Written Answers Nos. 565-580
565. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the average cost per person per night to accommodate individuals at the IPAS centre at Richmond Street, Dublin 1. [22593/23]
View answerPayment details for IPAS accommodation centres are deemed confidential and commercially sensitive. It would not serve the public interest to divulge payment rates to contractors for services as it could prejudice the Department's negotiating position to deliver value for money with respect to other accommodation providers and locations.
Details of the amounts paid to the contractors for 2021 are published at the following location www.gov.ie/en/publication/3eef8-contract-values/ however the IPAS Centre in Richmond St, Dublin 1 only came into operation in mid November 2022.
566. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide a list of the illnesses acceptable when producing a medical certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner in order to postpone paternity leave in event of sickness under the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22596/23]
View answerUnder the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016, a relevant parent can avail of 2 weeks leave within 26 weeks of the child’s birth, or in the case of adoption, their child’s placement. The parent may also qualify for Paternity Benefit. The entitlement applies to the father of the child; the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the mother of the child; the parent of a donor-conceived child within the meaning of the provisions of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015; and, in the case of adoption, the parent who is not the qualifying adopter for the purposes of Adoptive Leave.
Under Part 2, Section 11 of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016, the parent may postpone paternity leave should they become sick prior to the commencement of their paternity leave. Notice must be given in writing to the employer as soon as possible, and a medical certificate signed by a medical practitioner must be provided. The legislation does not set out any requirements as to the nature of the sickness.
567. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider bringing forward supports, including tax relief, for individuals who employ childminders, as part of Budget 2024, as a way to relieving pressure on crèche places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22610/23]
View answerThe main route through which parents are subsidised for their early learning and childcare costs is the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision. While only a small number of childminders (who work in their own home) are currently required to register with Tusla under the Child Care Act 1991, it is intended that the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 will result in the opening up of the National Childcare Scheme to a much wider cohort of childminders. As well as supporting quality childminding and reducing costs to parents, widening access to regulated childminding may also be an effective means of helping to address issues of supply and access.
The National Action Plan for Childminding commits to opening the National Childcare Scheme to childminders at the earliest possible opportunity, though it will be necessary first to develop and introduce childminder-specific regulations, and to give childminders adequate time and support to meet regulatory requirements.
Phase 1 of the Plan, which began in 2021, involves the development of childminder-specific regulations, and removal of legal exemptions from regulation for childminders, with the aim of supporting childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies. It is envisaged that registration will open to childminders in 2024 followed by an extended transition phase of several years, to allow childminders a lead-in time for regulatory requirements.
The National Action Plan distinguishes childminding which involves care in the childminder’s home from care that takes place in the child’s home, which may be carried out by a nanny, an au pair or a babysitter. The employment relationship and the legal and regulatory context are different. Whereas a childminder working from the childminder’s own home is typically self-employed and offers a service that may be accessed on a public basis, someone caring for a child in the child’s own home is regarded as an employee of the child’s parents. In addition, the employment of someone in the child’s home may involve a combination of caring with other roles, e.g. cleaning or other domestic duties. Furthermore, because they work in the parents’/child’s home rather than their own home, au pairs and nannies cannot be held responsible for the safety or suitability of that home for the purpose of early learning or childcare.
In scope, therefore, the National Action Plan mainly addresses self-employed childminders who work in their own home. The National Action Plan is not primarily concerned with nannies or au pairs, who are employees of a child’s parents / guardians. The National Action Plan does, however, include an action to develop information and training resources in relation to the use of nannies and au pairs.
Regarding tax relief for parents for early learning and childcare, research by the Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) on Future Investment in Childcare has shown that supply-side measures (such as the National Childcare Scheme), rather than tax credits to parents, represent the most effective use of Exchequer investment in relation to childcare. This conclusion was based on international experience and on the ability to leverage quality and control fees for parents through supply-side measures, i.e. subsidies paid directly to providers to reduce the childcare fee to parents. For this reason, the National Childcare Scheme is the primary mechanism for supporting affordability for parents, and the National Action Plan for Childminding aims to enable more childminders to take part in the National Childcare Scheme over the coming years. While there is no tax relief for childcare costs for parents, a tax relief scheme is available for childminders themselves (the Childcare Services Relief).
568. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to examine alternative transport options and timetabling for persons (details supplied) with disabilities attending a day service in Meath where in certain cases service users are spending up to two hours each way per day travelling to and from the service; if he will introduce financial assistance towards petrol costs in circumstances where parents have to provide transport to help reduce the length of travel time daily; and if such travel expenses will be included under the terms of the personalised budget for people with a disability. [22637/23]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the HSE provides specialist disability services, including Day Services and Rehabilitative Training, to people with disabilities who require such services, and people with intellectual disabilities would form the majority of service users who are supported by these services. While day service funding does not include transport, some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded agencies on a discretionary basis, and a variety of transport solutions are pursued in different CHO areas. These include travel training to enable public transport to be used, where appropriate, local transport such as Local Link, private bus transport and taxis, and some service providers provide transport where capacity exists.
In general, day service users are in receipt of disability allowance and are automatically entitled to the Free Travel Pass.
Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, the Department of Transport has responsibility for the continued development of accessibility and availability of accessible public transport. To develop proposals for better coordination of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities, a Transport Working Group was established to make progress under Action 104 of the NDIS. The Group’s final report has been published and it contains valuable proposals to inform future policy and action. It will be incumbent on all Government departments and agencies with responsibility for transport and mobility supports to consider the proposals in coordinating on next steps.
The HSE is continuing in 2023 to deliver on the national personalised budgets pilot demonstrator project. The project seeks to engage 180 adults with a disability who access a wide range of HSE funded services including day services, residential services, respite services, rehabilitative training, or personal assistance services. The Demonstrator project is seeking to test three different models, i.e. (a) a person managed fund, (b) a co-managed fund with a service provider and (c) a broker managed fund.
As Minister of State for Disability, I granted an extension to the Personalised Budget Pilot until Q3 2023, with the accompanying evaluation process to be completed in Q2, 2024. This extension will facilitate suitable applicant participation and allow time for a robust evaluation to be completed.
569. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the plan to pay redress to the survivors of mother and baby homes who satisfy the existing criteria; whether he plans to expand the criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22640/23]
View answerI am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and I am focused on delivering it as soon as possible. The Payment Scheme Bill was passed by Dáil Éireann in February and has recently completed second stage in the Seanad. I do not intend to bring forward amendments to broaden the eligibility criteria for the Scheme.
In parallel with the legislative process, work is underway in my Department towards establishing the administrative structures necessary to deliver the Scheme. Subject to the legislation being enacted and these administrative structures being established, the Scheme will open for applications as soon as possible in 2023.
Details on how the Scheme will operate are available on my department's website at -
www.gov.ie/paymentscheme.
570. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement he has had with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive regarding the process of providing interim services to IPAS applicants while they await accommodation. [22651/23]
View answerThere has been engagement between the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and IPAS in relation to facilities which could be used for accommodation purposes. A facility offered by Dublin City Council began use as emergency accommodation for international protection applicants last Friday.
There has been engagement between the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and IPAS in relation to the NGOs and organisations providing support in this area. As a consequence, it has engaged with Focus Ireland, Crosscare and Depaul Ireland seeking their help to support unaccommodated persons.
IPAS has an agreement in place with Mendicity to make its drop in services available to non-accommodated persons including information, food, Wi-FI and shelter.
The Capuchin Day Centre and Merchants Quay Ireland have also agreed to make their services available to unaccommodated persons.
571. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022 will be put as a priority before the summer recess of Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22653/23]
View answerI am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and I am focused on delivering it as soon as possible. The Payment Scheme Bill was passed by Dáil Éireann in February and I hope to conclude Committee Stage in the Seanad shortly. It is my intention to complete the passage of the Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas before the summer recess.
In parallel with the legislative process, work is underway in my Department towards establishing the administrative structures necessary to deliver the Scheme. Subject to the legislation being enacted and these administrative structures being established, the Scheme will open for applications as soon as possible in 2023.
572. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding schemes offered by his Department for established early childhood education providers to construct a purpose-build facility to meet growing local needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22740/23]
View answerSome €69 million was allocated to the Early Learning and Childcare sector in the revised National Development Plan (NDP) allocation. This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars: (1) Building Blocks - Improvement Grant, (2) Building Blocks - Capacity Grant and (3) Building Blocks - Innovation Grant.
The €9 million Building Blocks - Improvement Grant was launched by my Department late last year and applicants were advised of the outcome on 4th April. Grants range from €35,000 to €75,000 across two separate strands: 1. Green Energy (Strand A) and 2. Retrofit (Strand B). The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant was part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for early learning and childcare under the National Development Plan designed to meet current and long-term early learning and childcare infrastructure needs.
The design of both the Building Blocks - Capacity Grant scheme and the Innovation Scheme are currently underway. These schemes will aim to address capacity gaps, fund the expansion of existing services and invest in the development of new services where most needed. I hope to provide more details of these two grant schemes in the coming months.
573. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to ensure that all individuals in the international protection system are provided with suitable accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22741/23]
View answerIreland is currently accommodating over 84,300 people between those fleeing the crisis in Ukraine and International Protection Applicants (IPAs). This compares with the State accommodating over 8,570 people at the end of February 2022. The figure of almost 85,000 people equates to a population the size of Galway City being accommodated by this Department in little over a year.
Access to suitable accommodation is severely constrained at present. The Department is availing of all offers of accommodation made to it, including the use of repurposed buildings and tented accommodation, to address the accommodation shortfall. These options are necessary in order to provide shelter to international protection arrivals, to meet basic needs and to prevent homelessness. However, even these options are failing to address the numbers of people arriving.
The Department has reached out to other Government Departments such as the Department of Education for school and third level institution facilities; the Department of Defence for unused barracks and buildings; the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media for sporting and arts facilities; the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Office of Public Works for buildings that can be used to accommodate people.
Some of the offers that have come through these requests have resulted in accommodation, both temporary and longer term. However, there are often significant fire certification and building control regulatory issues that must be addressed before these building can be occupied safely.
My officials are working tirelessly to procure more bed spaces in as far as it can. Since the beginning of 2023, more than 5,300 bed spaces have been brought into use by IPAS to accommodate both new arrivals and over 2,500 people who required to be re-accommodated from hotels where contracts ended in the first four months of this year.
While demand continues to outstrip supply, particularly for adult males, the Department has managed to ensure that all families and children have been accommodated. IPAS is working on projects to increase reception capacity for adult males and hopes to deliver significant capacity in the coming weeks to go some way to alleviating the shortages being experienced presently.
574. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the progress made to date in respect of implementing the recommendations specific to his Department outlined in the Report on the Operation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 to improve the functioning of the ISL Act; if he will provide an update on his plans to involve the deaf community in decision-making processes and the steps he will take to ensure that their perspectives are noted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22768/23]
View answerThe Irish Sign Language Act 2017 was signed into law on 24 December 2017 and I commenced the Act jointly with my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman in December 2020.
The Act recognises the right of ISL users to use ISL as their native language, and to develop and preserve it. The Act places a statutory duty on all public bodies to provide ISL users with free interpretation when availing of or seeking to access statutory entitlements and services provided by or under statute. Implementing the Act requires a whole of government approach and as such all public bodies have obligations to fulfill. In addition, the Act also provides for specific duties and obligations in the areas of legal proceedings, educational provision and broadcasting.
Section 10 of the Act requires that a report on the operation of the Act be produced initially three years after enactment and every five years thereafter.
In line with these requirements, I commissioned the National Disability Authority (NDA) to produce the first report on the operation of the Act. A draft Report was submitted to me in 2021, and subsequently circulated to departments and agencies for observations and to ensure accuracy in the preparation of a final version. The Report was finalised by my Department in late 2021. To avoid prejudicing ongoing legal proceedings, the publication of the report was delayed in 2022. However the Report, along with an ISL translation, have were published on my Department's website in January 2023.
The Minister and I support the ISL Act and its importance in continuously advancing the UNCRPD in Ireland. We welcome the publication of the first Implementation Report and recognise the challenges outlined therein. A whole-of-government approach to the implementation of the ISL Act is necessary. My colleagues the Minister for Education and the Minister For Social Protection preside over actions in Section 5 and Section 9 assigned to their Departments. The Act puts obligations on all public bodies.
In this regard, the Department of Education continue to provide a range of supports for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, either in mainstream classes, special classes or through the two established schools for deaf children. There is longstanding existing provision in place, which provides a dedicated special needs assistant with ISL competency to support students in mainstream settings access to the curriculum and engage in school activities.
On 14th November 2022 a new enhanced scheme of ISL provision was announced. A national advertising campaign commenced in January 2023, by the NCSE, to recruited for the role of ISL-SCS on a nationwide basis. This campaign is currently at interview stage and it is expected that successful candidates will be appointed on the completion of this process.
The Irish Sign Language (ISL) Tuition Scheme provides funding for a weekly tuition service. Tutors visit the home of a deaf or hard of hearing pre-school child or school-going pupil to provide training in ISL for the child, their siblings, their grandparent(s) and parents or guardian.
A review of this scheme is currently taking place in the Department of Education with the view to streamlining the application process, and it is anticipated that the results of this review will be in place for August in line with new applications for the 2023/24 school year.
As Minister of State for Disability, I have engaged regularly with members of the deaf community through a number of important mechanisms. These include the Disability Stakeholder Group, the Disability Participation Consultation Network and the my Department's Disability Consultative Committee. I have also held bespoke meetings with representatives of the deaf community. Such engagements are important and I look forward to continuing to involve the deaf community in decision-making processes arising from these discussions.
575. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports that are in place for working parents who cannot source placements for their children in childcare facilities due to full capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22781/23]
View answerThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. The Department monitors early learning and childcare capacity on an ongoing basis, with a particular focus on responding to the unmet early learning and childcare needs of families.
The annual data captured by Pobal on behalf of my Department - through the Early Years Sector Profile Survey - is one important data source that allows us to monitor supply and demand. In addition to this survey data, the Department also relies on data from the register of services held by Tusla, data provided by services as part of their application for Core Funding and has also conducted several surveys with parents. Since 2020, five parent surveys have been undertaken by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of the Department.
Data captured from the 2021/22 iteration of the Early Years Sector Profile, indicated that the vacancy rate is 16% on average across the country. This data does not take account of increases in capacity since the introduction of Core Funding. Data collection for the 2022/23 Early Years Sector Profile is currently underway and will give an updated position.
A series of steps are being taken to address issues of undersupply.
The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
Under the National Action Plan for Childminding, there is a commitment to open up access to the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) to parents who use childminders following the extension of regulation to childminders.
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.
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. As part of this work, my Department has been included in the updated list of prescribed bodies that need to be notified on certain planning matters, including the formulation of County Development Plans and Local Area Plans.
In addition, Core Funding - introduced in September 2022 - has already proven to be effective in expanding capacity, particularly in areas of undersupply and additional funding secured in Budget 2023 for year two of Core Funding provides further opportunity to invest in capacity growth.
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
576. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how personal assistance hours can be divided between two service providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22937/23]
View answerAs this question refers to operational / service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
577. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the provisions in relation to remote working as part of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023 will be published; if there is a timeline available on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22960/23]
View answerThe Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was signed into law by the President on 4th April. It is hoped that the Act will support employees to achieve a better balance between their home lives and work lives.
The Act introduces 5 days leave for medical care purposes for parents of children under 12, and carers; it provides for a right to request flexible working for parents and carers; it provides the right to request remote working for all employees, and it expands the entitlement of breastfeeding breaks to two years after the birth of the child. The leave for medical care purposes and the right to request flexible working are in fulfillment of Articles 6 and 9 of the EU Work Life Balance Directive.
In addition, the Act also seeks to support those who are victims of domestic violence through the introduction of a statutory paid leave entitlement of five days. Ireland is one of the first countries to introduce statutory domestic violence leave.
Part 3 of the Act introduces a right to request remote working for all employees. Commencement of this Part is a matter for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who holds the policy for this area, and it requires the preparation of a Code of Practice in line with Part 4 of the Bill.
578. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the salary scale range, including all benefits, for the grade of chief social worker. [23002/23]
View answerI have referred the PQ to Tusla Child and Family Agency for direct response as the Chief Social Worker salary scale is more applicable to that organisation, however the HSE website contains relevant information and circulars on pay scales at this website:
www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-006-2023-application-of-pay-adjustments-for-1-march-2023.html
Social Work Practitioner, Senior:
56,333-58,810-61,320-63,823-66,317-68,804-71,287-72,549
Social Worker:
45,773-48,973-50,620-53,004-55,409-57,829-60,244-62,660-65,079-66,341
Non-Professionally Qualified Social Worker:
38,507 – 41,415 – 42,545 – 44,675 – 46,877 – 49,084 – 51,283 – 53,531 – 55,771 – 57,495 – 59,224-60,371
Medical Social Worker:
45,773-48,973-50,620-53,004-55,409-57,829-60,244-62,660-65,079-66,341
Psychiatric Social Worker:
45,773-48,973-50,620-53,004-55,409-57,829-60,244-62,660-65,079-66,341
Social Worker Senior Medical:
65,079-66,934-68,792-70,647-72,503-74,358-75,068
Social Worker, Principal (Ex – Social Worker, Senior/Head Medical):
73,623-75,756-79,084-82,411-85,738-90,317
Social Worker, Team Leader:
65,079-66,934-68,792-70,647-72,503-74,358-75,068
579. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of young people under 18 years of age in each Tusla local area office. [23015/23]
View answerAs this relates to Tusla operational matters, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.
580. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of children in care, broken down by each Tusla local area office. [23016/23]
View answerAs this relates to Tusla operational matters, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.
