Written Answers Nos. 475-484
475. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the funding for the national childcare scheme in each county; the number of providers participating in this scheme, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3898/24]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents meet the cost of childcare. It is available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years who are attending any participating Tusla registered childcare service, including any Tusla registered childminder.
Currently, there are a total of 3,695 early learning and childcare providers participating in the NCS - an increase of approx. 8% from the previous year.
The National Childcare Scheme is a national scheme, and the funding follows the child. Families who apply for the NCS in respect of their children will receive a CHICK code in relation to their child which they can then bring to the provider of their choice. Once the provider registers the CHICK and the parent confirms the details, the funding will go directly to the provider. Therefore there is no pre-determined funding allocation for each county.
However, for illustrative purposes, a total of €29,213,560 has been paid in 2024 to date. A breakdown of both this, and the number of participating services according to county is provided in tabular form below:
|
County |
No. of Participating Providers |
YTD Pay - € |
|
Carlow |
39 |
405,339.08 |
|
Cavan |
70 |
602,433.88 |
|
Clare |
103 |
641,410.53 |
|
Cork |
401 |
2,098,680.22 |
|
Donegal |
152 |
1,217,842.24 |
|
Dublin |
931 |
8,094,431.33 |
|
Galway |
271 |
2,149,224.17 |
|
Kerry |
114 |
926,551.78 |
|
Kildare |
129 |
1,231,994.07 |
|
Kilkenny |
70 |
604,300.69 |
|
Laois |
79 |
685,386.44 |
|
Leitrim |
35 |
225,400.12 |
|
Limerick |
146 |
1,532,953.94 |
|
Longford |
34 |
310,057.91 |
|
Louth |
86 |
730,379.46 |
|
Mayo |
102 |
519,552.61 |
|
Meath |
132 |
1,061,341.27 |
|
Monaghan |
64 |
713,908.41 |
|
Offaly |
50 |
229,908.82 |
|
Roscommon |
57 |
400,887.99 |
|
Sligo |
67 |
611,485.06 |
|
Tipperary |
172 |
1,473,571.31 |
|
Waterford |
77 |
746,231.12 |
|
Westmeath |
71 |
556,514.37 |
|
Wexford |
125 |
797,321.58 |
|
Wicklow |
118 |
646,451.62 |
476. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how many vacancies in each of the CDNT teams across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3914/24]
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. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FORSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations. The HSE has been engaged with Forsa through the auspices of the WRC in an effort to resolve the dispute but a resolution has not been reached as of yet.
477. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration can be given to having a broad ‘personalised budget’ scheme for individuals with disability, on the basis that many service providers are over-stretched and cannot give many individuals with disabilities the type of support in the community that they so badly need and want; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3918/24]
View answerThe pilot Personalised Budget Demonstration Project is open to adults with a disability who are currently in receipt of HSE funded services across a broad spectrum of services, including day services, residential services and respite services. It provides participants with more control in accessing health funded personal social services, giving each participant on the Pilot Personalised Budget Project greater independence and choice in accessing services which best meet their individual needs.
The pilot Personalised Budget Project is currently in its demonstration phase and an extension was granted by Minister Rabbitte until Q3 2023 for admission to the project. The project will move towards evaluation in 2024 and the outcome of the evaluation process will inform next steps in terms of service provision.
478. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has St. Johns House, Tallaght undergone a change of use from a passport processing office to accommodation for asylum seekers; and if his Department discussed this change with any of the workers. [3944/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for his question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days. The Deputy may wish to be aware that the Community Engagement Team has been established within my Department which stands ready to respond to queries of this nature, and they may be contacted directly at community@equality.gov.ie
479. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail all of the buildings that were bought by his Department to house people from Ukraine, International Protection applicants and people within the Direct Provision sector; if he will detail how many of these buildings are in use for those purposes and how many are in other uses and how many are idle. [3945/24]
View answerAs part of commitments made in A White Paper to end Direct Provision and Establish a new International Protection Support Service the development of a community accommodation model for International Protection applicants was initiated with the purchase of 37 properties. These properties are a mix of 2/3/4 bed apartments and houses and some larger properties (10 bed plus). The properties are located in 12 counties (Clare, Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford).
An Expression of Interest competition was undertaken to commission Approved Housing Bodies to operationalise the properties purchased as supported accommodation for vulnerable applicants. The Approved Housing Bodies commissioned through this process are currently working with this Department to operationalise these properties on a phased basis over the coming months.
In respect of the State’s humanitarian response to the Ukrainian crisis, the government has developed a rapid build housing programme to provide accommodation for families fleeing the war in Ukraine. The programme aims to provide short-term accommodation up to 2,800 Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection at several sites across Ireland. This programme is being delivered in collaboration with the OPW.
This project – the first of its kind – is an important one as it will provide a blueprint for future developments. As each phase has brought new challenges, these challenges will provide important future learnings. The emphasis in this programme is on delivery of quality homes which will enhance local environments and this has been a priority.
Each site will have roads, footpaths, street lighting, community facilities, including green spaces, fully in line with Local Authority planning guidance. The homes are highly energy efficient, durable units with a 60 year lifespan and the development of the sites will be conducted in an environmentally sustainable way to ensure that, post development, the site will enhance the local area. Construction disruption is limited as the units are manufactured off site.
Work has been completed on the first seven sites at Mahon in Cork, Farnham Road in Cavan, Doorly Park in Sligo, Thurles in Tipperary, Claremorris in Mayo, Clonminch in Offaly and Rathdowney in Laois. These sites comprise of 310 rapid build homes and are accommodating approximately 1240 individuals. The final stage of the programme will be delivered in 2024.
The completion timelines are subject to any technical issues arising during construction. There were a number of such issues that arose over the past few months relating to site conditions, remedial works, boundaries, ESB connections, etc. that delayed earlier forecasted dates of completion on sites included in the programme.
In March 2023, in addition to the OPW Rapid build programme, Columb Barracks in Mullingar was selected by Government as 1 of 5 ‘proof of concept sites’ in order to examine the potential of ‘pod’ style accommodation.
Initially, it was agreed that 50 ‘pod’ style units would be delivered, accommodating up to 200 BOTPs in total. However, it was agreed in September 2023 that a further 12 units would be added bring the eventual capacity to 248.
The first 50 units were complete in mid-December 2023 and it is expected that all 62 units will be complete early in Quarter 1 2024. Work is ongoing with IOM to identify the Ukrainian families who will be allocated the units when they are ready.
480. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail how many rapid build accommodation units have been built to house people from Ukraine to date. [3946/24]
View answerIn 2022, the Government approved the construction of 700 rapid build homes with the potential to house up to 2,800 individuals in family units. The rapid build homes are being constructed on State owned land.
At end of 2023 the first phase of seven sites was completed, totalling 310 units accommodating 1,240 residents. These sites are at the following locations:
|
Location |
No. of units |
|
Mahon, Co. Cork |
64 |
|
Claremorris, Co. Mayo |
28 |
|
Doorly Park, Co. Sligo |
22 |
|
Cavan Town, Co. Cavan |
28 |
|
Thurles, Co. Tipperary |
62 |
|
Clonminch, Co. Offaly |
64 |
|
Rathdowney, Co. Laois |
42 |
|
Total |
310 |
Following further engagement and the completion of suitability assessment work, further sites will come on stream in the first half of 2024. Work is currently ongoing on sites at:
|
Location |
No. of units |
|
Backweston, Lucan, Co. Dublin |
132 |
|
Pollboy, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway |
64 |
|
Rathgoggin, Charleville, Co. Cork |
66 |
Further sites are being identified for the remaining units.
For each of the rapid build sites, my Department is working with other Departments and Agencies to ensure that the additional resources needed are in place. My Department is working closely with the Department of Health in relation to the healthcare needs of displaced people from Ukraine. The HSE is being notified of the proposed number of residents for each site and associated potential healthcare needs. The Department of Education is planning for the extra school places that may be needed. If the local school does not have enough places, alternative arrangements will be made to bring occupant children to schools close by.
Local Representatives in each constituency where the first phase rapid build homes were planned received a full briefing from my officials and the OPW. This briefing of Local Representatives is continuing as more sites are identified.
481. 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 the location to which they have been moved. [3948/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for his question. This information will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.
482. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when an answer to a Parliamentary Question (details supplied) will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4070/24]
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. The Deputy will be aware that due to the ongoing industrial action by FORSA administrative and management grade staff in the HSE (which commenced on 6 October, 2023), delays remain in receiving answers to parliamentary questions and ministerial representations. The HSE has been engaged with Forsa through the auspices of the WRC in an effort to resolve the dispute but a resolution has not been reached as of yet.
483. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide a full breakdown on the number of asylum seekers/refugees accommodated across various sites in County Westmeath in tabular form and the number of each nationality accommodated in the various sites, including the direct provision centre at Lissywoolen, Athlone. [4095/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for his question. This information will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.
484. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of asylum seekers/refugees in County Westmeath as of December 2022. [4096/24]
View answerIreland and many other European countries are experiencing a significant increase of people seeking international protection (IP).
As at 14 January, there are over 26,500 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole compared with just over 19,000 people at this time last year.
On 25 December 2022, there were circa 18,534 people accommodated in the IPAS system as a whole, of whom 701 were residing in Westmeath.
IPAS releases weekly statistics in relation to international protection (IP) applicants. This includes a per county breakdown of where IP applicants are residing. These statistics are located on the Gov.ie website: gov.ie - IPAS Statistics (www.gov.ie)
