Written Answers Nos. 319-333
320. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the communications he has had with a person (details supplied) in Dublin 17 who is seeking redress for the documented abuse suffered while placed in foster care by the Dublin health authority, which abuse was officially reported as early as 1955, and if he will meet this person as previously requested by him. [43027/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere has been no communication between the Department of Children and Youth Affairs with the person concerned, since the establishment of the Department in early 2011. However, I understand that there were communications between the individual concerned and the then Department of Health and Children in the period up to and including 2010. I also understand that the individual concerned was directed by the then Department of Health and Children to the Department of Education, in respect of the Redress Board.
321. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of students during each of the last five years for whom the National Education Welfare Board has failed to find school places and the way in which their education was catered for; the number of these students who were excluded from other schools; the number of students who missed eight weeks or more of school time as a result of the length of time taken to find them a place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43043/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Child and Family Agency, established in 2014 under the aegis of my Department, has statutory responsibility to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency is a statutory service supporting regular school attendance for all school age children and young people. Formerly, this service was carried out by the National Educational Welfare Board.
The Agency has advised me that the information the Deputy has sought is not readily available.
Where school attendance problems arise for a child, the Agency concentrates on finding solutions within a collaborative intervention framework involving children and their families, schools and other relevant agencies. This involves an ongoing, evolving and dynamic process of engagement by Educational Welfare Officers of the Child and Family Agency with schools, parents and other support agencies where a child is out of school. The Agency has advised that this work results in a significant level of positive outcomes for children, which is not readily amenable to data-analysis. Given the impact of absence from school on a child's learning, this process is always prioritised within the range of Educational Welfare Officers’ responsibilities. It is a task that is student-focused and solution-driven, sometimes prolonged and sometimes involving short-term or temporary outcomes. The primary outcome sought in all cases is a placement in a recognised school or centre for education.
According to the Agency, there are a number of reasons why a student may not have a school place at a particular time. These may include capacity issues in individual schools or in areas of increasing population and correspondingly high demand for school places. Issues of school capacity generally are a matter for the Department of Education and Skills. Parents have a right of appeal under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 where a school place has been refused and Educational Welfare Officers are frequently and successfully involved in seeking and achieving alternative placements where schools' decisions to refuse enrolment have been upheld.
In cases of expulsion of a student from a school, and where all efforts to resolve matters at school level or through the Section 29 process have failed, there is a statutory obligation on an Educational Welfare Officer to make all reasonable efforts to ensure that provision is made for the continued education of the student concerned. The first solution sought will always be a placement in another recognised school. Temporary solutions may include home-tuition sanctioned by the Department of Education and Skills, in exceptional circumstances. In some cases, where all other solutions have failed, the student may engage in an alternative education programme provided by non-statutory or voluntary agencies or organisations.
The Agency advises that in the case of students who have difficulty in securing a school place and who have a diagnosed special educational need, Educational Welfare Officers work in close collaboration with the Special Education Needs Organisers of the National Council for Special Education, with the National Educational Psychological Service, with the Special Education Section of the Department of Education and Skills and with Special Schools and other specialist support agencies and providers, to identify and put in place effective solutions to the placement needs of such students.
322. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views in relation to the number of children who have disappeared from State care over the past five years; the numbers who were subsequently found, and the age profile of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42847/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, there is a joint protocol in place between the Child and Family Agency, and An Garda Síochána, referred to as Children Missing From Care - A Joint Protocol between An Garda Síochána and the Health Service Executive Children and Family Service, which includes a definition of a child being considered as missing for the purposes of reporting to the Gardaí. The Agency has informed me that as of 31 May 2014 there was no child missing while being in the care of the State.
I have requested the information from the Child and Family Agency and I will revert to the Deputy when the reply is to hand. In the interim I would note that the Agency has informed my Department previously that it has collated information directly from each administrative area for the first half of 2014 but commented that it was not in a position to validate the result for performance reporting purposes. The results indicated that a total of 113 children went missing while in the care of the State and that, as of 31 May 2014, all children reported missing have been returned either to their family or their care setting.
323. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the cost of foster care services per annum; the way this service is administered and if he has analysed regional discrepancies in the number of children placed in foster care. [42848/14]
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. The majority of children in care, some 93%, are in foster care, and one third of those are placed with relatives. The budget for Foster Care and Other Allowances is reported by the Agency as €115.2 million for the full year.
The Child and Family Agency receives a child into care where it appears that a child requires care and protection that he/she is unlikely to receive unless he/she is taken into care. If a foster placement is assessed as being appropriate, then every effort is made to match the needs of the child to a suitable placement with a foster family. In these cases, the child has an allocated social worker who is there to plan and follow up with the necessary reviews.
The Agency is seeking to recruit more foster carers, most recently in particular, foster carers from different ethnic backgrounds and carers interested in caring for teenagers, children with challenging behaviour or children with disabilities. Where a person is interested in becoming a foster carer they must apply to the Agency, through their local office, which will provide advice initially. If the application is pursued further, the Agency will undertake a rigorous assessment of the person's suitability, a process which includes Garda vetting. If the applicants are to be placed on a Foster Care Panel, support and training is provided by the Agency. The carers are provided with a link worker for supervising training and other ongoing supports. I would also note that the Agency provides funding to the Irish Foster Care Association which provides additional supports to carers. When a child is placed with a foster family there is a payment made that is intended to support the child's expenses, including activities appropriate to that age group.
The numbers of children who are taken into care can vary from area to area and this is apparent from the statistics that are made available on the Agency's website. This variation across the country is not unexpected and is co-related with the under 18 years old population and the reported deprivation score by Haase Pratschke (Pobal, 2012).
324. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to introduce Garda vetting for child minders. [42885/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra325. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to introduce a central statutory register of child minders. [42886/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 324 and 325 together.
Pre-school services are subject to the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No.2) Regulations 2006, as provided for under Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991.
Section 58 of the Child Care Act 1991 provides for exemptions to certain categories of childcare providers to the provisions of Part VII of the Act. Those exempted include childminders taking care of not more than three pre-school children from different families in the childcare provider's own home. Childminders in this category are not, therefore, required to notify their services and are not subject to the further requirements of the 2006 Child Care Regulations, which include the requirement to ensure appropriate vetting of all staff, students and volunteers in the service who have access to children
Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 was amended under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, and revised Child Care Regulations as required under those amendments are currently being developed. Part VII as revised retain the exemptions in the original Part VII, including those exemptions applicable to childminders.
The exemption provided to childminders with fewer than three children recognises parental choice to place children with friends and neighbours, and the challenges of the over-regulation of the more informal arrangements chosen by parents. Such childminders are encouraged to voluntarily register their service with their local City or County Childcare Committee. Both registered and voluntarily registered childminders can avail of the Childminders Tax Exemption which exempts childminding earnings of up to €15,000 from income tax. My Department will continue to promote the voluntary registration of childminding services and the participation of childminders in quality and training programmes. However, the Department is not in a position to prevent parents from entering into informal arrangements with childminders who are outside the scope of the Regulations.
Some €10 million of funding, allied to the childminders supports, was invested over a period of 10 years to encourage childminders to notify their service. This was seen as a potential first step to ensuring that non-family childminders were subject to all of the requirements of the Regulations. This stepped approach has worked in some countries, such as Scotland. However, only 1,250 childminders voluntarily notified in this country and a further 2,000 to 3,000 participate in training. It is clear that there are barriers specific to Ireland in bringing childminders under the regulatory framework.
The Early Years Strategy will include consideration of how this complex issue might be addressed in the future.
326. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date on which the early years strategy will be published. [42887/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe development of Ireland’s first Early Years Strategy, for children in the early years of their lives, is being progressed in my Department. The objective is to create an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future development of Ireland’s early years sector and a coherent approach to seeking to improve the lives of children from birth to 6 years.
The Early Years Strategy will address a range of issues affecting children in their first years of life such as child health and well-being, parenting and family support, learning and development, and play and recreation. It is expected that the Strategy will be finalised before the end of the year.
327. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress in the implementation by his Department of Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. [42892/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland became a Party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992. Article 12 of the Convention covers the right of a child, who is capable of forming his or her own views, to express those views freely in all matters affecting him or her.
In the case of legislation coming within the remit of my Department the views or wishes of the child are provided for in the Child Care Act, 1991, the Ombudsman for Children Act, 2002 and the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 (the 2013 Act). Further provision, by way of an amendment to the 2013 Act, relating to the views of the child is also contained in the Children First Bill, 2014.
The Deputy will also be aware that the Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill, 2012 makes provision to enshrine in the Constitution a new Article relating to the rights of children, which includes provision to ascertain and give due weight to the views of children in certain proceedings.
My Department is taking the national lead in driving the Government’s commitment to ensure that children and young people under the age of 18 have a voice in the design, delivery and monitoring of services and policies that affect their lives. At national and local level key structures and initiatives to implement Article 12 include:
- Comhairle na nÓg was established in 2001 as the key national structure for children and young people’s participation in decision-making about local services and policies.
- A biennial National Showcase of Comhairle na nÓg is hosted at which each Comhairle na nÓg showcases their work.
- Dáil na nÓg was established in 2000 as the national parliament for young people aged 12-18 years and is hosted bi-annually.
- A Comhairle na nÓg National Executive which is comprised of one young person from each Comhairle na nÓg has a term of office of two years to work on the key recommendation voted for by Comhairle attendees at Dáil na nÓg.
- Three regional Children and Young People’s Participation Officers support Comhairlí at local level.
- There is a dedicated Comhairle na nÓg Development Fund.
- A national strategy on children and young people's participation in decision-making is in development under the National Children and Young People's Policy Framework.
- The voice of seldom heard children and young people is a focus for the participation initiatives undertaken by my Department and will be a key focus in the forthcoming national strategy on children and young people’s participation.
- My Department engages Foróige and Youth Work Ireland to support the delivery of children and young people’s participation activity, including consultations and dialogues with children and young people being conducted to assist policy makers, State agencies and other organisations to include the voice of children in their decision-making processes. Recent examples include a consultation for the appointment of the new Ombudsman for Children, input for the Department of Education and Science Digital Strategy for Schools, and the development of a participation structure for the GAA.
I would also point out that the participation of children and young people is a core value in how Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, discharges its statutory functions under the 2013 Act. In that regard I would refer the Deputy to the information on the Tusla website http://www.tusla.ie/services/family-community-support/resources, which outlines the resources available to Tusla staff to support the participation of children and young people in decision-making.
328. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the delays and technical problems with the new programme implementation platform computer system for registering children for the early childhood care and education scheme; and his views on specific problems (details supplied) which have been experienced by childcare professionals with the new system. [43066/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department administers five childcare funding programmes: the universal free preschool year, known as the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), and four targeted programmes, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) and three Training and Employment Childcare Programmes, Childcare Education and Training Programme (CETS); Community Employment Childcare (CEC) and Afterschool Childcare Programme (ASCC) which provide childcare supports to eligible parents returning to work or to education. These programmes developed on an ad hoc basis and were introduced at different times but in general very quickly. My Department has therefore been running these programmes without a strong ICT infrastructure. This means that systems are not efficient and in particular that payments can be slow to respond to changing circumstances. It also means that there is limited access to information from the programmes. It has always been the Department's intention to move to an integrated approach to support the programmes, and after considerable analysis work, my Department and Pobal are in the process of implementing a new management platform for the early years programmes – called the Programmes Implementation Platform (PIP). PIP is an online system which will streamline the administrative processes across childcare funding programmes.
The objectives of PIP are to reduce paperwork and duplication of effort and to simplify administration to enhance the service experience of childcare service providers and the other stakeholders involved; City/County Childcare Committees, Pobal and DCYA. This new development will provide a more comprehensive, integrated set of management processes, more efficient work practices, greater visibility and control of funds and commitments and will substantially improve the capacity of the Department, City and County Childcare Committees and services on the ground to dynamically manage service by service and case by case approvals and changes in each of the programmes.
PIP is being rolled out incrementally. The launch of the first stage of PIP, ‘Child Registrations’, began on the 6 October 2014. To date, childcare service providers have registered over 60,000 children for the ECCE Programme and the local City/County Childcare Committees have registered over 3,500 children for the various TEC Programmes.
The introduction of new ICT infrastructure tends to result in issues emerging and PIP has been no exception. Technical issues, such as those specifically detailed by the Deputy, did result in service providers experiencing delays in registering children on the system. On 15 October, while over 30,000 children had already been registered on the system for the ECCE Programme, my Department took the decision to issue a further advance payment to service providers to allow for those service providers who had experienced delays or difficulties to complete their registrations. While acknowledging the inconvenience for service providers not receiving accurate balancing payments as early as possible, the decision was taken to ensure that all service providers were to receive sufficient advance funding to honour any financial commitments, rather than to delay all payments until the technical glitches on PIP were resolved.
Three of the issues raised by the Deputy to the PPSN checker, which is the responsibility of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The introduction of immediate checking of the validity of PPS Numbers is a key element of the improvements introduced by PIP, as it will mean instantaneous validity checks. This replaces the previous unwieldy and long process that involved my Department sending batches of PPS numbers to the Department of Social Protection for checking. This was a major cause of delays in validating eligibility and therefore payments. On the PIP Child Registration Form, during the first few weeks of the launch a number issues arose with the PPSN Checker. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform speedily addressed issues as they emerged and service providers continued to get updates on the PIP Homepage, which is hosted on the Pobal website (www.pobal.ie ), on how to manage these issues while registering.
I can assure the Deputy that both my Department and Pobal are working together to address issues as PIP develops, and I am confident that once the system is fully operational the Childcare ‘Programmes Implementation Platform’ will prove to be extremely beneficial and efficient for all users for years to come and in particular will significantly improve the situation for service providers.
329. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the policy decisions he has taken and is taking to stop the growing obesity problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43252/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Health has primary responsibility for policy in relation to obesity and is supported by my Department in the effort to address the issue of childhood obesity.
My Department launched ‘Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014 -2020’ in 2014. ‘Better Outcomes: Brighter Futures’ is the first overarching national policy framework for children and young people aged from birth to 24 years and will be implemented by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in collaboration with all Government departments and key State agencies. The policy framework adopts an outcomes approach based on five national outcomes for children and young people, the first outcome is ‘Active and Healthy’. One of the aims under this outcome is that all children are physically healthy and able to make positive health choices. The Framework includes a range of government commitments, with responsibility across a number of Departments, to tackle this issue of childhood obesity.
My Department is represented on the Special Action Group on Obesity which has progressed a range of measures to tackle this issue.
The Area Based Childhood (ABC) programme 2013-2016 is a €29.7m programme which is being co-funded by my Department and the Atlantic Philanthropies, to improve outcomes for children in some of our most disadvantaged areas. Some of the initiatives are encompassing empowering healthy choices for children and families, in relation to diet and exercise, as part of a holistic approach to improving children’s lives.
It is widely accepted by researchers that there is a strong link between physical activity and overweight, and habits formed in youth tend to carry over into adulthood. The Growing Up in Ireland Study also clearly confirms this finding. Young people who took more exercise were less likely to be overweight or obese, especially in comparison to those who never exercised. As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs I have responsibility for Play and Recreation Policy which has been set out in ‘READY, STEADY, PLAY! A National Play Policy’ and the ‘National Recreation Policy for Young People’, both of which seek to actively promote the participation of children and young people in play and exercise.
330. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding funding. [43164/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.
331. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the income limits for the removal of a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43185/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
332. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on the mobility allowance and mobility transport allowance; the scheme that has been put in place since the removal of those allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43401/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra333. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when a replacement scheme for the mobility allowance scheme will be put in place; the reason for the delay with this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43626/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra364. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Health when the motorised transport grant or an alternative will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42922/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra383. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on a replacement scheme for the now defunct motorised transport grant and mobility allowance; if his attention has been drawn to the hardship and distress being caused to those with impaired mobility due to the failure to bring forward an alternative in a reasonable period; his views that it is acceptable that those with a disability have been left without such a scheme for 20 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43048/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra421. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health when the replacement of the mobility allowance and motorised transport schemes will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43222/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 332, 333, 364, 383 and 421 together.
The Department is seeking a solution which would best meet the aim of supporting people with severe disabilities who require additional income to contribute towards the costs of their mobility needs, while remaining within the available budget and satisfying all legal and equality concerns.
Conscious of the reports of the Ombudsman regarding the legal status of the Motorised Transport Grant and Mobility Allowance scheme, in the context of the Equal Status Acts, the Government decided to close both schemes on 26 February 2013. The Government also decided that monthly payments would continue to be made by the Health Service Executive to those persons in receipt of the Mobility Allowance at the time that the scheme closed, on the basis that this would prevent hardship, and alleviate stress, anxiety and uncertainty among a vulnerable group in society.
In November 2013, the Government decided that the preparatory work required for a new travel subsidy scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health. Work is on-going on the policy proposals to be brought to Government for the drafting of primary legislation for a new scheme. The challenge is to provide these benefits to a wider cohort of people, while continuing to cater for the 4,700 people, within a limited budget.
Once policy proposals have been finalised and approved by Government, the time frame for the introduction of a new scheme will become clearer.
