Parliamentary questions

Programme for Government

Joan Burton

1. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach if there are understandings rather than agreements with any of the Independent Deputies. [4572/17]

Programme for Government

Brendan Howlin

2. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the agreements in place to support the Government and the role of his Department in overseeing them. [6037/17]

Programme for Government

Gerry Adams

3. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the agreements in place with parties and Independents to support the Government. [7355/17]

Urban Renewal Schemes

Joan Burton

4. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach his plans to provide an update on the Dublin north inner city task force; and the terms of reference, chair and timescale. [4574/17]

Urban Renewal Schemes

Gerry Adams

5. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the north inner city ministerial task force, which he chairs. [5744/17]

Urban Renewal Schemes

Micheál Martin

6. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the task force on Dublin inner city. [5819/17]

Urban Renewal Schemes

Brendan Howlin

7. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach the status of the interim report from the Dublin north inner city task force. [6038/17]

Urban Renewal Schemes

Seán Haughey

8. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Taoiseach when the Dublin city task force report will be published. [7133/17]

National Economic and Social Development Office

Brendan Howlin

9. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach his plans to transfer responsibility for the National Economic and Social Development Office Act 2006 from his Department to another Department of State; if the National Economic and Social Development Office (Amendment) Bill under preparation and referenced in the Government legislation programme proposes to effect such a transfer of responsibilities to another Department; if not, if his statutory responsibilities in relation to social partnership, as set out in that Act, will remain with him; if questions regarding social partnership are accordingly properly addressed to him; and his plans to further develop relations with the social partners in the context of his statutory responsibilities. [5690/17]

Family Resource Centres

Anne Rabbitte

40. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether family resource centres are provided with adequate funding and supports to carry out their responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7351/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

41. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the sustainability of zero to three years services in the community setting in view of changes in regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7091/17]

Foster Care Supports

Anne Rabbitte

42. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to widespread reports that a large number of those children leaving foster care here on their 18th birthday do not receive aftercare support plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7352/17]

Child and Family Agency Data

Jan O'Sullivan

43. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that have been brought to the attention of the child welfare and protection services and have not yet been allocated a social worker; if targets for reduction in these cases in 2016 have been reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7016/17]

Child Care Services Staff

Anne Rabbitte

44. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on reports that Ireland's child care sector is becoming financially unviable, particularly with regard to working conditions and pay for staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7353/17]

Child Protection

Bernard Durkan

45. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps her Department has taken or proposes to take to identify and provide the necessary back-up for children at risk, whether from physical or mental abuse, neglect or other failure; if she is satisfied that the existing structures are efficient to meet the challenges of the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7032/17]

Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children

Eamon Ryan

46. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way in which her Department is working with the Departments of Justice and Equality, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Education and Skills and Health to ensure that concerted adequate provision is made for refugee minors in all aspects of State responsibility on entry into Ireland, in view of the complexity of the integration process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7044/17]

Child Care Services Staff

Hildegarde Naughton

47. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by the operators of private creche facilities in recruiting and retaining staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6714/17]

Homelessness Strategy

Ruth Coppinger

48. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on children of homeless parents being put into care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7030/17]

Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children

Maureen O'Sullivan

49. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 2 of 14 December 2016, her views on the length of time children will spend in State care before they can be fostered by families and while all necessary protocols need to be addressed. [6760/17]

Housing Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

50. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the effects that the housing crisis is having on children in view of the fact that parents in emergency and transitional accommodation are by their very nature in a precarious position regarding settling their children's education and after-school activities and the need for additional resources for those children. [6758/17]

Youth Services

Maureen O'Sullivan

51. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on linking in community and youth services with schools in the local area in terms of awareness programmes dealing with the dangers of misuse and abuse relating to drugs, alcohol and gambling and the possible positive effects this will have on children, particularly those from backgrounds of high risk. [6759/17]

Child Poverty

Thomas P. Broughan

52. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will establish a cross-departmental task force to address the recent finding of a survey on income and living conditions that children in one-parent families are much more likely to live in consistent poverty in comparison to those in two-parent families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6739/17]

Youth Services Funding

Anne Rabbitte

53. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the cuts in funding that many organisations in the youth services sector have experienced since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6754/17]

Child and Family Agency Services

Clare Daly

54. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps that can be taken to increase resources to the Tusla specialist team for separated children. [7020/17]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Clare Daly

55. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the additional matters that are delaying the publication of the second interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. [7021/17]

Child Care Services Funding

Anne Rabbitte

56. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the fact that the single affordable child care scheme will not take rent or mortgage payments into consideration when calculating parents' level of subsidisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6752/17]

Child Care Services Provision

Robert Troy

57. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the further supports she will introduce to support community child care providers' work towards sustainability following the changes whereby the community employment workers have been removed from the staffing ratio. [7049/17]

Homeless Persons Supports

Thomas P. Broughan

58. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans with the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to monitor and protect the well-being of children experiencing homelessness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6740/17]

Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children

Fiona O'Loughlin

59. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the services her Department will be making available to unaccompanied minors arriving here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2574/17]

Child Care Services Provision

Niamh Smyth

60. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the affordable child care scheme will be available to parents from September 2017 through an online information technology system; the supports being developed for parents with the application to ensure that the support is not requested from the already over-burdened early years practitioners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7022/17]

Youth Services Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

61. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to support the youth services sector and acknowledge the work being carried out by organisations within the community; her further plans to increase funding through the youth services grant scheme in line with predicted population increases of 13% in the age group between 18 to 25 year olds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6757/17]

Youth Services Provision

Martin Heydon

62. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of discussions between her Department and the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board on the appointment of a dedicated youth officer for County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7025/17]

Children and Family Services Provision

Mick Wallace

63. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of any study and research undertaken by her Department in association with the Department of Justice and Equality regarding the damage to children affected by parental imprisonment and the way in which it could be addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7041/17]

Family Resource Centres

Martin Heydon

64. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to review and increase the number of family resource centres in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7029/17]

Child Detention Centres

Catherine Connolly

65. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children currently in adult prisons; the reason they remain in inappropriate facilities; the steps being taken to end this situation; the date it is expected that this will be resolved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6803/17]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Catherine Connolly

66. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the second interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes will be published; when the final report will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6804/17]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

67. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. [7089/17]

Family Support Services

Jan O'Sullivan

68. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for the evaluation of outcomes from the ABC programme; the arrangements being made for the future funding of the work being done with vulnerable children and their families through the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7017/17]

Aftercare Services Provision

Anne Rabbitte

69. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to widespread reports that a large number of those children leaving foster care here on their 18th birthday do not receive aftercare support plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6756/17]

Youth Services Funding

Eugene Murphy

70. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason funding has been withdrawn from an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6713/17]

Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children

Eamon Ryan

71. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the integration and mental health services being made available for refugee children upon entering Ireland; the number of child refugees that her Department is anticipating in 2017; and the capacity that her Department has for the provision of such services. [7043/17]

Child Care Services

Robert Troy

72. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the supports that have been put in place towards the re-opening of a centre (details supplied) in County Longford. [7050/17]

Family Resource Centres

Anne Rabbitte

73. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether family resource centres are provided with adequate funding and supports to carry out their responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6755/17]

Youth Services Funding

Eugene Murphy

74. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason funding has been withdrawn from an organisation (details supplied) in respect of a number of youth projects, namely Roscommon town, Castlerea, Arigna and Ballaghaderreen in County Roscommon and also Castleblakeney in County Galway; the reasons for the closure of each of the specific projects in each location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6715/17]

Child Care Services

Kathleen Funchion

75. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether the child care settings will be equipped to cope with the roll out of the single affordable child care scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7090/17]

Commencement of Legislation

Jan O'Sullivan

76. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress which has been made in the commencement of the outstanding sections of the Children First Act 2015, particularly in relation to mandatory reporting of child abuse and child safeguarding statements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7015/17]

Election Management System

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

77. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on lowering the voting age to 16 years of age in local, general and European elections. [7088/17]

Youth Services Expenditure

Niamh Smyth

78. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a commitment will be made to the value for money scheme post-2017; if more resources and funding will be allocated to this initiative which is running successfully in County Cavan; her plans to extend the value for money scheme to other counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6940/17]

Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children

Mick Wallace

79. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the resources, existing or additional, that have been allocated to Tusla to facilitate the arrival and integration of unaccompanied child refugees from the former Calais camp; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7040/17]

Child Poverty

Gino Kenny

80. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will urgently establish an interdepartmental task force to address the escalating national crisis of child poverty in view of the fact that according to the most recent SILC report 2015 a child is now more than four times more likely to live in poverty based on their family status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7026/17]