Written Answers Nos. 1267-1281
1267. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will expand the rent-a-room scheme to allow households who have an available bedroom to rent it to asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17665/23]
View answerPolicy on rent a room schemes is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Housing. Work is ongoing to procure accommodation for International Protection applicants across the country.
It is important to note that over 5,000 persons currently accommodated in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres have a status that allows them to remain in Ireland and they have the same entitlements to accommodation as Irish nationals.
People with status have access to the Housing Assistance Payment and to the services of the Peter McVerry Trust and De Paul to help them to move out of IPAS accommodation and into accommodation in the community such as private rental and rent a room offers.
1268. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will pay the full basic supplementary welfare allowance to asylum seekers who are not in direct provision and give asylum-seeking children access to the child benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17666/23]
View answerThose seeking asylum in Ireland must make an application for international protection. While that claim is being examined by the International Protection Office, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) provides accommodation and related services to IPAs who wish to accept the offer of accommodation from the Irish State.
This offering includes food and utilities while the person is an IPA.
IPAs are entitled to free legal aid to help them with their protection application and appeals, if necessary. Access to public medical services is provided through the HSE and a weekly personal allowance is also paid to each person by the Department of Social Protection. In 2021 this allowance was increased to €38.80 for adults and €29.80 for children. Child applicants also have a right to access mainstream education.
After six months in Ireland, IPAs are eligible to work if they have not received a first instance decision on their application.
My Department has recently liaised with the DSP to ensure arrangements for the payment of the DEA, to IPAs who are currently without IPAS accommodation. DSP have confirmed that payments will be backdated for the period from when individuals arrived in Ireland to date.
IPAs may also make an application for an Additional Needs Payment. These are paid under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance which is administered by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) or the Department of Social Protection. An Additional Needs Payment application is reviewed by a Community Welfare Officer (CWO) who makes a decision based on the individual's circumstances. Each application is dealt with on a case by case basis.
If a person is not in IPAS accommodation but indicates they have a need for financial support, when they attend at an Intreo Centre to collect their PPSN, they can apply for an Additional Needs Payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
Staff in Intreo Centres are aware of this and are available to assist with applications.
The issue of income supports for international protection applicant children is currently under consideration in the reform process underway within the framework of the White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
1269. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will increase the direct provision allowance, given that welfare allowances have been increased several times while the direct provision allowance of €38.80 per week remains unchanged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17667/23]
View answerWhile an application for international protection is being examined by the International Protection Office, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) provides accommodation and related services to international protection applicants (IPAs) who wish to accept the offer of accommodation from the Irish State.
This offering includes food and utilities while the person is an IPA. Access to public medical services is provided and a weekly personal allowance is also paid to each person.
In 2021, this was increased to €38.80 for adults and €29.80 for children.
The issue of income support for international protection applicants is considered within the context of the reform process underway under the framework of the White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a new International Protection Support Service. The issue of the rate of the current allowance will be considered within the budgetary process for 2024.
It is important to note that after six months in Ireland, international protection applicants are eligible to work if they have not received a first instance decision on their application.
In some cases, where a resident is experiencing financial hardship, they may also be entitled to an Additional Needs Payment. Additional Needs Payments are paid under Supplementary Welfare Allowance which is administered by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) of the Department of Social Protection. An Additional Needs Payment application is reviewed by a Community Welfare Officer (CWO) who makes a decision based on the individual's circumstances. Each application is dealt with on a case by case basis.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
1270. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the average time it takes to advertise a post (details supplied) that has been left vacant in children's disability network teams, from the time that the staff member hands in his or her notice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17685/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1271. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amounts in grant aid or funding awarded by his Department, or through schemes administered by it, to an organisation (details supplied) in each year from 2010 to 2022; and the projected funding for 2023. [17697/23]
View answerMy Department gained responsibility for integration matters in 2020. Questions regarding figures from 2010 to 2019 for the organisation in question can be directed to the Department of Justice.
Please see below breakdown by year up until end of 2022 and the projected payments for 2023.
|
Organisation |
2020 Payments |
2021 Payments |
2022 Payments |
2023 Projected Payments* |
|
Peter McVerry Trust |
€484,094 |
€2,066,544 |
€2,409,278 |
€2,141,774 |
*Figure as of 14 April 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
1272. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the case of a person (details supplied) who awaits a diagnosis and follow-up therapies for autism spectrum disorder, ASD. [17717/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1273. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the way in which resources are allocated between different community healthcare organisations, CHOs, in terms of funding for transition to adult supports for autistic people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17722/23]
View answerHSE-funded day programmes for people with intellectual disabilities, autism, or complex physical disabilities include a range of centre-based and community-based activities. Access to services is based on an individual’s needs rather than on their diagnosis. The focus is on supporting people to participate in the mainstream activities and in the life of their community, in line with their wishes and needs.
Day services are a vital support for adult with disabilities to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year that require a HSE funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers by end of May to confirm placements to young people and their families. In many instances young people due to leave school at end of June are introduced to their day services for trialling purposes during April, May and June so there is a natural transition into day services in September.
New development funding of €8.5m will support approximately 1,400 people with disabilities who are leaving school to transition into adult day services in 2023, with a full year cost of €27m in 2024.
1274. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the application for sustainability funding by a pre-school facility (details supplied). [17736/23]
View answerIt would not be appropriate for me to discuss any individual service in this reply.
My Department oversees a Case Management Process through which local City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to early learning and care services experiencing difficulties. This support can take the form of assisting services with 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 following the verification of a service’s need for a financial intervention.
While a service may not be eligible for this support at a point in time, their local CCC and Pobal can continue to provide non-financial operational supports through the Case Management Process. Should the financial situation of a service change in the future, it can be re-assessed for financial supports if deemed appropriate.
If any service has sustainability concerns, I would encourage them to reach out to their local CCC to start availing of supports through the Case Management Process.
1275. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on HSE funding for transitions to adult supports for autistic people; if he can provide more information on the way funding is allocated between different CHOs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17737/23]
View answerHSE-funded day programmes for people with intellectual disabilities, autism, or complex physical disabilities include a range of centre-based and community-based activities. Access to services is based on an individual’s needs rather than on their diagnosis. The focus is on supporting people to participate in the mainstream activities and in the life of their community, in line with their wishes and needs.
Day services are a vital support for adult with disabilities to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year that require a HSE funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers by end of May to confirm placements to young people and their families. In many instances young people due to leave school at end of June are introduced to their day services for trialling purposes during April, May and June so there is a natural transition into day services in September.
New development funding of €8.5m will support approximately 1,400 people with disabilities who are leaving school to transition into adult day services in 2023, with a full year cost of €27m in 2024.
1276. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total value of capital expenditure allocated to play and recreation, by local authority, in each of the years between 2013 to 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17742/23]
View answerThe disbursement of grant funding to Local Authorities, under the Play and Recreation capital grant scheme, for the period 2017-2022 is tabulated below:
The data for the years 2013-2016 on this grant scheme is hosted on an older platform, which takes longer to access. The outstanding data will be forward directly to the Deputy, as soon as it has been extracted and collated.
1277. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason the capital grant scheme for play and recreation is limited to one application per local authority given local authorities cover very different population sizes across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17743/23]
View answerMy Department operates the Capital Grants Scheme for Play and Recreation in Local Authorities, to support the development of new recreation facilities for children and young people, and for the refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities and incorporation of natural play elements.
The policy aim underpinning this scheme is to manage the allocated funding, which amounts to €450k, with a view to maximising the impact of the funding; so that as many communities as possible are able to benefit from the projects supported by this scheme.
The apportionment rules of the Capital Grants Scheme for Play and Recreation are based on the statutory subdivision of the country into 31 Local Authorities.
The Scheme is run in partnership with Local Authorities and the Local Area Play and Recreation Network (LAPRN) and it is a condition of the funding agreements underpinning this scheme that all projects are co-funded by Local Authorities (at a minimum of 25%).
While I acknowledge that there are population density discrepancies associated with the Local Authority subdivision, the current apportionment model is the most transparent and equitable option currently available to us.
Changes to this model, should they be made, will involve engagement with all Local Authorities and the LAPRN in order to properly consider other apportionment models.
1278. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of Departmental staff currently on sick leave or stress leave; and the number who took stress leave or sick leave in each of the past five years and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [17773/23]
View answerIf a member of staff is absent due to stress it is recorded as sick leave. The table below provides details of the number of staff who took sick leave during the years 2018-2022 and so far in 2023.
As of 12 April 2023 there were 21 people on sick leave. The Deputy may wish to note that the staffing of my Department increased from a headcount of 277 at the end of 2018 to a headcount of 618 at the end of 2022.
|
Year |
Sick Leave |
|
2018 |
110 |
|
2019 |
175 |
|
2020 |
184 |
|
2021 |
152 |
|
2022 |
262 |
|
2023 (to date) |
126 |
1279. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of allegations of bullying made by departmental staff against departmental staff in each of the past five years, and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will detail what actions are being taken by his Department to investigate the allegations, or if they are being investigated. [17791/23]
View answerThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth was established in 2020. Since then there was 1 allegation of bullying made by departmental staff, which was made in 2021.
The Dignity at Work policy, is an anti-bullying, harassment and sexual harassment policy for employees of the Irish Civil Service which aims to promote respect, dignity, safety, and equality in the workplace for all employees. This allegation was investigated in accordance with this policy.
1280. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of Departmental staff dismissed in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [17809/23]
View answerThere has been one dismissal in the last ten years which occurred in 2019.
1281. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he can expedite payment to a service provider (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17833/23]
View answerMy Department is prioritising maintaining a practice of more timely payments, including providing more resources to address any issues. Any delays in making payments are deeply regretted and my Department is according this issue very high priority.
With regard to the service providers mentioned in the details supplied, I am advised by my officials that the largest invoice queried has been paid. The remaining invoices have been processed and subject to final checks, payments are expected to issue in the coming weeks.
The delay in payment was due to the large volume of invoices being received by my Department. Additional resources have been assigned within my Department, in addition to outsourcing of some tasks to accelerate processing. The volume of payments issuing is steadily growing. My Department will continue to press on to eliminate the backlog while ensuring appropriate governance is in place to safeguard the proper spending of Exchequer funding.
