Written Answers Nos. 508-525
508. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will permit an additional ECCE year to be sanctioned where a school (details supplied) is oversubscribed and cannot enrol a pupil in the coming academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7961/24]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides universal, free preschool to children in the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months.
The upper age limit of 5 years and 6 months for ECCE was set in consultation with the Department of Education and ensures that children transition into primary school with their peers.
In a limited number of circumstances, it is possible to apply for an exemption to the upper age limit of 5 years 6 months for finishing ECCE.
Current policy requires that any request for an overage exemption from ECCE eligibility must be supported by a letter from a medical specialist/social worker, not a GP/PHN, specifically recommending why an ECCE service would meet the child’s specific needs in a more appropriate way than a primary school.
It is important to note that the overage exemption for the ECCE programme was never intended as a mechanism to delay a child’s entry to primary school or to address any issue of non-availability of a school place. As such, it is not possible to offer an overage exemption in the absence of a primary school place.
If there is difficulty in securing a primary school place, the Educational Welfare Services of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, may be able to assist in this regard.
509. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total additional respite places that have been put in place from January 2018 to December 2023; the number of these that were planned and the number that were emergency placements. [8021/24]
View answer511. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of disabled adults provided with respite services in 2022; and the number of these adults who are cared for in their family home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8023/24]
View answer512. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of disabled children provided with respite services in 2022; and the number of these children who are cared for in their family home. [8024/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 509, 511 and 512 together.
As these questions refer to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will likely be aware that the industrial action by certain Fórsa grades in the HSE has been suspended.
The HSE has indicated that they have recommenced issuing replies to questions but there is a significant backlog of PQs and Reps to be responded to and has advised that they are working to get through these as soon as possible while at the same time managing the volume of current PQs and Reps.
510. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of residential places as of December 2023; the number of these that were planned and the number that were emergency placements; the total cost of providing an additional planned residential place; and the total cost of providing an additional emergency residential place. [8022/24]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for raising this question.
The Deputy will likely be aware that the industrial action by certain Fórsa grades in the HSE that commenced on Friday 6th October 2023 has been suspended.
The HSE has indicated that they have recommenced operations as normal, but there is a significant backlog in the gathering of demographic information such as the data requested. My Department is providing data from September 2023, which is the latest available data on the number of residential places provided for people with a disability.
Residential services make up the largest part of the Disability funding disbursed by the HSE - 58% of the total budget. Approximately 90 service providers provide residential services to over 8,300 individuals throughout the country.
By the end of September 2023, 8,355 residential places were provided.
A number of new Priority (emergency) residential places have been added to the residential base, which results in a capacity increase. However, it is important to note that residential capacity in the system can be reduced. When residents of congregated settings sadly pass away, their places are not ordinarily re-utilised. This is in keeping with Government policy which is to move away from institutionalised settings (i.e. Time to Move On from Congregate Settings).
The idea behind ‘planned residential’ is to support service providers to plan for the development of a house that will accommodate four people rather than single places, which tend to be more expensive. The design and build and/or purchase and refurbishment of a minimum 4 bedroom residence with ancillary requirements per Health and Safety requirements and HIQA registration cost is market dependent and is estimated between €650k to €950k per residence.
There is a minimum level of support needed in any residential facility. Based on the support needs of service users identified on HSE’s DSMAT list, the weighted average cost is just over €250,000 based on the needs profile of this group. Please see table below:
|
Support need |
Annual Unit Cost €m (2022) |
|
Low to medium |
174,000 |
|
High |
233,000 |
|
Intensive |
307,000 |
|
Weighted average |
253,000 |
By the end of September 2023, 103 Priority 1 (Emergency) places. The revenue funding requirements associated with these placements would be based on an average cost of range of €300,000 to €330,000 per annum. This is based on the average cost range of placements provided in 2023.
The HSE have informed me that remaining data for 2023 may become available towards the end of February / beginning of March.
513. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a new round of the disability participation and awareness fund will open for applications in 2024. [8034/24]
View answerThe next iteration of the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund (DPAF) will be launched in the coming weeks. The value of this fund will be €3.5m, and it will be open to applying organisations across the country.
As Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Disability, I am committed to supporting the full inclusion, participation and empowerment of adults and young people with disabilities in our community.
In 2021, I was delighted to launch an annual Disability Participation and Awareness Fund (DPAF). The value of the Fund was €2.5m in 2021, and €3m in the most recent call which was announced in 2023. The next iteration of the fund will continue to provide much needed supports to communities throughout Ireland under newly developed themes.
The purpose of the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund is to provide funding to support the participation of people with disabilities in local activities and to remove barriers to community involvement. Through DPAF, funding has been provided for a number of projects that aim to support people with disabilities to participate and engage more fully in their local communities.
514. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are proposals or negotiations to accommodate people seeking international protection, or other accommodation programmes under his Department's auspices, at a hotel (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8058/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for this 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.
515. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are proposals or negotiations to accommodate people seeking international protection, or other accommodation programmes under his Department's auspices, at a hotel (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8059/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for this 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.
516. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he and his Department have allocated more money to assist with the communications on migration and integration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8072/24]
View answerIreland is currently accommodating more than 101,000 people seeking safety and shelter, between people fleeing war in Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants.
Under the Recast Reception Conditions Directive (SI 230 of 2018), the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is legally required to provide accommodation to IP applicants who seek it while their claim for international protection is being determined.
Department officials are working to bring more bed spaces into use. For context, at the end of January 2022 IPAS had 8,300 bed spaces in use; it now has approximately 26,000 beds in use. This does not account for further beds that had been provided to IP applicants in the interim in hotels that have since returned these beds to tourism.
This is a nationwide urgent situation and emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country. All counties in Ireland are providing help and assistance with this. There have been over 200 accommodation locations utilised since January 2022 across 26 counties.
The accommodation of International Protection (IP) applicants is a demand-led process with applicants arriving in the country and seeking accommodation spontaneously.
A Community Engagement Team (CET) has been established to engage directly with elected representatives, relevant Local Authorities, Local Development Companies, and other entities and individuals.
To date, the CET have issued 54 briefing documents ahead of new accommodation centres opening in communities. The CET has been developed to improve the flow of information regarding arrivals into areas and to help equip local communities with the accurate information required to help them understand the current situation and to assist with the welcome and integration process for new arrivals.
In addition to the work of the CET on the ground, DCEDIY has received over 100 Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and 180 media queries since the beginning of 2024 with respect to the work of the International Protection and Integration Division.
As well as the teams working on CET and answering queries, there is a small allocation of budget funding dedicated to Communications and Advertising.
517. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the date for the opening of the redress scheme for survivors of mother and baby homes; if the programme is on schedule to be launched; the projected processing time for payments; and if he will make a statement on concerns that processing will be too slow and that the enhanced medical card may not be sufficient for survivors in view of pressures on services. [8113/24]
View answerI am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and I am focused on opening it within this quarter.
The underpinning legislation for the Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 – was signed into law last July. This Act allows for the establishment of an Executive Office in my Department to oversee the Scheme and the appointment of the Chief Deciding Officer to head up that office, as well as the staff needed to support the performance of his or her functions.
Staffing the Scheme appropriately to ensure quality service and efficient processing of applications was a key objective for me. Following careful consideration of a number of important factors, including the need to open the Scheme as soon as possible and the ability to be responsive and scale up and down to meet Scheme demand, a blended operating model has been developed. This provides for the Chief Deciding Officer to be supported by a core Executive Office based in my Department and also by experienced third party support, appointed after a procurement process. All staff in the Executive Office, as well as the third party support team, will operate under the direction and supervision of the Chief Deciding Officer and a comprehensive training programme for all staff involved in Scheme administration is being delivered at present.
This blended approach will facilitate efficiencies in application processing and payments, with of the order of 90 staff involved in the Scheme at the outset, scalable as necessary depending on applicant numbers at any given time. It is envisaged that the majority of applications will be straightforward insofar as records will be available for verification purposes. In addition, conscious that many potential applicants to the Scheme are very elderly, I made provision in the underpinning legislation for the Scheme that priority may be given to an application depending on the applicant’s circumstances, including their age and their health, and it is the case that the oldest applicants will be prioritised.
In terms of the enhanced medical cards, the Payment Scheme Executive Office will notify the HSE if an applicant is eligible for the card and the HSE will provide it to the applicant. I cannot comment on the pressures to which the Deputy refers.
518. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the number of children and adults currently being treated at the OT room at St. Davnets complex in Monaghan; the proposals to increase the use of this room; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7746/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
519. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health for the cost to date of the State Solicitor’s Office’s expenditure on external legal and consultancy fees related to all litigation arising from the National Children’s Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8076/24]
View answerThe National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) has statutory responsibility for planning, designing, building and equipping the New Children's Hospital (NCH). In relation to ongoing expenditure on external legal and consultancy fees, the NPHDB has advised that the NPHDB has not been involved with the CSSO. All legal aspects of the project are managed by the General Counsel of the NPHDB with assistance from external legal advisers.
520. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if he intends to regulate CAMHS and if he agrees that the CAMHS is in need of reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7412/24]
View answerI firmly support the regulation of all mental health services, including community CAMHS, and I have been progressing priority legislation to underpin this regulation.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring all mental health services, both inpatient and community, and both adult and child and adolescent, are fully registered, regulated, and inspected by the Mental Health Commission in its role as the independent regulator of mental health services.
Under the Mental Health Act 2001, the Mental Health Commission registers, inspects, and regulates all inpatient mental health services, including inpatient CAMHS. The current Mental Health Act 2001 does not include any provisions for the registration or regulation of community mental health services and therefore, it is not considered that the Act provides the necessary legal basis to expand the Commission’s regulatory remit.
The expansion of the Mental Health Commission’s role into regulating all community mental health services, including community CAMHS, is being addressed in the forthcoming Mental Health Bill. This new Bill is a complex and lengthy piece of legislation. It will provide the necessary legal underpinning to ensure that the Mental Health Commission can regulate all community services. Additionally, the Bill will overhaul the involuntary admission and detention process, modernise provisions related to consent to treatment, provide enhanced safeguards for people accessing inpatient treatment, and provide a new, discrete Part that relates exclusively to the care and treatment of children and young people.
Drafting of this Bill has been prioritised and it is now in its final months of drafting. It will be introduced to the Oireachtas in the summer legislative session, which begins in April.
Work also continues to improve CAMHS at service level. Year-on-year funding for mental health services increased by €74 million from €1.221 billion in Budget 2023 to nearly €1.3 billion in 2024, and with a strong focus on investing in child and youth mental health. This is the fourth consecutive year of an increase for mental health services, and highlights in real terms the importance this Government places on the mental health of those living in Ireland.
CAMHS receives €146.5 million in dedicated funding annually. In addition to this, approximately €110 million in funding is provided by the Government to community-based mental health organisations and NGOs each year to deliver supports and services. A significant proportion of this is dedicated to supporting young people. I recently announced a further €10 million in funding for mental health to support the delivery of clinical programmes and youth mental health. This again highlights the Government’s recognition of mental health as a central component to overall health, in line with our policies Sharing the Vision and Connecting for Life.
There continues to be growing demand for CAMHS across the country with over 22,000 referrals last year. Between 2020 and 2021, referral rates into CAMHS increased by 33%, while the number of new cases seen increased by 21%.
It is a priority for Government, and for the HSE, to improve access to CAMHS and to address CAMHS waiting lists. The new dedicated HSE National Office for Child and Youth Mental Health will focus on improved service delivery. This includes taking account of the recent Maskey and Mental Health Commission reports on CAMHS. The National Office is currently finalising the Youth Mental Health Service Improvement Plan which will set out agreed actions for focused service improvement through identified, timely, and measurable actions.
There are now 75 CAMHS teams and 4 in-patient units nationally. Staffing in community CAMHS has increased in recent years, with an increase of 500 full time equivalent posts between 2011 and 2024. I secured funding for additional new posts under Budget 2024, with a focus on child and youth mental health posts.
The Deputy can rest assured that I, and the Government, remain fully committed to the development of all aspects of mental health services nationally.
521. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied) who has been waiting over a year for an appointment at the Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment of Stargardt Disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7413/24]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
522. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health when a person in County Meath (details supplied) will get an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7423/24]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
523. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health his plans for the future location of the main laboratory for genetic testing in Ireland which is currently housed at CHI Crumlin; the reason this is not being accommodated in the new Children's Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7426/24]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
524. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of unfilled positions across all Rape Crisis Centres in the country; the works that are in progress to equalise pay rates and pay scales of counsellors with their HSE counterparts; the current waiting times for women to access these services and the efforts and plans underway to meet the urgent needs of people in crisis situations in a more humane, compassionate and timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7427/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
525. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health if an estimate has been carried out to determine the cost of reopening the emergency department at Nenagh Hospital; to produce any analysis of such a measure that may have been commissioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7428/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday 6th October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.
