Written Answers Nos. 604-618
604. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current number of children on the waiting list for assessment and intervention services through the CDNT in New Ross, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33626/23]
View answer605. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the average wait times for children to access CDNT services in New Ross, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33627/23]
View answer606. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of children on the waiting list for CDNT services in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33628/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 604, 605 and 606 together.
As this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
607. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of a child's (details supplied) assessment appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33687/23]
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.
608. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how many children have a diagnosis of Autism that the HSE is aware of in CHO5, broken down by the age groups of 0-4, 5-12, and 13-17 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33692/23]
View answer609. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how many children waiting or attending the Waterford south city CDNT have a diagnosis of autism, broken down by the age groups of 0-4, 5-12, and 13-17 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33693/23]
View answer610. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how many children waiting or attending the Waterford north city CDNT have a diagnosis of autism, broken down by the age groups of 0-4, 5-12, and 13-17 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33694/23]
View answer611. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how many children waiting or attending the Dungarvan CDNT have a diagnosis of autism broken, down by the age groups of 0-4, 5-12, and 13-17 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33695/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 608, 609, 610 and 611 together.
As this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
612. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if applicants for international protection or refugees from Ukraine, are being housed in social housing in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33771/23]
View answerIreland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has worked extensively to accommodate over 88,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, of which 64,000 have sought accommodation from this 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, the Department has contracted in excess of 49,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 800 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.
DCDEIY work with LAs to ensure that social housing units are not contracted, however, in a small number of incidences, providers have offered social housing units without identifying same as social housing. In these instances, DCEDIY work with the LA in relocating BOTPS.
613. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason St. Michael's House is unable to provide a placement for a person (details supplied) in adult services; the reason the family was only informed of the decision recently, despite making a detailed submission months ago; what alternative arrangements are being made to secure an alternative placement to allow this young person achieve their full potential; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33793/23]
View answerHSE-funded day service programmes for people with intellectual disabilities, autism, or complex physical disabilities include a range of centre-based and community-based activities. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year that require a HSE funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers, normally by end of May, to confirm placements to young people and their families.
Each year a small number of placements are delayed in commencing due to issues such as recruitment or delays in the fit out of premises. The HSE monitor this very closely and work with all providers to solve issues as quickly as possible.
A letter was sent to 13 families by St. Michael’s House (SMH) on June 27th informing them that St. Michael’s House would not be able to accept a referral to their adult disability day service. 11 of these referrals are school leavers who are leaving St. Michael’s House school.
The HSE National Day services office and HSE CHO 9 met on the 29th June to discuss the issues identified, including referrals to services other than St Michael’s House. There are a total of 194 referrals in CHO 9 for the 2023 RT/School Leaver process, of this total, 146 placements have been confirmed and 25 have positive progression pathways.
The families of all 23 outstanding referrals in CHO 9 have been communicated with directly by the HSE CHO 9 Day Opportunities Team to discuss and explore day service placement options.
I met today (11th July) with the families of the school leavers affected, and am committed to working with the HSE to find a satisfactory solution for these young people by the time they are due to start a day service in September. In addition, I plan to meet with the Board of St. Michael's House in the coming weeks.
There is significant ongoing effort by the local disability team in HSE CHO 9 to identify service placements for this group of school leavers. CHO 9 are actively working with existing providers to explore their capacity for additional referrals. The identification and development of new service locations is being explored as part of this. Meetings between the Disabilities and Estates teams are ongoing to explore accommodation options
The Government and the HSE are committed to ensuring that young people leaving school in 2023 who wish to avail of a disability day service place will be supported. New developments funding of €8.5m in 2023 will support approximately 1,400 people with disabilities who are leaving school to transition into adult day services from September, with a full year cost of €27m in 2024. My Department will continue to work with the HSE to find a satisfactory solution to the issues raised in CHO 9.
As the individual case raised is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
614. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what funding is proposed for adult disability placements in north Dublin, with particular reference to the number of placements in each service over the past five years and the number seeking placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33794/23]
View answerAs the question refers to a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
615. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will arrange a meeting with senior officials from his Department and an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33816/23]
View answerI thank the Deputy for the question and can confirm that my Department has received correspondence from the organisation specified in the details supplied requesting a meeting. I am also aware that this correspondence has been acknowledged and that arrangements are being made by officials in my Department to meet with the aforementioned organisation.
616. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of inadequate adult day service places available for those who have finished their schooling at a location (details supplied) due to staff shortages, the lack of suitable facilities and a significant existing waiting list for such adult day services; if he is aware that these young adults have been left without alternative services; if he will intervene with the HSE to resolve this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33860/23]
View answerHSE-funded day service programmes for people with intellectual disabilities, autism, or complex physical disabilities include a range of centre-based and community-based activities. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year that require a HSE funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers, normally by end of May, to confirm placements to young people and their families.
Each year a small number of placements are delayed in commencing due to issues such as recruitment or delays in the fit out of premises. The HSE monitor this very closely and work with all providers to solve issues as quickly as possible.
A letter was sent to 13 families by St. Michael’s House (SMH) on June 27th informing them that St. Michael’s House would not be able to accept a referral to their adult disability day service. 11 of these referrals are school leavers who are leaving St. Michael’s House school.
The HSE National Day services office and HSE CHO 9 met on the 29th June to discuss the issues identified, including referrals to services other than St Michael’s House. There are a total of 194 referrals in CHO 9 for the 2023 RT/School Leaver process, of this total, 146 placements have been confirmed and 25 have positive progression pathways.
The families of all 23 outstanding referrals in CHO 9 have been communicated with directly by the HSE CHO 9 Day Opportunities Team to discuss and explore day service placement options.
As you will be aware, I met today (11th July) with the families of the school leavers affected, and am committed to working with the HSE to find a satisfactory solution for these young people by the time they are due to start a day service in September. In addition, I plan to meet with the Board of St. Michael's House in the coming weeks.
There is significant ongoing effort by the local disability team in HSE CHO 9 to identify service placements for this group of school leavers. CHO 9 are actively working with existing providers to explore their capacity for additional referrals. The identification and development of new service locations is being explored as part of this. Meetings between the Disabilities and Estates teams are ongoing to explore accommodation options.
The Government and the HSE are committed to ensuring that young people leaving school in 2023 who wish to avail of a disability day service place will be supported. New developments funding of €8.5m in 2023 will support approximately 1,400 people with disabilities who are leaving school to transition into adult day services from September, with a full year cost of €27m in 2024.
My Department will continue to work with the HSE to find a satisfactory solution to the issues raised in CHO 9.
617. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when his Department started to write to people with status/leave to remain in Direct Provision centres giving them dates by which they would have to leave the direct provision centre or be moved to another centre; the number of such letters issued to date; the criteria for issuing such letters; the rationale for this policy; the number of people who have been moved on foot of these letters; and a breakdown of these moves, including information on from where and to where people have been moved. [33884/23]
View answerThe International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) currently accommodates over 5,300 people that have been granted status (Refugee/Subsidiary Protection/Leave to Remain). As those with status have had their application for International Protection determined, they are no longer considered applicants and therefore no longer entitled to Material Reception Conditions.
When first granted status by the Department of Justice, IPAS writes individually to all those accommodated in IPAS accommodation and advises them of the supports available to them from Peter McVerry Trust and DePaul, and that they must now actively look to progress from IPAS accommodation into the community.
These organisations have been contracted by the Department to provide onsite support to those no longer eligible for IPAS accommodation to aid their integration and progress into the community. Since January 2022, over 1,600 people with status have moved on from IPAS accommodation.
Those with status for the greatest length of time, who have not moved on, are offered a transfer to alternative emergency accommodation so that those currently still in the International Protection process can be accommodated in IPAS Centres where they can receive supports.
Those currently being offered this transfer have had status for at least 18 months, if single, and over 3 years if part of a family unit. 365 such letters have issued to these households since September 2022.
33 households have taken this offer of alternative emergency accommodation at the following locations; Treacys Hotel, Co. Monaghan; Knockalisheen, Co. Clare; Kildbride Army Barracks, Co. Wicklow; Lakelands Scariff, Co. Clare; and Buncrana, Co. Donegal.
Those that took the offers of accommodation came from IPAS accommodation in Cork, Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Sligo, Limerick, Wicklow, Clare, Waterford, Westmeath, Mayo and Waterford.
618. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount paid by the State to a company (details supplied) in each of the past twenty-four months; the number of children placed in the care of the company during the same period; if the Child and Family Agency has received any concerns regarding the quality of care provided to the children, or the validity of vetting documents, or qualifications relating to employees of the company, or the practice by the company of block-booking specific accommodation for the purposes of residential placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33885/23]
View answerAs this relates to Tusla operational matters, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.
