Vol. 1045 No. 1
39. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if staff employed by private bodies contracted by the State to provide accommodation to the international protection accommodation services, IPAS, and beneficiaries of temporary protection, BOTPs, have received child safety training or been vetted by An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48546/23]
I want to ask about Garda vetting and child safety training which might or might not be mandatory for staff working in accommodation provided on behalf of IPAS and being used by people seeking temporary protection.
When an accommodation centre is opened, a designated member of IPAS is responsible for informing centre management of its mandatory obligation to ensure that all staff who are working with children must complete the Children First e-learning module. The designated member ensures that centre managers are categorised as designated liaison persons under Children First and notifies them that they are required to make mandatory reports of concerns relating to children resident in the centre.
A designated team in IPAS is responsible for notifying the centre manager that it is mandatory for anyone who is undertaking relevant work in an accommodation centre to be Garda vetted, regardless of whether this is on a permanent, temporary, full-time or part-time basis. Garda vetting is a requirement for any staff who undertake work that is a necessary and regular part of consists of having access to or contact with children.
The designated member monitors the centre’s adherence with requirements of the Tusla child safeguarding statement compliance unit. Where centres have not submitted their child safeguarding statement to the compliance unit, they are requested by IPAS to submit the statement letter as soon as practicable. IPAS continues to engage with Tusla in respect of its report Child Safeguarding Statement Sector Compliance Review: International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS), and to promote and improve child safeguarding practices in all accommodation settings.
With respect to BOTPs, my Department does not always contract entire facilities for use for temporary accommodation in the same manner as is undertaken accommodation for international protection applicants. Many still operate as commercial hospitality settings. My Department refers to industry requirements and best practices in contracts agreed with providers, and it is intended that they adhere to them.
My Department does not employ staff in accommodation settings for Ukrainians and each contractor is responsible for their child safeguarding policy and consequently their Garda vetting policy.
The Minister will be aware that the Ombudsman for Children published a report last month which cites concerns that children in direct provision and other forms of accommodation are not safe. He wrote: “How we treat children coming to this country will be a defining issue of our generation, and as things stand, history will not judge us well.” While I welcome the measures in place in respect of IPAS accommodation, there are serious concerns for those who are BOTPs. Part of it is the over-reliance - and I understand we are under severe pressure - on private for-profit accommodation. That should not mean that the same protections are not in place for some 17,000 people under 18 years who have come from Ukraine to seek protection under our care. There are not the same safeguards in the context of Children First training or Garda vetting. There are serious concerns in that regard.
The Deputy has referred to both Ukraine and international protection. Regarding Ukrainians, the existing responsibilities of accommodation owners in terms of Garda vetting and child safeguarding policies apply. In the context of international protection and, in particular, the report of the ombudsman, I have clearly set out the child safeguarding measures that apply. Undoubtedly, the accommodation challenges - one of the matters on which the Ombudsman's report focuses - place give rise to real issues when it comes to our ability to give children the very best start in life. That is why my Department has taken steps, in conjunction with Tusla, to put in place family support workers in Tusla areas around the country to support international protection. We provided additional funding to children and young people's services committees, CYPSCs, to undertake specific activities in international protection for the benefit of children and young people.
Let us separate the two. In respect of BOTPs, the Minister said that much of this is shared accommodation provided by the private sector. A great deal of that involves the taking over of entire hotels. Even in my constituency, it has involved the use of other kinds of accommodation. There are 750 Ukrainians coming to Wicklow. Is the Minister saying there is no Garda vetting in those situations or that there is no Children First training when we have sole responsibility as the provider? There needs to be a level of protection, not only for those who have come to these shores but also for the staff who work in the centres. Some are very remote and the same safeguards need to be in place to protect the staff and those who have come here, many of whom are extremely vulnerable. Without Garda vetting or Children First training, the State is abdicating its responsibility to ensure that the necessary safeguards are in place.
We are proposing to open a significant amount of accommodation in the Deputy's constituency. It will be solely for Ukrainians. There will be no commercial element to it. I will come back to the Deputy in writing about Garda vetting and the child safeguarding procedures that will be in place in respect of that accommodation. No doubt similar requirements will apply in Stradbally and other locations. Because there will potentially be a significant number of children accommodated there, we are working very closely with the Department of Education on the educational supports that will be put in place. I am very happy to come back to the Deputy directly on the issues of Garda vetting and child safeguarding.
40. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the new domestic violence leave policy will come into effect; what rate of payment will be available; how a person may avail of the leave from the effective date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48474/23]
When will the new domestic violence leave policy come into effect? What will the rate of payment be? How might a person avail of the leave from the effective date?
Earlier this year, the Work Life Balance And Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was signed into law. It includes five days leave paid for victims of domestic violence. I am pleased to confirm that the provisions relating to domestic violence leave will be commenced on 27 November. From that day, people will be entitled to claim the leave where needed. Once introduced, Ireland will become one of the first countries in Europe to provide a statutory right to paid leave for domestic violence victims.
The introduction of this new right will help to ensure that no one who is experiencing domestic violence will be at risk of poverty or loss of income while seeking support. In order to support employers with the implementation of this new leave, my Department has commissioned Women’s Aid to develop supports for employers on their own domestic violence workplace policies. A dedicated website has been established, DVatWork.ie, where employers can find a guidance note and policy template and can also sign up for training webinars. In addition, an advice service for employers will be offered for the next six months.
This Government is committed to a zero tolerance approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. These new supports will help to ensure that workplaces are safe spaces for employees who have experienced domestic violence and who need help to move towards lives free of any such violence.
The implementation of this new measure from 27 November is a significant step forward. As I say, Ireland will be one of the first European countries to implement this leave on a paid statutory basis. I am particularly grateful for the co-operation of the trade unions and employers groups, and, in particular, of Women's Aid, in designing the policy templates to assist employers in implementing this important new innovation.
I thank the Minister. I acknowledge the amount of work within the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act the Minister referenced. It includes five days of unpaid leave for parents for medical care purposes. It also includes five days' leave for the victims of domestic violence we are discussing this evening. It further includes the right to request flexible working for parents and carers and the right to request remote working for all employees. It also includes two years of breast-feeding breaks.
If I talked about paternal leave, for example, there is something of a cultural handbrake around people availing of it properly. We absolutely need to financially underpin people who need to take that jump to get out of an abusive relationship and we need to ensure they are not trapped in those relationships by dint of financial restrictions. However, we also need to normalise paid provisions. I am not talking about domestic violence leave now. We must normalise those other paid provisions so people take them up. We need to avoid a cultural handbrake and ensure no stigma is attaching to availing of these payments so that people can really avail of them.
Paid parents' leave was originally introduced by the previous Government and offered two weeks of leave per year per parent. At the time, we saw a significant imbalance, in that mums took that leave but dads did not. During the Covid-19 pandemic, that changed. We have now extended it by so much that by August of next year, paid parents' leave will have gone from two weeks per parent per child to nine weeks. That is significant. It is a seven-week increase of paid leave for each parent in the term of one Government. That is something for which I and the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys - we both have responsibilities in that regard - have pushed. During the pandemic, we saw a significant increase in dads taking up paid parents' leave. I will look up the figures for the uptake last year but it certainly increased. We are doing a good job to normalise it so that both mums and dads take up their full allocations of paid leave.
I thank the Minister. The other side of the coin is that we need to work with employers. We need to fully support employers so that if anybody is looking to avail of any of these types of leave, but in particular the domestic violence leave to which my question goes, there is no question of hesitancy on the behalf of employers. It must become normalised so that if somebody finds themselves in such a situation, the State and employers are there to help them. Certainly in today's workforce, that is absolutely appropriate. Employees should be supported within their changing life situations, be that through domestic violence leave, parents' leave or whatever else. However, we must work proactively with employers. It is entirely correct that we have tried to introduce these new rights. These are not the only rights we have introduced to the workplace. There has been a large amount of change in a short space of time, which I welcome. It shows how transformative the Minister has been in his role. However, we need to continue to engage with employers to ensure the proper supports are there.
I thank the Deputy. He is right. When we were doing the consultation on the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, one of the big issues that employer groups raised was that their members, particularly small and medium-sized business, were nervous about domestic violence leave. They were nervous about getting that knowledge from their employees and what they were to do with the information. They asked did it put legal responsibilities on them. That is why we have worked with Women's Aid to design this policy template guidance to support workers whether their employee is asking for this particular leave or more generally reveals that he or she is a victim of domestic violence. We want to support workers in that regard. It is a difficult conversation for any of us and we need to support employers too.
The Deputy mentioned breast-feeding breaks and the extension from six months to two years after birth. That is one of the most significant changes we have brought in through this legislation. It is now applying. That right allows a woman who is returning to work after maternity leave to take up to an hour off per day to breast-feed. That now applies. It will have a major impact in supporting new mothers who are returning to the workplace.
41. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what action he intends to take to address the severe shortage of childcare places in Cork city. [48399/23]
The Minister will be aware that I have written to him and addressed him in the Chamber on the adverse situation of childcare provision in Cork city. I am sure that is also the case in other locations but it is certainly my experience in the Cork city area. Waiting lists can often run to a year or two years. There is nothing for children under one year of age. The baby rooms are gone at this stage. It is extremely difficult to find a full-time childcare place. There are none at the moment.
I thank the Deputy. He and I have spoken and corresponded on the issues pertaining, in particular, to Cork city. Of course, the availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government policy. The early years sector profile shows there is a national vacancy rate of 12.3%. There is a slightly lower vacancy rate of 9.8% in Cork city. That indicates, as the Deputy said, that there is pressure on services in Cork city.
It is important to note that these data do not take account of any capacity growth under year two of core funding, which provided for a 3% growth in capacity from September of this year. It does not take account of new services registered with Tusla in recent months.
As the Deputy knows, there are 30 childcare committees across the country, including in Cork city. They work to match vacant spaces with families who are in need of spaces. I always say that as a first port of call, parents who are looking for a space should engage with their local childcare committee.
In addition to support from the childcare committees, my Department is undertaking a range of measures to increase supply. As I said already, core funding has grown to recognise an increase in capacity. We are seeing capacity increases being delivered. As the Deputy knows, I have opened the national childcare scheme to parents who use childminders for the first time. That will be in place from September next year. Parents using childminders will be able to draw down the significant subsidies of the national childcare scheme. Probably the most significant element is that in the coming weeks, I will be announcing the new building blocks capital grant scheme for early years care, which is designed to support the expansion of existing services. It will focus in particular on areas of undersupply.
I appreciate the Minister's response. He has acknowledged that the 9% vacancy rate in Cork city is lower than in other places. Much of that vacancy could relate to particular early childhood care and education, ECCE, sessions. It does not necessarily reflect the fact that there are no full-time places and the impact of that. This issue comes up a lot with employers as well as with parents. Returning to work after having a child is extremely difficult. It is difficult to sustain in the workplace as well.
My question specifically asks about the specific actions the Government is going to take for Cork. I know the model we have was inherited by the Minister. However, there is an element to which that model means the Government can have influence but is a little passive. It is not like the Department of Education, which can intervene directly, albeit not to the extent it should be able to. We need to be looking at that and considering ways in which we can directly intervene in locations where there is a shortage.
I thank the Deputy. As he knows, there have been specific challenges in place in Cork in recent weeks. The city childcare committee has been very engaged. I know of at least two services where the current owners have indicated they are closing or selling. The county childcare committee has done a lot of work to try to find new people to come in to provide community services. Work is ongoing and I recognise that. While it is a big challenge and is undoubtedly a major concern for parents, we are using the mechanisms we can to keep services open or at least ensure there is continuity of services.
The Deputy asked about the actions we are taking and they are clear. The capital grant will provide services with State money to allow them to expand. We have been engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage around the planning regulations. Where there are new and large housing developments, childcare provision is meant to be included. That is not always delivered on time or appropriately. We are examining how to tighten those regulations.
It is important to say that core funding is actually creating increased capacity in existing services.
In relation to the childcare committee, it has been doing all that it can. To some extent we need to look at powers and the structure of these committees because there are limits to what they can do. Very often it is just providing a list, particularly where there is not a lot of vacancies.
In relation to one of the providers in one of the southern suburbs of the city, discussions are still going on and I would like some reassurance or commitment from the Minister that if an agreement is reached with a new potential provider that Tusla will ensure that everything is expedited to the greatest extent possible to ensure continuity. I ask for an assurance that we do not see a closure of the service and that a new owner can keep it open after taking over.
In addition, the State has to be open to the direct provision of childcare. We believe, and I think it is the Minister's philosophy as well, that childcare is a public good so the State has to be willing to open places itself. That is the road we need to go down. That has to be part of the mix here.
I want to take up the Minister on the capital investment programme and acknowledge the work he has done in terms of the substantial investment of €69 million across three pillars. I want to focus on pillar two, with €20 million being allocated in 2024 and additional €25 million in 2025 for existing and new services. I want to touch upon rural and remote communities. I am working with people on Achill island, where young families have no services available to them across large distances. In fact, childcare options are nonexistent. In terms of strategic investment, how will the Department view the needs analysis being conducted by the working group to reflect the unique challenges across our country? How will this translate into action and visible outcomes? It is really important that we have clarity on how this fund will be specifically targeted to address the critical shortages across remote and rural areas as well.
I fully agree with Deputy Ó Laoghaire that early learning and childcare is a public good. When I came into office, we were spending €638 million per year on it but by next September we will be spending €1.1 billion on it. We have responded and recognised that through investment. One of those investments is the capital scheme, which will be a competitive scheme. Existing services will make applications and one of the key criteria will be applications for areas of low supply, whether that be Achill island or Cork city. Certainly anecdotally, both are areas where supply seems pressured at the moment.
In terms of the wider infrastructure, as the Deputies know, we are doing a bigger piece of work in terms of looking at, potentially, a childcare agency which may involve an amalgamation of some of the existing infrastructure, including Pobal, the county childcare committees, CCCs, and other relevant organisations and certainly the powers that exist will be part of that discussion.
42. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps his Department has taken to provide information to communities which are accommodating Ukrainian and other refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48439/23]
Ireland's response to the influx of individuals from Ukraine and other conflict-ridden regions has been remarkably commendable. It showcases our deep-rooted dedication to humanitarian principles and a willingness to offer a safe and very welcoming haven for those who are in dire straits. Central to this is robust collaboration and communication among all involved. What steps has the Minister taken to improve information sharing among communities?
The Department is currently dealing with the unprecedented challenge of accommodating people fleeing war in Ukraine and seeking international protection in Ireland from countries across the world. Our communities and neighbourhoods have responded with a generosity of spirit, as Deputy Dillon has said, in keeping with both our international reputation and our obligation to recognise the human plight and trauma people are experiencing and their right to seek protection and help from the international community.
The provision of access to accommodation, health, education, income and other supports, as appropriate, to people seeking protection is a whole-of-Government response. A range of Departments, agencies, service providers, and local authorities are involved in the accommodation, resettlement, and integration process. Given the scale and urgency of the operation to secure accommodation for unplanned new arrivals, to manage and process them appropriately, and to transfer and settle them into homes and communities, there has been a requirement to act at pace, with developments often happening at short notice.
The Department has been working across Government and with local government to develop a more coherent model of engagement with communities in advance of the opening of accommodation centres and to help strengthen and support inclusion and community development. I am glad to say that a community engagement team has been established to engage directly with elected representatives, relevant local authorities, local development companies, and other groups and individuals where relevant and appropriate. The purpose of the team is to improve the flow of information regarding arrivals into areas, 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. The team has been in place for a number of weeks now and we will continue to review processes and improve systems of communication as we progress with this important work.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. It is good to hear about the establishment of the community engagement team, which is central. For many communities, it is really all about transparency and co-operation, especially across Government bodies, non-governmental organisations, NGOs, community collectives and volunteer organisations. That is really important and is fundamental in the context of providing ongoing supports for refugees to ensure they are integrated effectively. Given the evident pressures on our own critical services, be it housing, education, health care, or social supports, we need to bring other State agencies into play in relation to this. What gets thrown back at Deputies and other public representatives are issues like the capacity within primary care centres, accident and emergency departments and other auxiliary services like GPs and other health care services. We must look at the broader picture in terms of how we actually house refugees in areas that may not have the services required available.
I want to acknowledge the co-operation of local authorities, local development companies, Deputies and Senators of these Houses and local councillors who have helped us to bring communities on board. It is a function of the community engagement team to do exactly what Deputy Dillon has described, namely, to talk to the relevant Government Departments. We have contact points in all of the relevant Departments. Another part of the structure that we are growing into, as part of the new community engagement team, is the community response fora. It is a function of these fora to gather the issues that are coming up on the ground, not just for Ukrainians but also for international protection applicants, and feed that up through the council as well. It is a new team, a new structure and a new way of doing things but we have a lot to build on. There is a lot of work going on in the background in terms of developing relationships with key stakeholders and, as Deputy Dillon mentioned, with central Government Departments as well.
I commend the Minister of State on his efforts within his Department. It is not an easy task in terms of liaising with all of the different local authorities. Previously, when we did engage with local authorities, there was a commitment around additional resources. What is the status of the current competition within local authorities? Have many local authorities completed their full allocation of resources to compliment their community engagement teams?
Through thoughtful planning and the allocation of adequate resources, we can do wonderful things to integrate displaced people into our communities. They offer a lot and I would ask that we would provide additional supports to equip communities who want to help but who are not being given the necessary information. Some local authorities are better than others. Let us be honest in our assessment of that and benchmark those that have good processes and systems in place.
This is a timely opportunity to mention the fact that the Department has allocated additional resources to every local authority to recruit local authority integration teams. They are all at different stages of the recruitment process.
Some have finished while others are yet to start. It will lead to up to four additional staff per local authority to assist and grow into this new place. It is a new area to grow into for some local authorities. I am glad to say the Department of Rural and Community Development, at which I also serve as Minister of State, secured additional money under the social inclusion and community activation programme and again secured into next year the additional €10 million we got last year to assist us with Ukrainian arrivals. Our volunteer centres are getting that ongoing support as well. There are many growing parts and developing areas and our community engagement team is well aware of fitting into those resources.
43. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on a review (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48553/23]
Will the Minister comment on his Department's review of the equality Acts? I would be grateful if he were to make a statement on the matter.
In 2021, I announced a review of the Equal Status Act 2000 and the Employment Equality Act 1998, known collectively as the equality Acts. The review is examining the operation of the equality Acts from the perspective of the person taking a claim under its redress mechanisms. It is further examining the degree to which those experiencing discrimination are aware of the legislation and whether there are practical or other obstacles that preclude or deter them from taking an action.
In July 2021, I launched a public consultation process as part of the review of the equality Acts to examine the functioning of the Acts and their effectiveness in combating discrimination and promoting equality. I was pleased to receive an extensive response to the consultation. A report summarising the key issues raised in the public consultation was published on 12 July 2023. Submissions were received on a wide variety of subjects, including all the equality grounds, namely, gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, membership of the Traveller community and the housing assistance ground. Other issues raised in the submissions included the proposed ground for disadvantaged socioeconomic status and the use of non-disclosure agreements, NDAs, in discrimination settlements. Many submissions also commented on the functioning and accessibility of the equality Acts and proposed how the legislation could be more accessible to the public and better protect people from discrimination.
Detailed work is under way to develop a policy that will underpin the legislative proposals and allow me to bring forward policies to respond on the issues raised during the review process. I intend to bring forward legislative proposals to Cabinet shortly in this regard. We will prioritise the legislative changes that can be implemented most quickly.
I appreciate that information. We need this ground to be included in any revision of the equality Acts. Recent budgets have further divided society. Recent research on deprivation, carried out by Pobal, highlighted that County Clare is marginally above average in terms of deprivation, with Kilrush being extremely disadvantaged and having a lone parent rate of almost 50%. Slightly fewer than 10% of my constituents finished their education at the end of primary school, according to Clare FM. There has been a lot of talk in this House in recent months about the Government getting tough on crime, but until we tackle the root causes of deprivation in society, there will continue to be spikes in crime throughout the country, along with other issues.
Last night, I attended the launch of new research by Clare Public Participation Network, PPN, in collaboration with the think-tank TASC, which looks at socioeconomic rights and just transition. It found that poverty in County Clare is infrastructural and systemic and located the origins of disadvantage in national and local policymaking.
Adding a new ground to the equality legislation and a new protected characteristic in terms of forbidding socioeconomic discrimination is something about which I feel passionately and which the Government committed to examining in the programme for Government. It has been the subject of Private Member's legislation from several parties in this House and the previous Dáil. I will be bringing proposals forward on that ground in terms of the legislative proposals. It is timely. All Deputies have been contacted by people who cannot put their home address down because their estate has a bad reputation, for whatever reason, and are worried their curriculum vitae would go to the bottom of the pile, or by people who, on walking into a club are told, "No, not tonight, lads", because of their accent. That is not acceptable, just as it is unacceptable to refuse a person access to a club because he or she is gay or black. That is why it is important we advance this ground.
I appreciate the Minister's remarks and note he mentioned his passion on this issue. The main point raised at the event I attended last night was that many of the challenges experienced by individuals enduring disadvantage, exclusion or poverty are beyond their capacity to address. Last year, Deputy Andrews and I brought forward a Bill to add a tenth discrimination ground on the basis of socioeconomic status and accent. As the Minister is aware, the Add the 10th Alliance is a fantastic umbrella group that is spearheading that campaign. I hope the Minister will consult it on this matter going forward. When the Bill reached Second Stage, I said I would work with the Minister every step of the way. I reiterate that sentiment. No constituent should ever feel they are less or deserve less because of from where they come.
Absolutely. I am happy to engage with the Deputy, particularly on the socioeconomic discrimination ground that I hope to bring forward in that draft legislation. As regards her wider point on poverty, its impact on people and the report launch she attended, a key step my Department was able to take in the budget this year is the introduction of the new equal participation model in early years. It is a DEIS approach for early years which recognises there are particular early years services that have a significant number of young people who may be from a Travelling community, a migrant background or an area of high socioeconomic disadvantage and those young people need more support. We have the funding for that for year 1 and will start its roll-out in September 2024. It will take several years to ramp it up fully but that will be a major intervention in terms of making sure all young people can access early learning and childcare and helping them get the best start early on in life.
45. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way in which a young college graduate with very severe physical disabilities can secure adequate and appropriate personal assistant support to enable them to become gainfully employed, pay taxes and participate as a fully functioning member of society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47470/23]
My question highlights the need for adequate and appropriate personal assistant, PA, support for a college graduate who worked through college and now wishes to get a job but is finding it very difficult to get adequate and appropriate, including age-appropriate, personal assistant support. What does the Minister of State have to say about the personal assistants support and service? Does she agree it is vital for people with disabilities?
I absolutely agree it is vital for people with disabilities. That is why the Government has added 270,000 additional hours in the past four budgets. We have increased PA by 15% of what is there already. I totally agree that PA is important not just for accessing education, but also ensuring that as a person steps out of education, he or she can step directly into employment.
The HSE personal assistant service was developed to provide a service for adults with physical disabilities that enables them to live their lives as independently as possible and take decision-making control. The person with the disability either directly employs the PA or is involved in the process of selecting the PA to work with them. The person with the disability determines the support need and the activities with which they need to support. The Deputy is correct. It needs to be adequate and age appropriate and meet the needs of the individual. That is important.
In 2023, approximately 1.8 million PA hours will be delivered to more than 2,600 adults throughout the country. PA support is a priority for me and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, as part of our disability capacity action plan that we will publish in the coming weeks. We want to increase the number of young people accessing employment. We need to move from the bottom of the row and stop being laggards when it comes to people with disabilities accessing employment. The only way we can do that and be an enabler to that is through adequate PA support.
I thank the Minister of State for her response. I commend her and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, on their work in this area.
Is the Minister of State aware of what the unmet need is for personal assistance, PA, services in the country? Has any work been done on that by any agency, her Department or anyone else? We know how many hours are being provided, and I am delighted to see an increase, but what is the unmet need out there? The Irish Wheelchair Association says that work needs to be done on this, perhaps with the Central Statistics Office. Has that been done and are there any plans to do it? Is there a ring-fenced budget for the provision of personal assistance services to people? What is the budget for this particular service? I also ask the Minister of State to outline whether there is a standardised method of allocating hours throughout the country.
The Deputy has asked a lot of very matter-of-fact questions. It is recognised that there are inconsistencies among disabled people in accessing PA support. That is why we have established a PA review group within the Department to develop a protocol for the eligibility and allocation of personal assistance services based on a universal agreed definition of personal assistance in collaboration with my Department, disabled people and service providers. Work has started on that. When I came into the Department, €40 million a year was set aside for PA support. That has increased substantially over the last number of years, and we will continue to focus on increasing it. On the number of people and the unmet need, we have the figures but I just do not have them in front me. As I have said, supporting 2,600 disabled people is not meeting the need that is there.
I thank the Minister of State for her response. I know her heart is in the right place. Perhaps she will send me on the figures she says she does not have in front of her regarding the unmet need and the research behind that to find out what the unmet need is. I welcome the fact that a PA review group is working on this in the Department. When does the Minister of State expect this review group to report to her? Is it going to be this year or next year? I ask her to outline the make-up of the group and who is involved in it. If she does not have the information with her at the moment, perhaps she can send that on to me. What is the actual budget for PA for this year?
The Deputy is putting me on the spot as to what the actual budget is for this year. I believe it is €2.5 million. In 2020, 40,000 additional hours were added; in 2021, 40,000 additional hours were added; and in 2022, 120,000 additional hours were added. In 2023, 70,000 were added, and the Deputy has asked why there has been a drop. To be quite honest, it was to do with the recruitment of staff. The budget is going up to €2.5 million again, which equates to between 70,000 and 120,000 hours. Hopefully, that will bring more people on board. With the move from one Department to the other, we are also trying to clarify that PA is not home support. In some community healthcare organisations PA was diluted into home support. We are trying to take away the fog. That is why the PA group has been set up.
48. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how many modular homes have been provided for refugees in 2023; and what plans his Department have to provide additional modular homes. [48376/23]
I ask the Minister about his plans for the coming winter for housing refugees. What plans does he have in place regarding modular homes, in particular, and in the wider scheme of things as well? I hope he refers in his answer to the proposal around the offering of 90 days' accommodation to those who arrive here from Ukraine.
As the Deputy will be aware, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine thousands of people have had to flee their homes and seek refuge. The State is currently providing accommodation to over 74,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine. As part of this very significant national effort, the Government approved the construction of 700 rapid-build homes on State-owned land, which aims to provide accommodation for 2,800 individuals in family units. The Office of Public Works, OPW, is leading on the design, development and delivery of the programme, while my own Department is the approving authority.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in consultation with local authorities and other public bodies, prepared an inventory of sites that may be suitable for rapid-build housing as part of the Government’s response. Once a site has been cleared for development a comprehensive programme of engagement is carried out by my Department, which involves meeting with councillors and officials of local authorities, service providers and community groups. Specific planning regulations in place for emergencies allow for the development of rapid-build accommodation quickly. However, the sites can only be used for this purpose for a maximum of three years, after which a full routine planning process must take place.
Work is well under way on the first phase of seven sites, in Mahon in Cork, Farnham Road in Cavan, Doorly Park in Sligo, Thurles in Tipperary, Claremorris in Mayo, Clonminch in Offaly and Rathdowney in Laois. Five of the sites, accommodating a total of 204 units or over 800 people, are complete and the residents have moved into their new homes. Final work is progressing on the Rathdowney and Tullamore sites, and these sites are due to be handed over by the OPW in mid-November. A total of 310 units will be delivered in 2023, accommodating just over 1,200 people. The remaining sites will be progressing and occupied in 2024.
The difficulty here is looking at the reality of the situation. The fact is that hundreds of Ukrainians are arriving here every week. The Minister has told me that 1,200 have been accommodated in modular homes in 2023. I am not minimising the effort that that takes, but I am also looking at the reality that the Government and we, as a country, face on an ongoing basis. I know it has not yet been decided by Government, but in recent times we have heard the proposal that it may decide to limit accommodation to 90 days to refugees who arrive here from Ukraine. Where is that proposal now? If the Minister were to offer that to Ukrainian refugees, what would he see happening at the end of 90 days? Where would people go? Would the Government be in breach of the temporary protection directive?
At all times we have worked within the confines of the the temporary protection directive and we will continue to work within its confines. We will not do anything in breach of the temporary protection directive. As I am sure the Deputy is aware, it is interpreted in different ways across many member states, and many member states have taken a much more stringent and a much tighter approach to the rights they offer to Ukrainians under the temporary protection directive. We have taken the generous approach here in Ireland. I think that has been right when we see the magnitude of the crisis facing Ukrainians right now. We also have to be as upfront as we can with Ukraine in terms of the pressure that is on accommodation nationally. We are not in a position to provide an unlimited offer of accommodation to everyone who arrives here. That is not sustainable. We have done a huge amount, but across Government we are examining the offering at the moment in terms of accommodation and the wider offering. Because it is still before Government, I cannot really get into the nuts and bolts of it. I am sure the Deputy understands that. However, it is being examined and we hope to bring forward proposals shortly.
Perhaps I might say what the Minister will not. He said he is not in a position to provide an unlimited offer of accommodation. In fact, he is not in a position to offer anything right now on top of the numbers that we have here. I talk to people on the street and so does the Minister. We are all aware of what the situation is. Whatever proposal the Government comes forward with, whether it is the 90-day proposal or some other proposal, we all know that after 90 days people will have nowhere to go. I quickly checked how many houses are available to rent. There are 18 in Sligo, nine in Leitrim, 21 in Roscommon and 40 in Donegal. It is the same across the country. There is nothing available for people to rent. It is not a question of not being able to provide an unlimited offering. I suppose my question is whether we have anything to offer at this stage.
Obviously, we need a workable solution across the board on accommodation. I have a technical question. What is the spec of these modular builds and what is the turnaround time in relation to them? Will these particular builds be suitable for long-term accommodation? Obviously, we have to address the huge amount of issues for those on waiting lists and whatever else in the general problem we have with accommodation.
In my initial response to Deputy Harkin, I spoke about the 700 OPW modular builds, which are small but are of a very high spec. I think they have an A3 rating. They consist of living space with two bedrooms - a double bedroom and a bedroom with two bunk beds - and a toilet facility. There is a small kitchenette in the living space as well. They are for the use of Ukrainians for up to three years. After that point, local authorities will make a determination on whether they want to continue to use them. I believe that in terms of the spec, the ones that have been built will be of use, and more of that type may well have a significant role in our wider accommodation response. This was always seen as a pilot of the use of this particular method of construction.
I assure Deputy Harkin that any change we make will not just be a change on its own, but will be communicated through all of the channels we have with Ukrainians in Ukraine and across Europe. The very real nature of the challenge of securing accommodation outside of State-owned accommodation will be conveyed. The Ukrainian population across Europe are knowledgeable, have an understanding and are very able to communicate. We will make clear the challenges that exist in terms of the non-supported accommodation system here.
53. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in terms of resources to accommodate and provide related support, what plans does his Department have in place to manage the increased flow of Ukrainian refugees and other international protection applicants over the coming winter months. [48375/23]
The Ceann Comhairle caught me by surprise. It is the same question again. I ask the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, what plans he has in place to manage the increased flow of Ukrainian refugees. He said that a message will go out to Ukrainian communities across Europe but I am asking what that message is. What are we now saying? Is the Minister in a position to tell us this evening or is the Government still deciding what that message will be?
Until the Cabinet agrees a particular policy, I will not be in a position to go into detail or to talk to the message because that would only cause confusion. This question is a good opportunity to remind the House that we continue to accommodate Ukrainians and international protection applicants. As the Deputy knows, we accommodate Ukrainians primarily in serviced accommodation, but also in the modular accommodation we spoke about a few moments ago. We have also been undertaking a programme of refurbishment of existing buildings and using them. We have also used pledged accommodation through the Irish Red Cross and the vacant homes scheme through local authorities. Some 14,000 people are accommodated through that combined scheme. That is very significant. Almost 20% of Ukrainians are accommodated through that scheme. I know there was a lot of criticism at the start and it was slow to take off but it has really delivered. I acknowledge the work that has been done by the Irish Red Cross and by local authorities to implement that particular scheme. Those elements will be important in giving people options. We have to acknowledge that some hotels will leave this area of accommodation as their contracts run out. The alternatives I have mentioned will give people a means of accommodating themselves in a more independent fashion.
Again, real pressures exist in terms of international protection. We had a dialogue about proposals in Sligo earlier this year. I have always been very clear in my view that as we look to move beyond reliance solely on the private sector, the State has to invest in more State-owned accommodation for international protection applicants. We have to understand that Ireland, like every other European country, will see higher levels of migration in the decade to come.
I hear what the Minister is saying about the State investing, but he and I know that takes time. It is unlikely that he will be the Minister when much of this comes on stream. It will take quite a bit of time, so what can we do in the meantime? The elastic is well stretched at this stage. The payment to people to have a Ukrainian family or one of two members of the Ukrainian community in their homes is €800 per month. Is there any possibility that the Government would look at increasing that payment, especially with the cost of living, to make it slightly more attractive for people who would like to do it but are genuinely concerned about the cost and are worried that they would not be able to afford to do so? Would the Minister consider that option in the short term?
In terms of the rate of payment, it is €800, tax-free, and does not interfere with any other benefits, allowances or social welfare benefits an individual might receive. We have to be careful in terms of interference with the private rental market, with the housing assistance payment and with other areas. We feel that €800 is probably the right area right now. It has supported the take-up in a very significant manner. It is a significant amount and it is tax-free. We do not want to pursue a measure that interferes with the private rental market.
Deputy Harkin is right when she says that the provision of more State-owned accommodation takes time. The OPW modular pilot we spoke about a few moments ago has demonstrated that good-quality, in-scale accommodation can be built swiftly. I know there has been criticism of that pilot, but from concept to people living in those homes - from this not being a type of accommodation that existed to people living in homes - took less than a year, all in. I do not know of any housing development in our country that has been developed so quickly.
I congratulate the Minister on the speed with which this has happened but it is a tiny amount compared to what is needed. We know that. That is why I put forward that suggestion. Perhaps I am talking more about people taking Ukrainians in their own private homes rather than people who might be letting their homes or letting an apartment. I understand we do not want to interfere with the private rental market and that is important. However, we are not just at a pinch point; we are way beyond that. We need to look for temporary solutions. I do not know whether it is the solution I have proposed or something else. We need to find them. The Minister mentioned hotels earlier. In the part of the country I come from, tourism is on the floor. The Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, has pretty much accepted this. In counties such as Leitrim and Sligo, much of the hotel accommodation is now being used for Ukrainians. It is at crisis point and cannot take any more.
It is an acknowledgement of the real pressures that are on the system that the Government is undertaking a review of the offering towards Ukrainians and will bring forward a change. We recognise there are pressures in this regard. There are pressures because what we are experiencing is unprecedented. This war on the European Continent, something we never thought we would see in our lifetime, is unprecedented as is the scale of people fleeing for their lives, in many cases, from Ukraine and entering the EU. Unprecedented responses are necessitated all over Europe, including here in Ireland, where we have done a lot as a Government. In particular, so much has been done in local communities in places such as Leitrim and Sligo. We are looking at the offering but we are continuing to bring on additional streams of accommodation, for example through modular housing and through refurbished properties. We will look at other options for accommodating Ukrainians and international protection applicants.
54. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the actions he is taking to establish a national DPRO register to ensure all consultations on matters regarding disability are carried out in accordance with general comment 7 of the UNCRPD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48529/23]
I ask the Minister of State to set out the actions being taken to establish a register of national disabled persons representative organisations, DPROs, to ensure all consultations on matters regarding disability are carried out in accordance with general comment 7 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD; and to make a statement on the matter.
I greatly value the role played by disabled persons organisations, DPOs, in representing the living experience of people with disabilities in Ireland. This is crucial to the development, implementation and monitoring of law, policy and human rights in Ireland. DPOs are explicitly recognised in the UNCRPD through Articles 4(3), 33(3), and General Comment No.7.
In response to the Deputy's question, there are no immediate plans for the development of a register or a related specific policy on the categorisation of DPOs. My Department engages with a range of stakeholders and uses the language of the UNCRPD as the basis for those engagements, including in relation to DPO status.
This encompasses engagement with DPOs in particular but also with other important voices, such as individuals with disabilities, experts by experience and other kinds of disability organisations.
My Department will continue to engage closely with DPOs through a number of important consultation mechanisms including the disability stakeholders group and the disability participation and consultation network, DPCN. The latter has a specific DPO pillar which my Department has funded since its establishment in 2020. The network has promoted capacity building among its membership and participated in a number of significant consultation exercises with a range of Departments. In line with the State's policy of continuous advancement regarding the UNCRPD and acknowledging the work and clear value added by the DPCN, I have requested that the National Disability Authority, NDA, review the operation of the DPCN to date, with a view to identifying any areas of potential improvement based on lessons learned. I look forward to considering the NDA report and any potential next steps regarding consultation and engagement structures when that report is finalised and submitted to me, which, I expect, will occur in the coming weeks. Any potential next steps will need to be progressed in partnership with DPOs, disabled persons and other key stakeholders.
I call Deputy Tully for a final contribution.
General comment 7 of the UNCRPD is clear. DPROs must be consulted by public bodies, local authorities, etc., on issues relating to disability. Many of them consult with disability organisations, but these are not necessarily DPROs. We need a register of DPOs, with a criterion indicating what a DPO is and an outline of the different categories of disability, namely, whether it is physical or intellectual or whether it relates to someone who is visually impaired or deaf or hard of hearing.
Nothing about us without us is what we have to go by. The UNCRPD is clear that people with disabilities and the organisations that represent them must be consulted. There must be meaningful engagement rather than the box-ticking that many organisations engage in.
