Written Answers Nos. 772-791
772. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of local authorities that have applied for funding through a fund (details supplied) in order to fund the improvement of playgrounds in their local area; the local authorities that have applied for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54980/22]
View answerIn 2021 all 31 LA’s applied for a grant under the DCEDIY Capital Grant scheme for Play and Recreation, as part of the Government’s Lets Play Ireland 2021 programme. Funding under this Capital Grant scheme is provided for new play and recreation facilities and the refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities and/ or incorporating natural play elements.
Applications to the scheme are made through the member of the Local Authority Play and Recreation Network (LAPRN) in each Local Authority.
A selection committee reviewed the applications received and all 31 were deemed to be successful. The full allocation of €469,716 was drawn down in 2021.
The DCEDIY Capital Grant Funding Scheme for Play and Recreation was introduced in 2013 to support new and existing play and recreation facilities for children and young people.
The Local Authority Play and Recreation Network (LAPRN) were established in 2012 as a mechanism for central and Local Government to work collectively to bring about the best policy initiatives for children and young people in terms of the provision and promotion of play and recreational facilities.
774. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when money due to a service provider of accommodation to Ukrainian refugees will be paid (details supplied); the reason for the delay with this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55097/22]
View answerOverseeing provision of accommodation for those fleeing the war in Ukraine remains immensely challenging. My Department has contracted in excess of 34,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 550 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings. The scale and volume of payments arising has unfortunately led to processing delays, which my officials are working hard to clear.
The backlog has now been substantially reduced and I have instructed that outstanding payments, including the one highlighted by the Deputy, be dealt with as swiftly as possible.
775. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the 30-day statutory requirement for responses to be issued to applicants seeking information under the Birth (Information and Tracing) Act 2022 means 30 working days or 30 days in total. [55134/22]
View answer776. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the 60-day extension time for responses to applicants seeking information under the Birth (Information and Tracing) Act 2022 means 60 working days or 60 days in total. [55135/22]
View answer777. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the 30-day statutory requirement for responses to be issued to applicants seeking information under the Birth (Information and Tracing) Act 2022 means 30 working days or 30 days in total. [55151/22]
View answer778. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the 60-day extension time for responses to applicants seeking information under the Birth (Information and Tracing) Act 2022 means 60 working days or 60 days in total. [55152/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 775 to 778, inclusive, together.
Under Section 19 of the Birth Information and Tracing Act, a recipient body must respond to an application for a birth certificate, birth, early life or care information, incorrect birth registration information or a person’s own medical information within one month of the receipt of a complete application, either by providing the records requested or, where no records are present, by informing the applicant of that fact.
Where a recipient body cannot respond within one month, due to the complexity of the case or nature of the information being sought, the timeframe for final provision of information extends to three months from the receipt of the completed application.
Per the Interpretation Act 2005, "month" means one calendar month.
782. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details of the number of Ukrainian refugees who arrived in the State under the temporary protection directive but who have not been assigned accommodation. [55156/22]
View answerSince the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the Temporary Protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis.
My Department’s role is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here. The latest figures from the Department of Justice show that there have been 62,371 Temporary Protection Orders granted. Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) are entitled to make their own private arrangements and a significant cohort have chosen to do so, many staying with friends or family.
However it is the case that the majority of BOTPs do seek accommodation from my Department and we have in place an effective system for placing beneficiaries in accommodation, centred on the City West Transit Hub. As the Deputy may be aware, I was required to pause new arrivals at City West on 20 October last due to overcrowding.
The pause remains in place. The Citywest Transit Hub team is reviewing admissions on a daily basis. Where it has sufficient accommodation, all are admitted. If it does not have sufficient accommodation, priority is given to vulnerable persons. It is currently in a position to admit all of those seeking accommodation.
At this time, all of those initially refused and for whom DCEDIY had correct contact details have been contacted and subsequently offered accommodation. As of 4 November, there were 35 newly arrived BOTPs at City West waiting to be assigned accommodation elsewhere.
As of the same date, there are 43,411 BOTPs in accommodation directly provided by my Department, in addition to 4,718 beneficiaries accommodated in properties pledged through the Irish Red Cross Portal. As mentioned above, some BOTPs have been accommodated by private hosts outside of the formal pledge framework. This is reflected in the fact that, as of 4 November, €6.6mn has been paid in Accommodation Recognition Payments in respect of 8,439 beneficiaries across 3,822 properties.
783. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details of the number of individuals who made known their intentions to seek asylum under international protection on arrival in the State but who have not been assigned accommodation. [55157/22]
View answerDeputy, since 20 October 2022 - International Protection Applicants (IPAs) who were not initially provided with accommodation by IPAS (due to a lack of accommodation) - were requested to provide personal contact details and to regularly contact the IPAS inbox for the latest information on availability. This group was also advised that the Capuchin Day Centre, Bow Street, Dublin would be in a position to provide meals and showering facilities.
The total number of IPAs who were not accommodated since 20 October was 90. Of this group, 66 requested to be contacted when accommodation became available, 24 indicated they would arrange their own accommodation. Of the 66, 51 have subsequently been accommodated. With regard to the remaining group of 15, IPAS has attempted to contact each person on more than one occasion with an offer of accommodation but to date, have not received a response.
My Department continues to try to provide accommodation for all IPAs who present in Ireland – the Deputy will be aware however, with significant numbers of IPAs presenting, this task will remain challenging.
I trust this information satisfies your query.
784. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide clarification on a matter (details supplied). [55224/22]
View answerDeputy, please see information below as requested.
|
Breafy Woods Arena 30/10/22 |
||
|
Gender |
Number |
Percentage |
|
Male |
37 |
20.55 |
|
Female |
95 |
52.77 |
|
Children |
48 |
26.67 |
|
Total |
180 |
100 |
Of the 125 females, 30 are children. Of the 55 males, 18 are children.
I trust this information clarifies the matter.
786. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline all of the supports and grants currently available for community-funded childcare facilities that are registered for the ECCE and NCS programmes. [55277/22]
View answerOn 15 September, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. Together for Better brings together three major programmes, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, including the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) and the new Core Funding scheme.
Core Funding is designed specifically as a supply-side funding stream related to the costs of delivery. It is available to both community and private providers. Core Funding is based on operating hours, number of places offered by services, and the age group of children for whom the places are offered, given the staffing requirements determined by the regulatory ratios for different care categories, as well as allocations for graduate leaders in services. Structuring Core Funding primarily based on capacity means that partner services have an allocation each year that does not fluctuate in line with children’s attendance. Core Funding allows for substantial increases in the total cost base for the sector, related both to pay and non-pay costs, without additional costs being passed on to parents.
Core Funding contributes to services’ sustainability and significantly increases income for the overwhelming majority of services, including 97% of community service (1098 community services) and provides greater funding stability. Core Funding makes available €259 million to the sector in its first year of operation (September 2022 to August 2024).
In September, I also announced a €9m Capital Grant for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Childcare under the National Development Plan.
Grants will range from €35,000 to €75,000 across two separate strands: Green Energy and Retrofit. The Green Energy Strand will support the Climate Action Agenda and the Programme for Government, which aim to transition to a carbon neutral economy by the end of 2050 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030.
Services that sign up for the Core Funding Scheme are eligible for funding under for the Building Blocks - Capital Programme. The capital grant scheme opened to applications on Friday 28 October 2022 and the closing date is Friday 25 November 2022. Successful applicants will be notified in early 2023.
The grant scheme is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme designed to meet current and long-term Early Learning and Childcare infrastructure needs – with details of a €45m Building Blocks - Capacity Grant and a €15m Building Blocks - Innovation Grant to be announced in the coming months.
Community (not-for-profit) services which encounter financial or other sustainability concerns can avail of supports through the case management process.
My Department oversees this process, through which local City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to ELC and SAC services experiencing difficulties. CCCs administer on-the-ground case management assistance, co-ordinated by Pobal. This can include help with completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances. In some instances, financial supports may be deemed appropriate in tandem with the case management process. Community early learning and childcare facilities can avail of this funding following a financial assessment by Pobal if deemed appropriate. Community services that are experiencing difficulty and who would like support are encouraged to contact their CCC to access these case management supports as the first step in this process.
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a free universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. My Department provides funding to Early Learning and Care (ELC) services that sign an ECCE funding agreement and are Tusla registered.
An approved provider must have a minimum enrolment of eight ECCE eligible children per session. ECCE providers must also provide an appropriate pre-school educational programme, which adheres to the principles and standards of Síolta and Aistear, the national frameworks for early learning and care.
The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme in ECCE registered services. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of high quality early learning and care. Eligibility for AIM supports is linked to participation in the universal ECCE pre-school programme.
AIM supports are grouped into universal or targeted. Universal supports are designed to create a more inclusive culture in early learning and care settings, through training courses and qualifications for staff. Where universal supports are not enough to meet the needs of an individual child, targeted supports are available to ensure the child can meaningfully participate in pre-school.
Targeted supports might take the form of specialist advice and support, specialist equipment or appliances, minor building alterations, therapeutic intervention or extra assistance in the pre-school room.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is the first ever statutory entitlement to support for childcare costs in Ireland. The Scheme provides financial support to help parents to meet the cost of childcare. Budget 2023 introduced major reforms to the NCS from January 2023 that will substantially improve the affordability of early learning and childcare for families. Additional funding of €121m has been allocated from January 2023 so all families accessing registered early learning and childcare will receive a minimum hourly NCS subsidy of €1.40 off the cost of early learning and childcare.
788. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to ensure that dioceses and parishes in the Roman Catholic Church are fulfilling their obligations under the Birth Information and Tracing Bill. [55426/22]
View answerTo achieve the safeguarding of records, the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 places an obligation on any person, body, or organisation who is in possession of a relevant record to maintain and safeguard the relevant record and to inform the Adoption Authority of Ireland of the existence of the record.
Furthermore, under the legislation it is an offence to conceal, destroy, mutilate, or falsify relevant records. This offence carries a penalty of up to 3 years in prison and/or a fine of up to €50,000. Offences shall be reported to An Garda Síochána for investigation.
The Birth Information and Tracing Act also enables the Adoption Authority of Ireland to direct any person, body or organisation in possession of a relevant record or a secondary information source to transfer a relevant record to it, where the transfer is in the public interest.
For the purpose of delivering tracing services, the legislation provides that the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency may request information from a number of bodies, including a diocese or parish of the Roman Catholic Church, for the purposes of conducting a trace, and the body shall comply with this request.
The Act is now commenced in full and these provisions are in force.
789. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on Tusla redacting records being released to persons under the Birth Information and Tracing Bill. [55427/22]
View answerThe Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022, and the guidelines that accompany it, are clear that in all cases where birth, early life, care and medical information, as defined in the legislation is available on a record it will be released. No redactions will ever take place in respect of this information. In addition and more broadly, no redactions will ever take place of a person’s own information.
However, records can sometimes contain other third party information which cannot be released to an applicant. For example, an admissions register for a Mother and Baby Institution may contain twenty lines per page, of which, only one line will relate to the applicant, while the other 19 lines will relate to strangers. This information is not the information of the applicant and may be redacted.
791. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of officials in his Department who have undertaken the Harvard Business School advanced management programme in the past ten years to date; the grade of each official; and the cost for each attendee, in tabular form. [55476/22]
View answerTwo officials at the Department Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth, have undertaken the Harvard Business School advanced management programme in the past ten years as outlined in the table below.
|
Year |
Grade |
Cost |
|
2013 |
Assistant Secretary |
€5200 |
|
2017 |
Principal Officer |
€7151.66 |
