Written Answers Nos. 485-495
485. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide the number of both IPAS applicants and Ukrainian refugees in Tipperary broken down per electoral district. [4104/24]
View answerThe information is not available in the manner requested by the Deputy with respect to International Protection (IP) applicants and Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs). However, data at local authority and town level for both IPs and BOTPs is presented in the following table.
It should be noted that the information provides an overview at a given point in time and is contingent on a number of factors that are subject to change including accommodation availability, providers in contract at any given time, configurations, transfers resulting from contracts ceasing, etc...
|
Town |
BOTP no. |
Town |
IP no. |
|
Clonmel |
379 |
Borrisokane |
94 |
|
Dundrum |
286 |
Clonmel |
166 |
|
Nenagh |
129 |
Roscrea |
321 |
|
Roscrea |
153 |
|
|
|
Thurles |
479 |
|
|
|
Ballyporeen, Cahir, Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Clogeen, Knockanrawley, Killenaule, Templemore, Tipperary, Fethard |
202 |
|
|
|
Total |
1682 |
Total |
581 |
Data at county and local authority level on numbers in receipt of such State funded accommodation under DCEDIY's remit is published regularly on the Government’s website –
gov.ie - Accommodation of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) (www.gov.ie)
gov.ie - IPAS Statistics (www.gov.ie)
486. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to price increases being introduced by (details supplied); if this is permitted under the National Childcare Scheme; if he is concerned of the knock on financial implications for parents impacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4109/24]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for bringing my attention to concerns raised regarding the service provider, Little Explorers Childcare in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow.
Core Funding is a payment to Partner Services designed to support quality, sustainability, and enhanced public management, with associated conditions in relation to fee control and cost transparency, incorporating funding for administration and to support improved pay and working conditions of staff and to support the employment of graduate staff.
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 the ECCE programme and the NCS, to create a more stable and sustainable financial environment.
As a condition of receiving Core Funding, Partner Services must uphold their contractual obligations regarding their fees charged to parents/guardians as laid out in the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement. This includes agreement not to increase the fee for any Service Type which was extant on September 30th 2021 or introduce an extra charge for any component of an unchanged Service Type. An increased charge of any kind for an existing and unchanged Service Type will be in breach of Core Funding rules.
The Core Funding fee management system aims to ensure that affordability measures are passed on to parents/guardians.
Furthermore, as outlined in the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement;
• “Fee Policy” means the fee table charged for individuated Service Types and the conditions that apply in implementing the fee table. The Fee Policy will state all of the service offers; care types, hours of care, applicable age ranges, weeks per year, days per week, etc. and the associated fees for each (before the application of NCS subsidies and before and after the deduction of ECCE subsidies).
• It will also describe any additional services in addition to basic fees and the cost of that additional service.
• The Partner Service agrees that they may create new Additional Service to the Fee Policy where it can be clearly shown that this was not part of Fee Policy extant on September 30 20212 and which must be entirely optional to parents/guardians
Additionally, the following guidelines state;
• “Additional Service” is when something additional to a service type is offered to parents/guardians. Take up of the additional service must be entirely optional to parents/guardians. For example a service provider may offer school collection services in addition to their SAC Service Types.
• The charges for items and services which were offered to all parents/guardians in a service for free or at discounted rates on 30 September 2021 cannot be increased beyond these levels. This covers both service types and additional services offered on 30 September 2021.
• Partner Services cannot introduce or extract an extra charge for any Additional Service (such as meals) which was included in the fees on 30 September 2021.
• Any new Additional Services can be charged for, with fees set at the provider’s discretion, but they must be genuinely optional for the parent (e.g. if a service begins offering meals where it had not before, it may charge for these but must allow parents/guardians to supply a packed meal instead).
• If an additional service charge is introduced to fund a tour or outing, for example, a parent must be able to refuse this offer on the basis that they will still receive the early learning and childcare they would be entitled to if the tour or outing had not taken place.
• Additional Services cannot be added to ECCE-only Service Type, these can only offer Optional Extras as defined in the DCEDIY Childcare Funding Programmes Optional Extras Guide.
I would encourage any parent with concerns or questions about fees to contact their local CCC for support and guidance.
The first point of contact for parents and providers in the Core Funding fee review process is their local CCC. Contact details may be found on www.myccc.ie
487. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of private residential houses and apartments he is using by way of contract under Class 20F of S.I. No. 605 of 2022 to accommodate prescribed persons. [4212/24]
View answerWith all new properties contracted by the Department to provide accommodation for International Protection (IP) applicants, the Local Authority have a regulatory role in verifying that properties meet the required building, planning and fire safety regulations. Once all documentation is received, the Department continues to engage with the appropriate fire certification authorities to ensure fire certification is up to date and once evidence of sign-off is received from the relevant authorities and provided to the Department, a contract is signed for the use of the property.
Statistics in respect of planning exemptions are not collated by the Department.
Class 20F of S.I. No.605 of 2022 permits the change of use of the following structures for the purpose of providing the necessary facilities for IP applicants: “school, college, university, training centre, social centre, community centre, non-residential club, art gallery, museum, library, reading room, sports club or stadium, gymnasium, hotel, convention centre, conference centre, shop, office, Defence Forces barracks, light industrial building, airport operational building, wholesale warehouse or repository, local authority administrative office, play centre, medical and other health and social care accommodation, event and exhibition space or any structure or part of structure normally used for public worship or religious instruction.”
The exemption does not include residential houses or apartments.
The conditions of this exemption can be located here:
www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/si/605/made/en/print
488. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a schedule of the number of civilian drivers and Garda drivers attached to him and to Ministers of State of his Department; to provide the official work pattern for each driver and the total annual hours worked by each driver; and to indicate the number of drivers assigned to each Minister and Minister of State. [4214/24]
View answerI can confirm that I have two Garda Protection Officers assigned to me as a Government Minister. As these are employees of An Garda Síochána, the Deputy may request further information about their working arrangements from the Minister for Justice.
Minister of State Anne Rabbitte has two civilian drivers assigned to her. Both drivers are contracted to work on average not less than 41 hours and 15 minutes gross per week. The work pattern for each driver is seven days on and seven days off on a week-on-week-off basis.
489. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether a decision (details supplied) by Tusla relating to a crèche can be appealed. [4234/24]
View answerAs the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.
490. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the location of the proposed six new accommodation centres; the details of any contracts issued to develop these centres; the properties being examined or considered for redevelopment as these new centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4273/24]
View answerIn February 2021 A White Paper to End Direct Provision and establish a new International Protection Service was published. The paper set out a new approach for accommodating applicants that seek International Protection in Ireland and contains three core themes – accommodation, integration and supports.
Since January 2022, more than 27,000 people have come to Ireland seeking International Protection. At the same time, more than 100,000 people have fled from Ukraine, the vast majority of whom have required accommodation from the State.
In this context, there is a recognition that the underlying assumptions on which the White Paper was based needs to be re-examined, as the assumptions underpinning it are based on 3500 new arrivals each year. A review of the timelines and deliverables was initiated. A memo will be going to government for approval setting out a revised implementation approach with an increased focus on adding State owned accommodation capacity.
The department is in the early stages of planning its approach for the delivery of the increase state owned accommodation capacity. Further detail on this would not be available at this time.
491. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when an assessment of need will take place for a child (details supplied) in order to facilitate early intervention if needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4310/24]
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.
492. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to amend the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act 1961 to expand the role of the NTPF so that they may facilitate a subvention of public funding to provide private assessments of need for the 20 children waiting the longest in each county each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4324/24]
View answerThis is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
493. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 173 of 12 October 2023, if the promised additional 70,370 PA hours were delivered in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4325/24]
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.
494. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health for an update on the application for speech and language services (details supplied); to provide an update on the recruitment due to the number of vacancies for speech and language therapists in Kilcock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4133/24]
View answer495. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the Implementation Group examining the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; to provide an outline of the number of occasions it has met to date; a timeline for when it is to report to Government; if an outline of its remit can be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3618/24]
View answerAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, we have referred it to the HSE for answer.
