Parliamentary questions

Direct Provision System

Steven Matthews

86. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress made to date on the implementation of the White Paper to End Direct Provision and replace it with a new international protection support service; the expected timeline of implementation going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36290/21]

Family Resource Centres

Alan Dillon

87. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to support organisations wishing to establish new family resource centres; if a capital funding scheme to build new family resource centres will be put in place; the supports that can be offered in the interim to groups such as in the case of an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36256/21]

Gender Balance

Thomas Gould

88. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to increase the number of women in politics. [36254/21]

Legislative Programme

Bríd Smith

376. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 has not yet been fully enacted over five and a half years later; the definitive timeline for its enactment given the human rights implications of the anachronistic Lunacy Regulation Act 1871 which is still being used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36412/21]

Direct Provision System

Violet-Anne Wynne

377. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the reporting system in place since 2017 to record the deaths in direct provision settings; his further views on whether the omission of the cause of death on the records is cause for concern; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36512/21]

Direct Provision System

Violet-Anne Wynne

378. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will adopt the United Nations recommendation that transparency must be ensured with reference to the current fatality rate in direct provision centres and the concerns over the recording of these deaths; and if he will consider releasing the details again as per the previous recording system. [36513/21]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

379. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he expects the survey on income and costs for childcare sector being complied by Pobal to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35801/21]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

380. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if services receive approximately 60% of their service income from parental fees and the remainder 40% excluding Covid-19 supports from the State in the latest Annual Early Years Survey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35802/21]

Child and Family Agency

Róisín Shortall

381. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the policies and procedures Tusla has in place for the receipt of several retrospective complaints regarding the sexual abuse of minors who cannot name their alleged perpetrators but name the same hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35846/21]

Departmental Data

Noel Grealish

382. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of interest his Department has been charged for savings or other funds on deposit in Irish banks since negative interest rates were introduced by year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35928/21]

Freedom of Information

Catherine Murphy

383. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is satisfied in the context of the freedom of information publication scheme that all logs are published and up to date in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2014; if not, the reason they are not published; and if he will update them as a matter of priority. [36119/21]

Freedom of Information

Catherine Murphy

384. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount collected on an annual basis since the Freedom of Information Act 2014 commenced in respect of fees attached to freedom of information requests submitted to his Department. [36137/21]

Freedom of Information

Catherine Murphy

385. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of freedom of information requests refused by his Department since the Freedom of Information Act 2014 commenced for the reason that search and copy costs would exceed the maximum threshold; the number of requests that were subsequently granted following engagement with the requester to narrow the scope of the request; and the costs associated with same. [36155/21]

Disability Services

Paul Murphy

386. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children with special needs living in south-western areas of Dublin; the number of therapists working in the area to provide essential services for these children; his plans to ensure that these services which are crucial for the families of these children will resume to pre-Covid-19 levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36175/21]

Childcare Services

Michael Creed

387. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress being made on the National Action Plan for Childminding; the representative bodies involved; the consequences of the decision by an organisation (details supplied) to withdraw from this process given the fact that it represents many childminders around the country who are critical for childcare for many thousands of parents and children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36218/21]

Direct Provision System

Gino Kenny

388. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to change the way in which data on deaths in direct provision are collected by State agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36250/21]

Direct Provision System

Violet-Anne Wynne

389. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the lack of transparency around the number of persons who have died in direct provision; and if he will consider the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racism recommendation that the recording system is amended as at present the cause of death is not recorded and official records since the inception of the system in 1999 are incomplete. [36257/21]

Anti-Racism Measures

Violet-Anne Wynne

390. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the timeline and objectives of the Anti-Racism Committee that he established several months ago; the status of its operations; and the way it will be used to inform policy in the future. [36258/21]

Departmental Data

Kathleen Funchion

391. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding allocation to parent and toddler group initiatives for 2020 and 2021, in tabular form; and the amount drawn down in 2020. [36359/21]

Care Services

Patrick Costello

392. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider changes in relation the use of policy or procedures in view of the recent study by UCC regarding the issues relating the use of voluntary care agreements (details supplied). [36393/21]