Written Answers Nos. 221 to 229
221. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of primary level schools in Connaught that operate the ECCE scheme on their grounds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17902/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides for one free pre-school year for all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school.
Out of a total of 558 pre-school services in the Connaught region, which are under contract with this Department to deliver the ECCE programme, 72 have indicated that they are located on the grounds of primary level schools.
222. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide, in tabular form, on a regional basis, the number of aftercare workers employed by the Health Service Executive or otherwise, working with children who were leaving or who had left the care of the State in 2012; and the number of additional aftercare workers, if any, who will be recruited in 2013. [17931/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has advised me that during 2012 there were 45.2 dedicated aftercare workers employed by them.
|
Region |
HSE Dedicated workers (Wholetime Equivalents) |
|
Dublin North East |
16 |
|
Dublin Mid Leinster |
6.5 |
|
West |
17.7 |
|
South |
5 |
|
Total |
45.2 |
In addition, many social workers and social care workers in residential settings, while not dedicated aftercare workers, provide aftercare on a continuing basis, as part of their workload. The HSE also provides funding and has agreements in place with a number of bodies including Focus Ireland (in North Dublin, South Dublin and Waterford) and Clare Care, to provide aftercare services. Recent information from Focus Ireland indicates that its North Dublin Aftercare Services employ two full time aftercare workers while its South Dublin Aftercare Services employs four full time aftercare workers. The HSE advise that there may be limited recruitment during 2013.
223. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered the recommendations of the recently published report by Barnardos and the Health Service Executive into separated children in foster care; if she will take these recommendations on board, in particular, to make increased provision for aftercare for aged out separated children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17932/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI welcome the Barnardos report, which highlighted the significant improvements in service provision for separated children over the past number of years.
Separated children seeking asylum are deemed to be in need of care and protection under the Child Care Act, 1991 and are entitled to equity of treatment and rights as other children at risk. The immediate and ongoing needs of separated children seeking asylum (SCSA) as well as their application for refugee status are the responsibility of HSE in accordance with the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) and the Child Care Act, 1991. Where children are identified by An Garda Síochána, at the point of entry, the circumstances are investigated and where concerns about the safety and welfare are identified, the child is placed into the care of the HSE. The number of separated children has fallen from 1085 in 2001 to 71 in 2012. Of those 71 children, 48 were placed in the care of the HSE.
The HSE has a national policy on the standards and services to be provided to separated children seeking asylum. The policy seeks to achieve equity and equality of services to separated children seeking asylum vis-à-vis all children at risk and to ensure that there is no differentiation of care provision, care practices, care priorities, stanards or protocols until the young person reaches 18 years.
Upon reaching 18 years, the HSE refers these young people to the Reception and Integration Agency of the Department of Justice and Law Reform for transfer to adult accommodation and service provision under the direct provision system.
The HSE and the RIA have an agreed policy in relation to the accommodation of separated children seeking asylum who reach the age of 18 years and there is regular liaison between the two agencies. I am advised by the Department of Justice that detailed discussions take place between the Separated Children's Team in the HSE and RIA, to ensure the best RIA centre match for the young adult concerned. RIA provides these young adults with full board and accommodation in a direct provision centre. In practice and with the agreement of the Department of Justice, the HSE has retained young adults in after care for various durations and in very exceptional circumstances, for example where there is severe disability or serious mental or physical health issues. In addition, the HSE is committed to ensuring continuity of care for all young people who are undertaking their leaving certificate and therefore interprets "18th birthday" as the end of a school year/leaving certificate year following their 18th birthday. Any change of placement would only be in exceptional circumstances and in the young person’s best interests.
The recommendations of the Barnardos’ report will be considered by my officials in the development of relevant policy.
224. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will confirm the level of cuts that her Department plans to put in place in its allocation to youth services in 2013, particularly services in the Dublin region such as Sphere 17; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17933/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €53.173m is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2 and Local Drugs Task Force Projects. These funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 400,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 paid staff and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country.
The savings required under the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure in respect of 2013 amounted to €5.393m, in the main, in respect of staff-led youth projects/services. The reductions required by the CRE were reflected in the 2013 estimates published in December 2012. My Department has tried to be as equitable as possible in achieving these savings and the focus in the distribution of the funding has been on the need to protect the front line youth services in particular for the most vulnerable young people.
My Department provides funding to Sphere 17 Regional Youth Service under a number of funding schemes. These are the Special Projects for Youth Scheme (SPY), Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2 (YPFSF) and the Local Drug Task Force (LDTF). Funding of €788,838 has been allocated to Sphere 17 in 2103.
In considering how best to manage within the reduced budgets available, organisations are being asked to consider the scope for reducing administration costs and overheads in order to maintain the front line youth services for young people. I have met, and continue to meet with, many youth organisations and groups to try and see how we can work together to minimise the impact of these necessary savings in order to ensure that the provision of quality youth services to young people is sustained in these challenging times.
My Department is developing a new youth policy framework for publication later this year. The new youth policy framework will aim to enhance the provision of youth services and activities and it will, inter alia, promote co-ordination between government departments and youth sector organisations with a view to maximising the effectiveness of the State funding available to support services for young people in future years.
225. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will commit to ensuring that there will be no further cuts to youth services, keeping in mind the importance of youth services in deterring children from getting involved in criminality and providing stability in the lives of young people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17934/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Youth Affairs Unit of my Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of some €53.173m is available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund Rounds 1 and 2 and Local Drugs Task Force Projects. These funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 400,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 paid staff and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country.
Having regard to the savings requirements identified in the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure my Department has tried to ensure that, in the determination process for the allocations, the front line youth services, particularly those for the most vulnerable young people are protected as far as is possible from the impact of any necessary reductions in funding.
With respect to future funding provision, my Department has commenced a comprehensive Policy and Value for Money Review of youth funding and this report is expected later this year. It is anticipated that this report will inform the provision of funding for youth programmes/services going into the future.
In addition, my Department is developing a new youth policy framework for publication later this year. The new youth policy framework will aim to enhance the provision of youth services and activities and it will, inter alia, promote co-ordination between government departments and youth sector organisations with a view to maximising the effectiveness of the State funding available to support services for young people in future years.
226. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the proposed legislation on adoption information and tracing services will be brought before Dáil Eireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17935/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraWork is continuing in relation to the preparation of the Heads of Bill of the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill. My view is that persons affected by adoption should be provided with a statutory right to as much information as possible within permissible Constitutional boundaries. The proposed legislation is intended to provide for a structured and regulated approach for applicants seeking access to adoption information and is also intended to facilitate contact between parties affected by adoption, including in circumstances where an adoption order was not effected.
It is intended that the Bill will provide for the Adoption Authority to be responsible for providing access to adoption records, in accordance with the provisions of the Bill. The Bill will provide for the Adoption Authority to establish and maintain a National Index of Adoption Records, the purpose of which is to help an applicant for adoption information to identify the location of his or her adoption records. The intention is that the Bill is to provide that either the Adoption Authority, the HSE or an accredited body may hold adoption records, with the Authority having overall charge of those records.
It is also intended that the Bill will provide for placing the National Contact Preference Register on a statutory basis. The purpose of the Register is to allow a person affected by adoption to enter his or her name on the Register with a view to receiving information about another person from whom he or she has been separated as a result of adoption and also to indicate a preference as to whether or not contact is being sought with that person.
A National Tracing Service will be established under the provisions of the Bill, the operation of which will be subject to guidelines to be set out in regulations. It is intended that the Tracing Service is to be made available to an adopted person, a birth parent and a relative of either an adopted person or a birth parent, and that the Adoption Authority is to have overall responsibility for providing the tracing service.
It is also intended that, prior to the release of adoption information, counselling will be offered by the Adoption Authority, the HSE or by an accredited body to an adopted person, a birth parent or to an adoptive parent.
Complex legal and Constitutional issues have arisen during the course of preparation of the Heads of Bill including the setting of criteria for balancing an adopted person's right to information about his or her identity as against a birth parent's right to privacy. I have recently received further legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General in this regard and that advice is currently being examined in my Department. I am anxious to bring these matters to resolution in order to advance the Heads of Bill to Government. However, there are undoubtedly challenges remaining in developing a workable framework which respects the Constitutional rights of all parties. I remain committed to achieving my policy objectives notwithstanding these challenges.
227. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered the contents of a study (details supplied); if she will be recommending the inclusion of an early years programme for parents and teachers similar to that outlined in the study, particularly in the context of children who are at risk of being taken into the care of the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17936/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Prevention and Early Intervention Programme (PEIP) is co-funded by the Department and Atlantic Philanthropies (AP) to examine innovative and integrated ways to improve outcomes for children. PEIP supports projects in Tallaght, Ballymun and Darndale. These projects involve a range of pilot programmes to improve outcomes in areas such as literacy, speech and language, parenting, health and pro-social behaviour. These programmes are currently being evaluated by national and international experts.
The new Area Based Approach to Child Poverty Initiative will be introduced by my Department later this year. This initiative was announced in December 2012 and is intended to build on and continue the work of the PEIP. It has an Exchequer funding allocation of €2.5m in Budget 2013 which is expected to rise to €4.75m by 2015. At least 6 sites are expected to participate in the new programme.
The Initiative reflects the Programme for Government commitment to adopt an area-based approach to child poverty in co-operation with philanthropic partners, drawing upon best international practice and existing services, to break the cycle of child poverty where it is most deeply entrenched and improve the outcomes for children and young people where these are currently significantly poorer than they are for children and young people living elsewhere in the State. Sites will be required to implement programmes which have been shown by rigorous research to have a positive impact on the lives of children and which are appropriate to meeting needs identified in their communities.
I am aware of the study referred to by the Deputy. Incredible Years BASIC Preschool/Early School Parent Training Programme was developed with the aim of training parents to support their children’s social and emotional development. Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme was developed with the aim of training and supporting teachers in classroom management techniques.
Incredible Years is one of a number of evidence-based programmes that have been modelled in Ireland. Its evaluation demonstrated that the programme significantly improved parenting skills, and reduced conduct problems of young children. In schools, the programme was found to improve teachers' classroom management and fewer child behavioural difficulties. Such programmes may be considered, as part of applications under the initiative. An information seminar on the process and and initiative will be held next week, at which the process will be explained in detail to potential applicants.
228. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health the number of graduate nurses currently employed in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; the number of graduate nurses that were taken on in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17762/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information regarding the numbers of graduate nurses is a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). I have forwarded your queries to the HSE for direct response.
229. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health when an application for an appointment with a consultant at the Mater Hospital, Dublin 7, will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford [17768/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving access to outpatient services is a key priority for the Government. Building on work already undertaken by the HSE, the National Treatment Purchase Fund has now taken over the reporting of outpatient waiting time data. For the first time data is available on www.ntpf.ie. The collation and analysis of outpatient waiting time data in a standardised format will reveal the distribution of long waiters across all hospitals. In the first instance, this will allow resources to be targeted towards those patients who are waiting longest and ensure that they are seen and assessed. For 2013, a maximum waiting time target has now been set of 12 months for a first time outpatient appointment.
In parallel with reducing the numbers of longest waiters, the SDU will also work with the HSE Clinical Programmes to reform the structure, organisation and delivery of outpatient services to ensure that the right patient is seen and assessed by the right health professional at the right time.
Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved.
Regarding the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
