Written Answers Nos. 344-357
344. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the costs, including overtime, associated with providing policing assistance or coverage for the installation of water metering; if any of the costs will be recovered from Irish Water; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40396/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote and may direct members of An Garda Síochána, in compliance with the statutory functions laid down under section 7 of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005, to attend scenes of protest as required in order to prevent a breach of the peace.
In that context I am informed by the Garda authorities that they do not record costs associated with policing protests at scenes of water meter installations at the level of detail required to separate them from other similar costs. Accordingly, the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and would require a disproportionate use of Garda resources to collate.
I am further informed that Irish Water are not contributing financially towards the costs incurred by An Garda Síochána in policing protests in respect of the installation of water meters.
345. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of money that has been awarded against the State to members of the public and-or other institutions as a result of wrong doings by members of the gardaí during the period 1995 to 2010; and the amount of money actually paid out to these persons in this period by the State. [40405/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe figures in respect of awards are not readily available as the records relate to the actual payments made during each year. The figures for payments during the period 1995 to 2001 include in the overall yearly totals for payment of awards, settlements and legal costs arising from these legal actions as set out in the table.
|
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
£0.75m |
£0.24m |
£0.50m |
£0.87m |
£1.2m |
£0.70m |
£1.3m |
The figures for the period 2002 to 2010 are available broken down between awards, settlements and costs, and this information is published on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Civil_actions_against_an_Garda_Siochana.
346. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the last time a tender was sought through the Garda tender system for towing and management services; the number of those that participated in the process; the timeframe for such a tender process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40412/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is, in accordance with the provisions of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005, the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote.
In that context, I am advised by the Garda authorities that the most recent tender for towing management was published in the Official Journal of the EU via e-Tenders on 29 November, 2013. The Request for Tender was in respect of three Divisions in Cork County with a closing date of 14 January, 2014. The Divisions concerned were, Cork City, Cork North and Cork West.
Two bids where received in respect of Cork City. One bid in respect of Cork North and one bid in respect of Cork West. The bid received in respect of Cork North did not meet Garda requirements and a new procurement exercise in relation to that Division is under way.
Following the conclusion of the tender evaluation process for Cork City and Cork West, contracts were signed by An Garda Síochána with the Preferred Bidders with a 1 October 2014 commencement date.
347. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in relation to the statement from the former Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, that he was advised by the Garda Commissioner that PULSE does not solely capture information on offenders, but is also used to store information on Garda interactions with individuals, whether adults or children, such as victims of crime, persons injured in road traffic accidents and child welfare incidents, the circumstances under which the records of two persons (details supplied) recorded on the PULSE system are now being removed by An Garda Síochána. [40434/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the matter being raised by the Deputy is the subject of a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. I also understand that the matter is the subject of correspondence between the legal representative of the children's parent and the Garda authorities. In these circumstances I am unable to comment on the matter at the moment.
On a more general note, the Garda Commissioner has advised me that she has caused a detailed analysis of PULSE to be conducted to identify the extent to which children have been recorded on PULSE, and I will carefully consider the outcome of that analysis.
348. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on correspondence (details supplied) in Dublin 3 regarding a traffic issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40481/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Garda authorities that the area referred to is in the Raheny Garda District and the location concerned is a residential cul-de-sac with a speed ramp located at its entrance. Local Garda management are unaware of any complaints in relation to the Deputy's particular concern. However, I am assured that community Gardaí along with Divisional and Regional traffic units will actively monitor this area and where breaches of road traffic legislation are detected, appropriate action will be taken. I am also informed that the Garda authorities are aware of proposals currently being examined to reduce the current 50 km speed limit applicable in this area to 30km.
349. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding childcare providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39785/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department implements the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme and three Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) programmes - the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme, the Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme and the Afterschool Childcare (ASCC) programme - which provide childcare supports to eligible parents returning to work or to education. These programmes represent an annual investment of almost €260 million in childcare supports with more than 80% of this funding provided through the ECCE and CCS programmes.
In the case of the ECCE and CCS programmes, preliminary payments to participating childcare providers are made prior to the submission of the annual enrolment returns at the beginning of the school year and subsequent payments are made in advance of each school term.
The process involved in making payments under the TEC programmes does not allow for advance or immediate payment as qualifying parents become eligible for support whenever work or training opportunities commence. The information relating to qualifying parents and the services in which they have enrolled their children is forwarded through the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) to this Department for processing. The actual payment is made by Pobal following receipt of the payment details from this Department. There is a delay, therefore, between the time a child actually takes up a TEC place and the completion of the payment process with the result that the payments will normally involve some element of back payment and an advance payment.
The length of the back payment can vary, but the longest period of back payment normally occurs at this time of year. This is primarily due to the volume of parents starting education or training programmes at the commencement of the school year in September, and whose childcare needs are catered for under the CETS element of the TEC programmes.
I am aware of the considerable adjustments that childcare providers have made to facilitate the introduction and implementation of the childcare support programme in recent years. I understand how the payment process in relation to the TEC programmes can result in problems for participating childcare services. The issue of how support programme payments are made is being addressed and my Department is currently finalising the migration of the payment process for all our programmes into a new on-line database system, to which childcare services will have direct access to input relevant details. This new system will substantially reduce the delays caused by the transmission of information and will allow for more frequent and prompt payments to be made.
350. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason for the more than €2 million cut in the sectoral programmes for children and young persons in his Estimate for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40078/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the Estimates process for Budget 2015 I secured additional funding to help drive key priorities in the reform of children and young people`s services in 2015. I believe that Budget 2015 confirms the Government’s commitment to supporting children and families. The level of funding provided, and the range of services available, is by any measure, very significant.
There are two elements to my Department’s Vote which amounts to €1,010 million in 2015. The Vote is split to fund:
- Services and programmes provided by the Child and Family Agency (€635m), and
- Schemes and services funded by my Department (€375m) respectively.
My Department's Vote is split into three distinct programmes. Programme B - Sectoral Programmes for Children and Young People - aims to support the provision of both universal and targeted services for the care, development and well-being of children and young people. The 2015 estimates provision for this Programme in my Department`s Vote amounts to €319 million. This represents a reduction of €2 million on the 2014 allocation of €321 million. The reduction is largely attributable to the costs associated with the implementation of the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which provides for an annual programme of early learning for children in the year before primary school. The decrease in funding, from €175 million in 2014 to €173 million in 2015, is reflective of demographic reductions in the number of children participating in the Pre-School Year and does not impact negatively on access to the programme.
351. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a breakdown on the way the €14 million announced in budget 2014 for after-school places was utilised; the number of places that have been created; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40105/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Budget 2013, this Department together with the Minister for Social Protection announced a new €14 million After-school Childcare (ASCC) Programme. The programme is part of the Government’s overall strategy to support low-income and unemployed persons to return to the workforce and is targeted at families that are most in need at a critical time in their progression into employment.
The take-up of the ASCC programme in 2013 was low with only a small number of parents choosing to enrol their children for childcare support under this new initiative. The low take-up of the ASCC programme did provide the opportunity to re-focus some of the scheme’s €14 million budget towards other initiatives in the childcare sector.
€2 million is provided to support the ASCC programme and funds in the region of 500 after-school places. €7.5 million is allocated to provide for the introduction of the Community Employment Childcare (CEC) initiative under of the Training and Employment (TEC) Programme. This initiative will provide approximately 1,800 places for Community Employment workers seeking to access part-time and after-school care.
The balance of the funding - €4.5 million - has been allocated to provide for quality improvement initiates under the Early Year Quality Agenda which is being progressed by my Department. This allocation is being specifically targeted to provide for additional recruitment in the Pre-school Inspectorate, the up-skilling of staff in the childcare sector and the introduction of the National Early Years Quality Support Service to provide mentoring and support quality initiatives in early years services.
352. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in view of the important role which an organisation (details supplied) and its regional staff hold in County Sligo, if he will confirm to the organisation that its Government funding will not be cut any further in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40275/14]
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. 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, funding of €49.78m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
My Department provides funding to the national organisation referred to by the Deputy under a number of schemes including the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme and the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (Rounds 1 and 2). In 2014, total funding of over €7m has been allocated under these schemes.
I recently met with the representatives of some 30 national and major regional youth organisations and I was very impressed by their work. My aim is 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.
In this regard, I am pleased that there will be no reduction in funding for youth services in 2015. My Department will shortly commence work on the detailed 2015 allocations and youth projects and national youth organisations will be advised of their allocations as soon as possible.
353. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the additional expenditure his Department will need to incur in 2015 and 2016 to deal with demographic pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40439/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the estimates process for Budget 2015 I am pleased to say that I secured gross funding of €1,010 million for my Department to deliver important reform and service developments to support children and young people next year. This includes a provision of €975 million in current expenditure and €35 million in capital expenditure, which in Vote terms, represents an overall increase of €13 million over the 2014 allocation.
The Estimate for 2015 contains significant additional resources to fund the services and programmes provided by the Child and Family Agency. This amounts to €635 million, which accounts for 63% of the Vote allocation, and represents an increase of €26 million or 4.3% against the 2014 provision. While I understand that this level of funding cannot address all of the challenges, including those of a demographic nature, that the new Agency faces in doing its work, I believe that the additional funding will allow the Agency not only to alleviate the pressures on the range of services currently in place, but also to build on the extensive programme of reform across the range of services for children and services which is well underway. The balance of funding in the Vote, which amounts to €375 million, relates to a range of other programmes administered by my Department including those relating to child-care and youth services.
Demographic change and its influence on the cost of implementing programmes and services is one of many considerations taken into account in securing and finalising expenditure provisions in the context of the annual Estimates cycle. This was the case when agreeing the 2015 provision for my Department and due account will again be taken of demographic factors when my Department is negotiating its allocation in respect of 2016. While it is important that unavoidable cost increases as a result of demographic pressures are not overlooked, it is also the case that demographic changes can lead to a reduction in programme costs. For example, the costs associated with the implementation of the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which is administered by my Department, are showing a marginal demographic reduction in the number of children eligible to participate in the Pre-School Year in 2015.
354. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures he has taken to ensure that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Education and Skills ensure that every organisation under their auspices and every organisation they grant-aid in any way is fully compliant with the code of ethics, the duty to care and the children's first guidelines. [40463/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children was published in 2011. Each Government Department has responsibility for child protection within its own sector, including compliance with the relevant guidance.
On a more general note, my Department is taking a lead role in the cross-sectoral implementation of Children First. A Children First Inter-Departmental Group has been established involving key Government Departments, An Garda Síochána and the Child and Family Agency. Both the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Education and Skills are represented on this Group. The purpose of the Group is to promote the importance of the Children First Guidance and to address any emerging issues of a policy or inter-sectoral nature.
Finally, I would like to reiterate a general reminder that if any person has a concern about the welfare of a child or about the risk any adult may pose to a child, or children, this should be reported immediately to the Child and Family Agency
355. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will support Early Childhood Ireland in its efforts for increased capitation and continuous professional development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40469/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides for one free pre-school year for all eligible children before commencing primary school.
The ECCE programme is funded by my Department through the provision of capitation grants paid directly to participating services. The standard capitation fee paid to participating services is €62.50 per week per eligible child. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week per eligible child is available to pre-school services with more highly qualified staff.
The Government succeeded in maintaining the pre-school year on a universal and free basis despite the difficult budgetary situation that prevailed in recent years. While considerable progress has been made in correcting the overall budgetary situation, the funding available to my Department does not allow for the consideration of an increase in the capitation paid to childcare providers participating in the ECCE programme at this time.
The recent Eurydice and Eurostat Report ‘Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care – Education and Training in Europe’ shows that continuing professional development (CPD) is not obligatory for educational and care staff in many European countries including Ireland. This Report does recognise the importance of CPD and I would like to be in a position to provide for mandatory CPD but first I would like to see early years practitioners meet the new minimum requirements.
The Deputy may be aware that as part of the early years quality agenda aimed at improving the quality of childcare services, new qualification requirements for childcare staff working directly with children were announced last year. A minimum qualification of Level 5 (or equivalent) on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) will be required for all staff working with children in pre-school services and the minimum qualification for all pre-school leaders delivering the free pre-school year under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme will be increased from Level 5 to Level 6 (or equivalent) on the NFQ.
To support staff who are seeking to meet the new qualifications requirement, funding of €3 million is being made available over the two years 2014/2015 under the new Learner Fund which was launched in March this year. The Fund is being administered by Pobal, with the assistance of local City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs).
My Department also provides annual funding to seven voluntary childcare organisations in the childcare sector, who provide support to childcare services throughout the country. This funding, which will amount to over €2.6 million in 2014, enables the voluntary organisations to provide a range of support services to their members, including on-going training supports.
356. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application made for the fair deal scheme in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39977/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
357. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application made for the fair deal scheme in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39978/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply.
