Written Answers Nos. 581-598
581. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a person (details supplied) will be considered for independent living in the Tralee and surrounding areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16158/24]
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 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 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.
582. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the CDNT protocol for therapeutic services; who is receiving this therapy now; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16176/24]
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 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.
583. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason a persons (details supplied) have not received SLT and OT services since the CDNT was established; when they will receive these services; if they will receive both these services and not be divided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16177/24]
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 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.
584. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeframe for SLT services for disability team in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16178/24]
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 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.
585. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to help with the staffing crisis in an association (details supplied) in Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16219/24]
View answerI acknowledge the essential role provided by Section 39 organisations, including the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA), who provide important services to some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Across the disability sector, I am aware that some providers are experiencing ongoing challenges recruiting to maximum capacity. Staff recruitment and retention challenges are reflective of issues affecting the wider health and social care sector, and impacting the ability of the HSE and other disability service providers to deliver services on behalf of the State.
It is important to note that Section 39 service providers, such as the IWA and others, are not public bodies. These organisations are independently owned and operated. Their terms and conditions of employment, once in line with employment legislation, are strictly between the private sector employers and their employees. While they are private organisations, it is accepted that their ability to determine pay and conditions of their staff, is highly dependent on State funding.
For these reasons, and to support the sustainability of services, the government proactively engaged with a Workplace Relations Commission process with unions representing Section 39, Section 56 and Section 10 organisations in 2023. The agreement reached last October committed to a significant increase of investment in the sectors, amounting to a phased 8% increase in funding for pay for staff in Section 39, Section 56 and Section 10 voluntary organisations. Arrangements to disperse the additional funding to disability sector providers are being actively managed by the HSE, with resources dedicated to assisting employers to secure the additional funding needed to provide pay increases to their staff.
Following the Capacity Review undertaken in 2021, the subsequent Disability Action Plan was published on the 14th December 2023. The Action Plan underpins Government commitment to the expansion of services for people with disabilities and aims to progressively address unmet need by enhancing and reforming services, including through the creation of additional disability service posts and recruitment to these positions. The Government has demonstrated its commitment to people with disabilities through increasing levels of funding, with a record €2.9 billion being provided in 2024 for specialist services, including €74m under the first year of the Disability Action Plan.
Increasing the Disability Services workforce is a key enabler for enhancing services and the Department is working closely with the HSE in this regard. Under the leadership of Minister Anne Rabbitte, an Interdepartmental Workforce Steering Group has been established focused on identifying solutions and directing efforts to address workforce supply needs in all sectors of Disability Services.
586. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if Tusla has estimates for the number of children involved with social work services who may be on the foetal alcohol spectrum, given that foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is the leading known cause of preventable intellectual disability in the world; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16233/24]
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.
587. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1156 of 20 March 2024, if he can confirm that under the protocol, when purpose-built student accommodation is selected for use, the sign-off for this is required by both Ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16265/24]
View answerMy Department adheres to the protocol agreed with my colleague the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. When the terms of the protocol are met, my Department is free to consider proposals of accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) or International Protection (IPs) applicants .
In circumstances where an offer of accommodation for displaced persons is made in respect of:
• A purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) currently in operation; or
• A PBSA property which has been operating as student accommodation within the previous 12 months,
any such offer would be rejected based on the terms of the protocol. No further consultation would be necessary as these properties are specifically excluded from use.
It should be noted that my Department’s commercial accommodation offers portal for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) is currently paused and that my Department is not presently contracting additional accommodation for BOTPs from new or existing providers. Anyone wishing to make an offer of commercial accommodation is encouraged to submit it for consideration for use by International Protection applicants.
588. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of student placements in CDNT based in Tipperary in the years of 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [16404/24]
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 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.
589. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children with disabilities on waiting lists for overnight respite care in County Tipperary; and the number of those who currently receive respite but have requested more nights. [16405/24]
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.
590. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of contracts a company (details supplied) has had with his Department in 2023 and to date in 2024; and the nature of services this company provided to his Department during this period, in tabular form. [16406/24]
View answerContractual arrangements for the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres are deemed confidential and commercially sensitive.
In relation to service providers contracted by IPAS to provide accommodation services to International Protection (IP) applicants, the Department publishes reports on all payments over €20,000. These are published, once per quarter, on gov.ie.
(www.gov.ie/en/collection/dfdadb-department-of-children-and-youth-affairs-purchase-orders-for-20000-o/#2022).
591. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider insuring that the capitation rate paid per child in the early years setting is allocated for the full calendar year or the full school year to enable the school to forward plan. [16441/24]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme currently operates over 5 days per week, 38 weeks per year, similar to the primary school year.
A comprehensive review of the ECCE programme has been recently completed by Stranmillis University. The review examined in detail the current operation of the programme and sought to identify possible enhancements, informed by extensive consultation with children, parents, providers and educators.
The final report is currently under review prior to publication. Once the final report has been published I will then consider any policy changes which may need to be made to the programme. My officials are also progressing plans to put the programme on a statutory footing.
592. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider introducing a grants scheme in order that community facilities can apply for the grant aid to upgrade their community facilities. [16442/24]
View answerSubstantial investment 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; and
• Building Blocks - Innovation Grant.
Significant funding has been set aside for early learning and childcare capital projects over 2024 and 2025. On 7th December last, I announced details of the Building Blocks - Capacity Grant scheme, to be operated over 2024 and 2025, which is aimed at addressing capacity gaps by expanding existing provision through internal renovations and extensions where most needed. Funding will be split into two strands.
Under the Building Blocks Expansion Grant Scheme, applications for which have recently closed, my Department will provide grants for the renovation or reconfiguration of existing Early Learning and Care facilities to deliver additional capacity. Community early learning and childcare services were eligible to apply for funding under this scheme. Community services were permitted to apply for full funding of renovation projects, whereas private services were required to demonstrate a 50% contribution to the project.
I hope to announce details of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme in the coming months. This strand will provide grants for larger scale extension projects to increase capacity and will also be open to community early learning and childcare services. The network of City and County Childcare Committees will provide supports for services that are considering applying for funding under the scheme.
593. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to help the early years sector retain staff as currently many staff are being recruited into the SNA roles in primary schools. [16443/24]
View answerI acknowledge that many early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services report staffing challenges in relation to recruitment and retention. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover.
Providers of ELC and SAC are private businesses. As the State does not employ staff in ELC and SAC services, 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 terms and conditions of employment including minimum pay rates for different roles in ELC and SAC services. This process provided the first ever Employment Regulation Orders for the sector and increasing wages for over 70% of staff working in services.
I understand that the JLC continues to meet and plan to submit to the Labour Court new draft EROs proposing a 5% increase in minimum rates for all grades and the removal of 3 years experience requirement for graduate minimum pay rates.
Outcomes from the JLC process are support by the Government through the Core Funding scheme, which has an allocation for this programme year alone of €287 million and I will again increase this allocation by a further 15%, for the third year of the scheme, to €331 million.
In line with commitments in First 5, in December 2021, I launched Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC), 2022-2028. Nurturing Skills aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in ELC and SAC and to raise the profile of careers in the sector. It includes a career framework and commitments to support early years educators to upskill and develop their careers. It also includes commitments to strengthen continuing professional development for staff working in the sector.
I also recently established a sub-group of the Early Learning and Childcare Stakeholder Forum to discuss issues of recruitment and retention with stakeholders in the sector. The second meeting of the sub-group took place on 7 February and the stakeholder group will continue to meet during 2024.
594. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason access to the AIMS scheme is only available from the age of three years when it is known that the most critical time for a child's brain development is 0 to 6 months. [16444/24]
View answerThe Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) was introduced in 2016 to ensure children with a disability could access and meaningfully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.
In line with a commitment in First 5, an independent evaluation of AIM was undertaken by the University of Derby to inform an extension of AIM beyond the ECCE programme as well as any enhancements to AIM.
The evaluation involved almost 2,000 stakeholders – parents, educators, providers and representative groups. The findings from the evaluation, published in 2024, were overwhelmingly positive and stakeholder support to extend AIM beyond the ECCE programme was unanimous.
• 82% of parents reported that AIM has benefited their child;
• 69% of parents reported that AIM has supported their child’s interaction with their peer and their child’s meaningful participation in preschool;
• 94% of providers reported that AIM was having a positive impact on children with a disability; and
• 96% of providers reported that AIM was having a positive impact on inclusion in their preschool setting.
The findings from the evaluation is informing the phased extension of AIM as committed to in First 5, commencing from September 2024, specifically the extension of targeted AIM supports to ECCE-age children beyond time they spend in the ECCE programme – both in term and out.
It is my ambition that, over time, all children with additional needs registered in early learning and childcare services will benefit from supports under AIM. To this end, my officials will be giving consideration to how younger children not yet eligible for the ECCE programme, can be supported through AIM, in addition to school going children in school-age childcare services.
595. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason, in relation to the inspection regime, child care providers subject to multiple agency checks; and if he would explore the possibility of one agency carrying out all checks to improve efficiency for child care providers. [16445/24]
View answerMonitoring and evaluation of early learning and childcare services in Ireland is currently conducted by the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate (EYI), which is the independent statutory regulator for the sector, and by the Department of Education Inspectorate, which conducts education-focused inspections of early learning and care (ELC) services. (The Department of Education Inspectorate does not have a role in relation to school-age childcare (SAC)).
I recently announced, as part of the First 5 Implementation Plan 2023-2025, that my Department, in collaboration with Tusla EYI and the Department of Education, are beginning a design and implementation planning process to bring together the functions carried out by Tusla EYI and the Department of Education Inspectorate’s Early Years team into a single body that provides integrated care and education inspections.
This is part of the Government’s overall commitment in First 5 to have a robust regulation, inspection and quality assurance regime to enforce and raise standards by progressively reforming the ELC and SAC regulatory and inspection systems and strengthening quality assurance, with a renewed emphasis on self-evaluation.
In line with this commitment, a Steering Group (SG) is now being formed to lead the design and implementation planning process with the aim of bringing proposals back to Government for consideration in 2025.
Pobal Compliance, Audit and Risk (CAR) are responsible for carrying out compliance inspections of early learning and childcare service providers funded under the Department’s funding schemes. These inspections are separate to the quality assurance inspections and are in place to ensure that beneficiary scheme moneys are being used appropriately and that risks to Exchequer funding are detected and minimised.
596. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how he intends to support child care settings with the additional cost of infrastructure by Government, the auto-enrolment for pensions, sick pays, and also from his own Department in relation to preparation of accounts in duplicate is leading to additional professional fees. [16446/24]
View answerInvestment in early learning and childcare is at unprecedented levels with public funding reaching more than €1.1 billion in 2024 – a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector.
The majority of this funding is allocated through Together for Better - the funding model for early learning and childcare, which brings together four strands, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, including the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), Core Funding, and the Equal Participation Model, which is currently in development.
Core Funding is a payment to 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 the employment of graduate staff.
The base rates in Core Funding have been developed using the various components associated with the cost of delivery of service provision such as; staff pay and conditions, including contact and non-contact time, holiday pay, sick pay and other employer costs; administrative staff/time and non-staff overhead costs.
Some €259 million was allocated through Core Funding for year 1 of the Scheme. This allocation increased by 11% to €287 million, for the second year of operation. The breakdown of the additional €28 million of the Core Funding for Year 2 is as follows:
• An additional €8.47m is allocated towards funding the natural growth of the sector. This additional funding supports an increase in services; and in staff working in the sector, more rooms and places, and more graduate lead educators and managers. By providing additional funding for capacity in this way, year 2 of Core Funding will helps services expand their businesses, which will lead to greater accessibility for parents and greater sustainability for services.
• An additional €6.11m is allocated towards non-staff overheads. This additional funding is a contribution towards non-staff overheads in recognition of the increase in non-staff costs faced by all services throughout the sector. This enhanced level of funding is aimed at increasing the sustainability of services, while continuing the fee management process that began in Year 1, which will further improve affordability for parents.
• An additional €2.2m is allocated towards administrative staff time. This additional funding is a contribution towards administration in recognition of the fact that the number of children registered on ECCE and NCS is anticipated to continue to grow in 2023/2024. Non-contact/administration time is also factored into the base rate through the staff costs component.
• €4m was allocated to remove the year 3 experience requirement for the Graduates Premiums, underpinned by ERO.
In addition, a number of targeted supports for small and sessional services were introduced in Year 2 of the scheme in order to improve sustainability of these services, specifically a flat rate top up of €4,075 for sessional-only services and a minimum base rate allocation of €8,150. These measures saw the average allocation under Core Funding for sessional-only service increase by 30% this year.
In a continued commitment to supporting these services, these targeted measures will continue to apply in the 2024/2025 programme year.
Arising from Budget 2024, the Core Funding allocation for year 3 of the scheme will increase by 15% - to €331 million. This will support the delivery of a range of enhancements in Year 3 of the scheme to support improved affordability and accessibility for families, improved pay and conditions for the workforce and improved sustainability for providers.
With relation to the preparation of accounts, financial reporting requirements under Core Funding was a recommendation of the Expert Group in their report ‘Partnership for the Public Good’, who identified the need for robust data to underpin funding policy.
These essential data will inform the ongoing development of Core Funding, including preparations for the next Estimates process, ensuring Government can continue to make progress on objectives of affordable, quality, inclusive and sustainable early learning and childcare services.
Officials in my Department have, in recent months, engaged intensively with members and nominees of the Early Learning and Childcare Stakeholder Forum (ELCSF) in relation to Core Funding Financial Reporting Requirements. Arising from that engagement, transitional arrangements for financial reporting this year and next were agreed. For Year 1 and 2 of Core Funding, the Financial Reporting requirements consist of a completed Income and Expenditure Template, which needs to be submitted by services’ nominated accountant. There will be no requirement to submit audited accounts to Department for Year 1 and 2 of Core Funding.
It would not be feasible to receive different types of reports, at different times of the year, covering different time periods, as there would be no consistency in the information provided. Therefore, a sector specific set of nominal codes, the Core Funding Chart of Accounts, provides the necessary consistency of inputs, and the reporting period of September to August provides the necessary consistency of the reporting period and is in line with the funding year.
As my officials communicated previously, providers that experience difficulty in engaging an accountant to submit the completed Income and Expenditure template by the new deadline will have the option of submitting a draft Income and Expenditure template by 26 June 2024. Services that avail of this option will need to engage an accountant to submit a final Income and Expenditure template prior to them entering into Core Funding in Year 3.
My Department officials are now focusing on rolling out a suite of supports to providers to fulfil their financial reporting obligations under Core Funding, which will be delivered through local City/County Childcare Committees (CCC). These supports will include a once-off financial support for targeted services. Further details on these supports are outlined in a detailed FAQ which is available on the Hive.
In addition, special supports are available from my Department where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has concerns about their viability, accessed through local City or County Childcare Committee (CCC). This support can take the form of assisting services with interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.
I would encourage any service experiencing financial difficulty and who would like support to contact their City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) to access case management supports.
I and my Department are committed to working with services delivering early learning and childcare for the public good.
597. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of disability personalised budgets that have been applied for and approved since 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16478/24]
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 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.
598. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the personalised demonstration budget submitted in the name of a person (details supplied) but who has had no confirmation or contact in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16479/24]
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 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.
