Written Answers Nos. 480-501
480. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 466 of 14 December 2021, the breakdown of the 1,640 persons by the number of adults and children, respectively. [5859/22]
View answerI can confirm that the number of adults and children remaining in International Protection Accommodation Service accommodation who had been granted leave to remain was 1,636 persons as of the end of November 2021.
This figure has a breakdown of 1,189 adults and 447 children. The November figure of 1,640 provided for the Parliamentary Question 466 of 14 December was provisional. It was given as an overall calculation for November and had not been finalised.
481. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status the roll-out of the baby box programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6022/22]
View answerPiloting of a Baby Box initiative for new-borns is an action in the First 5 A Whole-of -Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028. This pilot is one initiative as part of a wide ranging strategy addressing various aspects of the lives of children from birth to age five including supports for parents to balance working and caring, developments in early learning and care and health initiatives.
The gift of the Baby Box is intended as a welcome from the State for a new arrival to a family and an acknowledgement of this very significant moment for parents. The universal distribution of Baby Boxes also reflects an important equality principle that each child is given something of equal value at the start of their life. The concept of Baby Boxes has been implemented in a number of countries including Scotland, whereby parents receive a package of items to assist with the transition to parenthood. The pilot will undertake research and consultation to determine items for inclusion in the Baby Box, informed by the commitments in the First 5 strategy, and these may include safety items, toys to support early development and books.
Key objectives with the Baby Box and linked communications will include support for parent-infant bonding, information on baby development and early learning, advice and support for breastfeeding and promotion of infant health and safety.
This action was delayed by the reassignment of personnel to the Covid response. The preparation to advance the initiative is now proceeding with the first meeting of the project advisory group held on December 13. It is envisaged that the pilot rollout will get underway early in 2022. A key element of the pilot is the evaluation. It is hoped the pilot evaluation report will be finalised in Q3 of 2022. Once the learning from the pilot has been considered, the next steps to achieve a national rollout can be agreed.
482. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the agencies under the remit of his Department; the amount that has been spent on all Covid-19-related consultancy contracts by his Department and agencies under his remit in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; the amount paid for each consultant; and the reason for the consultancy. [6032/22]
View answerPlease see the below responses from my Department and Agencies for the amount that has been spent on all Covid-19-related consultancy contracts in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022. A table with the amount paid for each consultant; and the reason for the consultancy has been included where applicable.
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth – NIL
Oberstown Childrens Detention Campus – NIL
National Disability Authority -
|
Year |
Amount spent on consultancy |
Reason for consultancy |
|
2020 |
€4305.00 |
Review of COVID-19 response plan and development of COVID-19 risk assessment. |
|
2021 |
€1271.00 |
Review and updating of NDA Safety Statement, with specific focus on COVID-19 and return to work-related content. |
|
2022 (to date) |
Nil |
N/A |
Ombudsman for Children’s Office – Will respond to the Deputy directly
Tusla – Will respond to the Deputy directly
Adoption Authority of Ireland – Will respond to the Deputy directly
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission – Will respond to the Deputy directly
483. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding support provided to youth organisations and youth services by scheme in 2021; the broad outcomes which this funding has supported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6160/22]
View answerTotal 2021 Funding Provided Nationally
|
2021 |
TOTAL |
|
Scheme |
Amount € |
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme (LYCGS) |
€2,088,535.70 |
|
ETB Youth Grant |
€4,577,680.38 |
|
Targeted Youth Funding Scheme (TYFS) |
€275,264.00 |
|
Youth Information Centres (YIC) |
€3,804,476.50 |
|
LGBTI+ Initiatives |
€100,000.00 |
|
Capital - Staff-led Capital Funding |
€1,808,333.15 |
|
Current - Covid 19 Minor Grants |
€1,170,403.31 |
|
UBU - Your Place Your Space - Cycle 1 (UBU1) |
€39,770,723.55 |
|
Capital - Youth Reforms |
€78,985.00 |
|
General Grant |
€524,379.00 |
|
Youth Service Grant Scheme (YSGS) |
€12,261,540.00 |
|
Total |
€66,460,320.59 |
The level of funding supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth work sector. The funding supported the delivery of the following schemes :.
- Youth Information Centres provide young people with access to information on rights, opportunities, benefits, health, welfare and other matters.
- The Local Youth Club Grant Scheme supports volunteer-led youth work activities at a local level.
- The Education and Training Board Youth Grant provides funding to ETBs to support their work and engagement with young people
The majority of youth funding provided nationally is through the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme, a single youth funding scheme that targets disadvantaged young people with evidence informed interventions and services that will secure good outcomes.
UBU serves to improve the seven personal and social developmental outcomes. These are:
1. Emotional Intelligence
2. Communication Skills
3. Confidence
4. Planning and Problem Solving
5. Creativity and Imagination
6. Relationships, and
7. Resilience and Determination
There is strong evidence showing that approaches that focus on building social and emotional capabilities such as these can have greater long-term impact than ones that focus on directly seeking to reduce the "symptoms" of poor outcomes for young people. When applying for funding under UBU, youth services must detail which outcome their proposed activities is seeking to develop. UBU has just completed its first year and officials in my Department are focussed on improving mechanisms for evaluating the impact of these interventions.
484. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the review of the early learning and care and school-age childcare operating mode; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6161/22]
View answerIn 'First 5, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families', my Department committed to completing a comprehensive review of the operating model for ELC and SAC. The work of CCC was in scope of this review, in addition to the work of other organisations in the operating model.
The ELC and SAC sector in Ireland has grown substantially in the past decade. The objective of the Review is to ensure that the operating model is fit for purpose to implement policy relating early learning and childcare to the scale and standards required in an evolving and expanding sector, with the citizens of Ireland at its heart as core beneficiaries.
An independent external contractor has been engaged by my Department to undertake an assessment of the current operating mode and to identify options for reform. An Oversight Group, chaired by my Department, was also established and met regularly throughout the process.
I am pleased to report that this Review has concluded and a report on the Review is being finalised. I look forward to bringing this report to Government very shortly.
485. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on the statistical spotlight on discrimination in Ireland currently being carried out by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6162/22]
View answerMy department publishes a series of Statistical Spotlights (link below). These are short focused reports which draw together available data on topics and highlight patterns or trends in the data. The next Spotlight will collate available data on the topic of discrimination in Ireland. The intention of the Spotlight is to identify where there is variation in the experiences of different sections of the population on the topic of discrimination, and to identify relevant trends and comparisons.
The Spotlight includes findings on children’s experiences of discrimination and discrimination experienced by persons aged 18 years and over. The final section includes national and European data on attitudes towards discrimination in society.
The evidence gathered in the report will support the development of effective policies to fight discrimination and promote equality.
It is intended to publish the Spotlight on gov.ie no later than the end of March.
The DCEDIY Statistical Spotlight series is available here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/c2a87f-the-statistical-spotlight-series/
486. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is a legal requirement for all childcare providers to register with Tusla in advance to opening their doors for business; and if it is legal requirement for Tusla to carry out a health and safety inspection of the premises prior to opening. [6206/22]
View answerAs the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.
487. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will be travelling abroad for St. Patrick’s week 2022 on official visits; and if so, the location he is scheduled to visit. [6227/22]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that the Government is in the process of finalising the programme to mark St Patrick’s Day around the world. This will include a programme of visits by Ministers that will be approved by the Government early this month, and which will be made public immediately afterwards.
488. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 466 of 14 December 2021, the length of time the 1,640 persons have spent in direct provision in periods of less than six, six to 12, 12 to 24 and over 24 months, respectively. [6337/22]
View answerPlease note that the November 2021 figure of 1,640 people provided for the Parliamentary Question 466 of 14 December 2021 was provisional. It was given as an overall estimate for November and the full figure for November had not been finalised. The final figure for November 2021 was 1,636 people with a status or a permission to remain in IPAS accommodation.
The Deputy will find a break down by length of time, in the format requested, set out in the table below. It should be noted that some persons may not have been in International Protection Application Service (IPAS) accommodation for the full length of time noted below as they may have left their accommodation at points for various reasons and then applied to return.
|
Length of time |
Number |
|
6 months or less |
31 |
|
7 – 12 months |
72 |
|
13 – 24 months |
230 |
|
25 months or more |
1,303 |
|
Total |
1,636 |
489. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the immediate steps that can be taken and assistance that can be offered to a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6347/22]
View answer495. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will assist with the provision of permanent and or temporary accommodation for an early learning facility (details supplied) in County Kildare. [6742/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 489 and 495 together.
The Department of Education Guidelines on the use of School Buildings Outside of School Hours, see www.assets.gov.ie/24484/ca5b1787db1b47f98de31f57e977dad0.pdf relate to the use of school facilities mainly for outside of school hours but which includes pre-schools. In line with these guidelines, the issue is a matter for the property owners taking into consideration the needs of the school, staff and students. The guidelines also require that any licence should include a term that the use of facility/portion of site covered by the licence must cease should it be required for school provision.
Capital investment in early learning and childcare will be delivered through the National Development Plan (NDP) during 2021-2030. Investment under the NDP will consist of three pillars : Modernisation, New Capacity and First 5 Initiatives. This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare during the lifetime of the NDP as follows:
(1) Modernisation: Much of the existing early learning and childcare infrastructure that was previously delivered by large scale capital programmes is now in need of upgrading and modernisation in order to be fully compliant with new regulations and more recent guidelines, as well as to maximise energy efficiency. This investment will prioritise follow-up funding for buildings that were funded through the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP), with funding also available for previously non-funded infrastructure.
(2) New Capacity: Ireland is approaching the limits of capacity, with shortfalls for early learning and childcare places already evident in some areas and for some cohorts. The rates of participation in early learning and childcare are also lower than European averages. As investment in subsidisation grows in the coming years as committed to in First 5 and the Programme for Government, demand from parents will also increase.
In the coming years, NDP capital funding allocated to early learning and childcare will be used to increase the stock of early learning and childcare infrastructure, in order to address capacity challenges including the undersupply for certain types of provision and in specific areas of the country.
(3) First 5 Initiatives: First 5 (Government Strategy for babies, young children and their families 2019 -2028) was launched in 2018 and was re-committed to in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future. First 5 envisages a range of innovative initiatives for the early learning and childcare sector, including piloting Family and Early Childhood Centres and piloting outdoor early learning and childcare provision, piloting meal provision. Each of these initiatives have capital requirements.
As outlined in the National Development Plan 2021-2030, access to affordable early learning and childcare is inherently linked to creating an equitable society, sustainable communities and a thriving economy. Early learning and childcare provision is therefore considered under the National Development Plan, along with housing, schools and health facilities as an integral part of national infrastructure.
In addition, the Department oversees a Case Management process through which local City and County Childcare committees and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to early learning and care and school age childcare services experiencing difficulties. This can include help with completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios, fee setting and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances. All services who require support should contact their local CCC in the first instance.
490. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the date or timeline for financial payments and a form of enhanced medical card for eligible applicants to be made available and to be in place for the mother and baby institutions payment scheme being agreed by Government and published on 16 November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6527/22]
View answerI am acutely aware of the sense of urgency in relation to the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. I have been given Government approval to bring forward legislation on the basis of the agreed proposals for the Scheme and my officials are working on drafting a General Scheme of a Bill as a matter of a priority.
Once it is complete, I will bring the General Scheme to Government for formal approval. As is standard practice, the General Scheme will then be submitted to the Office of Parliamentary Council to be drafted, in close consultation with officials from my Department. As previously stated, I will seek priority drafting of the Bill when submitting the General Scheme to Government to ensure that the Bill can be introduced to the Houses of the Oireachtas as soon as possible thereafter, subject also to any pre-legislative scrutiny process which may take place. Once the legislation has been passed by the Oireachtas and the administrative insfrastructure required to deliver the Scheme has been established, the Scheme will be open for applications. I hope that this will be possible by the end of 2022.
491. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to a poll (details supplied) which states that 78.1% of those who answered agree that there should be State-run childcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6605/22]
View answerI thank the Deputy for bringing this poll to my attention. I am conscious of the need to deliver reforms to the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector so that it meets the needs of parents, providers, those working in the sector, and, most importantly, children.
The Programme for Government commits to reforming the early learning and childcare system to create one that brings together the best of community and private provision.
Not including special Covid funding arrangements, an estimated 60% of funding for ELC and SAC services comes from the State. The First 5 strategy published in 2018 committed to at least double expenditure in the sector by 2028 to approximately €1 billion.
An Expert Group to develop a new funding model for ELC and SAC was established in 2019 to consider how best to structure this additional investment. 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. The report of the Expert Group is available here: www.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 Early Childhood Care and Education programme and the National Childcare Scheme.
The vision of the Expert Group as articulated in the report is for a sector that is "increasingly publicly funded and publicly managed, delivering a service for the public good, through a partnership between the State and providers, to the benefit of children, parents, practitioners, and society overall". The report envisages a substantially increased role for the State in a range of areas, including fee management, capacity planning, provision of information to parents, planning the development of the sector, supporting services, and managing centre closures. The report also recommends that the Minister should mandate the Department to examine, in the medium term, whether an element of public provision should be introduced alongside private provision.
Taken together, these recommendations reflect a key theme of the report, which is the importance of strengthened State involvement in the running of the sector, in conjunction with increased State funding. This is underpinned by a cultural shift to a partnership relationship between providers and the State that reflects the public good dimension of ELC and SAC.
Announcements in Budget 2022 signaled the commitment to the first stage of implementation of the Expert Group’s recommendations. In particular, Budget 2022 allocated €69 million to a new Core Funding stream, equivalent to €207 million in a full year. Full implementation of all recommendations will be progressed in the coming years as additional funding is secured through the annual Estimates process. 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.
492. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some childcare providers were forced to close for two additional weeks in 2022 due to staffing shortages and rising costs, and yet parents must still pay the full fee even though they have no childcare for this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6606/22]
View answerMy Department contracts with early learning and childcare (ELC) services to provide ELC and provides a range of subsidy schemes which partly or totally cover the cost of the ELC provided to families. These schemes include ECCE, the free pre-school scheme and the NCS and CCSP which provide partial or full subsidies to family for ELC fees. Currently over 60% of funding for ELC is provided by my Department.
ELC services are provided by for private enterprises, either privately owned or operated by community organisations. ELC services are free to set their own policies. The current contracts between the Department and providers do not deal with the issue of services charging fees during periods when the services are closed. This is a contractual matter between parents and providers.
My Department continues to provide significant financial supports to early learning and care (ELC) and school aged childcare (SAC) services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, in the case of pod closures or full service closures due to Covid-19, my Department continues to pay the full subsidies for those children registered in one of my Departments’ childcare funding programmes.
The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), will remain available to the sector until April 2022, with a continued exemption to the turnover rule for employers in the sector. Since August 2020, ELC employers have been entitled to access the EWSS, with an exemption to having to demonstrate the 30% drop in turnover that applies to other sectors. The EWSS covers approximately 80% of staff costs or 50% of total operating costs.
I would encourage parents who are experiencing difficulties with any aspect of service provision to contact their local City or County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for all of the CCCs are available at www.myccc.ie.
493. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is the case that a preschool providing only ECCE services will be liable for additional charges, for example, rates, and water rates and operating conditions if they take private fee-paying children during the same hours and sessions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6673/22]
View answerThe matter of rates payments for early learning and care service providers does not fall under the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; my Department has no role in determining which properties are rateable. This is the responsibility of the Commissioner of Valuation. The Valuation Office falls under the aegis of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
In this regard, the Valuation Act, 2001 as amended by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015 provides that all buildings used or developed for any purpose, including constructions affixed thereto, are rateable unless expressly exempted under Schedule 4 of the Act. Under Schedule 4, paragraph 22, community childcare facilities are exempt from commercial rates, by virtue of the fact that they operate on a not-for-profit basis. The Valuations Office have also advised that, under Schedule 4 paragraph 10, facilities who provide the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE) only are exempt from commercial rates.
However, private Early Learning & Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) facilities are considered to be commercial enterprises as they operate with the intention of making a profit, and hence they are rateable.
My Department has engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on this issue and has sought a review of this policy.
494. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he will publish the Tusla emergency accommodation review which has been delayed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6698/22]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency's Review of the Provision of Accommodation to Victims of Domestic Violence is complete. 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. We also recently 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.
496. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to a case (details supplied) in which a person in unable to return to work for a service provider engaged by Tusla; if he will review in conjunction with Tusla the case file; if the person will be provided with a copy of the allegations made; and if he will further direct Tusla to engage with the service provider in order to facilitate the return to work of the person. [6744/22]
View answerI have not been notified of this case due to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, being independent in the performance of its functions. This independence is required by law as set out in Section 8(11) of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, that 'the Agency shall be independent in the performance of its functions'.
However, I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy as the matter raised is an operational matter for Tusla.
497. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has consulted with third-level institutions and the Minister for Justice in respect of a situation which has arisen during the pandemic in which non-European Union students who return home during the academic year and who are unable to return to Ireland for reasons relating to the pandemic miss deadlines for visa renewal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5973/22]
View answerIn December, a number of issues in relation to immigration and visa permissions were brought to the Department’s attention via our higher education institutions. As this falls within the remit of the Department of Justice, this was referred to that Department for action.
On 17 December 2021, the Minister for Justice announced a further temporary extension of immigration and international protection permissions to 31 May 2022. This temporary extension of immigration permissions means that people who held a valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 are legally permitted to remain until 31 May 2022, even if their Irish Residence Permit card had expired and are awaiting a new one.
Those entitled to receive a new Irish Residence Permit card were allowed continue to use their expired card to depart from and return to Ireland over Christmas 2021 and until 15 January 2022 only. Any person from a visa required country remaining outside the State after 15 January 2022 would need a visa to enter the state and would need to apply to the nearest Irish Embassy/visa office.
498. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of course places available in third-level institutions for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and clinical psychology in the 2022 enrolment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5916/22]
View answerMy Department's primary source of statistics is the HEA's Student Records System (SRS) which records enrolments of students, rather than planned places. First year enrolment data for occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level is available in the following table. The data is for the 2020/21 academic year, the latest available.
|
Institution |
Level |
Course |
Enrolments |
|
NUI Galway |
Undergraduate |
Occupational Therapy |
29 |
|
Trinity College Dublin |
Undergraduate |
Occupational Therapy |
42 |
|
University College Cork |
Undergraduate |
Occupational Therapy |
26 |
|
NUI Galway |
Undergraduate |
Speech and Language Therapy |
24 |
|
Trinity College Dublin |
Undergraduate |
Speech and Language Therapy |
35 |
|
University College Cork |
Undergraduate |
Speech and Language Therapy |
29 |
|
University of Limerick |
Postgraduate |
Occupational Therapy |
31 |
|
University of Limerick |
Postgraduate |
Speech and Language Therapy |
28 |
Clinical psychology is a specialisation of psychology. and training as a clinical psychologist requires qualified psychologist to complete a doctorate. Five universities - NUIG, TCD, UCC, UCD and UL - currently offer a D.Clin.Psych in conjunction with the HSE, and the intake in the programme can vary.
499. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to whether there was an oversubscription to speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and clinical psychology courses through the CAO scheme in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5917/22]
View answerThe Central Applications Office (CAO) is a not-for-profit company created by the Irish higher education institutions, who have delegated to the CAO the task of centrally processing Irish and EU applications for their undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses. The higher education institutions retain decision-making powers in relation to admissions, and instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO, and information on applications is held by the CAO and the higher education institutions.
While the CAO publishes a certain amount of data each year on applications, it is not published at course level and therefore data specifically on occupational and speech and language courses is not available. However given the the capacity limits on these courses, and the high CAO points required for entry, it is very likely that there were more applications to these courses than places available.
Clinical psychology is a psychology specialisation requiring completion of a doctorate. As such, clinical psychology places are not offered through the CAO.
My Department is strongly committed to ensuring that our higher education system is producing skilled graduates equipped with the necessary skills to be effective in the health workforce. My officials are actively engaging with the Department of Health to determine the types of healthcare graduates that are needed, with the aim of supporting long-term strategic workforce planning by the health sector
500. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the changes that have been made to the Student Universal Support Ireland grant criteria; when it comes into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5989/22]
View answerThe Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI, provides grant assistance to students pursuing an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. It assists over 70,000 students annually to access third level education.
The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by the Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. All proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including student grants, are considered in the context of the annual Budget.
As part of Budget 2022, I have secured an additional €15m to enhance the existing financial supports under the Student Grant Scheme for implementation in 2022.
For the academic year 2022/23 this will mean:-
- An increase to all student grant maintenance payments, including the special rate of grant, of €200 per year which will benefit all students entitled to receive a maintenance Grant. There are currently circa 62,000 SUSI grant recipients receiving maintenance support.
- The income threshold to qualify for the standard rate of student grant has been increased by €1,000.
- The qualifying distance criterion for students to qualify for the non-adjacent rate of grant has been reduced from 45km to 30km, effective from the start of the 2022/23 academic year.
I have prioritised these changes for the 2022/23 academic year and they will benefit thousands of students building on the improvements that have already been made for postgraduate students through this year’s student grant scheme. These improvements to the student grant scheme have been a priority for me since taking up my Ministerial appointment.
In relation to the independent Review of the Student Grant Scheme, which was a very important commitment in the Programme for Government and will help shape decision-making on how we support students over the years to come, I am happy to provide an update. I can confirm that the draft report was submitted to me in late December 2021. Given the inter-connectivity between strategic student support issues and other reform priorities (e.g. the expansion of supports to part-time and blended learners as an enabler of lifelong learning or enhanced postgraduate supports as an enabler to equality, diversity and inclusion in the R&I system), it is now my intention to bring the report to Cabinet shortly alongside the Future Funding Model report.
501. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of heavy goods vehicle and bus drivers that were trained through the education and training board system in 2021, by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5996/22]
View answerFrom enquiries made by my officials with SOLAS, I understand that 375 bus drivers and 432 Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Drivers successfully completed their training programmes throughout the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in 2021 and that a further 69 bus drivers and 175 HGV drivers commenced training programmes in 2021 which are ongoing. A breakdown of the numbers on a county basis is set out in the following table.
|
Kildare |
19 |
0 |
13 |
16 |
|
Kilkenny |
24 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
|
Laois |
0 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
|
Leitrim |
16 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Limerick |
5 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
|
Louth |
13 |
11 |
15 |
0 |
|
Mayo |
22 |
0 |
8 |
8 |
|
Meath |
0 |
0 |
13 |
7 |
|
Monaghan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Offaly |
0 |
0 |
6 |
24 |
|
Roscommon |
0 |
12 |
10 |
0 |
|
Sligo |
7 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
|
Tipperary |
27 |
0 |
26 |
12 |
|
Waterford |
12 |
0 |
21 |
12 |
|
Westmeath |
17 |
0 |
27 |
22 |
|
Wexford |
0 |
8 |
16 |
14 |
|
Wicklow |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total |
375 |
69 |
432 |
175 |
I would encourage any prospective learner to contact their local ETB directly in order to obtain information regarding application procedures for these courses. Further information can also be obtained from www.fetchourses.ie.
