Written Answers Nos. 804-823
804. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he will take to disregard the Core funding 2022 overpayments to childcare providers that are in an already compromising position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39488/23]
View answerIt is regrettable that a system error within the allocation system on the Early Years Platform, The Hive, has resulted in some Core Funding Partner Services being overpaid. I can assure you that the issue has now been identified and fixed, and amendments made to the system such that it will not recur.
While I am sympathetic to the Partner Services affected by this issue, I am sure you appreciate that my responsibility to safeguard exchequer funding means that these overpayments must be recouped. However, my officials have worked with Pobal to ensure this will be done with as much care and support as possible.
By default, overpayments will be recouped from upcoming Core Funding due across the rest of this year. For most services impacted by this issue, this should cause only a small, manageable temporary drop in Core Funding income. Nevertheless, all affected services have been advised that they can contact Pobal to request an alternative recoupment plan if they require one. If necessary, Sustainability Funding is also available to all Partner Services if there is no way to sustainably manage recoupment. Partner Services can also repay any overpayment by electronic transfer if they wish to do so.
My Department strongly encourages services which are experiencing financial difficulty, and would like support to contact their City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) to access case management supports. Services can be assisted on an individual basis through this route.
805. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children aged 0 to 18 years who are waiting for first-time intervention in all areas of early intervention in each CHO, by individual area and by each composite LHO within each CHO; the number on the public list; the number on the children's disability network team list in each CHO, in tabular form; and the length of time that they are awaiting intervention, by age. [39498/23]
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.
806. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of negotiations for a permanent facility for a service (details supplied). [39505/23]
View answerAs this question refers to an operational matter I have forwarded the question to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.
807. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of assessment of needs applications carried out in-house by the HSE and which were not outsourced, by CHO, in 2022 and to the end of June 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39507/23]
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.
808. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when respite will be restored in the case of the son of a person (details supplied), whose respite has been continuously cancelled over the summer months; the plan of action in their case going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39517/23]
View answerAs the query refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
809. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will respond to concerns raised by a person (details supplied) in respect of the IFCA budgetary requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39544/23]
View answerThank you for sharing the correspondence you received in respect of the foster care system and the issues your correspondent has highlighted.
In respect of the current rate of the foster care allowance, I am conscious that this payment was last increased in 2009 and I am aware of the disappointment among foster carers that no increase to the foster care allowance was secured in Budget 2023. I can assure the Deputy that it is a priority of mine to seek to secure an increase to the foster care allowance in the upcoming budget.
In relation to travel expenses incurred by foster carers, I am aware that some foster carers can incur significant costs in relation to travel when they are facilitating access or medical visits for foster children. I can advise the Deputy that my officials and I are engaging with Tusla in respect of seeking to improve the financial support foster carers can avail of when they incur such expenses.
Further, I am also aware of issues raised by foster carers in respect of supports which fall under the remit of the Department of Social Protection. These include the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and the issue of State Pension contributions for foster carers. I have spoken about these matters with the Minister for Social Protection and engagement between our Departments on this issue is ongoing.
In the upcoming Budget and in the future, I will continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders, including colleagues in Government and representative organisations, seeking to review and improve the suite of supports foster carers can avail of.
810. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm the additional measures that his Department will take to support childcare workers, to both support those currently working in the sector and to encourage more people into the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39574/23]
View answerThe State does not employ staff in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) services, and as a result, neither I nor my Department can set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector.However, there is now, through the independent Joint Labour Committee (JLC) process, a formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate minimum pay rates for different roles in ELC and SAC services. In line with the provisions of the Industrial Relations Acts, the JLC is independent in its functions, and I do not have a role in its statutory processes. The Employment Regulation Orders published last year were a significant milestone in efforts to improve pay in the sector. The Orders are being supported by Core Funding – which has an allocation of €259 million in its first year – to support amongst other things, improvements in staff wages, alongside a commitment to freeze parental fees and support for sustainability of services. As announced in Budget 2023, the Core Funding allocation will increase by €28 million for the second year. I understand that the JLC for Early Years Services is continuing to meet in relation to possible further increases in minimum rates of pay.I am also committed to addressing other challenges which may impact on the recruitment and retention of staff in the sector. In line with commitments in First 5, in December 2021, I launched Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for ELC and SAC, 2022-2028. Nurturing Skills aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in ELC and SAC.Nurturing Skills includes specific actions for moving to a graduate-led ELC workforce by 2028, establishing a career framework for staff working in the ELC and SAC sector, including role profiles and qualification requirements, and the strengthening of career pathways. Nurturing Skills also includes actions to support the recruitment and retention of staff with the necessary qualifications, and ongoing staff training and development, to create a workforce which feels valued and is motivated to deliver the best possible service to children.??
811. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm the additional supports that his Department will put in place to help crèches and childminding facilities with their costs, in light of the difficulties faced by these facilities recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39575/23]
View answerTogether for Better, the new funding model, is about getting the most out of the three Early Learning and Childcare programmes, ECCE including AIM, NCS and Core Funding, working together and ensuring stability and sustainability in the sector. Together for Better is already delivering substantial benefits for children, parents, staff and providers and I am very proud of the significant achievements in its first year of operation. Investment in early learning and childcare is 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.
Most childminders are currently outside the scope of public funding supports such as Together for Better as they are, in the main, exempt from registration and most public funding schemes are limited to only Tusla-registered services. My Department is implementing Phase 1 of the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021 – 2028 which will culminate in the removal of the registration exemption, introduction of appropriate and proportionate regulations, and the extension of the National Childcare Scheme and other public funding schemes to childminders.
Core Funding, which began in September 2022, is a new funding scheme worth €259 million in its first full year. One of the key objectives of Core Funding is to support the sector as a whole with the introduction of direct supply-side funding, in addition to ECCE and NCS, to create a more stable and sustainable financial environment.
The primary purposes of Core Funding is to improve pay and conditions in the sector as a whole and improve affordability for parents as well as ensuring a stable income to all early learning and childcare providers.
Core Funding in Year 1 has contributed to services’ sustainability and significantly increased income for the overwhelming majority of services and provides greater funding stability.
For Year 2 of Core Funding, the budget will increase by 11% to reach €287 million, providing a sustainable platform for investment with increases for all services.
The additional funding for Core Funding Year 2 is being allocated as follows:
- €8.47 million towards funding the natural growth of the sector,
- €6.11 million towards non-staff overheads, to support Partner Services with increases to non-staff costs, while maintaining the fee management system,
- €2.2 million towards administrative staff time,
- €4 million towards the removal the year 3 requirement for the Graduates Premiums, underpinned by EROs, and
- €7.22 million for new targeted measures which are aimed at improving the sustainability of smaller and sessional services. These include a flat rate allocation of €4,075 for all sessional-only services, which will benefit approximately 1,700 services delivering ECCE, and a minimum base rate allocation of €8,150, which will benefit small, part time and school-age services.
These decisions were made using the most recent data available to allocate Core Funding for Year 2, with data emerging from current operations of services from March 2023 underpinning the recently announced allocation model, as well as the most up-to-date macroeconomic projections. It was also informed by ongoing engagement with provider representatives and providers of all types, via various specific consultation activities and through various fora, including through the Early Learning and Childcare Stakeholder Forum.
I do not want any services to be faced with financial sustainability issues and I am fully committed to working with any such service to support them in delivering early learning and childcare for the public good. There are supports, financial and otherwise, available to services who need them.
Sustainability funding is available to Partner Services, community and private, who are experiencing financial difficulty. Partner Services can be assisted through the case management route to ensure their services remain sustainable under Together for Better.
I strongly encourages services which are experiencing financial difficulty, and would like support to contact their City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) to access case management supports. Services can be assisted on an individual basis through this route.
812. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason for the increased number of children diagnosed with psychological conditions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39593/23]
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.
813. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an explanation on a serious issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39600/23]
View answerMinister O’Gorman and I were pleased to announce, on July 26th, that Government approved the Disability Action Plan 2024-2026.
The Action Plan represents a key step in the expansion and reform of specialist community-based disability services including day services, respite and residential services, personal assistance and home support, as well as multidisciplinary therapy interventions for children and adults. These services form core supports in the government’s ambition to help people with disabilities live ordinary lives in ordinary places, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
The Action Plan has been developed on foot of the Disability Capacity Review – A Review of Capacity Review to 2032 – A Review of Social Care Requirements and Capacity Demand to 2032. This review set out the extra capacity requirements for community disability services up to 2032, based on an analysis of demographic trends and unmet need. Following its publication, Government committed to working towards implementing its recommendations.
The Disability Action Plan 2024 – 2026 represents the first phase in this process of implementation. Its main focus is on service expansion for disability services and the key priorities in this regard are:
• increasing capacity of Children’s Disability Network Teams, in conjunction with the upcoming Roadmap for Service Improvement 2023 – 2025 in Children’s Disability Services
• increased personal assistance and home support hours
• efforts to accelerate the decongregation programme
• increasing capacity for planned residential placements
• expansion of respite provision
The Action Plan is now being prepared for publication, including in accessible formats, and will be available in the autumn.
814. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason he excluded St. Patricks Guild, Rathmines, from the mother and baby home redress scheme and will he reconsider the exclusion. [39634/23]
View answerThe Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme is designed to provide payments and other benefits to people who spent time in one or more of the Mother and Baby or County Home Institutions, that were identified by the Commission of Investigation as having a main function of providing sheltered and supervised ante and post-natal facilities to single mothers and their children. The institutions covered by the Payment Scheme are set out in Schedule 1 to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act, which was signed into law on 11th July 2023.
St. Patrick’s Guild was an Adoption Society, with sites in Rathmines and elsewhere and, as such, is not an institution which fell within the terms of reference of the Commission of Investigation.
The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 makes provision for additional institutions to be added to the Scheme if it were to come to light that they fulfilled a similar function with regard to single women and their children as the 14 Mother and Baby Home Institutions and they were institutions in which the State had a regulatory or inspection function.
815. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will ensure that family resource centres (details supplied) will have their funding increased in Budget 2024 in recognition of the additional services being provided. [39635/23]
View answerThank you Deputy for raising this matter. You may be interested to know I received the Family Resource Centre National Forum's pre-budget submission. I am giving their proposals serious consideration as I make preparations for Budget 2024.
As you will be aware, the Child and Family Agency, Tusla administers the Family Resource Centre programme, funding 121 Family Resource Centres. Where possible I make it a point to engage with Family Resource Centres, they play a pivotal role for so many communities across the country providing a comprehensive range of services tailored to individual community needs. Their commitment to the people who use their services is exemplary and they also support those newly arrived to the country.
816. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a person (details supplied) will receive overnight respite care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39643/23]
View answerAs the query refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
817. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he intends to deliver a respite care centre for children with disabilities in County Monaghan; the timeframe in which such a centre will be delivered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39644/23]
View answerAs the query refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
818. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current capacity of respite care in counties Cavan and Monaghan for children with disabilities; the number of children that are provided with respite care each week in these counties; his proposals to increase this capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39645/23]
View answerAs the query refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
819. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children with disabilities on waiting lists for overnight respite care in counties Cavan and Monaghan; the number of those who currently receive respite care but who require more nights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39646/23]
View answerAs the query refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
820. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when it is expected to enact the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882); the reasoning for failing to meet the 2022 deadline for transposing the directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39660/23]
View answerExtensive efforts are currently underway to transpose the European Accessibility Act (EAA) as soon as possible.
The European Accessibility Act is an important EU Directive that will introduce mandatory minimum accessibility requirements for certain products and services across the European Union (EU).
In coordinating accessibility requirements across the EU, the Directive will serve to increase the availability of accessible goods and services, which will have important benefits for persons with accessibility needs, including persons with disabilities and the elderly, as well as creating opportunities for Irish and European businesses trading in accessible goods and services. The deadline for implementation of the Directive is 28 June 2025.
The Directive is complex owing to the breadth of sectors included within the scope of the Directive and the level of technical detail. While transposition is being coordinated by my Department, transposition has required extensive cooperation with a range of departments and agencies, as well as legal advisors in my Department and the Office of the Attorney General.
Owing to the complexity of the Directive and despite best efforts, the State was not in a position to transpose the Directive by the transposition deadline of June 2022. This deadline was also missed by a significant number of other EU Member States, and to date the majority of countries are under infringement proceedings by the Commission for failing to complete transposition of the Directive, which reflects the scale of the reform proposed.
Every effort is being made to transpose the Directive as quickly as possible in order to ensure that the State is in a position to fully implement the Directive by the implementation deadline of June 2025.
It is my intention that transposition be completed by the end of this year and that is the clear focus of work for my officials. This will require sustained engagement with relevant departments and agencies, and with drafters in the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to ensure timely and effective transposition of this important but complex measure.
821. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail the preparations being undertaken by his Department in advance of the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882); the guidance that is being issued by his Department to organisations and businesses in advance of the enactment of the directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39662/23]
View answerThe European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an important EU Directive that will introduce mandatory minimum accessibility requirements for certain products and services in the EU.
The Directive is both broad and deep in scope and covers a range of commonly used products and services that are important for daily life. It advocates for a universal design or ‘design for all’ approach to accessibility, which means ensuring access to products and services for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. The deadline for implementation of the Directive is 28 June 2025.
The Government recognises the importance of the EAA as a tool for increasing the availability of accessible products and services in the EU. Implementation of the Directive will benefit citizens with accessibility needs, including persons with disabilities and the elderly, as well as creating opportunities for Irish and European businesses trading in accessible goods and services.
The primary focus of efforts to date has been finalising transposition of the EAA. My Department has been working for a considerable period of time to coordinate transposition of this complex Directive with a range of Government Departments and public bodies. This has involved conducting extensive policy and legal analysis of the implications of the Directive, in close cooperation with my Department’s legal advisors and the Office of the Attorney General. It has also required extensive engagement with a range of departments and agencies to reach agreement on key policy decisions. Currently, my officials are engaging with drafters in the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to finalise drafting of the legislative instrument that will give effect to transposition.
Owing to the complexity of the Directive, and despite best efforts, the State was not in a position to transpose the Directive by the transposition deadline of June 2022. This deadline was also missed by a significant number of other EU Member States, and to date the majority of countries are under infringement proceedings by the Commission for failing to complete transposition of the Directive, which reflects the scale of the reform proposed. Domestically, extensive efforts have been, and continue to be made, to finalise transposition of the EAA as soon as possible. I now intend for transposition to be complete by the end of this year and that is the clear focus of work for my officials.
Once transposition is complete, that focus will shift to concerted efforts to prepare for implementation of the Directive by 28 June 2025. This work is expected to include interdepartmental and inter-agency consideration of operational procedures, capacity building, and outreach. While my Department is coordinating transposition, implementation of the Directive will be advanced on a “mainstream first” basis, in line with the State’s commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This means implementation and oversight of the Directive will be led by those mainstream organisations already engaged in the oversight of products and services, who will be best placed to lead on sectoral preparations and guidance, with support from my Department and the National Disability Authority.
822. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on what aggressive recruitment strategies he will employ with respect to personal assistance supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39744/23]
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.
823. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the procurement process will be expedited and finalised for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39774/23]
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 93,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, approximately 80% of whom 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 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.
The priority is to place people fleeing the war in safe and secure accommodation.
Department officials have advised that the offer to which the Deputyh refers has progressed to the final stage. The offer will now be subject to further detailed review by a member of that team. My officials will contact service providers in the normal manner.
Offers are prioritised based on capacity and the immediate needs of the BOTPs arriving.
