Written Answers Nos. 641-660
641. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will consider making the learner fund available to all existing staff in the early childhood sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28303/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraInternational evidence indicates that raising the qualification levels of staff working with children is key to improving the quality of services. As part of the ongoing progression of the Early Years Quality Agenda, it was announced last year that by September 2015 all staff working directly with children in the 0-6 years age category in early years services would have to have a minimum Level 5 qualification on the National Qualifications Framework in early years care and education, or an equivalent qualification. This requirement will apply to new services from September 2014.
In addition to the general requirement for a Level 5 qualification, preschool leaders delivering the free preschool provision to children in the age category 3 years 2 months to 4 years 7 months under the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, who are currently required to hold a Level 5 qualification, will have to have a minimum Level 6 qualification, or equivalent, by September 2015.
In March this year the launch of a Learner Fund to assist existing staff working in the child care sector to meet the new requirements was announced. The objective of the funding is to ensure that all existing staff are in a position to meet the minimum Level 5 qualification requirement to enable them to continue to work in the child care sector and that staff seeking to fill the role of Pre-school Leader under the Early Childhood Care and Education programme are assisted to obtain the required Level 6 qualification.
The Learner Fund, which is being administered by Pobal with the help of local City and County Childcare Committees, has a total allocation of €3 million for the years 2014 and 2015 and will be targeted to subsidise the cost for child care staff who are required to undertake accredited Level 5 and Level 6 courses.
A panel of more than 50 training providers has been approved to deliver the training programmes. The priority is to ensure that support is available to the existing staff who must meet the new qualification requirements. Over 2,200 applications for support from staff in the child care sector are currently being assessed and training will commence in September this year.
642. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will consider the introduction of special needs assistants for children attending preschool services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28304/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware that the Health Service Executive does, where possible, provide additional supports to children with special needs to enable them to avail of preschool services in mainstream preschool settings.
My Department has been working with the Department of Health in the context of building better supports to facilitate the inclusion of special needs children in mainstream preschool settings. However the issue of supports for children with special needs availing of services in mainstream child care facilities remains a matter for the Department of Health and the HSE, and parents seeking additional supports should contact their Local Health Office.
643. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 704 of 24 June 2014, if he will provide in full tabular breakdown by date, area and reason for the closure of 165 early child care providers that have closed since 2009. [28386/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs stated in my response to the previous Parliamentary Question the information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected by my Department.
I am including a table below based on the information collected by Pobal showing the reasons, where provided, for the closures of the 165 child care facilities. I wish to point out again that this data does not relate to all child care providers in the country but only to those services that engaged with Pobal in relation to the Childcare Capital Programmes and the Community Childcare Subvention Programme.
[<ahref="/debates%20authoring/webattachments.nsf/0/90978BF4373F5AF580257D0900407042/$File/PQ%20643_28386_14.xlsx?openelement">Childcare Providers - Closures</a>]
644. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the area manager position will be filled at the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, local area office in County Mayo; if this position is being advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28394/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Child and Family Agency that the recruitment process with respect to the position of Area Manager for the Mayo area is well advanced. Interviews for the position have been concluded and it is anticipated that the successful candidate will be appointed within the next few weeks.
645. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 947 of 25 March 2014, if he will provide an update on the work of his Department in drafting regulations for special care units to facilitate the commencement of a significant number of provisions in the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011. [28426/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, a number of sections, mainly in Part 2 and Part 3, of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011 remain to be commenced.
A substantial element of the uncommenced sections relate to provisions for special care. Given the legislative framework utilised to manage the interaction between the Child Care Act 1991 and the Health Act 2007, in relation to special care provisions, Regulations under the Health Act 2007 are required in advance of the commencement of these various sections.
Work is at an advanced stage in my Department in drafting the required Regulations for Special Care Units. I would hope to have the Regulations finalised in the coming weeks, and shortly thereafter to draft a commencement order for the relevant sections of the 2011 Act. Other sections of the Act that are not yet in force are being kept under review as to their commencement in association with relevant policy and service developments.
646. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 944 of 25 March 2014, if figures are available on the number of children who went missing while in the care of the State in the first six months of 2014. [28427/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information from the Child and Family Agency and I will revert to the Deputy when this information is to hand.
648. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which he continues to liaise with various youth organisations with a view to determination of the appropriate level, scale and quality of youth support services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28511/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services 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 People's Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and 2, Local Drugs Task Force Projects.
In addition, 31 national and major regional youth work organisations are supported under the Youth Service Grant Scheme. Other schemes include the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme and Youth Information Centres. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately, 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2014, current funding of €49.78m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
Ongoing engagement and dialogue with the youth sector organisations and with young people are priorities for my Department. My Department has regular engagement with members of the youth sector organisations in relation to a range of issues including the development of initiatives to meet young people's needs, funding matters and issues that arise in the provision of services at local level.
Most recently, my Department has worked closely with some of the larger youth organisations on the development of a youth employability initiative and the youth sector's contribution to the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. Youth organisations are working collaboratively with my Department and the ETB sector implementing quality standards initiatives in the youth area. These standards are helping to ensure an improvement in good practice, that services and projects are outcomes focused and that the young people are deriving the maximum benefit from being involved. The National Youth Council of Ireland has a lead role in carrying out the EU structured dialogue process with young people in Ireland and the youth sector organisations are represented on the National Working Group chaired by my Department.
The National Youth Work Advisory Committee, appointed in January 2013, includes the key national youth organisations that work directly with young people along with representatives of Government departments, the Education and Training Boards and other statutory agencies involved in youth matters. The Committee has an advisory role on issues to do with how youth work practice and services can better meet the requirements of young people. The Committee is engaged with my Department on the development of the new National Youth Strategy for completion later this year.
I, and officials of my Department have met, and continue to meet, regularly with many youth organisations and groups to see how we can work together to bring about the best possible outcomes for young people, having regard to resources available to us and to ensure that the programmes and services being provided are relevant and responsive to young people’s needs.
649. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of cases of children at risk reported to his Department or subordinate bodies in each of the past three years to date; the extent to which follow-up action took place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28512/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra654. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department or bodies under his aegis have determined how best to intervene in a supportive way in respect of children deemed to be or alleged to be at risk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28517/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 649 and 654 together.
My Department has asked the Child and Family Agency for the information requested. I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible on this matter.
650. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which the courts have been called upon to protect children at risk in the course of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28513/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has asked the Child and Family Agency for the information requested. I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible on this matter.
651. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which he is satisfied regarding the adequacy of his Department's budget to meet requirements in the course of the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28514/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Revised Estimates for Public Services 2014 allocated gross funding of €997m to my Department. This comprises over €955 million in current funding and €42 million in capital funding. When Appropriations in Aid are taken into account, the net current funding allocated to my Department in 2014 is some €974.3 million. This level of funding (€997m) represents an increase of over €558 million on the 2013 Estimate of €439 million and the significant investment shows that, while operating within the difficult Budgetary constraints, this Government is strongly committed to delivering important reforms and service developments to support children and families. I would also point out that my Department has received an additional €5m capital allocation under the stimulus programme which will allow for increased capital expenditure which will further benefit children.
I consider that the estimate provision for my Department will facilitate the delivery of a significant level of public services along with a number of new policy measures that include:
- The establishment of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) which took effect on 1st January 2014. Tusla have an allocation of €609 million, including €7m in capital provision. This allocation is for the continuing provision of services previously administered by the Health Service Executive (H.S.E.), National Education Welfare Board (NEWB), and the Family Support Agency (FSA). The overall level of funding which is significant by any measure, will help the agency respond to demand and to the needs of clients. It will help to improve both the level and the quality of services.
- An additional €4 million to support implementation of the Pre-School Quality Agenda which seeks to support high standards through supporting the efforts of providers and their staff in delivering improved and more reliable quality; and to respond to concerns raised by parents;
- An increase of €1.5 million in funding to address child poverty through the new Area Based Childhood (ABC) programme. This will bring to €4 million the State funding to be invested in this initiative in 2014. The total budget allocation for the programme over the period 2013 – 2016 is almost €30 million.
- €31m in capital funding to facilitate the continuation of construction work on the new Children Detention School facilities in Oberstown, Lusk, Co. Dublin. The timeline for the project will see the first three residential units available in the third quarter of 2014 and will be prioritised for the transfer of 17 year old boys from adult prison facilities, currently in St Patrick`s Institution.
Other important areas being supported in 2014 are the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which has a funding provision of €175 million. Some 4,300 preschool services are participating in the programme and approximately 68,000 children are currently benefiting from it. In addition, in excess of €50 million is also being made available to support the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services by the voluntary youth sector for all young people including those in disadvantaged communities.
652. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department or bodies under his aegis or both monitor reports of children self-harming; the extent to which support services are adequate to deal with such situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28515/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe prime responsibility for policy in relation to the treatment and support for young people with mental health problems and those requiring medial care as a result of self-harm currently lies with the Department of Health. The issue of mental health problems, including self-harm, in young people is a complex issue requiring inputs from a wide range of stake-holders including young people, parents, schools, the media, youth organisations and the Primary Care and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) of the Health Service Executive (HSE).
My Department understands that very valuable information is published by the National Suicide Research Foundation in the form of the Annual Report of the National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm Ireland. The Report is based upon data collected on persons presenting to hospital emergency departments including paediatric emergency departments as a result of deliberate self-harm.
653. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the welfare of children in State care; if adequate support services remain available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28516/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Child Care Act, 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, the Child and Family Agency has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Where appropriate, children who are in need of care and protection are received into the care of the State under the Child Care Act, 1991.
The placement of children in care is governed by Regulations. These provide, inter alia, for the welfare of the child, the care practices, care records, accommodation and safety precautions. The Regulations also provide that the Social Worker oversees the implementation of the Care Plan, visits the child and sees them in private and reads the records about the child where the child is living in a residential centre.
Children depending on their identified need may be placed in foster care either with relatives or general foster carers, residential care, high support, special care or other placement types. The majority of children are placed in long term stable placements and over 92% of children are placed in foster care.
All children's services are inspected against Regulations and National Standards. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) inspect Residential Centres run by the Child and Family Agency including Special Care Units. The Child and Family Agency registers and inspects residential care in the private and voluntary sector. HIQA also inspects Child Protection and Welfare Services and Foster Care Services.
In 2013 my Department received 61 Children's Services Inspection Reports from HIQA. I welcome and endorse this important role played by HIQA in assuring the work within children's services to promote the safety, wellbeing and welfare in their care.
Where required, children and their carers may need additional services outside of those provided by the Agency, such as Speech and Language Therapy and Child and Adult Mental Health Services. The Agency and the Health Service Executive have developed a Memorandum of Understanding which details cross agency shared services and mutual commitments including clinical and care services.
All children in care have rights set out in the National Standards, these include consultation, access to information and the right to complain.
655. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which support services are available to children or teenagers who have been victims of bullying outside of the educational system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28518/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, I am committed to working with colleagues in Government to ensure that integrated policy responses to combat bullying are high on our agenda and that the necessary supports are in place for a safe environment for children and young people.
There is a range of support services, supported by various departments and their agencies, including my own department, which can assist children and young people in coping with bullying situations. These include advice and guidance for families. For example, www.webwise.ie - an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills- provides information and advice for parents and teachers about risks and how to protect children against cyber bullying. At community level, many of the voluntary youth services funded by my Department provide education programmes, run awareness campaigns about bullying and provide programmes for young people to give them the knowledge and skills to build supportive links and counter bullying behaviours.
The new procedures under the Action Plan for Bullying, led by the Department of Education and Skills, which place a requirement on all schools to address incidences of bullying are highly relevant to the contexts of young people’s lives and not only in the school setting. They specifically include incidences of cyber-bullying that occur both in and out of the school context and the posting of hurtful messages, images or statements on social media sites, within the definition of bullying. They highlight the need for parents and young people to understand how to use modern technologies safely and to know how to protect themselves in school, at home and in their communities. The Office for Internet Safety, under the Department of Justice and Equality, takes a lead responsibility for internet safety in Ireland, particularly as it relates to children.
Under Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children serious incidents of bullying should be reported to the Child and Family Agency. I have been advised that, in such cases and where it is required, appropriate support will be put in place, In addition to support for the family and the child or young person, which can be provided by the Child and Family Agency, there are services provided by the HSE, including the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services,which may be relevant depending on the nature of the condition being experienced by a child or young person.
My Department continues to work with other departments, child care services, education welfare services and the youth sector to raise awareness about bullying, its impact on children and young people, to improve access to information and support for them and their families and to advance measures to combat bullying and promote a safer environment for our young people.
656. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total number of custodial or supportive places available for juvenile offenders; the extent to which rehabilitative support services are available for such offenders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28519/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 3 children detention schools, all located at Oberstown, Lusk, Co. Dublin, currently provide a total of 46 detention places for young people ordered to be remanded or committed by the courts. These comprise 6 places for girls up to the age of 18 on admission and 40 places for boys up to the age of 17 on admission. Boys aged 17 on being ordered to be detained are currently accommodated by the Irish Prison Service. This practice will cease, meeting the commitment in the Programme for Government to end the practice of detaining children in adult prison facilities, when new children detention facilities currently being constructed on the Oberstown campus become available before the end of this year.
Construction on the project commenced on site in September 2013 and the first new residential units, which will prioritise the provision of residential places for 17 year old boys ordered to be detained, will be delivered in fourth quarter of 2014. The project will also deliver associated education, recreation, visiting, medical and other ancillary facilities. It is planned that the project will be fully completed during 2015.
The services currently being delivered in the children detention schools and the enhanced services which will be supported by the new facilities being developed focus on education and rehabilitation of the young people detained in order to minimise re-offending and to support their early re-integration into the community. Each young person is assessed on admission to determine his/her need for specialist therapeutic interventions and to develop an individualised management plan which might include addressing offending behaviour, family therapy and other relevant programmes. The Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board provide delivery of education services to the young people in detention including up to State examination level.
657. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department remains in contact with child support services in the Health Service Executive with a view to determination of the best practice to be pursued in cases of children at risk who have been brought to the attention of the HSE or his Department or both; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28520/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, the Agency is required to support children’s development, welfare and protection by providing a range of services. The Act transferred the statutory function in relation to child welfare and protection of the Health Services Executive to the Agency. The Act also emphasises the need for Agency accountability. This is so that the public can be confident that the services provided by the Agency result in the best possible outcomes for the children concerned.
The Department's oversight function is exercised through a range of interactions with colleagues in the Agency. These interactions are often formal and structured at a number of levels but there is also a good level of informal contact between the Department and the Agency on a daily basis relating to services. The Agency is required to report regularly to the Department on how it is delivering against the Annual Business Plan which is developed by the Agency following the direction given in the annual Performance Statement that I, as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, provide to the Agency.
Among the more formal engagements are regular meetings with the CEO of the Agency along with our respective senior management teams. Officials from my Department also meet formally on a monthly and quarterly basis with their counterparts in the Agency to discuss improvement of the Agency's Business Plan and to seek in general to maintain and where possible improve the service provided by the Agency to children and families through the Agency's on-going Reform Programme.
The Department is not involved in the day to day running of services. However the Agency is proactive in providing information to me when policy issues arise. There are also occasions when information, not routinely reported, is provided to my Department following a specific request for same.
