Parliamentary questions

Food Poverty

Seán Sherlock

114. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has read the report by an organisation (details supplied) that 100,000 children in Ireland are going to bed hungry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40779/20]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Bernard Durkan

115. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he has developed the necessary structures to reassure victims of mother and baby homes that their interests are fully protected including accessibility to records; the protection of all such records and that the fears expressed by victims are fully acknowledged and assuaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40656/20]

Direct Provision System

Steven Matthews

116. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the guidelines with regard to in-person inspections in direct provision centres at every level of restriction under the Covid-19 framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39702/20]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Éamon Ó Cuív

117. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress made in the past month in relation to making information available from the evidence collected in the preparation of the mother and baby homes report to persons seeking to find out about their children that were in the homes or children born in the homes trying to trace their parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40787/20]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Thomas Pringle

118. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the sixth interim report of the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes will be made public; when the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes will be made public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39847/20]

Equality Issues

Jim O'Callaghan

119. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the need to legislate to introduce a new ground of discrimination on socioeconomic grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40751/20]

Parental Leave

Paul McAuliffe

120. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason the extension to maternity leave is not being introduced until April 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40768/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Neale Richmond

121. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports he is providing to childcare facilities to support them through the Covid-19 crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39967/20]

Child and Family Agency

James O'Connor

122. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to facilitate the reorganisation of Tusla in view of comments made by the Tusla CEO to the Oireachtas Committee on Children regarding the structure of the organisation. [40753/20]

Parental Leave

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

123. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress in providing a right to force majeure leave to workers in the context of the pandemic. [35096/20]

Direct Provision System

Matt Carthy

124. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the dates on which inspections have been carried out at a direct provision centre (details supplied) since 2016; and the outcomes of the inspections. [40654/20]

Domestic Violence Services

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

125. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of funding allocated for 2021 to services providing domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence services. [40775/20]

Domestic Violence Services

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

126. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth : if he is satisfied with the level of core funding provided to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence service providers; if funding is provided in such a way as to provide certainty to the organisations and enable them to carry out their vital work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40651/20]

Childcare Services

Seán Sherlock

127. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare facilities that had to apply for planning permission due to Covid-19; the number of applications approved and refused, respectively by county in tabular form. [40781/20]

Family Resource Centres

Rose Conway-Walsh

128. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of the expansion plan to increase the number of family resource centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40502/20]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Darren O'Rourke

129. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way in which he plans to support the early years sector in County Meath, particularly in relation to staff, pay and capitation grants in view of the population growth in the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39728/20]

Children in Care

Johnny Guirke

130. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children formally taken into care to date in 2020, compared to 2019 in total; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40789/20]

International Protection

Catherine Connolly

131. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of vulnerability assessments carried out on persons in the international protection process for each of the years 2018, 2019 and to date in 2020; when vulnerability assessments will be carried out in respect of all persons in the international protection process within 30 working days of making an application for protection in line with Ireland’s obligations pursuant to the EU Reception Conditions Directive and S.I. No 230/2018 European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 and as recommended in the recently published report on the Advisory Group on the Provision of Support including Accommodation to Persons in the International Protection Process; and if he will make a statement on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40644/20]

Youth Services

Brian Leddin

132. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports his Department has put in place to ensure the sustainability of youth services in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40776/20]

Direct Provision System

Denis Naughten

133. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to take children out of the direct provision system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40439/20]

Equality Issues

Seán Sherlock

134. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will publish legislation to introduce socioeconomic status as a grounds for discrimination as set out in the Programme for Government. [40780/20]

Asylum Seekers

Louise O'Reilly

135. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to ensure that vulnerable refugees receive the necessary medical care if they experience psychological difficulties in view of the situation which occurred at a reception centre (details supplied) recently. [40760/20]

Child Protection

Bernard Durkan

136. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the degree to which his Department has been alerted to increased numbers of children at risk during the Covid-19 restrictions; if he has been in a position to actively respond to the trends in this area; the specific actions involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40657/20]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Matt Carthy

137. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to provide for additional capital funding towards the development and expansion of community childcare centres. [40655/20]

Direct Provision System

Steven Matthews

138. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he will take to ensure that persons being moved from direct provision are provided sufficient notice and adequate translation services to ensure this transition is as seamless as possible (details supplied). [39271/20]

Domestic Violence Services

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

139. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of funding allocated to support domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services in 2021; the further funding that will be allocated arising from the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic; the steps that can be taken towards providing funding on a multi-annual basis to service providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40650/20]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Seán Sherlock

140. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of early childhood education and care facilities that have indicated that they will exit the sector since they were closed in March 2020. [40778/20]

National Childcare Scheme

Colm Burke

141. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the take-up in the national childcare scheme; his plans to increase and enhance support to families in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40649/20]

City and County Child Care Committees

Neale Richmond

248. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will make the necessary funding available for the implementation of the Workplace Relations Commission agreement of August 2019 between a union (details supplied) and city and county childcare committees involving CCC managers being regraded at local authority grade 8; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40793/20]

Direct Provision System

Peadar Tóibín

249. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to open additional direct provision centres in the country; and the planned geographical location of such centres. [40885/20]

City and County Child Care Committees

James Lawless

250. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when his Department will make the necessary funding available for the implementation of the Workplace Relations Commission agreement of August 2019 between a union (details supplied) and city and county childcare committees. [40904/20]

Child Protection

Kathleen Funchion

251. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he has taken to address the high number of children in counties Carlow and Kilkenny without an allocated social worker; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40792/20]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Jennifer Whitmore

252. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the level of consultation his Department carried out with survivors before, during and after publication of the mother and baby homes report; the supports that will be provided to survivors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41066/20]

Direct Provision System

Pauline Tully

253. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on the inspection carried out in September 2020 of a direct provision centre (details supplied) by the International Protection Accommodation Service; the timeline for the publication of the report; the actions he will take regarding the findings of the inspection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40796/20]

Assisted Decision-Making

Pauline Tully

254. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the adequacy of 1,250 persons taken into wardship under the Lunacy Regulation Act 1871 although the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act was enacted in 2015; when the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 will be fully commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40797/20]

Data Protection

Alan Kelly

255. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department has been the subject of an investigation by the Data Protection Commission from 2016 to date; the number of specific investigations underway or completed; the dates on which his Department was first notified of the investigation; the details of the investigation; the nature of the complaints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40805/20]

Direct Provision System

Peadar Tóibín

256. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department is planning to open accommodation for asylum seekers in Letterkenny, County Donegal; the number of asylum seekers the centre will accommodate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40887/20]

Rights of People with Disabilities

Catherine Murphy

257. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to participate in a United Nations election to fill vacancies on the disability committee (details supplied); if he will detail his engagements with this committee since taking office; and his plans to support and work with it going forward. [40981/20]

Child Protection

Bernard Durkan

258. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which a comprehensive response has been made available in respect of children at risk who have been increasingly vulnerable during Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40991/20]

Child Protection

Bernard Durkan

259. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which it was possible to provide a place of safety for children at risk in the past nine months; the number of notifications of potential child abuse brought to his Department on a weekly basis in each of the past nine months to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40992/20]

Equality Issues

Bernard Durkan

260. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he and his Department have received requests for equality-related changes in legislation since the formation of the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40993/20]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Bernard Durkan

261. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps taken or that are ongoing to reassure the victims of mother and baby homes in respect of their recently expressed concerns; if he is satisfied regarding the adequacy of the provisions made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40994/20]

Rights of People with Disabilities

Bernard Durkan

262. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he continues to monitor the disability sector with a view to ensuring the removal of arbitrary obstacles deemed to impact on persons with disabilities such as access to jobs, services or housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40995/20]

Rights of People with Disabilities

Bernard Durkan

263. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his priorities to support persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40996/20]

Rights of People with Disabilities

Bernard Durkan

264. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he has identified his priorities in respect of the disability sector over the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40997/20]

Immigration Support Services

Bernard Durkan

265. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the full extent of proposed investment in integration over the next five years; the progress to date in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40998/20]

Youth Services

Bernard Durkan

266. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he and his Department continue to liaise with the various youth organisations throughout the country including an organisation (details supplied) with the objective of identifying the extent to which support continues to be made available in accordance with the wishes of the organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40999/20]

Youth Services

Bernard Durkan

267. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of applications for support received from the various youth organisations throughout the country in 2020 to date; the response proposed or ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41000/20]

National Childcare Scheme

Bernard Durkan

268. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he and his Department continue to meet in full or in part childcare support applications from crèches and parents; his proposals to further enhance the funding available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41001/20]

Child and Family Agency

Bernard Durkan

269. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which counselling or placement services by Tusla have adequate provision in terms of funding, staffing or other supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41002/20]