform the strategic actions under the forthcoming Third National Strategy on DSGBV.
178. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the childcare supports available to one-parent families. [5162/22]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents meet the cost of childcare and to support better outcomes for children.
There are two types of supports available under the Scheme:
- The Universal Subsidy is available to all families with children under 3 years. It is also available to families with children over 3 years who have not yet qualified for the free preschool (ECCE) programme.
- The Income Assessed Subsidy is available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years. It is means tested and will be calculated based on individual circumstances. Those on the lowest incomes will receive the highest subsidies.
The NCS is designed to be flexible and accommodate busy parents’ lives. The attendance rules for the scheme facilitate the need for flexibility and recognise that, in practical terms, parents are constrained by a range of individual circumstances.
The Scheme acknowledges that childcare needs differ widely across different families. That is why subsidies are offered on an hourly basis. The NCS allows for flexible arrangements to be made depending on the parents’ needs.
The Scheme has been designed to be flexible in its application process as well. The online application allows for the parent to complete the process at their own pace, and parents have the option of completing a paper application by post. The system caters for applications from all family types, and no one family type is in any way disadvantaged.
As part of the monitoring, review and evaluation of the NCS, Frontier Economics was commissioned to undertake a formal review of the first year of the NCS, with the report published in December 2021. The report noted that childcare costs in Ireland have been found to be a significant factor in contributing to low levels of participation in employment, education and training for mothers, particularly for lone parents. The NCS was designed to make childcare more affordable and, in some instances, free. In this regard, the report highlights that among claimants of the income-assessed subsidy, around a third were lone parents. It further noted that one parents had a substantially higher mean hourly rate than couples, leading to a substantially higher mean weekly value for claims.
As part of Budget 2022, I announced a number of changes to the NCS, which will be of significant benefit to many parents.
These changes will result in more parents getting additional subsidised hours for early learning and childcare in Tusla registered services by extending the NCS universal subsidy to all children under 15 - benefitting up to 40,000 children.
A further change will remove the practice of deducting hours spent in pre-school or school from the entitlement to NCS subsidised hours, benefitting an estimated 5,000 children.
Finally, I would note the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, mentioned above, is a universal programme available to all children within the eligible age range. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks, and the programme year runs from September to June. A child must have turned 2 years and 8 months on or before the 31st August of a given programme year in order to be eligible (and cannot turn 5 years and 6 months during the programme year).
179. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the priorities and planned implementation of the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5443/22]
View answerMy colleague, Minister of State Anne Rabbitte T.D., co-launched the new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People last month. It is a joint strategy between the three relevant Departments, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Health and my own Department.
Whilst the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is leading on the implementation on the strategy, representatives from my Department will be involved in the implementation and monitoring framework and are committed to working on this important initiative.
180. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the level of resources and the reach in special schemes for parent and early childhood support in disadvantage areas such as ABC and Preparing For Life; if he has evidence on the impact of such programmes on progress for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5318/22]
View answerThe Tusla ABC Programme within Tusla's Prevention Partnership and Family Support programme, is an area based Prevention and Early Intervention initiative which is delivered in 12 areas of significant socio-economic disadvantage across the country. The programme will receive an allocation of €8.2 million in 2022, through Tusla’s core funding.
Consultations with key stakeholders are being progressed to explore what aspects of the ABC model can be scaled or replicated to broaden the reach and share the programme's learning. These discussions are considering identified needs, resources available and the scope of the programme. The National Evaluation of the Area Based Childhood Programme was published in December 2018.
In addition to the core funding for interventions delivered through the Tusla ABC programme, I have recently approved funding of over €600,000 through the What Works initiative for the scaling of proven models, including the Preparing for Life Home Visiting programme, Infant Mental Health Networks and the Early Talk Boost programme. All of these programmes have undergone evaluations which point to positive effects on school readiness, the application of mental health principles and dissemination of knowledge among key professionals working with children, and oral language development.
A key objective of my Department for 2022 is to develop an Evidence Matrix through the What Works initiative which will provide commissioners of family support and parenting support services with information on the effectiveness of different programmes.
The programme for Government commits to expanding access to effective parenting support programmes. The Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme was launched in 2021 and will provide increased health and wellbeing services in 19 community areas across Ireland. The initiatives include parenting programmes to support the mental health of parents and healthy child development. Parents in the 19 areas will be offered either the Triple P or the Parents Plus parenting programmes. Tusla are a key partner in the development of this element of the programme.
