Written Answers Nos. 454-473
454. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the efforts that are in hand to protect the welfare of the two children of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44795/23]
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.
455. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to protect the welfare of the children of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44797/23]
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.
456. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the efforts being made via Tusla to reunite a person (details supplied) with her son; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44800/23]
View answerIssues relating to individual cases, including reunification, must be addressed through Tusla. As this relates to Tusla operational matters, the question is to be forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.
457. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number and location of therapist posts including speech and language therapists, psychological and others appointed to special schools within CHO7 in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form [44830/23]
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.
458. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on HIQA inspections of direct provision centres; the number of inspections that have been undertaken to date; if he will provide a schedule for inspections over the coming months, and if the mandate of HIQA will be broadened to cover emergency accommodation centres. [44842/23]
View answerThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY) is currently working with the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) to implement the commitment for HIQA to monitor International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres against National Standards adopted in 2019 and in effect since the beginning of 2021.
The National Standards address a range of issues relating to accommodation; food and catering; individual, community and family life; health and wellbeing; governance; and meeting the special reception needs of applicants seeking international protection. Compliance with the National Standards can only be adequately measured through on-site assessment.
Planning is near completion on this process. HIQA have conducted pilot inspections in a small number of IPAS centres. HIQA have also met with accommodation providers and centre managers to explain the inspection and monitoring process. In parallel with this, detailed work is being undertaken by the Department, in consultation with Office of the Attorney General, to underpin monitoring role of HIQA.
The aim is that this will be done by means of regulation, and HIQA will commence regular inspections once these regulations are in place. Generally, inspections will be unannounced.
In advance of the introduction of independent monitoring, IPAS has taken steps to support adherence to the National Standards through its contract arrangements with accommodation centres. All properties selected under IPAS’ most recent tender process are required to be able to implement the National Standards.
There are no plans to broaden the mandate of HIQA at present.
459. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will detail the number of speech and language therapists for each CHO area employed for disability services in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, tabular form. [44853/23]
View answer460. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will detail for each CHO area the number of occupational therapists employed for disability services in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [44854/23]
View answer463. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will detail the number of physiotherapists for each CHO area employed for disability services in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [44874/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 459, 460 and 463 together.
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
461. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will investigate the lack of facilities for children with disabilities in second level education in Galway, where families have no alternative but to put their children into mainstream education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44859/23]
View answerThis is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Education.
462. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the additional transport provisions that will be put in place at Temple Accommodation Centre, Horseleap, Moate, County Westmeath; if he is aware that some residents are having to pay substantial taxi fee's to get to medical appointment's as the transport provided is inadequate, and that there are instances at this facility where pregnant women have been unable to get to medical appointments. [44860/23]
View answerThe International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) cannot comment on individual cases.
To facilitate international applicants resident at the Temple Spa Accommodation Centre, there is a shuttle service contracted seven days a week for trips to and from Moate and Athlone. The service provides a twice-daily pickup and drop off from the centre, Monday to Thursday and Saturday, and once on Friday and Sunday.
Residents who require emergency or incidental transportation can avail of reimbursement of their taxi fares through their local Community Welfare Officer (CWO), once relevant documentation is supplied.
Where non-emergency transportation is required, the shuttle bus service allows residents to access recreational, educational, medical facilities and other services.
464. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding the proposed change of the legal status of childminders that would allow parents that use these services to avail of the cuts in childcare fees announced in the two most recent budgets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44978/23]
View answerThe National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 commits to extending regulation and supports to paid, non-relative childminders who work in their own homes. The National Action Plan sets out a phased approach with a preparatory phase followed by an extended transition phase, to allow childminders a lead-in time for any requirements. This supportive, phased transition process aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for this reform.
The main route through which parents are subsidised for their early learning and childcare costs is the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision.
The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 commits to opening the National Childcare Scheme to childminders at the earliest possible opportunity, though it will be necessary first to develop and introduce childminder-specific regulations, and to give childminders adequate time and support to meet regulatory requirements.??
Phase 1 of the National Action Plan, which began in 2021 includes: the development of new, childminder-specific regulations that are proportionate and appropriate to the home environment in which childminders work; the development and roll-out of new, bespoke training for childminders; the amendment of primary legislation to enable childminders to register with Tusla; and re-examining the funding and financial supports available for childminders.
Phase 1 will be completed when the exemption to registration has been removed from the Child Care Act 1991 and the childminder-specific regulations have been commenced. All childminders will then be able to register their services and provide parents with access to the National Childcare Scheme. Subject to amendment of the Child Care Act 1991 and the introduction of the new regulations, it is expected that parents who use childminders will be able to benefit from the National Childcare Scheme from autumn 2024.
Since coming into office I have been committed to seeing this process through. A great deal of work still lies ahead, and it is important that we take the time to get this right, as it involves a major process of change.
465. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a full breakdown of the €195 million budget for disability. [44985/23]
View answerIn recent years, significant resources have been invested in disability services. Building on previous years, an unprecedented level of funding of almost €2.8bn for Disability services has been allocated for 2024. This follows substantial increases in recent budgets and reflects this Government’s commitment to strengthening the funding provided for the disability sector and working to act to address the shortfalls identified in the Disability Capacity Review.
In Budget 2024, €195.1m in additional funding was provided for disability services. €131m was for Existing Level of Service which includes provision for the full year cost of 2023 New Development Measures, and €64.1m was for the following 2024 New Development Measures.
|
Measure |
Funding |
|
Residential Placements for Children and Adults |
€20.5m |
|
Respite |
€10m |
|
Day Services – School Leavers |
€18.2m |
|
Children’s Services |
€8.5m |
|
Other initiatives including PA Hours and Neurological Community Supports |
€6.9m |
In addition, €18m in non-core funding was provided to address service pressures that arose during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funding available in 2024 will facilitate the progressive rollout of the Action Plan for Disability Services and the Progressing Disability Services (PDS) Roadmap. These strategic plans will provide a blueprint for building capacity in services over a number of years, to progressively address unmet need in disability services.
The precise level of delivery of services for people with disabilities, based on the funding provided in the Budget, will be set out in the HSE's National Service Plan for 2024.
466. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when it is intended to issue guidance to businesses around the requirements and responsibilities under the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882); the length of time which will be given to businesses to prepare before the Act is commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44988/23]
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 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 across all Member States is 28 June 2025.
I recognise 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. The EAA will also bring opportunities for businesses operating on the internal market, particularly SMEs, by removing barriers created by divergent accessibility rules across Member States.
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. 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.
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, awareness raising 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.
At European level, negotiations are being carried out to develop and update harmonised standards that will further support economic operators in complying with the Directive. An intra-European information resource on accessibility, Accessible EU, is also being developed to support stakeholders in implementing the Directive.
467. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will work with the relevant departments to expedite the recently announced increase in the weekly foster payment, given that they have had no increase since 2009 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45109/23]
View answerIt was my priority to secure a meaningful increase to the foster care allowance in this year’s Budget in order to support the vital role being carried out by foster carers.
As outlined in Budget 2024, from 1st January 2024 the rates of the foster care allowance will increase by €25 per week, up to €350 per week for children aged under 12 and €377 per week for those over 12. The foster care allowance will be further increased in November 2024, up to €400 per week for children aged under 12 and €425 per week for those over 12.
These increases mean that foster carers will receive over €1,700 additional funding per child over the course of 2024, amounting to an extra €300 per month by the end of 2024 for each child placed with them, when compared with the current allowance.
In addition to the above, a double week of the foster care allowance will also be paid at the existing rates to foster carers before the end of 2023. Foster carers will also benefit from a double child benefit payment in respect of each qualifying foster child, which is due to be paid before the end of this year.
I understand the disappointment amongst foster carers that the full increase to the foster care allowance will not come into effect until November 2024. However, given the very many competing demands on the limited funds of the State, including from across the Tusla budget and from other responsibilities within the remit of my Department, necessary compromises had to be made. In this context, it was decided that it was necessary to introduce the increases to the foster care allowance on a phased basis over 2024.
My priority was to secure a significant increase to the allowance, albeit at the cost of a phased implementation. The changes in Budget 2024 will bring the annual rate of the foster care allowance to an amount of €20,800 for a child under 12 and €22,100 for a child over 12.
I hope that the supports contained within Budget 2024 will over time ease financial burdens on foster carers. In continuing to seek to improve the suite of supports for foster carers and to prioritise their needs, I shall continue to work closely with my Government colleagues and with relevant stakeholders.
468. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeline for full reimplementation of services provided by the Celbridge CDNT with particular reference to occupational therapy, speech therapy, clinical psychology and social worker services; the positions in this team currently vacant and yet to be filled; the timeline for filling such positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45119/23]
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.
469. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for clarification on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45108/23]
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. As the Deputy may be aware, the industrial action that commenced on Friday 6th October, by management and administrative grades in Fórsa Trade Union in the HSE, will impact on the response times to Parliamentary Questions and Representations.
470. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm the number of childcare places currently available in the constituency of Dublin central. [45161/23]
View answerEach year, Pobal compiles data from early learning and childcare and school age childcare providers which informs the Early Years Sector Profile Survey. Based on data captured in respect of the (unpublished) 2022/23 Sector Profile Survey (gathered in Spring 2023), the number of available places in Dublin Central was 1,913. However, Pobal advise that this data is not captured on a constituency/electoral division basis. Pobal also advise that the above figure is based on a response rate of 87% of providers.
The 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.
A funding scheme was introduced last year - Core Funding – which allocates funding for providers based on the cost of delivery. Under Core Funding, providers delivering early learning and childcare for babies and toddlers attract higher levels of funding, given the higher staffing requirements determined by the regulatory ratios for these children. Though only in operation since September 2022, initial analysis shows that this new funding scheme has given rise to a significant growth in capacity – with capacity growth for cohorts (such as babies and toddlers) and in areas (such as Dublin) where there has been significant pressure on places. Additional funding secured in Budget 2023 for year two of Core Funding has provided further opportunity to invest in 3% capacity growth.
In addition, and as part of the design of the Building Blocks Capacity Grant Scheme, officials in my Department will look at undersupply by region and age category, which will ensure that funding for additional capacity is targeted towards areas of identified needed. I hope to provide more details of this grant scheme in the coming months.
471. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm the number of new childcare places that have been opened in the constituency of Dublin Central for the years 2020 to 2023 respectively. [45162/23]
View answerMy Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
472. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm the number of childcare providers that have closed, and the childcare places that have been lost as a result of these closures in the constituency of Dublin central in each of the years 2020 to 2023 respectively. [45163/23]
View answerMy Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
473. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the building blocks grant scheme will open for submissions for 2023 and 2024 respectively. [45170/23]
View answerSome €69 million has been allocated over the period 2023-2025 to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars:
Building Blocks - Improvement Grant
Building Blocks - Capacity Grant
Building Blocks - Innovation Grant
Under the Building Blocks - Improvement Grant, €9 million was allocated earlier this year in grants ranging from €35,000 to €75,000 for energy upgrades and retrofit projects, which has supported services in need of upgrading, such as kitchen refurbishments, roof repairs and the replacement of flooring. This scheme is now closed and my Department does not have further capital funding available in 2023.
Work is underway on the design and delivery of Pillars 2 and 3, which have a combined allocation of €20 million in 2024 and €40 million in 2025.
Pillar 2, the Building Blocks – Capacity Grant, will fund an expansion of existing services in areas of undersupply. Funding will also be provided to support the development of new services, where most needed. Pillar 3, the Building Blocks – Innovation Grant will pilot a range of innovative initiatives such as outdoor early learning and childcare services.
I hope to announce details of the Building Blocks - Capacity Grant in the coming weeks.
