Written Answers Nos. 131-140
131. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider intervening in the very serious case of a young mother (details supplied); the measures he can take to help this woman and her family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28789/23]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
132. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans to alter the eligibility for the ECCE scheme, given that the current cut-off dates for the scheme can lead to a child falling outside the eligibility by a couple of days thus having to wait a year to access the ECCE scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28665/23]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two year preschool programme available to all children within the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months. A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible.
The ECCE age requirements have been set to ensure the child is developmentally ready to engage with preschool and the preschool curricular framework. The entry point is designed so that all children within a given 12-month cycle can enter at the same point within that 12 month period and progress as one group. Ensuring children progress and transition with their peers to primary school is considered optimal for child development. While all children are eligible for two years of ECCE, the programme is not mandatory and some parents choose to avail of one year only.
My Department does its best to ensure, in so far as possible, the equitable treatment of all eligible children and families who apply for childcare funding under the ECCE Programme. In order to ensure objectivity and fairness, it is essential that clear rules exist for the scheme and that they are applied evenly. I accept that the use of age limits in a scheme such as ECCE creates a situation whereby a child can fall just outside the age range, however in the interests of fairness and consistency there can be no discretion in this regard.
Finally, I would add that my Department has commissioned a review of the ECCE programme which is currently being undertaken by Stranmillis University, Belfast. The ECCE age requirements are being evaluated as part of this review, the ultimate decision as to whether the age requirements should change will be informed by consultation with parents, international experts and ELC professionals.
133. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 508 of 28 March 2023, his views on whether there needs to be an investigation to establish what is and is not the children's burial ground before the words 'children's burial ground' are used to describe the memorial garden; and if he will ensure that these investigations are carried out in a timely manner, without delay. [28701/23]
View answerAs noted in my reply of 28 March, the investigation of burial arrangements in Mother and Baby institutions, including Bessborough, was an important part of the work of the independent Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters. The Commission’s Fifth Interim Report noted that, despite extensive inquiries and searches, the Commission was only able to identify the burial places of 64 of the children who died while resident in Bessborough. As noted in the report, in undertaking its investigations the Commission was aware that a portion of the site was identified in an Ordinance Survey Map as a “Children’s Burial Ground”.
The Commission concluded that it is likely that some of the children who died at Bessborough are buried in the grounds but was unable to find any physical or documentary evidence of this. As no evidence of locations was found, the Commission did not consider it feasible to excavate the full available site, which amounts to 60 acres.
I have reiterated my view that any proposed development at the Bessborough site should have due regard to the Commission’s reports and give adequate consideration to the views of all survivors and family members, including requests for appropriate access and respectful memorialisation in due course.
134. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for further information on proposed refund to parents who are forced to seek private assessments for their children if waiting lists are not shortened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28723/23]
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.
135. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that there are huge gaps in the provision of services within the CDNT based in Tuam, with only one occupational therapist for over 700 children and only one speech and language therapist for 700 children; the immediate plans that are in place to provide the correct level of supports for children with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28734/23]
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.
136. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider introducing a financial support scheme for parents to engage private therapists where none exists within the public service to serve the needs of children with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28735/23]
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.
137. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated first- and full-year cost to increase the foster care allowance to €500 for the under-12s cohort and the over-12s cohort. [28782/23]
View answerAs this relates to Tusla operational matters, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.
138. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline the process by which properties are inspected regarding their suitability to accommodate people before they are used to house refugees. [28802/23]
View answerThe International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) is responsible for the procurement of accommodation for use by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS).
Initial offers of accommodation are received by IPPS primarily through its email portal.
Once an offer is received, IPPS sends a proposal template to the prospective provider that they are required to complete and return. The proposal template seeks to gather as much information as is reasonably practicable to facilitate an objective assessment of the suitability of the premises to accommodate international protection applicants (IPAs). This includes information on the building's safety and fitness for occupancy, its catering provision and room sizes, its recreational and lounge facilities and various other criteria such as wi-fi, security provision and staffing.
When returned, IPPS reviews the proposal and any supporting documentation to assess the suitability of the premises. IPPS will often carry out an inspection of the property also. Properties must provide adequate space and must have a valid fire certificate. They must demonstrate that they can either provide catered options or facilities for international protection applicants to cook for themselves.
139. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will set out the period of time during which the Inter-Departmental Committee concerning the Referendums on Family, Care and Equality will consider the submissions made to that committee before producing its findings and/or making recommendations to Government. [28862/23]
View answerOn 8 March 2023 the Government announced the intention to hold a referendum on gender equality as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly and the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality. It is envisaged that the referendum will take place in November of this year.
My Department has convened an Interdepartmental Committee involving all Government Departments to develop policy recommendations on the wording of the proposed referendums for consideration and approval by Government.
We received over 1,850 public submissions and my department is currently analysing the submissions as part of the ongoing work of the Interdepartmental Committee.
140. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the first and full-year cost to increase the minimum wage (€13 p/h) for early years staff to €15 per hour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28864/23]
View answerI firmly believe the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy.
The State is not the employer and therefore does not set the pay or conditions for employees in either early learning and care (ELC) or school-age childcare (SAC) services.
However, there is now, through the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) process, a formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate minimum pay rates for ELC and SAC services, which are set down in Employment Regulation Orders. This is an independent process from the Department and neither I, nor my officials, have any role in the proceedings of the Joint Labour Committee and any associated negotiated minimum pay rates, the cost of which is borne by the employer.
Among other objectives, Core Funding supports the ability of service providers to meet the additional costs resulting from the Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) for Early Years Services, which came into effect in September 2022, as it provides increases in funding to early learning and childcare service providers to support improvements in staff wages, alongside a commitment to freeze parental fees.
On the basis of 2022 data supplied by Partner Services taking part in the Core Funding scheme, the estimated cost to employers of raising the minimum pay rate to €15 per hour for Early Years Educators who currently have a €13 per hour minimum rate is €51m per year on a full-year basis, inclusive of employer-related costs (PRSI, etc). The estimated annual cost to employers of raising all the minimum pay rates specified in the EROs (for different grades and qualification levels) by €2 per hour is €92 million on a full-year basis, inclusive of employer-related costs.
In relation to the estimates above, the following should be noted:
- The cost estimates are based on staff who had an hourly wage recorded in service providers’ submissions for Core Funding, but the Core Funding data has been extrapolated to provide an estimate for all staff working in the sector.
- Current wage data was provided by service providers in August 2022, before the EROs for Early Years Services came into force, but has been adjusted upward on the assumption that all staff now earn at least the legally-binding minimum rates of pay specified in the EROs. The cost estimates are for the additional cost to employers of bringing staff from their current (August 2022) wage or the minimum pay rates set out in the EROs, whichever is higher, up to a pay rate of €15 per hour or €2 above each of the minimum pay rates in the EROs.
- Calculations are based on wage-data available at a point in time (March 2023). Some services may have increased wages more recently, which would reduce the cost to services of moving from current wage-rates to a €15 per hour minimum wage-rate.
- The cost estimates only relate to staff and managers covered by the current EROs, i.e. the estimates exclude the cost of ancillary staff.
- The cost estimates do not attempt to account for the potential cost implications for the wages of staff who are currently earning more than €2 per hour above current ERO minimum rates.
