Written Answers Nos. 595-607
595. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department has any intention of housing refugees in a location (details supplied); if he will engage with the local community on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25746/23]
View answerIreland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since February 2022, my Department has worked extensively to accommodate over 83,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, of which 61,000 have sought accommodation from my Department.
Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains immensely challenging. Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, my Department has contracted in excess of 47,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BoTPs) in more than 770 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.
The priority is to place people fleeing the war in safe and secure accommodation.
I am advised by my officials that works are ongoing in respect of the property referred to and that my Department is reviewing this property with a view to accommodating beneficiaries of temporary protection (BoTPs) in due course. The Department is informing local elected representatives where emergency accommodation is to be located. However, the speed at which the Department must move inevitably means we don't always have the opportunity to do as much advance work and engagement with local representatives and the community as we would ideally like.
The Department of An Taoiseach is also developing a communications strategy and campaign that will assist with the provision of information to communities on new centres.
596. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he received correspondence from the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in relation to concerns raised by a campaign (details supplied); if he has responded on the matter; if so, the date on which he responded; and what the content of his response was. [25758/23]
View answerAs Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I received a letter dated 23 September 2022 from the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media regarding concerns raised by the campaign in the details supplied .
Both Minister O’ Gorman and I met with the organisation leading the campaign in 2022, and referenced by the Deputy, to discuss their pre-budget submission. The challenges that this campaign has highlighted are complex and any solution necessarily requires the input and support of a number of Departments beyond my own. In response, there has been engagement at official level between relevant Departments, including my own, to develop an understanding of the issues involved.
It should be noted that the Department of Social Protection has responsibility for many of the issues raised in discussions to date. In that regard, the Deputy may wish to address more direct queries to my colleague the Minister for Social Protection. In that regard, the Deputy may wish to know that the Department of Social Protection is planning to advance a 'straw man' proposal for disability payments in furtherance of a commitment in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 – 2025. The exercise will examine disability payments in view of a potential restructuring, in order to simplify the current system and advance key Make Work Pay Report recommendations. I understand that plans are underway for a public consultation on the 'strawman', as work on the project progresses.
597. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children and young persons on waiting lists for an assessment of need by CHO, age category and time waiting, in tabular form. [25823/23]
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.
598. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of situations where parents who have children with additional needs in private after-school or crèches have been advised that their child cannot continue to attend the after-school or crèche unless they have an SNA; if he is aware that the SENO has said that they do not provide SNA support; if he will provide a list of options for the care of this child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25850/23]
View answerThis is a matter for my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Education.
599. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on outstanding payments to an accommodation centre (details supplied) for Ukrainian refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25913/23]
View answerMy Department is prioritising making more timely payments of valid invoices, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls.
With regard to the service provider referred to, I am advised by my officials that one payment was made to this provider on 11 May. Two remaining invoices are currently being processed with payment expected to issue in the coming fortnight subject to final checks.
My Department will continue to press on to eliminate the payments backlog while ensuring appropriate governance is in place to safeguard the proper spending of Exchequer funding.
600. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the uptake of applications for the Ireland against racism fund; if the number of applications to date has met or exceeded expectation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25941/23]
View answerAs of mid-morning on 29 May, the number of Ireland Against Racism Fund applications received by my Department were as follows. For Scheme A, four complete applications had been received, with a further 26 draft applications. For Scheme B, 24 complete applications had been received, with a further 25 draft applications.
In my Department's experience, a significant number of applications are received in the final 48 hours of a funding call. For example, the International Protection Integration Fund open call closed last week, and a majority of the 165 total applications were received in the final 36 hours of the call.
I am satisfied that there will be a significant number of applications submitted to the Ireland Against Racism Fund before the call for proposals closes at noon on Wednesday, 31 May.
601. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details on the proposals to issue tenders for floating accommodation to house international protection applicants; if such accommodation will also be used to house beneficiaries of temporary protection; the initial budgetary amount being ringfenced for these tenders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25957/23]
View answerThe Department has received a number of offers of ‘floating accommodation’ in recent times. Consideration of such proposals comes in the wake of an unprecedented accommodation crisis.
Following detailed investigation and analysis of its use, and in consultation with various stakeholders including the Maritime Unit in the Department of Transport, my Department is expected to publish a Request For Tender (RFT) on eTenders, seeking flotel accommodation for international protection applicants (IPAs).
Details of where the flotels are to be berthed are still being finalised. There are currently no time lines on any potential publication but, subject to finalising berth(s), the RFT will be expedited.
There are no budgetary amounts ringfenced for this project at present. The costs will be paid from the Exchequer budget allocated to Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth/IPAS with the requisite engagement with Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform on the matter.
602. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department assists with, or makes a financial contribution to, the sourcing or provision of childcare or crèche facilities for the children of staff members of any grade or position; if so, the names of the providers; the costs incurred for the period 2020 to date in 2023; the number of staff who have availed of such assistance over this timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25967/23]
View answerMy Department does not assist with the provision of childcare or crèche facilities for staff of the Department.
603. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of ratifying the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; when this ratification will be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26019/23]
View answerThe question of costs arising from ratification of the Optional Protocol will be considered once the scoping exercise on ratification has concluded. There may be budgetary implications arising over time in terms of meeting the obligations under the Protocol, or in relation to any specific measures that might be identified as being necessary to allow for ratification. Costings in relation to such measures will be considered on a case by case basis. There are no substantive direct costs incurred in terms of the act of ratification of the Protocol itself.
Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 20 March 2018. This marked an important milestone in a process to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland that has gathered momentum since Ireland became a signatory to the Convention in 2007.
Ireland's approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of continuous advancement - each year moving forward on key reforms to consistently strengthen and uphold obligations and rights arising from the Convention.
I recognise the importance of the Optional Protocol to the UNCRPD. As the Deputy will be aware, the Optional Protocol is an international treaty that establishes procedures aimed at strengthening the implementation and monitoring of the Convention, and both I and my colleagues across Government support this fully.
Ratification of the Optional Protocol is a commitment in the Programme for Government. The timeline for ratification was originally anticipated to follow the conclusion of Ireland’s first review period before the UN Committee.
Due to delays at UN level, we do not yet have a date for Ireland’s appearance before the Committee and anticipate that it will now be delayed. For this reason, Minister O'Gorman and I have indicated that we are open to the earlier ratification of the Optional Protocol, contingent on the state being in a position to meet the obligations involved.
This is why my Department is continuing to scope out the requirements for earlier ratification. This scoping work is required in order to fully assess the implications of ratification and due to the long-standing position of the state in relation to honouring international agreements. As a matter of foreign policy, Ireland does not enter into binding international treaties until we are confident that the obligations set out can be complied with. As such, the ongoing scoping exercise is procedurally necessary.
While I am not yet in a position to give an exact date for ratification, it is a priority for me to ensure that the Optional Protocol is ratified at the earliest possible date.
604. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports he, in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection, will put in place to support parents in terms of childcare for new babies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26048/23]
View answerThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. My 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, my 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.
Based on data captured through the Early Years Sector Profile Surveys 2021/22 (gathered in Spring 2022 with a response rate of 82.5%) – extrapolated to take account of all services – there was a vacancy rate of 15% for children under 12 months and 6% for children aged 1-2 years old. This compares with a national vacancy rate of 16% for children of all ages.
Data collection for the Early Years Sector Profile 2022/23 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 funding to invest in capacity growth of 3%.
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
605. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding provided for residential respite for children's disability services in CHO 4 in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [26053/23]
View answerAs the query relates to service matters, I am referring it to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
606. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if funding will be issued for non-emergency transport for those using disability services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26057/23]
View answerAs this question refers to a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
607. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the Autism Innovation Oversight and Advisory Group; when the next public consultation to finalise the Autism Innovation Strategy will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25950/23]
View answerNational action in respect of autism is a commitment in the Programme for Government. Development of a new national strategy on autism, the Autism Innovation Strategy, is currently underway in response to this commitment. This is an important priority for me as Minister of State with special responsibility for Disability.
The aim of the Autism Innovation Strategy is to identify the bespoke challenges and barriers faced by Autistic and Neurodivergent people across Ireland and to deliver tangible solutions to address those challenges. The Strategy will focus on specific areas that may not be addressed by other national strategies and frameworks.
I have been very clear from the outset that I want Autistic people, their families and supporters to be at the centre of the development process for the Autism Innovation Strategy and of monitoring implementation of the Strategy once adopted.
A number of steps have been taken to progress development of the Autism Innovation Strategy and to seek the views of the Autistic community to date. This included an initial public consultation in April 2022. A report analysing and summarising the output of this consultation was published in April 2023. The views of those who contributed to the consultation will be carefully considered as part of the drafting process for the Strategy.
I also launched a process to appoint the Autism Innovation Strategy Oversight and Advisory Group in June 2022. This group will play a key role in monitoring implementation of the Strategy and providing oversight and critical, constructive analysis based on the lived experience and expertise of group members.
During the selection process, careful attention was paid to ensuring that the group is majority Neurodivergent, and that the group is balanced and representative in terms of the different perspectives and experiences of group members.
The Autism Innovation Strategy Oversight and Advisory Group was formally appointed and met for the first time in December 2022. The Group met most recently in April 2023. I was very happy to chair these meetings.
Following the appointment of the Oversight and Advisory Group and the publication of the initial public consultation report, my Department is currently engaged in bilateral negotiations across Government to discuss the findings of the public consultation and agree actions to be included within the Autism Innovation Strategy. I have set a 12-18 month timeline for delivery of these actions, so that the Strategy can complement other disability policy measures, and so that its focus will be on laying the groundwork for a more Autism inclusive society.
It is my intention to convene a further public consultation later in 2023 prior to the adoption of the Autism Innovation Strategy. This will give all interested stakeholders a further opportunity to have their say on the Strategy prior to its adoption.
