Written Answers Nos. 61-80
61. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of beds, in tabular form, in each unit, in each LHO, assigned for respite for relatives of families aged 18 years and older; and the cost per centre and staff allocated per centre of respite, in tabular form. [32059/23]
View answerThe Health Service Executive and its funded Agencies provide respite care to children and adults with disabilities. Respite can occur in a variety of settings for various lengths of time, depending on the needs of the individual service user and their family or carer, and according to available resources.
There has been increased investment in Respite Services over the last number of years to provide for additional capacity, including new overnight beds. In 2022, 131,057 overnights and 28,369 day only sessions were accessed by people with a disability. The figures include both children and adults.
The cost per centre and the staff allocated per centre of respite varies according to several factors. This includes considerations such as number of beds, number of service users, occupancy levels, the specific needs requirements of the service users and the staff required to meet those residents’ needs.
The annual running cost (revenue cost) of a 4-bed overnight respite centre, operating at 7 days a week, is in the range of €770k to €1.03 million approximately, depending on level of service user complexity.
In line with HIQA standards, privacy, rights and dignity, most of the accommodation facilities in respite centres consist of one bedded rooms. In some centres, there may be one that will enable the provision of respite services to family members, for example a sibling.
The information the Deputy is seeking in a tabular format is not readily available due to the number and different characteristics of providers involved.
However, both HSE and the Department have been working on enhancing data and our understanding around respite capacity. A more comprehensive briefing containing information currently available can be provided to the Deputy.
65. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to improve disability services in County Cork. [32534/23]
View answerI am aware that Children’s Disability Services in Cork covers a wide area of service provision encompassing Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), Special Schools and Assessment of Need, Children’s Respite Services, Home Supports, Outreach Services, and Children’s Residential Placements, delivered through a range of service providers including lead agencies such as Enable Ireland, COPE Foundation, Brothers of Charity, St. Joseph's Foundation, St. John of Gods, CoAction and in addition by PRAXIS care, RehabCare and Doorway to Life Limited.
There are 11 CDNT’s for Cork City & County, each managed by a Lead Agency, with the location of each aligning with the Community Healthcare Networks.
A number of important developments have taken place in the region to improve Children's Disability Services, including the following advised by HSE:
• Additional posts in special schools were allocated to CHO4 in 2022 based on the numbers of schools and the whole time equivalents in situ prior to reconfiguration.
• A Cork Regional Children’s Respite Forum was established in 2022 which manages referrals and respite service provision in the Cork area.
• Recent respite developments include provision of capacity at Brothers of Charity increasing by 14 nights per fortnight, whilst 5 places will also become available at Cope Foundation.
• Children’s respite in the Lavanagh Centre, Curaheen currently offers 138 bednights. New development will increase this provision by 690 bednights giving a total of 828 bednights. A total of 48 children will benefit in a full year from this development.
• St. Joseph’s Foundation: Planned new respite capacity from 8th July 2023 to increase to a maximum of 6-8 beds.
• Family Forums have been held throughout Cork with the relevant CDNTs.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare continues to actively engage with all service providers to maximise the use of available resources to improve the service provided to all people with disabilities.
68. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that the Government’s own Cost of Disability report indicated that people with disabilities incur between €9,482 and €11,735 a year on expenses related to their disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32470/23]
View answerThe Cost of Disability in Ireland report was commissioned by the Minister for Social Protection and was prepared by Indecon International Research Economists. It was published in December 2021. It provides important evidence of the additional costs that people with a disability face.
The Report has implications for many areas of public policy. As such, a whole-of-Government approach is required to develop appropriate responses and to ensure that everyday costs are reduced for people with disabilities and their families.
The report was considered by the Steering Group of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) within 24 hours of its publication. It featured in discussions at Steering Group meetings from that point on towards to the conclusion of that strategy in December 2022. It provided an important lens to view the progress of actions under the NDIS.
The findings of the Cost of Disability Report also informed action taken by government in Budget 2023 and in respect of supports to help address the cost of living.
The NDIS has now ended and work is ongoing in my Department to coordinate across Government the development of an ambitious successor national disability strategy. It is important to me that this strategy be developed in a way that seeks to address the day to day costs for people with disabilities in Ireland. The Cost of Disability in Ireland report will be an important contribution to the evidence base and will inform which actions and commitments in the new Strategy. The response to it will require actions across government.
70. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the need to review the funding streams for FRC’s. [32577/23]
View answerThank you Deputy for your question, this is an area of interest for me. I have attended many Family Resource Centre events, including their National Forum's recent anniversary celebration.
I recognise and value the very positive impact of the work of the Family Resource Centres in supporting families and local communities. The centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families in their community.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre Programme which provides funding support to 121 Family Resource Centres across the country. In 2019/2020 all Family Resource Centres were awarded an additional 5% once-off funding to support FRCs through the Covid period.
In 2022, all FRCs were awarded an additional 4% increase to their core funding. The Family Resource Centres programme has also benefited from Dormant Account funding €650,000 in 2021 and €1 million in 2022 with similar funding secured for 2023. I am aware that Family Resource Centres are providing significant levels of assistance on the ground in communities who are welcoming Ukrainian people and I have provided specific funding to allow Tusla to continue to support Family Resource Centres in those efforts.
I should inform the Deputy that the funding from my Department represents only a portion of the total funding available to Family Resource Centres nationally. Family Resource Centres draw on various sources of funding provided by other Government Departments and agencies.
I will continue to engage with Tusla, and Family Resource Centres on the key issue of their funding and sustainability of the valuable services they provide to our communities. I will consider Tusla's provision of Family Support Services in my Performance Framework for Tusla for the period 2024-2026.
In the meantime, Tusla continues to work with community-based family support organisations to best meet the needs of vulnerable children, families and communities.
71. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children who have gone missing from State care in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32082/23]
View answerChildren reported missing from care are recognised as being among the most vulnerable in society. Tusla along with An Garda Síochána work together on such cases through a Joint Protocol. This protocol sets out how social workers and social care workers should make a report of a missing child in care, when and how information about the child may be released to the public if the child is not located, and arrangements for the return of the child to care when they are found.
If social work or social care staff determine that a child is missing they must report the child as missing to An Garda Síochána in line with the Joint Protocol. The Gardaí have primary responsibility for investigating once a child is reported missing and throughout the Garda investigation, Tusla staff and carers maintain regular contact with the Gardaí, pass on all relevant information and assist in the safe return of the child.
Tusla has advised that most of the children and young people reported missing return to their placement after a brief period of time and remain in a safe and caring environment. In response to the Deputy’s query, Tusla has provided my Department with the available data regarding children who were reported missing from residential services between 2016 and 25th June 2023, and regarding unaccompanied minors seeking international protection who were reported missing between 2017 and
25th June 2023.
The Deputy will understand that it would not be possible for me to outline verbally the full range of data that Tusla has provided further to his query, which I will arrange to be provided to him. In 2017, 350 children in residential care or unaccompanied minors were reported missing from their placement, and the corresponding figure in 2022 was 300. As I have already noted, Tusla has advised that most of the children and young people reported missing return to their placement after a brief period of time.
Tusla has also advised that they prepare an Absence Management Plan for each child in care. This plan is a tool to manage the risk in the event of a child going missing.
72. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that Ireland ranks lowest in the EU for both its disability employment rate and disability employment gap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32472/23]
View answerI am very aware that more needs to be done to drive employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. The issue of employment supports for people with disabilities has been the dedicated focus of work within my department, and at a whole of government level, for some time.
It was for this reason that government doubled the minimum percentage target for the employment of persons with disabilities in the public sector from 3% to 6%, on a phased basis up to 2025. The public sector must show leadership on this issue. This measure entered into law in April this year with the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act. Both myself and Minister Rabbitte will be working with colleagues across government to ensure that every effort is made to meet the new targets, and Minister Rabbitte will be writing to our ministerial colleagues so that their departments and their aegis bodies are aware of the need to meet the new legislative obligations.
The Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) is the primary disability employment policy initiative in Ireland. My Department coordinates action on this strategy and it has provided the framework for several significant successes in recent years, such as allowing for the deferral of day service placements for those who wish to seek employment opportunities or pursue further and higher education without automatically losing their services place.
Also under the CES, my Department provides funding for the Towards Work and Employers for Change initiatives. These measures respectively provide supports and advice for job seekers with disabilities, and confidential advice and support for employers in becoming "disability confident".
The Department of Social protection also provides a wide range of supports and incentives for all job seekers, including specific supports for persons with disabilities. In addition, supports such as the Reasonable Accommodation Fund and Workplace Adaptation Grant are also available to financially assist those who may need reasonable accommodations or adaptations to enter into or to retain employment.
My Department is in the process of designing the successor strategy to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy. This will provide an opportunity to engage colleagues at a whole of government level, along with persons with disabilities and their representative organisations, on the key barriers and challenges facing persons with disabilities. The issue of employment will be closely examined and considered in the context of that strategy's development with a view to driving further ambitious progress.
73. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the need to address the unintended anomalies in the core funding for early years settings. [32578/23]
View answerI am very proud of the achievements of the new funding model, Together for Better, in its first year of operation since last September.
Core Funding, the new scheme worth €259 million in year 1 intentionally introduced Fee Management in a sustainable and considered manner. In return for providers receiving grants to support their operations, Fee Management means that fees are frozen at 2021 rates so parents’ costs do not increase. This Fee Management mechanism means that increases to National Childcare Scheme subsidies are fully felt by parents.
Another significant achievement of the new funding model is its connection with the historic Employment Regulation Orders. Last September, through the work of the Joint Labour Committee for Early Years Services, the first ever Employment Regulation Orders for the sector came into force, setting new minimum hourly rates of pay for different roles in the sector. It is estimated that 70% of those in the sector saw their wages rise as a result.
With 95% of services signed up for Core Funding in year 1, these benefits for parents, providers, staff and children are felt widely across the sector.
For 2023, I have grown the Core Funding budget again by 11% to reach €287 million, providing a sustainable platform for investment with increases for all services.
Investment in early learning and childcare is already at unprecedented levels with public funding for the first time reaching more than €1 billion in 2023 for early learning and childcare – a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector.
I am committed to continuing to grow this investment and making sure it delivers early learning and childcare for the public good, and I deem it entirely appropriate that the higher levels of public funding are accompanied by higher levels of public management of this funding.
74. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on how his Department is addressing the waiting lists for clinical assessments identified through the assessment of needs (AON) process; if the budgetary allocation for this year is enough to tackle this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32243/23]
View answerChildren with complex needs access therapy services through the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). The Government and the HSE both acknowledge the challenges in meeting the demand for these crucial services and are acutely aware of how these challenges impact on children and their families. Waiting lists for services are being driven mainly by a shortage of suitably qualified therapy professionals to staff CDNTs.
The current delays in accessing therapy services are acknowledged and substantial work is ongoing by the HSE to maximise the capacity of CDNTs via recruitment campaigns, and other initiatives.
Funding has been provided for additional posts in recent years to enhance the capacity of Children’s Disability Network Teams and shorten waiting times. The overall funding in recent years provides for over 600 Whole Time Equivalent posts. In Budget 2023 approximately €11.5m has been allocated to address waiting lists for clinical assessments identified through the Assessment of Need process. It is intended that this funding will be utilised to procure diagnostic ASD assessments from the private sector.
In addition, I am very keen to see further and imminent development of Regional Hubs to undertake AON Assessments and this is currently under discussion.
The HSE is committed to the development of six Regional Hubs and is working across the CHO Areas to have these in place by 1st August this year. While the CHOs are at various stages in the development process, there are a number that have established Hubs or are at an advanced stage in the development process.
75. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the engagements his Department has had with the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and his Department on resolving the disparity in pay and conditions of section 39-funded workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31362/23]
View answerMy Department recognises that many organisations are experiencing significant challenges in the recruitment and retention of staff. These challenges are mirrored in many of the caring and public facing health and social care professions across the State. The sustainability of the sector is a concern for both the Department and the Health Service Executive (HSE) and I recognise that the ability of service providers to pay their staff is highly dependent on State funding. Similar considerations arise in respect of other sectors across Government so this adds to the complexity of seeking to resolve matters for any specific sector.
Notwithstanding that the employees of Section 39 organisation do not have an employment relationship with the HSE or my Department, a process of engagement to examine the pay claim of workers in community and voluntary organisations was committed to by the Government. I am aware of the position of the unions and remain fully committed to effectively addressing these matters through the current Workplace Relations Commission process.
I can confirm that officials from my Department, the Department of Health, the HSE and Tusla met with officials from the employees representative bodies in the offices of the Workplace Relations Commission on 17 April, 15 May and 28 June this year to progress matters.
I am fully committed to addressing matters through the current WRC process and I want to see matters effectively and quickly resolved in the interests of services users, staff and providers.
76. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he monitors the extent to which local authorities are applying the criteria of need for childcare places in the issuing of conditions surrounding new developments. [32475/23]
View answerThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority and my Department takes a number of steps to monitor supply and demand.
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 and data provided by services as part of their application for Core Funding.
My Department also regularly conducts surveys with parents. Indeed, since 2020, five parent surveys have been undertaken by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of my Department.
In addition, the City/County Childcare Committees proactively engage with early learning and childcare services to identify unused capacity and to explore the potential for services in increase capacity where there is evidence of unmet early learning and childcare needs of families.
Heretofore, data from Local Authorities on the application of the 2001 National Planning Guidelines for the development of early learning and childcare settings has not been routinely gathered by my Department. However, as part of work currently underway in my Department to update these guidelines, which is being undertaken with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has committed to issuing a survey to Local Authorities that will seek to capture the type of data referred to by the Deputy.
Moreover, arising from our engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on updating the guidelines, my Department has recently 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. This welcome development will greatly strengthen the role my Department plays in ensuring the supply of early learning and childcare meets demand.
77. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which children’s welfare and wellbeing is protected by Tusla in all situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32521/23]
View answerStatutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy
78. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what engagement that has been held with the Minister for Education in regard to the provision of special schools in the State. [32060/23]
View answerResources in Children’s Disability Services are assigned to the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). 91 CDNTs are aligned to 96 Community Healthcare Networks across the country and are providing services and supports for children with complex disability needs, aged from birth to 18 years of age.
CDNTs are teams of health and social care professionals, including nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, social work and others. CDNTs were established following a reconfiguration of existing resources in children’s disability services. These teams were established to provide services based on each child’s presenting needs rather than where they went to school.
Having listened to the on-going concerns of parents of children with complex needs who attend special schools and following extensive engagement between the HSE, Department of Health, Department of Education and the Department of An Taoiseach in 2021 and 2022, it was agreed by Government that priority be given to re-instate the pre-existing health supports in special schools. In this regard 85 additional posts were allocated to CDNTs in 2021 and a further 136 posts were funded in 2022 to provide services in 104 special schools across the country. Each one of the approved additional posts will deliver services on a 35 hour week basis. The allocation to special schools is aligned with the level of service and disciplines provided prior to the establishment of CDNTs under the PDS Programme.
My Department continues to engage with the HSE to explore options to enhance the recruitment and retention of essential staff across children's disability services.
The provision of special schools is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Education.
79. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on legislation that will transfer the registration and inspection functions for non-statutory children’s residential centres from Tusla to the chief inspector in HIQA, which is under consideration by the Government for over four years; if the necessary amendments will be included in the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32479/23]
View answerThe proposed standards for children’s social services must be approved by the Minister before being implemented. The approval should be done in conjunction with the Minister for Health. Under the Health Act, 2007, the Minister of Health approves standards developed by HIQA. The Act was written before the Department for Children was established and therefore the powers of the Minister to approve standards refer to both the Minister of Health and the Minister of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
Following submission of the proposed new Standards for Children’s Social Services in December 2021, the Minister wrote to the Chair of the HIQA Board, stating the concerns raised by officials at previous advisory group sessions and bilateral meetings. This reply was shared with the Department of Health for information purposes.
The Chair responded to the Minister with a letter emphasising the Board’s commitment to and endorsement of the Standards.
HIQA then advised that they were in consultation with Tusla to develop implementation tools and guidance relevant to the draft Standards for Children’s Social Services. At a meeting in June 2022, the HIQA Standards Development Team advised that they met with senior Tusla officials to discuss implementation support tools. HIQA advised by email that they were developing a steering committee to oversee the development of the implementation support tools, which includes Tusla and the Children’s Rights Alliance. A cross-sectoral Working Group was also to be developed and IFCA, the Irish Foster Care Association, were invited to be part of the working group.
The regulation directorate of HIQA are developing an assessment and judgement framework for inspections against the Draft National Standards for Children’s Social Care in the foster care sector. HIQA previously stated that their aim was to have this completed by September 2022. The Minister wrote to the HIQA board in December 2021 seeking information on the proposed HIQA assessment judgement frame work. Department Officials advise that this correspondence has not been received to date, despite a number of requests by this Department. The Department has consistently emphasised that in order to advise the Minister adequately and for his own required detailed information , the inspection methodology proposed as well as the Standards must be available for review.
80. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans to change the fee structure for early childhood care service providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32241/23]
View answerI am very proud of the achievements of the new funding model, Together for Better, in its first year of operation since last September.
Core Funding, the new scheme worth €259 million in year 1 intentionally introduced Fee Management in a sustainable and considered manner, guided by the recommendations of an Expert Group and approved by Government. In return for providers receiving grants to support their operations, Fee Management means that fees are frozen at 2021 rates so parents’ costs do not increase. This Fee Management mechanism means that increases to National Childcare Scheme subsidies are fully felt by parents.
With 95% of services signed up for Core Funding in year 1, these benefits for parents, providers, staff and children are felt widely across the sector.
For 2023, I have grown the Core Funding budget again by 11% to reach €287 million, providing a sustainable platform for investment with increases for all services. Increasing the Core Funding budget while maintaining the same level of conditions on fees, will help embed the new Fee Management system in the sector and prepare the sector for the increased levels of fee management in future years.
For the vast majority of services, the increased income through Core Funding is above the potential income services would have received through higher fees, based on trends in individual services fees over a number of years. It is reasonable and justifiable therefore that on receipt of the Core Funding grant, Partner Services must agree not to increase their fees given the level of funding available and the supply side nature of it. It is appropriate that the higher levels of public funding are accompanied by higher levels of public management.
The approach for fee management in future years will be guided by the Expert Group recommendations and may include the introduction of a common national provider fee structure and rates, and transitional arrangements such as where all fee rates would have to fall within a specified percentage tolerance range around a given rate. This work will be progressed in the coming months to ensure that data from the financial returns can be analysed without delay.
Services that are experiencing difficulty and who would like support are encouraged to contact their City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) to access case management supports. Partner Services set their own fees policies based on their individual operating model, however Partner Services can be assisted through the case management route to ensure their services remain sustainable under Together for Better.
Investment in early learning and childcare is already at unprecedented levels with public funding for the first time reaching more than €1 billion in 2023 for early learning and childcare – a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector.
I am committed to continuing to grow this investment and making sure it delivers early learning and childcare for the public good, and I deem it entirely appropriate that the higher levels of public funding are accompanied by higher levels of public management of this funding.
Further guidance on Fee Management and the Core Funding Fee Review Process can be found here: first5fundingmodel.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Together-for-Better-Guidelines-on-Fee-Management-7.pdf
