Written Answers Nos. 192-211
193. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a breakdown of all funding given to private schools in Ireland across all relevant headings for the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [47615/22]
View answerThe total amount of funding paid by my Department to fee-charging schools and Department-funded staff salaries in fee-charging schools from 2016 to date is set out in the attached table and accompanying notes.
|
Type of Funding |
2015/2016 |
2016/2017 |
2017/2018 |
2018/2019 |
2019/2020 |
2020/2021 |
2021/2022 |
|
Gross Teacher & SNA Salary Costs (including employer PRSI) |
€92,372,523 |
€91,107,627 |
€102,034,476 |
€106,159,271 |
€112,448,289 |
€120,578,511 |
not yet available |
|
Covid 19 Grants |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€0 |
€1,251,220 |
€2,992,546 |
€3,046,754 |
|
Capital Planning & Building |
€53,551 |
€377,327 |
€268,428 |
€162,943 |
€1,286,935 |
€999,265 |
€1,443,253 |
|
Capital ICT Grants |
€353,050 |
€450,375 |
€436,777 |
€711,648 |
€613,738 |
€610,654 |
€697,733 |
|
Total |
€92,779,124 |
€91,935,329 |
€102,739,681 |
€107,033,862 |
€115,600,182 |
€125,180,976 |
€5,187,740 |
Note:
The years prior to 2018/19 relate to Teacher salaries only and those for 2019/20 onwards include the salaries of Teachers and SNAs.
PRSI Rate applied - 11.05%
The Gross Teacher and SNA salary costs includes €245k in respect of the Supervision and Substitution balancing payment.
194. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration may be given to an alternative to the school dinner scheme, including the possible option of hot and cold meals depending on the time of year, in order to facilitate energy savings and eliminate waste; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47442/22]
View answerThe School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,700 schools and organisations and benefitting 260,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
Budget 2022 provided €68.1 million for the programme with an additional €9m provided to allow access to all new DEIS schools from September 2022.
Funding under the school meals programme can be provided for breakfast, snack, cold lunch, dinner, hot school meals and afterschool clubs and is based on a maximum rate per child per day, depending on the type of meal being provided.
Any school wishing to provide a cold meal option rather than the hot school meal depending on the time of the year, should make contact with the school meals section of my department to provide details of the proposed changes. The cold meal must be a substantial meal and provide the same nutritional value as the hot school meal.
I am pleased that my estimate for school meals next year provides for an increase of €23.5m on the 2022 estimate, bringing the total to €91.6m. I am committed to continuing to expand the school meals programme and building further on the significant extension of the programme in recent years. In this regard, I have commissioned an evaluation of the school meals programme, which is currently underway. As part of this review all elements of the programme will be considered.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
195. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the social welfare appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47353/22]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 29 August 2022. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral appeal hearing.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
196. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if interim funding will be put in place for 2023 in respect of an organisation (details supplied) to allow it to provide a service that was previously funded under the ability programme, given possible future funding for this service from the European Social Fund will not be available until 2024; if she will take into account that an interruption to this service for a year would be very disruptive for clients and staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47391/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Ability Programme, introduced in June 2018, was a three-year pre-activation programme for young people with disabilities, managed by my department, which concluded at the end of August 2021. In line with commitments under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy, the Final Evaluation of the Programme was published.
The current Dormant Accounts Fund Measure to Support the Employment of People with Disabilities was a new employment support measure for people with disabilities. On 30 July last year I announced that 45 projects had been funded up to an amount of €7.6 million. This programme began in September 2021 and runs up to the end of 2022. Prior to applying for this measure, all organisations were notified of the relevant timelines which were clearly indicated in the Call for Applications in April of last year. All 27 organisations who received funding under the former Ability Programme were successful in securing funding under this new measure.
As I have stated previously, it was agreed that a new employment programme for people with disabilities would be included in the new Operational Programme for Ireland under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027. This new disability focused employment measure will build on the learnings of the former Ability Programme. The new programme will also need to add complementarity to the suite of existing employment supports targeted at people with disabilities provided by my department and broader national strategies for employment of people with disabilities, including the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities.
The ESF Managing Authority in Ireland - based in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science - has compiled the Operational Programme for Ireland which has been approved by Government. The Operational Programme has been formally submitted to the European Commission. It is expected that Commission approval will be communicated in the latter part of the year.
Once approval is in place, it is anticipated that the new disability programme will be open by way of a competitive process to applications from organisations across the country, including the organisation referred to by the Deputy, along with the other 26 former Ability Programme organisations. I should mention that it is envisaged expected that this new ESF+ programme will open to applications in 2023 and not 2024 as is suggested.
I can assure the Deputy that the concern he raises is acknowledged and would state that my commitment to providing funding supports to improve the employment possibilities of people with disabilities has not been found wanting to date.
I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy at this time.
197. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to exempting arts grants and funding self-employed individuals receive as artists from means testing criteria, similar to the rule introduced under Catherine's Law for educational purposes (details supplied); if she recognises current rules that consider funding and grants as means-limits recipients of disability-related supports to excel in their field given that they often cannot take up funding in case they lose their entitlement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47471/22]
View answerDisability Allowance and Blind Pension are the primary means tested social assistance schemes, which are also subject to a number of other conditions, including a medical assessment and habitual residency requirements.
It is important to note that within the schemes a number of disregards apply, for the purpose of the means test. These include:
1. Both schemes are structured to support recipients to pursue employment opportunities, be that self-employment or insurable employment. In the means test, both schemes have an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, 50% of earnings between €140 and €375 are also disregarded for the purpose of the means test.
2. If a customer in receipt of Disability Allowance or the Blind Pension receives income/a grant for a piece of work, the income would be assessed, based on the number of weeks allocated for the work and taking into account the income disregards that apply for self-employment.
3. Capital disregards also apply for both schemes
4. In self-employment cases, it is important to note that income is taken to be the gross profit less allowable work-related expenses (but not drawings). Expenses directly related to self-employment can be offset against income and while, there is no exhaustive list of all expenses allowed, since expenses vary with the nature and extent of the self-employment. The following are the main allowable expenses in most instances:
- Materials (supplies costs)
- Motor running costs (portion applicable to business)
- Depreciation of machinery or equipment
- Insurance relating to the business
- Telephone (portion applicable to business)
- Lighting and Heating (for business and not domestic use)
- Advertising
- Bank Charges
- Stationery
- Van Leasing
- Labour Costs
- Pension plan
- Any other costs associated with running the business.-Class S PRSI contributions
In relation to the type of occupation/sector a person is engaged in, the above supports are available on an equal basis i.e. the same level of support is available to all persons who are self-employed (while in receipt of a payment under both schemes) regardless of the sector they work in.
Separately, the Department also seeks to support persons in receipt of the Disability Allowance and the Blind Pension to pursue educational or training opportunities and as a result, a number of disregards are in place. These include:
1. Where a person is granted a bursary, stipend or scholarship towards completing a PhD. This is subject to an annual limit of €20,000 (i.e., if a recipient gets more than one bursary, the combination cannot exceed €20,000) and is available for a maximum of four years.
2. The maintenance portion of a SUSI Higher Education Maintenance Grant.
3. Any allowance under the Home Tuition Scheme administered by the Department of Education;
4. 1916 Bursary Fund payments administered by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science;
5. Any amount of a U-varsity Higher Educational Scholarships for Adult Learners up to a maximum of €7,000 per annum;
6. Any payments of a Special Transport Grant made by the Minister for Education under the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs;
7. Any amount of training allowance received for participation in a rehabilitation training course approved by the Minister for Health;
The Department also supports social welfare recipients to avail of education and training opportunities through its Back to Education scheme, as well as by referrals to further education and training opportunities through its Intreo service.
My Department regularly reviews its supports and payments schemes, to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives, while any proposed changes have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
198. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason self-employed individuals who are in receipt of disability-related social welfare supports are subject to an annual review of income that is based on six months of the year and may not be reflective of their annual income; the reason this assessment of self-employed recipients of disability-related supports differs from annual levies of other self-employed individuals, which are usually at the end of a year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47472/22]
View answerMy Department provides a number of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes.
The primary disability related social assistance scheme is the Disability Allowance, which is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged between 16 and 66. In addition to the means test, in order to be eligible, the disability must be expected to last for at least one year. The allowance is also subject to a medical assessment and a habitual residency requirement.
At the end of June 2022, there were 156,000 recipients of Disability Allowance, including some 14,750 persons in employment / self –employment while receiving a payment under the scheme.
The other smaller disability related scheme is the Blind Pension, which is a means tested payment paid to blind people and certain people with low vision, aged between 18 and 66, who are habitually resident in the State.
At the end of June 2022, there were 1,014 recipients of the Blind pension, including some 50 persons in employment/self –employment while receiving a payment under the scheme.
Both the Disability Allowance and the Blind Pension are structured to support recipients to avail of employment opportunities, be that self-employment or insurable employment. When an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, 50% of earnings between €140 and €375, are also disregarded for the purpose of the means test.
When a customer informs the Department of a commencement of self-employment, a review will not be undertaken for a period of 12 months after the commencement of self-employment. The Department writes out to the client informing them of this procedure and advising them to keep all receipts etc. as an Officer of the Department will be reviewing earnings in 12 months’ time.
The onus is on customers to inform the Department of any changes in their circumstances. This is provided for in legislation and recipients of the Disability Allowance and Blind pension sign a declaration to this effect when they make their application for the scheme. An example of a change in circumstances includes where a claimant takes up employment or self-employment.
When income from employment or self-employment is being assessed it is divided by 52 to ascertain a person’s weekly means. The means assessment is intended to reflect the income the person may reasonably be expected to receive during the coming 12 months. Where this is not ascertainable otherwise, the income for the last 12 months can be taken as a guide, allowing for any factors which it is known will vary. Assessing a person’s income in this manner takes account of the fact that some people’s income may be irregular, and they will earn more during some periods than others.
It is important to note that reviews of Disability Allowance and Blind Pension payments are carried out where a claimant requests same, for example where a person is self-employed and experiences a change in their income and/or if s/he feels their payment, under a scheme, needs to be adjusted.
It would be rare that a review would be undertaken or requested after six months.
Separately, the Department also has an important control function, under which systematic, periodic reviews are carried out to confirm that all eligibility conditions (such as household means, medical and habitual residency requirements) continue to be fulfilled and that no disqualifications from receiving such payments have arisen and to avoid situations where overpayments are made. As above, in this context Officers, when reviewing means as one part of the eligibility requirements, take into account that some people’s income may vary (for both persons in self-employment and those in insurable employment) and that they may earn more during some periods than others.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
199. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection when she expects the gratuity payment to former community employment scheme supervisors to be paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47473/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) supervisors and CE assistant supervisors sought for several years through their union representatives, SIPTU and Forsa, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsoring organisations.
Following an agreement between the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister for Social Protection, a final settlement was reached with unions representing CE supervisors and assistant supervisors at the end of 2021. This settlement resolves this long-standing issue through the payment of a once off ex-gratia payment rather than a pension to eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. On the 23rd December 2021, both unions involved confirmed acceptance of this settlement which will benefit approximately 2,500 people employed by CE schemes going back to 2008. It is estimated to have a total cost of over €24 million.
Generally, under the terms of this settlement, on reaching retirement age, eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors will receive a once off ex-gratia payment in respect of time employed by CE schemes since 2008. People who retired since 2008 and who have reached retirement age are now able to apply for this payment.
Over the past number of months, an administrative and ICT system to accept applications and process payments was put in place within the Department of Social Protection. The first group of ex-gratia applications have been received - these relate to persons who retired since 2008. Discussions are ongoing with the Department of Expenditure and Reform as regards the timing of issuing of these payments.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
200. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will raise the age at which a child has to cease claiming domiciliary care allowance from 16 years to 18 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47482/22]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment for a parent / guardian caring for a child with a severe disability in the home.
DCA ceases to be payable when a child reaches age 16. A child may transition to Disability Allowance (DA) from age 16, even if still attending fulltime education, subject to satisfying all qualifying conditions for that scheme.
The revision of the qualifying age limit for DCA has been recommended in a number of reports over recent years and continues to be under consideration in the Department.
Consideration of the most appropriate measures to be taken is continuing. It is imperative when deciding on any changes to schemes including changes to the age limits, that any such changes are considered in an overall policy and budgetary context and that any unintended consequences are avoided.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
201. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the issuing of PPS numbers to United States nationals who have a contract of employment in Ireland, in cases in which the PPS number will not be issued without evidence of the contract, but the company will not produce the contract without evidence of the PPS number; the way in which this can be resolved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47504/22]
View answerMy Department is responsible for the allocation of Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs) to those who require one to transact with a public body.
Any person applying for a PPSN, regardless of where they live, must specify the reason they require a PPSN and also submit the appropriate documents to support their application. Persons taking up employment require a PPSN so they can pay tax and social insurance. In the normal course of events, a person should have no difficulty in producing written confirmation of a job offer and this will be accepted by the Department as evidence of the need for a PPSN.
I can also confirm that a PPSN is not required for an employer to make an offer of employment.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
202. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a living alone allowance payment did not transfer from an invalidity pension to a contributory pension when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry turned 66 years of age; if this payment will now be paid to them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47518/22]
View answerThe person concerned notified Invalidity Pensions on 4 January 2019 that she no longer lived alone and therefore her living alone allowance was stopped from 10 January 2019. She applied for widows contributory pension on the 15th January 2019 but did not apply for living alone allowance, stating that a student lived with her. Living Alone Allowance is not payable to persons under age 66 on widow's contributory pension.
As the person concerned is now over 66 years of age she can now make an application for the allowance. I have arranged for an application form to be posted to her home address. When the completed application form is received in my Department, her entitlement will be examined and she will be notified of outcome without delay.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
203. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the average time for assessing an application for the exceptional needs payment and supplementary welfare allowance; and if she is satisfied with such timeframes. [47595/22]
View answerThe Community Welfare Service (CWS) in my Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
Based on the available data, it is estimated that 50% of applications for Additional Needs Payments are finalised within 0-4 weeks and that 90% are finalised within 0-8 weeks.
63% of all Supplementary Welfare Allowance payments are decided within 4 weeks from the date of application and 92% are decided within 8 weeks of application.
Where an application is not finalised within this timeframe, this may be due to additional information or documentation being requested from the customer to support their application. Where it is evident that a customer is experiencing particular hardship and their application is complete and accompanied by the required documentation, their application is prioritised.
My Department continues to work to improve the service to customers and every effort is being made to minimise decision wait times.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
204. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider introducing minimum core funding for family resource centres in counties Longford and Westmeath under the national family resource centre programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47382/22]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme which provides funding support to 121 Family Resource Centres across the country. My Department allocates core funding for the Family Resource Centre Programme and since 2018 has provided an additional €4.5m bringing Tusla's core budget to €18.0m for Family Resource Centres. Tusla had also provided supports to Family Resource Centres and other funded Community and Voluntary partners to assist with pressures arising from COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Tusla received €0.650m funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund; which was distributed through the Family Resource Centre programme. In addition, during in 2021, this Department provided €6.2m (a once off 5% increase in funding to organisations engaged as 'service providers' under section 56 of the Children and Family Act, 2013). In 2022, additional funding of €6.0m is allocated to enable Tusla increase supports to the wider Community and Voluntary sector.
The commissioning of Family Resource Centres is an operational matter for Tusla. Tusla’s Area Managers engage in the commissioning process and participate in meetings and discussions with community and voluntary agencies. Tusla aims to utilise the total resources available in the most efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable way in order to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families. Local Tusla Area Managers and the Tusla Commissioning Team can be contacted in relation to Family Resource Centres' planned service delivery and any potential to develop services.
There are currently no plans to alter the funding model for Family Resource Centres.
205. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare facilities registered with his Department that have opened in each of the years 2020 and 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47460/22]
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
206. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider backdating the universal childcare subsidy to when the child started creche; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47478/22]
View answerSubsidies under the National Childcare Scheme are payable from the start of the week in which the child is registered by the early learning and childcare service provider, subject to approval of the registration by the parent. Subsidies cannot be paid for a time before this point as backdating is not permitted.
As the Scheme's systems operate on a weekly basis, payment will be made for the week regardless of what day the registration is made. The start date registered by the provider can be at any point in the future but can never precede the date of notification of the award, i.e. there is no backdating prior to the date of receiving the award.
This is a key financial and governance control to ensure we are maximising the benefits of public monies and that the investment is following the child.
207. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of private or for-profit housing providers that have service level agreements with the HSE in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47565/22]
View answerThis is a matter more appropriate for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
208. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to address the shortage of childcare and early education facilities in Kinsale, County Cork. [47569/22]
View answerThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority.
Since 2015, significant increases in State investment in early learning and childcare has given rise to a substantial growth in the numbers of children participating in these services. Every year, more than 100,000 children participate on the universal pre-school programme (ECCE) and the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) subsidises up to 80,000 children.
Before the onset of Covid-19, national data indicated that, on the whole, supply of early learning and childcare places was meeting demand, with evidence of undersupply for certain age groups including children under 3, and in certain areas.
Data gathered throughout the Covid-19 pandemic revealed lower demand for early learning and childcare, and reduced occupancy among early learning and childcare services.
My Department has continued to monitor early learning and childcare capacity, with a particular focus on monitoring Covid-19 impacts as public health restrictions have been lifted and on responding to the unmet early learning and childcare needs of families. Data captured earlier this year parallels the pre-Covid-19 context, whereby the supply of early learning and childcare places is meeting demand though there is evidence of undersupply for certain age groups including children under 3, and in certain areas.
The network of 30 CCC across the country, including Cork, are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places. In addition, CCC have been mobilised to engage proactively with services to identify vacant places and to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
In addition to this, a range of steps are being taken to address issues of under supply.
Some €70m has been allocated to my Department through the revised National Development Plan (NDP) – with the majority of this funding earmarked for new places.
Under the National Action Plan for Childminding, I have committed to opening up access to the NCS to parents who use childminders following the extension of regulation to childminders, which is expected to happen within the first 2-3 years of the Plan.
My Department, in partnership with the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government, is in the process of updating the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings.
Finally, the new Core Funding Scheme, introduced in September, provides funding for services aligned to costs of delivery. This means higher levels of funding is available to services that cater for younger children where costs of delivery are higher. There is already emerging evidence of improved capacity in the sector in response to Core Funding, as demonstrated by a 31% and 261% increase in ‘change in circumstances’ applications to Tusla from early learning and care and school-age childcare services respectively who are seeking to expand the scale and scope of their provision.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for CCCs may be found on www.myccc.ie.
209. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of childcare workers in County Cork. [47570/22]
View answerI acknowledge that many early learning and childcare services are reporting staffing difficulties in relation to recruitment and retention. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover, and recruitment and staff retention difficulties are undoubtedly linked to pay and conditions, with for example the average pay in the sector being €12.60 per hour in 2021.
As the State does not employ early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners, I cannot set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector. However, there has recently been an important and historic development with the setting of new minimum hourly rates for various roles in the Early Years Services sector.
On 15 September 2022, the first ever Employment Regulation Orders for the Early Years Services sector came into effect, setting new minimum hourly rates of pay for various roles in the Early Years Services Sector as follows:
€13.00 for Early Years Educators/ School-Age Childcare practitioners;
€14.00 for Early Years Lead Educators / School-Age Childcare co-ordinators;
€15.50 for Graduate Early Years Lead Educators / School-Age Childcare co-ordinators
€15.70 for Deputy Managers;
€16.50 for Managers; and
€17.25 for Graduate Managers.
The Orders are being supported by Government’s Core Funding scheme, that I announced as part of Budget 2022, which will see increases in funding to early learning and childcare services to support improvements in staff wages, alongside a commitment to freeze parental fees. The commencement date for the Employment Regulation Orders – 15 September – coincided with the official launch of Core Funding.
It is estimated that 73% of those working in the sector will see their wages rise as a result of the Employment Regulation Orders with the wages of 50% of employees in the sector expected to rise by 10% or more, and the wages of 20% of employees are expected to rise by 20% or more.
I am also committed to addressing other issues which may impact on the recruitment and retention of staff in the sector. In December 2021, I published "Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC), 2022-2028". Nurturing Skills aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in early learning and care and school-age childcare. One of its five "pillars" comprises commitments aimed at supporting recruitment, retention and diversity in the workforce, and it includes actions to raise the profile of careers in the sector.
210. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if Erasmus grant supports are still being offered to third level students who take up college and work placements in the United Kingdom since Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47425/22]
View answerWhile the United Kingdom has confirmed that it does not wish to participate in the Erasmus programme, it is able to continue to send and receive students and staff until 2022/2023 under existing agreements signed before the end of 2020. This arises as all Erasmus mobilities were deferred in 2020 and 2021 dues to restriction on travel during the Covid pandemic.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK have taken up this option and will continue to send/ receive students until 2023. The Higher Education Authority, as the Erasmus National Agency for Ireland, facilitated the extension of agreements to 36 months which means that nearly all Higher Education Institutions will be able to send and receive students and staff to the UK until May 2023.
After that date, HEIs in Ireland may allocate up to 20% of their Erasmus mobility grant to international credit mobility to support students to travel to non-programme countries, which will include the UK.
211. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if additional funding will be allocated to third level institutions through the Erasmus Plus programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47426/22]
View answerThe total funding allocated in 22/23 for Erasmus Plus student and staff mobility is €14,368,465 from the European Commission, an increase of c.54% from €9,296,430 in 21/22. The additional funding will support increases in mobility and new elements of the Erasmus+ programme such as Blended Intensive Programmes, support for Ukrainian students and support for students with lesser opportunities. In addition, DFHERIS is providing €3.5m to support outgoing mobility.
