Written Answers Nos. 1416-1430
1416. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated full-year cost of a new staff member in each education and training board to promote disabled students’ participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41812/22]
View answerThis is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
1417. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to announcements in Cork recently regarding the closure of childcare facilities; and his plans to ensure that every child has a preschool place in Cork city in September 2022. [41815/22]
View answerCork CC has been working closely with Pobal and the ICM Development Coordinator for Cork city to identify alternative arrangements for services and families affected by closures. Together, Cork CC and Pobal have identified services at risk of closure and have set out a plan with future steps to ensure that Cork residents have continued access to childcare provision. This includes supporting new providers due to open from September, and finding alternative service providers to operate from existing premises.
Given that ELC and SAC services are provided by private enterprises, the Department is not involved in decisions around the day to day running of such services and any decision to close is ultimately a matter for the service provider and, in this case, the building owner.
Notwithstanding this, the Department oversees a case management process, through which CCC and Pobal work together to provide support to early learning and childcare services experiencing difficulties. Case management assistance can include specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.
Financial supports may also be accessed through the case management process following a financial assessment. Currently, this support is available to community services to assist with the operational costs associated with a sudden need to move premises.
From the autumn, a new strand of the Sustainability Fund connected to Core Funding will operate. It will be open to both private and community providers who are in contract for Core Funding. As with previous strands of the Sustainability Fund, it will focus on operational as well as financial supports to assist services to manage their immediate difficulties and transition to sustainability.
Any early learning and childcare service who is at risk of losing their premises in a school or elsewhere is therefore encouraged to contact their local CCC as soon as possible.
1418. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the enhanced medical card regarding the redress scheme proposed for mother-and-baby home survivors will be issued; the services that it will cover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41816/22]
View answer1419. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if any compensation payment will impact on pensions or affect means testing where survivors qualify for fuel allowance and other allowances regarding the redress scheme proposed for mother-and-baby home survivors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41817/22]
View answer1420. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if carers or those who have supported survivors over the years will be included in any way regarding the redress scheme proposed for mother-and-baby home survivors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41818/22]
View answer1421. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the redress scheme proposed for mother-and-baby home survivors will have any impact on the statute of limitations or the ability of survivors to pursue litigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41819/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1418 to 1421, inclusive, together.
I am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and ensuring that it is open for applications as soon as possible is a key priority for my Department.
Pre-legislative scrutiny on the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill has just concluded and I intend to bring the Bill to Government seeking publication early in the autumn term. My Department has been progressing the operational components of the Scheme alongside the required legislation and it is my hope that the Scheme will be open for applications soon after the passage of the legislation.
It is intended that the form of enhanced medical card will ensure the provision, without charge, of the following primary and community health services for those eligible:
- GP services;
- prescribed drugs, medicines, aids and appliances
- dental, ophthalmic and aural services;
- home nursing;
- home support;
- counselling;
- chiropody/podiatry; and
- physiotherapy.
As well as the above services, it is intended that cardholders will not be required to pay (i) the €100 Emergency Department statutory charge or (ii) the €80 public hospital statutory charge.
Those who are living outside of Ireland will have the choice of opting for an enhanced medical card or a once off financial payment in lieu of the card.
My Department is liaising with other relevant Government Departments to ensure that payments received from the Scheme are disregarded for the purposes of means assessment so that survivors’ entitlements to other supports are not negatively impacted.
While the intention of the Scheme is to acknowledge the experience of those who spent time in the institutions, the 22 wide-ranging measures included in the Government’s Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions have been designed, through engagement with those most affected, to respond to the priority needs and concerns identified by survivors, their families and loved ones.
Under the proposals for the Scheme, agreed by Government, in accepting a payment from the Scheme, applicants will be required to sign a legal waiver. At this point, the applicant will be aware of precisely what they are being offered under the Scheme and, up until any offer is accepted, an applicant will have the right to pursue a case through the courts. Applicants will also be entitled to avail of independent legal advice prior to making a decision on the offer. The time between the date of an application to the Scheme and the date on which an applicant receives a determination or decides not to proceed with his or her application, would not be counted for the purposes of the Statutes of Limitation if the applicant takes a case to court instead.
1422. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of residents in an area (details supplied) regarding the lack of consultation regarding the housing of asylum seekers in a local hotel and the difficulty which they have in getting any information about this matter or having any point of contact; if he will introduce a protocol to ensure that local residents are provided with clear information and details of a named person in the managing agency who can answer relevant questions and address concerns as they arise including in the case of a proposal such as this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41828/22]
View answerSince the lifting of international travel restrictions post-COVID 19, there has been a significant increase of new arrivals to Ireland seeking international protection. From the beginning of 2022, over 7,500 people – approximately 260 people a week - have come to Ireland seeking protection from fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. 30,345 people fleeing the war in Ukraine have been accommodated by my Department.
Due to the unprecedented demand, accommodation all around the country has been utilised to help house applicants and Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection on an emergency basis. The referred to centre has recently come into use for the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) to provide such temporary emergency accommodation.
In view of the unprecedented continuing demand for accommodation for Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, it is planned that the centre will be directed towards that effort. International Protection applicants will gradually move to other centres as alternative accommodation becomes available.
IPAS is actively engaging with people living in the area and has met with them and local representatives on 15 July. IPAS officials are working closely with all temporary emergency accommodation providers in terms of the services that will be needed. As part of this, a clinic with the residents of referred to centre is taking place today, 26 July. This is an opportunity to listen to the concerns of the residents.
You can be assured that my officials will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure that up-to-date information on the arrival of Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection will be shared shortly.
1423. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which the promised payments to individuals providing accommodation to Ukrainian refugees is being provided for, with particular reference to ensuring minimum waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41849/22]
View answerFinal steps are underway to roll out the €400 Recognition Payment for people who provide accommodation to those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. The scheme, agreed by Government in May, will take the form of a monthly flat rate payment of €400 per property (shared or vacant, pledged through Irish Red Cross or privately). The Department of Social Protection will administer the payment on behalf of my Department. Applicants will apply to the Department of Social Protection to receive the payment and the payment will be conditional on a minimum time commitment for hosting (6 months), with payments continuing for hosting arrangements beyond this timeframe.
1424. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will implement the Labour Court ruling of 20 March 2020 for adult educators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39618/22]
View answerThe Labour Court recommendation of March 2020 in relation to the Unions claims regarding adult education tutors, was that the Department, in the context of the 2015 Chairman’s note, should identify the scale of cost it was prepared or able to absorb and make an offer within those parameters. The Court noted the official side’s assertion regarding constraints applying under FEMPI legislation and the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) in relation to cost-increasing claims. It also accepted that any offer could not, having regard to the contrasting nature of the roles, qualifications, flexibility and regulatory frameworks, involve an alignment with the Teachers scale.
My officials have been engaging with colleagues in the Department of Education, which has regulatory responsibility for the ETB Sector, and have prepared a joint proposal which is under consideration by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Department officials are meeting regularly with the Unions on this matter and it is expected that the Department will be in a position to make a proposal to staff representatives in the coming weeks with a view to resolving the issue.
1425. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider direct intervention to provide additional financial support to personal assistants currently working in colleges of further education throughout the country, who have consistently highlighted the discrepancy and inequality between SNAs in primary and post primary schools and personal assistant contracts which is creating an unsustainable financial situation (details supplied); and if any consideration is been given to the situation. [39654/22]
View answerThe Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) provides funding to higher and further education institutions for the delivery of key services and supports for students with disabilities. It aims to support the personal, educational and professional development of the participating students. SOLAS provides FSD funding to the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) who independently manage the funding allocations to PLC further education providers for services and accommodations required to support students with disabilities. Where an ETB or further education college employs personnel to deliver supports to individual students, responsibility for the terms of employment rests with the individual ETB / further education college.
SOLAS has advised that the expenditure by the ETBs under the FSD increased to €2.98m in 2021 and that the allocation for 2022 has increased to €4.1m.
1426. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps that he has taken to ensure that the delay in the issuing of Leaving Certificate results will not impact Irish students in receipt of university offers from UK and European universities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39662/22]
View answerOfficials in my Department have been working closely on this issue with their colleagues in the Department of Education and the Irish Embassies in key countries of interest to Irish students. This work has been informed by the experience of the 2021 Leaving Certificate.
The main countries of interest for Leaving Certificate students who wish to study abroad are the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Denmark.
In the context of those students seeking to study in the UK, I note that, following the announcement of the publication date for the Leaving Certificate results by the State Examinations Committee, the CAO have now confirmed the date for the first round offers as 8th September 2022. Within the UCAS system, the current date for the acceptance of final offers is 7th September, on which date the UK Higher Education Institutions start working through clearances (similar to the rounds system in the CAO). Therefore there is no issue in terms of Irish students meeting the UCAS deadline. I can confirm that officials from both my Department and the Department of Education have been in touch with UCAS on the matter.
In addition, I understand that Minister Foley has written to all EU Ministers for Education and has advised them of the date for issue of the Leaving Cert results this year. The Minister has also requested that they give consideration to Irish students who may not have their Leaving Certificate results in time to complete the processing of their admissions at the usual time in the systems of each EU country.
My advice to each student is for them to get in touch with the Admissions Officer in the university or college where they have registered and appraise them of the position regarding the publication of the Leaving Certificate results. Should they encounter any issue, they should email LCinfo@education.gov.ie, and that Department, in collaboration with my Department, will work to address their concern.
1427. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has reached out to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK and the European University Central Application Support Service to inform them of the delays to Leaving Certificate results; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39663/22]
View answerOfficials in my Department have been working closely on this issue with their colleagues in the Department of Education and the Irish Embassies in key countries of interest to Irish students. This work has been informed by the experience of the 2021 Leaving Certificate.
The main countries of interest for Leaving Certificate students who wish to study abroad are the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Denmark.
In the context of those students seeking to study in the UK, I note that, following the announcement of the publication date for the Leaving Certificate results by the State Examinations Committee, the CAO have now confirmed the date for the first round offers as 8th September 2022. Within the UCAS system, the current date for the acceptance of final offers is 7th September, on which date the UK Higher Education Institutions start working through clearances (similar to the rounds system in the CAO). Therefore there is no issue in terms of Irish students meeting the UCAS deadline. I can confirm that officials from both my Department and the Department of Education have been in touch with UCAS on the matter.
In addition, I understand that Minister Foley has written to all EU Ministers for Education and has advised them of the date for issue of the Leaving Cert results this year. The Minister has also requested that they give consideration to Irish students who may not have their Leaving Certificate results in time to complete the processing of their admissions at the usual time in the systems of each EU country. For this reason, engagement with EUNICAS has not been necessary.
It is important to note that the European University Central Application Support Service (EUNiCAS) is an independent commercial support service that facilitates UK and Irish students who are looking to study in Europe. Neither I nor my Department have any role in the operation of EUNiCAS, and it is not within my remit to intervene in its support service.
1428. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason that in cases in which an applicant is assessed as a dependant applicant upon entry to the SUSI processing system, they cannot be assessed as an independent student if their circumstances have changed and they can prove independent living from the previous year (details supplied). [39691/22]
View answerFor student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1st October. Otherwise, he/she would be assessed as a dependent student, i.e. assessed with reference to parental income and address.
A student’s status for grant purposes is defined at their first point of entry to an approved further or higher education course or at their point of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years, and continues to apply for the duration of their studies.
However, there are points at which a student may reclassify from a dependent student to an independent student. These are where he/she:
- Progresses from further education to higher education.
- Is returning following a 3 year break in studies.
- Is returning as a "second chance" student after a five year break in studies.
The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).
Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may still apply to SUSI to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student. The relevant information, including details of parental income, would be required by SUSI to determine grant eligibility as a dependent student.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe. Such appeals can be made by the appellant on line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie.
The Deputy will appreciate that the student grant appeals process has been established to investigate and address any issues concerning student grant applications.
However, a very important feature of the scheme that I would point to is the change of circumstances provision. Article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme 2022 provides for a review of eligibility for the award of a grant in the event of a change of circumstances in the academic year. Where a student experiences a change of circumstances during the course of their studies, he/she may apply to SUSI to have his/her application re-assessed at helpdesk@SUSI.ie quoting Internal Review in the Subject line.
As there were no details provided for the student the Deputy refers to, I cannot comment on the application status of this student. If the Deputy has further enquiries relating to the specific application, they can be emailed direct to SUSI oireachtas@susi.ie. Staff in SUSI are responding to email queries within a matter of days.
1429. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures that will be put in place for Irish applicants to courses in the UK through its admission system (details supplied); if Irish applicants will be able to take-up places in UK universities in autumn 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39693/22]
View answerOfficials in my Department have been working closely on this issue with their colleagues in the Department of Education as well as the Irish Embassies in key countries of interest to Irish students. This work has been informed by the experience of the 2021 Leaving Certificate.
The main countries of interest for Leaving Certificate students who wish to study abroad are the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
In the context of those students seeking to study in the UK, I note that, following the announcement of the publication date for the Leaving Certificate results by the State Examinations Committee, the CAO have now confirmed the date for the first round offers as 8th September 2022. Within the UCAS system, the current date for the acceptance of final offers is 7th September, on which date the UK Higher Education Institutions start working through clearances (similar to the rounds system in the CAO). Therefore there is no issue in terms of Irish students meeting the UCAS deadline. I can confirm that officials from both my Department and the Department of Education have been in touch with UCAS on the matter.
In addition, I understand that Minister Foley has written to all EU Ministers for Education and has advised them of the date for issue of the Leaving Cert results this year. The Minister has also requested that they give consideration to Irish students who may not have their Leaving Certificate results in time to complete the processing of their admissions at the usual time in the systems of each EU country.
My Department is aware that there are a small number of Higher Education Institutions in the UK that have set a deadline of 31st August. We are therefore recommending that each student get in touch with the Admissions Officer in the university or college where they have registered and appraise them of the position regarding Leaving Certificate results. Should students encounter any issue, they should email LCinfo@education.gov.ie and the Department of Education, in collaboration with my Department will work to address their concern.
1430. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider amending the special rate SUSI grant for persons who are not in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment to access the special rate if their income is below the threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39746/22]
View answer1431. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider allowing changes of circumstances to be taken into account in the current year for families that are in receipt of social welfare payments only to access special rate grants even if they did not satisfy the criteria for the previous year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39747/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1430 and 1431 together.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) to determine. For the 2022/23 academic year, student grant applications will be assessed based on gross income from all sources for the period 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021.
Particular priority is afforded to those on the lowest incomes and social welfare dependents through the special rate of grant, which is payable at the higher non-adjacent rate of €6,115 or the adjacent rate of €2,575, depending on the distance travelled to the college attended.
In assessing an application for the 2022/23 academic year, SUSI will have regard to the following qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant: 1. The student must qualify for the standard rate of grant;
2. Total reckonable income, after income disregards and Child Dependent Increase(s) are excluded, must not exceed €24,500;
3. As at 31st December 2021, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme 2022.
Any student who believes his/her student grant application has been assessed incorrectly may also avail of the opportunities to appeal to SUSI and subsequently to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the prescribed timeline.
As part of Budget 2022, I 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.
- The income thresholds to qualify for the standard rates of student grant have 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.
Article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme 2022 provides for a review of eligibility for the award of a grant in the event of a change of circumstances in the academic year. If a student or party to their application experiences a change in circumstances that is not a temporary change and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, they can apply to SUSI to have their application assessed under the change in circumstances provision of the relevant Student Grant Scheme. The income of all parties to the application will be assessed or reassessed on current income and applicants may also be asked to provide evidence of same.
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. I intend to implement, in a phased way, the recommendations of the Student Grant Scheme review in the context of successive annual Estimates processes. However this will be dependent on the availability of resources to his Department and overall consideration of Budgetary and Ministerial priorities.
