Written Answers Nos. 419-435
419. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the number of children in residential care has come to the attention of the education welfare board during the years 2012 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13934/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency has specific responsibility for the Agency’s statutory function to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education.
The Educational Welfare Service supports regular school attendance for all school age children and young people. Where school attendance problems arise for a child, including a child in residential care, the Agency concentrates on finding solutions within a collaborative intervention framework involving children, families, schools and other relevant agencies. This work of the Educational Welfare Service falls into two key categories. It can involve a brief intervention, at an early stage, with a child to resolve a school attendance issue or more intensive and ongoing support for the child and family, from an Educational Welfare Officer, where the problem is more complex. I am advised that more than 17,000 children were provided with brief interventions in 2013, while more than 2,400 children received an intensive intervention.
The Agency has advised that detailed information about these engagements, as they relate to children in residential care, is not readily available.
420. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the education facilities available at Oberstown in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13937/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Section 159A of the Children Act 2001, County of Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board must provide for the education of children placed in the children detention schools.
There are currently two education centres attached to the children detention schools, one of which is situated in Trinity House School and the other is shared between Oberstown Boys School and Oberstown Girls School. The development of a single national children detention school in Oberstown is currently well underway, in order to increase capacity on the campus and facilitate the ending of the detention of children in adult prison facilities, and includes the construction of a centralised education centre. Education provision in this centre will remain the responsibility of the Education and Training Board. Courses on offer include the national curriculum (Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate) as well as a number of FETAC qualifications.
421. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding crèches in the private sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14076/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of local authority commercial rates comes within the remit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which has responsibility for fiscal policy, and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, which has responsibility for the local authorities.
The Valuation Office, which comes under the remit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, is responsible for the implementation and interpretation of the Valuation Act 2001 under which commercial rates are levied by the local authorities. The Valuation Office prepares valuation lists of commercial properties, as required by the Act, and local authorities are obliged to collect rates on properties which are listed.
Following concerns expressed by childcare providers throughout the country, the issue of commercial rates on pre-school services was raised with the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan T.D. who confirmed that, in line with existing legislative framework, local authorities have no discretion in the collection of commercial rates on properties which are on the Valuation List. The concerns of childcare providers in relation to commercial rates were also brought to the attention of officials in the Department of Finance.
The Seanad recently approved an amendment to the Valuation Bill to exempt not-for-profit childcare providers from commercial rates. However, private commercial childcare providers continue to be subject to commercial rates except those whose funding is derived only through capitation provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.
422. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in relation to the value for money and policy review of youth programmes, the steps he will take to ensure that the young people's facilities and services fund will be targeted, as per the guidelines, at those areas and young persons most at risk from drug abuse. [14082/15]
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. In 2015, funding of €49.93m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
Three of the targeted funding schemes, the Special Projects for Youth scheme, the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund, and Local Drug Task Force projects scheme, were the subject of a recently completed Value for Money and Policy Review. The schemes support the provision of youth services for young people who are at risk of drugs, alcohol misuse, early school leaving, homelessness or who are living in disadvantaged communities. In 2012, expenditure on the schemes amounted to €39.7m. The review involved an in-depth scrutiny of a complex area to do with the impact youth service provision has in young people’s lives. Overall, the review found that the youth programmes can provide a significant contribution to improving outcomes for young people, and should be considered for on-going public funding.
The review makes a number of recommendations for the future operation of the youth schemes and their development in the years ahead. It recommends that the three schemes be replaced with a single, targeted, evidence-based and outcomes focussed scheme designed to secure the optimal outcomes for young people and their communities. It sets out guidance as to how services may be developed to better meet the needs of young people in the target cohort and how demographic information and CSO data about local areas should be part of the programme design.
My Department has now commenced a detailed consultation process with the youth sector and providers of youth services about the review's findings and recommendations. The consultation includes regional meetings in Cork, Sligo and Dublin City and County over the next month. All local services are being invited to participate, including youth projects funded under the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund and the coordinators of the Drugs Task Forces in the relevant areas. My Department is committed to working collaboratively with the youth sector interests in the development and implementation of the new programme over the next two years.
I intend that the reforms recommended in the review will be progressed in the context of the new National Youth Strategy, which is nearing completion. The strategy will be a universal strategy for all young people aged 10 to 24 years. It will have a particular focus on the needs of young people who are at risk of experiencing the poorest outcomes.
424. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps being taken to promote the use of Irish in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14170/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department currently has five members of staff who are proficient in the Irish Language and are available to assist staff dealing with clients who wish to conduct their business through Irish. The Department's receptionists/switchboard operators are all proficient in the use of Irish. Information in relation to online Irish translation and spellcheckers has been circulated to all staff. Signage in my Department’s offices is bilingual, in Irish and English. The Department’s Scheme (2013 - 2016) under the Official Languages Act was published in October 2013 and circulated to all staff in my Department.
In 2015, for staff who wished to take part, my Department organised individual Irish language proficiency assessments which were carried out by Gaelchultúr. Thirteen staff members undertook the proficiency assessment. Five staff who identified an interest in developing their Irish language skills have been offered professional Irish language training at FETAC Levels 3, 4 and 5. The total cost of this training is being paid by my Department.
425. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the subsidiary principle of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Children in Intercountry Adoption was implemented in the adoption of five children from the United States of America to Ireland in 2014, considering that 7,092 children were adopted into the United States of America from overseas in 2013. [14230/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland and the United States are both signatories to the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of intercountry adoption. The principle of subsidiarity is highlighted in the preamble to the Convention and provides that: ‘An adoption within the scope of the Convention shall take place only if the competent authorities of the State of origin have determined, after possibilities for placement of the child within the State of origin have been given due consideration, that an intercountry adoption is in the child’s best interests.’
In addition to the Convention itself, adoptions between Ireland and the USA are also dealt with in accordance with an Administrative Arrangement agreed between the two National Central Authorities on 2 May 2013. Article 2(a) of the Administrative Arrangement provides for a relevant authority in the United States providing a letter to the Adoption Authority of Ireland showing why the child (to be adopted) could not be timely placed with suitable adoptive parents in the United States and detailing what steps have been taken to support this finding.
The Adoption Authority advises that all adoptions effected between the United States and Ireland since June 2013 have been effected in accordance with the Administrative Arrangement between the two countries. I am advised that representatives of the Authority intend to travel to the USA in Autumn 2015 in order to review the arrangement.
426. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the recent dismissal, without prior notice or disciplinary procedures, of a person (details supplied), whose position was funded by Tusla-Child and Family Agency, employed by a resource and development centre, by a slim majority decision of that centre's board of management, despite an extraordinary emergency general meeting of the centre's users subsequently voting to replace the board and reinstate the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14269/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra431. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14536/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 426 and 431 together.
The issues raised by Deputy Murphy and McGrath have been brought to the attention of the Child and Family Agency and I will revert when a response has been received.
427. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children from Ireland who have been sent to Kibble, Scotland, in the years 2011 to 2014; the cost in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14290/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have referred the Deputy's question to the Child and Family Agency for a response, and will revert when this is to hand.
428. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide details of staffing levels in Tusla-Child and Family Agency, including the number of vacancies in each area, both geographical and professional; his plans to fill these vacancies; and the timeframe he has set for same. [14337/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Child and Family Agency (TUSLA) has advised that at the end of February 2015, there were 3,439.87 whole-time equivalent members of staff employed as follows:
|
Grade Grouping |
Whole time equivalents |
% of Staffing |
|
Social Work |
1,397.04 |
41% |
|
Social Care |
1,156.04 |
34% |
|
Family Support |
177,64 |
5% |
|
Education and Welfare |
63.72 |
2% |
|
Other Health professionals (including Psychology, Counselling & Nursing) |
74.98 |
2% |
|
Management (Grade VIII and above) |
80.51 |
2% |
|
Admin Grades (Grade III to VII) |
425.26 |
12% |
|
Other Support Staff (including catering) |
64.69 |
2% |
|
Total |
3,439.87 |
The information requested in respect of geographical and professional vacancies by area in TUSLA is not normally held in my Department. I have asked my officials to arrange for the Agency to supply this information directly to the Deputy.
429. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the child care sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14453/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of local authority commercial rates comes within the remit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which has responsibility for fiscal policy, and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, which has responsibility for the local authorities.
The Valuation Office, which comes under the remit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, is responsible for the implementation and interpretation of the Valuation Act 2001 under which commercial rates are levied by the local authorities. The Valuation Office prepares valuation lists of commercial properties, as required by the Act, and local authorities are obliged to collect rates on properties which are listed.
Following concerns expressed by childcare providers throughout the country, the issue of commercial rates on pre-school services was raised with the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan T.D. who confirmed that, in line with existing legislative framework, local authorities have no discretion in the collection of commercial rates on properties which are on the Valuation List. The concerns of childcare providers in relation to commercial rates were also brought to the attention of officials in the Department of Finance.
The Seanad recently approved an amendment to the Valuation Bill to exempt not-for-profit childcare providers from commercial rates. However, private commercial childcare providers continue to be subject to commercial rates except those whose funding is derived only through capitation provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.
430. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the commission of inquiry for mother and baby homes is scheduled to officially begin; the structure and timeline for various aspects of the inquiry, in terms of oral hearings and so on; when contact details for the inquiry will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14505/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters was formally established by Government on the 17th February 2015.
A general outline of structures and envisaged timelines is set out in the Terms of Reference contained in Statutory Instrument No. 57 of 2015 but it should be noted that the Commission is completely independent and the precise timing and conduct of its investigations is a matter for the Commission to decide.
The Commission has already begun its work and is currently in the process of recruiting its own legal and research staff and setting up internal administration systems such as personnel functions, financial control protocols, IT support etc.
At present the Commission can be contacted directly by writing to:
Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, 73 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, email info@mbhcoi.ie or by telephone at 01-6445000.
The Commission will also have a dedicated freefone telephone line and I am advised that it will be advertising details of same within the next few weeks.
432. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to alleviate the financial burden on parents who have very large child care costs; and if consideration has been given to a second free year of preschool. [14667/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraA high level of funding support is provided by my Department each year to assist parents with the cost of childcare. This funding, which is in the region of €260 million annually, supports a number of childcare programmes and benefits more than 100,000 children each year.
These programmes, which are in addition to the support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit, includes the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme. This programme provides funding to community childcare services to support disadvantaged or low income families. In the case of full day care, parents can have up to €95 per week deducted from the overall charge. In the region of 25,000 children benefit each year from the CCS programme.
Further childcare support is provided under a number of labour activation measures which support parents returning to the work-force or availing of education or training opportunities. These include the Childcare Education and Training Supports (CETS) programme providing €145 per week for full day care where parents are availing of training and education courses provided by Solas or the Education Training Board (ETB). The After-School Child Care (ASCC) programme provides €40 per week for after-school care, or €80 per week where a pick up service is available, with €105 per week for full day childcare during the holiday period. A Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme has also been introduced and provides up to €80 a week to support qualifying parents who are participating in Community Employment (CE) schemes.
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides one free pre-school year to all eligible children before commencing primary school. This programme represents an annual investment of more than €170 million in pre-school services. In the region of 67,000 children benefit each year from this free pre-school provision.
The introduction of a second pre-school year would require considerable additional funding, broadly in line with the cost of the current provision. I would like to be in a position to increase our investment in childcare-related programmes. This will take time, as the benefits of growth generate the required resources. However, I am determined that all such spending, whether existing or additional, will be based on good evidence and strategically co-ordinated, so that we achieve the best possible benefits for children and parents.
Accordingly, to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group. This Group is considering the needs of children in their early years as well as the needs of school-going children. The Group, which is still in the early stages of its deliberations, will submit its final report to Government in June 2015.
433. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to reduce waiting times for counselling services for child victims of sexual abuse. [14645/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Child and Family Agency, Tusla, along with other agencies, provides counselling and support to children and families availing of its services including children who have been abused sexually. If a child is taken into care as a result of sexual abuse, the allocated social worker in Tusla will provide counselling and support.
Where children have suffered sexual abuse, therapy services are available in a variety of settings. There are specialist sexual abuse centres at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin and Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. Therapy services are also provided by HSE community based psychologists and the HSE Child And Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) for children who have moderate to severe mental health problems.
In addition, the Assessment, Consultation & Therapy Service ( ACTS) is a national specialised clinical service which has been developed in order to provide multi-disciplinary consultation, assessment and focused interventions to young people who have high risk behaviours associated with complex clinical needs. ACTS also supports other professionals in their ongoing work with young people and their families. This includes:-
- on-site therapeutic services to young people in secure settings in Ireland (Special Care and the Children Detention Schools)
- support when young people return to community settings to help them to re-engage with mainstream services as appropriate
- assessment, consultation and/or intervention services in the community for children at significant risk of placement in secure settings.
Tusla is currently leading a multi-agency process to implement a national service model for sexual abuse services for children and their families. This process aims to incorporate all resources currently applied to sexual abuse services into a co-ordinated service providing standardised models of best practice with national and multi-agency oversight. It integrates and co-ordinates the six separate sexual abuse services which children may need to access. These services include medical/forensic examination; child protection; Garda investigation; assessment; therapy and court process.
The agencies involved in this process are Tusla, the HSE, the Children’s Hospital Group, the Probation Service and CARI. The model is informed by the recommendations of the Ferns Report 2005 and the National Review of Sexual Abuse Services for Children and Young People, June 2011 (HSE/Mott McDonald).
All agencies are committed to the implementation of the model with a number of initiatives currently underway. For example, the HSE is establishing a new medical/forensic examination facility for the greater Dublin area; specialist sexual abuse services are being developed within the context of the development of the national paediatric hospital and Tusla is employing four additional staff at Principal Social Worker grade to support the implementation process.
434. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to address the situation whereby child care service providers receive capitation for 38 weeks but their staff are entitled to be paid for 41 weeks; if he is aware of the impact this shortfall has on the finances of these providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14747/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the region of €170 million is provided annually by my Department to support the provision of a free pre-school year under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The free pre-school provision is provided over a period of 38 weeks with approximately 4,300 childcare services throughout the country participating in the programme.
The funding provided under the ECCE programme is a guaranteed source of funding to participating services and has enabled many childcare providers to continue to deliver childcare services at a time of economic difficulty. I recognise the difficulties being faced by childcare providers and I am aware of the concerns of childcare professionals in relation to levels of remuneration in the childcare sector. However, the remuneration for childcare workers is a matter for agreement between employers and employees.
I am aware that staff remuneration does account for the great proportion of the overall cost of providing childcare services and I acknowledge that increased capitation and subvention payments through the childcare support programmes would assist childcare services in addressing these cost issues. I have indicated that, if resources become available to my Department, I will consider the scope for increasing the level of these capitation payments.
To ensure that all the benefits of current (and future) investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. Accordingly, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare. This Group is considering the needs of children in their early years as well as the needs of school-going children. The Group, which is still in the early stages of its deliberations, will submit its final report to Government in June 2015.
435. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which he expects to be in a position to influence the provision of adequate child care facilities, particularly in the context of economic recovery, whereby both partners in a household may be at work; if consideration has been given to provision of improved child care facilities in the workplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14900/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the region of €260 million is provided annually by my Department to support a number of childcare programmes which assist parents in accessing quality and affordable childcare. More than 100,000 children benefit from this investment each year. These programmes are in addition to the support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit.
The childcare programmes include the free pre-school year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. In the region of 67,000 children benefit each year from the free pre-school provision. The standard weekly capitation payment for each eligible child enrolled is €62.50 with a higher capitation of €73 paid for eligible children enrolled in services where staff hold higher childcare qualifications.
The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to community childcare services to support disadvantaged or low income families. In the case of full day care, parents can have up to €95 per week deducted from the overall charge. In the region of 25,000 children benefit each year from the CCS programme.
Further childcare support is provided under a number of labour activation measures which support parents returning to the work force or availing of education or training opportunities. These include the Childcare Education and Training Supports (CETS) programme providing €145 per week for full day care where parents are availing of training and education courses provided by Solas or the Education Training Board (ETB). The After-School Child Care (ASCC) programme provides €40 per week for after-school care, or €80 per week where a pick up service is available, with €105 per week for full day childcare during the holiday period. A Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme has also been introduced and provides up to €80 a week to support qualifying parents who are participating in Community Employment (CE) schemes.
The funding to support these childcare programmes has been maintained despite the difficult budgetary position that has prevailed in recent years. To ensure that all the benefits of current (and future) investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. Accordingly, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare. This Group is considering the needs of children in their early years as well as the needs of school-going children. The Group, which is still in the early stages of its deliberations, will submit its final report to Government in June 2015.
The decision to locate childcare facilities within a workplace is a matter for agreement between employer and employees and there are currently no plans by my Department to provide any specific support for such measures.
