Written Answers Nos. 557-573
557. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs regarding the seven departmental committees established to examine how best to facilitate parents of young children in returning to the workplace, if consideration of the provision of tax breaks towards the cost of child care will be included in these committees' remit. [19848/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assume that the Deputy is referring to the Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and School-Age Care and Education which I have established to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in early years and school-age care and education. Membership of the Group includes representation from right across Government, including the Departments of Education and Skills, Jobs and Innovation, Justice and Equality, Social Protection and as well as the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform, Finance and An Taoiseach.
The Group has held a series of bilateral discussions with relevant Government Departments, including the Departments of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Education and Skills, Finance, Jobs and Innovation, Justice and Equality, Public Expenditure and Reform and Social Protection.
To inform its work, the Group has already solicited the views of key stakeholders, interested parties and the general public through a number of consultative processes, including an Open Policy Debate on Future Investment in Early Years and School-Age Care and Education Services, which was hosted by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on 31st March 2015 and attended by some 40 invited representatives including parents, providers, academics, childcare committees, and NGOs.
Two separate online consultation processes - one with the early years sector and one with parents and guardians - have also taken place and the approximately 400 submissions received from the early years sector and almost 1,000 submissions received from parents and guardians are currently being analysed.
The question of tax relief or tax credits as a means of supporting working parents was looked at previously but was considered to be unsuitable for a number of reasons. For example, the introduction of tax credits would not help to support quality improvements within the childcare sector and would not help those families on low pay who may not have any tax liability. There is also concern that the application of tax credits could lead to increased prices and therefore have limited impact in terms of savings to parents.
I am determined that all spending, whether existing or additional, will be based on good evidence, and co-ordinated strategically, so that we achieve the best possible benefits for children. It is for this reason that I established the Inter-Departmental Group which will look at the question of appropriate supports for child care in a wider context. The Group will submit its report to Government by end June 2015.
558. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason a community playschool (details supplied) in County Dublin will be closing down; the measures his Department has taken to resolve the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19903/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraChildcare services are provided by private commercial or community childcare providers and decisions in relation to the sustainability of these services is a matter for the owners or management committees.
I understand that Fingal County Childcare Committee (FCCC) worked closely with the representatives of the service in trying to resolve management and governance issues and outlined a number of options that would provide for the continuation of the service. It was a matter for the representatives of the service to agree on a suitable option but no proposal was made that would allow the FCCC to provide further support.
I wish to point out to the Deputy that my Department provides annual funding of €260 million which supports a range of childcare programmes that are delivered by more than 4,200 childcare services through out the country. Childcare services participating in these programmes must have an appropriate management and governance structure in place that would enable them to effectively deliver the quality services required.
559. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is aware of the concern of the wider community in Tallaght, Dublin 24, in respect of the threatened closure of a service (details supplied); the actions available to him to save this important facility; his views on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20200/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe service referred to by the Deputy provides second stage accommodation for women and children who are experiencing domestic violence and who may have been in emergency accommodation. I understand that the Centre opened in 2012 and is funded by Respond Housing Association.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency allocates available funding for domestic violence to emergency refuge accommodation services and community-based domestic violence supports.
Tusla endorses the use of second stage refuge and supported accommodation to enable people to move on from emergency accommodation. While it does not currently fund such services, Tusla has indicated that it would hope to support such services in the future direction it intends to pursue.
Tusla has met with Respond recently and advised that unfortunately it is not in a position to fund this service in the current year.
Tusla will continue to work closely with service providers to ensure that women and children experiencing domestic abuse receive all necessary support and Tusla have advised me that the position in respect of the service referred to will be kept under review.
560. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of organisations that have been informed that their funding will be removed or cut by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency; the amounts involved in each case; if he will re-examine these, with a view to having the funds reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19923/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the Child and Family Agency and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the information is received.
561. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if funding will be reinstated to an organisation (details supplied) that was informed in recent days that its funding will be withdrawn from 30 June 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19924/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) was contracted by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to provide support, advice and training for Family Resource Centres across the area of disability awareness and staff/volunteer training in personal advocacy for people with disabilities. The organisation is funded by Tusla up to the end of June 2015.
Family Resource Centres are front-line services rooted in the community they serve. They offer an open door and respectful service. This universal accessibility allows for early identification of need, provision of appropriate interventions and timely referrals to appropriate services and for more intensive and targeted work as required. Acting as a focal point within their community, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families. This is inclusive of children and families who may have a disability.
Tusla values the work of DESSA and recognises the impact of its work across the Family Resource Centre Programme. I am assured by Tusla that the existing Family Resource Centre network has the capacity to deliver the services in question and to the required level. Tusla intends to build on the significant strengths of Family Resource Centres in meeting its mandate for community-based early intervention and family support. In this regard, Tusla is providing funding of €13.09m to 109 Centres across the country in 2015.
In seeking to improve outcomes and well being for children and young people, Tusla must ensure that it makes the most efficient use of its resources and in a way that is efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable. Tusla is giving particular priority in 2015 to the protection of front-line services and those which are best aligned to the priority outcomes as set out in the Agency's Corporate Plan.
Tusla is in receipt of Exchequer funding of €643m in 2015 which represents an increase of €34m or 5.6% over 2014. The level of funding provided represents tangible evidence of this Government's commitment to improving services for the most disadvantaged children and families.
562. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his intention regarding the provision of funding for the Happy Talk project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20012/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe funding available to my Department for the early years sector is committed to a number of childcare support programmes which assist parents in accessing quality and affordable childcare. More than 100,000 children benefit from an investment of approximately €260 million each year. There is a significant demand from parents for childcare support under these programmes and the challenge for my Department is to maintain the present levels of support and remain within the budgetary allocation.
While I acknowledge that the Happy Talk Project is a very worthwhile proposal, I regret that there is currently no funding available to my Department which would allow support for initiatives such as that outlined by the Deputy.
563. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a child care facility (details supplied) in County Kerry will be assigned a new Department of Children and Youth Affairs registration number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20165/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the childcare service in question has now been assigned a new service reference number. This information has been transmitted to the provider and the number should be used at all times when the service is accessing the new Programmes Information Platform (PIP) facility.
564. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the school completion programme; if he will rule out any further budgetary reductions in delivery of the programme for the forthcoming academic year; if he will make himself available to meet with the umbrella group that represents those who deliver the programme in our schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20203/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Completion Programme aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. It is a targeted intervention aimed at school communities identified under the Department of Education and Skills DEIS Action Plan. It involves 124 locally managed projects and provides targeted supports to approximately 36,000 children and young people.
Since 1st January 2014, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has had operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects. In 2014, Tusla allocated €24.756 million, and a similar allocation is being made for 2015. Tusla has asked Chairpersons of Local Management Committees to prepare their school retention plans for the 2015/2016 school year based on the expenditure allocated last year and to return them to the Agency by June 5th. Following receipt of these plans, all school completion projects will be notified of their allocations for the 2015/2016 school year.
The ESRI is currently reviewing the School Completion Programme, which will help in future decisions on its structure, governance and operation. The report is almost finalised and it is expected it will be available next month.
I have advised the Agency of my commitment to ensuring that there is no diminution in the school completion programme services.The School Completion Programme is an important service within the Agency’s educational welfare services. It is highly regarded as a key response in securing improved educational outcomes for children and young people at risk of early school leaving.
Tusla has ongoing contact with, and is available to meet with representatives of the School Completion Programme. Officials from my Department are also available to meet with representatives of school completion projects where suitable.
565. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the options available to a couple (details supplied) who wish to adopt a relative from another country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20383/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn order to undertake an inter country adoption, applicants need to undergo a formal assessment process under the Adoption Act, 2010. In the first instance applicants should contact their local Child and Family Agency Adoption Service to apply for an assessment for eligibility and suitability to adopt.
Issues in relation to fostering an Indian national are a matter for the Indian authorities.
566. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide details of all official foreign trips he and Ministers of State in his Department plan to take between now and the end of 2015; if he will provide details of whom he and the Ministers of State in his Department will be meeting on these trips; the purposes of these trips; the duration of these trips; his plans to use all of these trips to promote Ireland as a good place for doing business, and as a destination for foreign direct investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20436/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe only official foreign trip which I have currently scheduled between now and the end of 2015 is to Strasbourg on 7 - 9 September 2015. The purpose of this trip is to attend the European Parliament Plenary session. The final arrangements for this trip have yet to be finalised. There are no Ministers of State in my Department.
567. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide the up-to-date progress report on matters relating to his Department regarding the national carer's strategy on the impact on family carers' lives of these initiatives by his Department since the strategy launch in July 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20454/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Carers' Strategy is led by the Department of Health and many Departments including the Department of Children and Youth Affairs have a role to play in its implementation. In September 2014 officials from my Department and the Child and Family Agency met with the National Carers' Association to discuss the role of the Department and the Agency in relation to the National Carers' Strategy.
The Child and Family Agency Act 2013 brings together a range of existing services for children and families to one agency. The Child and Family Agency is responsible for the former Family Support Agency, the National Educational Welfare Board and also for the functions of Child and Family services previously provided by the HSE. The Agency's functions include maintaining and developing services in order to support and promote the development, welfare and protection of children and to support effective functioning of families. In so doing the Agency will promote enhanced interagency cooperation to ensure that services are coordinated on the principle of the best interest of all children and their families.
The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency is developing national guidelines as a practical support for schools in the preparation of School Attendance Strategies as outlined in Section 22 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. The guidelines will assist schools to implement effective measures to support children at risk of poor attendance and participation, including those with caring responsibilities. It is anticipated that the guidelines will be completed before the beginning of the 2015/16 academic year. The Agency is in the process of refining and implementing a new strategic approach to service delivery through the integrated working of its service strands.
In order to learn more about children that undertake caring roles, my Department requested the Central Statistics Office to help to identify the extent to which children have caring responsibilities. Under the National Strategy for Research and Data on Children’s Lives (2011-2016) analysis of figures in the 2011 Census will help to inform future policy as to how best to address the support needs of children and young people who undertake caring roles.
A National Youth Strategy is also being developed by my Department for all young people aged 10 to 24 years. It will have a particular focus on those who are most disadvantaged or at risk and who have the poorest outcomes and therefore in most need of support. I am pleased that representatives of the Carers' Association participated in the consultation process in the development of this strategy.
568. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding allocated to County Louth for each of the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 to date under the school completion programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20484/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Completion Programme aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. It is a targeted intervention aimed at school communities identified under the Department of Education and Skills DEIS Action Plan. It involves 124 locally managed projects and provides targeted supports to approximately 36,000 children and young people.
Since 1st January 2014, the Child and Family Agency has had operational responsibility for the School Completion Programme, including the allocation of funds to local projects. In 2014, Tusla allocated €24.756 million, and a similar allocation is being made for 2015. Tusla has asked Chairpersons of Local Management Committees to prepare their school retention plans for the 2015/2016 school year based on the expenditure allocated last year and to return them to the Agency by June 5th. Following receipt of these plans, all school completion projects including those in Co. Louth will be notified of their allocations for the 2015/2016 school year.
The ESRI is currently reviewing the School Completion Programme, which will help in future decisions on its structure, governance and operation. The report is almost finalised and it is expected it will be available next month.
I have advised the Agency of my commitment to ensuring that there is no diminution in the school completion programme services.The School Completion Programme is an important service within the Agency’s educational welfare services. It is highly regarded as a key response in securing improved educational outcomes for children and young people at risk of early school leaving. There are five SCP projects in Co. Louth; Deeside SCP in Ardee, Dundalk SCP, Holy Family Parish SCP in Rathmullen, Northside SCP in Drogheda and Oriel SCP in Dundalk.
The overall allocations for the School Completion Programme in Co. Louth, is set out in a table.
|
- |
2010-11 School Year Allocation |
2011-12 School Year Allocation |
2012-13 School Year Allocation |
2013-14 School Year Allocation |
2014-15 School Year Allocation |
|
SCP Co. Louth |
€1,151,093 |
€ 1,136,208 |
€1,062,355 |
€ 1,026,635 |
€959,911 |
569. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding bullying in school in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20500/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to the case raised by the Deputy, I have raised the issue with the Child and Family Agency and requested a report on the matter. I will revert to the Deputy with those details at a later stage.
570. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the exact number of children currently in residential or State care; if there is a sufficient allocation of social workers for these children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19537/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraTusla, the Child and Family Agency, compiles monthly performance reports which include statistics in relation to children in care. These reports are published on Tusla's website. The latest figures I have to hand are from the end of February 2015. They show that there were 6,393 children in care. Of this, the number who were in general or special care residential placements was 333 children. Of all children in care, 5,878 (92%) had an allocated social worker.
I am satisfied that, overall, the necessary services and supports are in place to ensure the care and welfare of children in State care. Tusla operational policy is to ensure children in residential, special care and new placements, as well as children with specific vulnerabilities, have an allocated social worker. Also, structures are in place to regulate and inspect service provision. I am also satisfied that my Department and Tusla continue to drive both improvements in the quality of the care services and the quality of the experience for children in care through a partnership approach with services, children and non-governmental bodies.
571. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of provision of the preschool year special needs assistant resources for children with special needs, for the upcoming school year; if there has been any change to the system of allocation of these resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20572/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra572. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if current providers of preschool placements and associated special needs assistant resource hours will be, or have been, consulted with regard to allocation of resources for the upcoming school year; if the considered opinion of these service providers will be considered as part of an assessment to allocate resource special needs assistant hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20575/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 571 and 572 together.
There are a number of measures currently in place in my Department to ensure that the free pre-school year is more accessible to children with special needs. These include an exemption from the upper age limit where a child would benefit from starting primary school at a later age. In addition, children with special needs can apply to have the pre-school year split over two years on a pro-rata basis, for example availing of the programme for 2 days a week in the first year and for 3 days a week in the second year.
On the specific issues raised by the Deputy, the Department of Health has informed my Department that while the Health Service Executive has no statutory obligation to provide assistant supports for children with special needs wishing to avail of the free pre-school year, it does work at local level and in partnership with the relevant disability service providers to address individual needs as they arise. This is done, for example, by funding special pre-schools that cater specifically for children with disabilities. In some limited cases at local level, disability services have also facilitated children with disabilities in some instances to attend mainstream pre-schools by providing assistant supports where possible and subject to resources. The provision of such pre-school assistant supports should not be confused with Special Needs Assistants who are funded by the Department of Education and Skills to support children with special educational needs in primary and post-primary school settings.
Improving access to the pre-school year for children with special needs is a priority for my Department.
The intersectoral work done under the chairmanship of the Office of the Minister for Disability and Mental Health and through the Cross Sectoral Team on children’s disability issues agreed that the best approach to meeting the needs of children with a disability of pre-school age was through mainstream pre-school services, but no agreement was reached on what the model of provision would be, or, who would lead out on developing this.
The Secretary General of my Department has recently agreed with his counterparts in the Departments of Health and Education and Skills that my Department will seek to gain agreement, in a relatively short time-frame, between the three sectors (children, education, health) on the most appropriate, workable model for supports to pre-school children with special needs. This will be followed by very close co-operation between the sectors in defining/developing the model and in making an agreed cross-departmentally supported proposal for the resources required to implement it. The team will use information from recent consultations with parents and providers to inform their work and will conduct further consultation as the tight time-frame allows.
There will be several challenges to agreeing an appropriate and workable model – including reviewing existing resources in the system to determine how they can best meet children’s’ needs, and accessing the additional investment needed. My Department has committed to leading this process and it is my intention that a proposal will be available in time for the Estimates process.
573. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will review the provision of funding to the counselling services of Accord, based on the work it carries out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20598/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra577. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a breakdown of the funding granted to Accord; the reason there has been a reduction in such funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20676/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 573 and 577 together.
The establishment of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has presented an opportunity to explore new approaches to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged children and families. Through a comprehensive scoping exercise across all services, Tusla has begun the process of identifying where the resources can be used to best effect and consistent with its mandate.
Tusla is undertaking a restructuring of its existing funding allocation to ensure priority is given to counselling services that best support and promote the development, welfare and protection of children and effective functioning of families.
Accord provides a range of services in a number of areas:
- they provide marriage and relationship counselling services for people who are experiencing difficulties in their relationships,
- quite separately, it provides marriage preparation courses for people who are getting married in the Catholic Church.
Tusla has determined that Marriage Preparation Courses, which are paid for by couples, does not form part of its core mission. I am informed by Tusla that they do not provide funding to any other dedicated marriage preparation courses.
Tusla will spend almost €6 million this year on counselling services, including the provision of significant funding to Accord, which amounts to over a quarter of the available funding. In 2014, Accord received €1.992m in core funding from Tusla. I understand from Tusla that Accord will receive approximately €1.6m in funding in 2015.
Tusla is targeting funding available at their core mission which is supporting and promoting the development, welfare and protection of children, and the effective functioning of families.
