Written Answers Nos. 624-641
624. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding funding from the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21941/15]
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 €13.09 million 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 €643 million in 2015 which represents an increase of €34 million 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.
625. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is cutting funds to the Meade Day Care in Donaghmede in Dublin 13, by 10%; if he will reverse this cut (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21942/15]
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.
626. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if changes to the child care system have been considered (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21981/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department currently provides approximately €260 million annually to early years and school-age care and education services. This funding is directed towards a number of programmes, which aim to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of early years and school-age care and education.
To ensure that all the benefits of this (and future) investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. It is critically important that any investment is designed to achieve the best outcomes for children and their parents. Accordingly, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group 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, Enterprise and Innovation, Justice and Equality, Social Protection and as well as the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform, Finance and an Taoiseach.
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. Its work is also being informed by existing policy commitments and by research and evidence of best practice, both nationally and internationally. The Inter-Departmental Group will submit its report to Government by end June 2015.
The development of Ireland’s first Early Years Strategy is also being progressed in my Department. The objective of this Strategy 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. It is my intention that it will cover a range of issues affecting children in their first years of life as well as identifying best practice in other jurisdictions, such as those referred to by the Deputy. I have signalled my intention to conduct focused consultations with relevant parties across the early childhood care and education sector before concluding my own deliberations on this Strategy. I am also mindful of the importance of other work which is being undertaken in parallel in respect of the future investment priorities in respect of childcare.
627. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the standards that providers of child care have to meet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21995/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Early Years Quality Agenda is a key priority for my Department. It brings together a range of measures designed to support providers in the challenge of continually improving the quality and standards of early years services throughout the country. One of the most important measures relates to the inspection of early years services.
New Child Care Regulations are currently being finalised. These Regulations will introduce a new registration system that will require anyone who wants to establish an early years service to register with Tusla before they open. Premises will be inspected by the Early Years Inspectorate before registration is granted, and there will be on-going inspections once the service is operating and children are attending. These new Regulations will also be accompanied by new National Standards for Early Years Services, against which services will be inspected.
In addition to this work, the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills is leading focussed inspections of the quality of educational provision in the free pre-school year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme.
New qualification requirements for staff working directly with children in early years settings are also planned. All staff will be required to have a minimum Level 5 qualification on the National Qualifications Framework in early years care and education, or an equivalent qualification. In addition, pre-school leaders delivering the free pre-school year, who are currently required to hold a Level 5 qualification, will be required to have a minimum Level 6 qualification, or equivalent to qualify for ECCE. To support staff to meet these new qualification requirements, my Department established the Learner Fund which allocated €3 million to almost 2,500 staff for the purpose of up-skilling.
The recent establishment of Better Start further demonstrates my commitment to ensuring excellence in early years services. The aim of Better Start is to provide a nationally coherent continuum of support to providers to help them to improve quality, incorporating the work of the City and County Childcare Committees and the National Voluntary Childcare Organisations. Each year, my Department provides some €13 million to City and County Childcare Committees and National Voluntary Childcare Organisation. This funding supports the valuable work of these bodies in supporting early years’ services around the country, through training, continuing professional development programmes, networking and cluster-type support groups.
Better Start also incorporates the work of a new nationally coordinated Early Years Specialist Service. This Service has recruited and trained 30 graduates in early childhood care and education to work directly with services in a mentoring capacity to improve quality, including assisting services in the implementation of the Síolta Framework and the Aistear Curriculum.
While significant progress has been made, my Department will continue to progress the Early Years Quality Agenda. Indeed, this is one of a number of issues that is being considered by the Inter-Department Group on Future Investment in Early Years and School-Age Care and Education.
628. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the action he will take in relation to the internal Health Service Executive report commissioned in 2012 as part of the McAleese inquiry, which raised serious concerns regarding Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in County Cork; and the steps he is taking to deal with the reason why no action was taken. [22035/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra631. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason the Health Service Executive report written in 2012, into Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, was not used as part of the scoping exercise of the Commission of Investigation into mother and baby homes. [22452/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 628 and 631 together.
The information at issue was examined by the Health Service Executive (HSE) as part of its response to the Committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen Laundries. This process, which was independently chaired by Martin McAleese, was conducted under the auspices of the Department of Justice and Equality.
In the course of this work the HSE provided a draft report to the Committee secretariat and to the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. This draft report included a separate appendix by a HSE staff member in Cork providing information based on records from the former Bessborough mother and baby home. The author of this draft report acknowledged that its conclusions remained a matter of conjecture until such time as a more forensic examination of the home’s records could be undertaken by the HSE.
As these matters were outside the direct remit of the McAleese Committee, the HSE subsequently advised that these wider concerns would be examined separately by the HSE. At that time my Department advised the HSE that any validated findings of concern from this separate process should be appropriately communicated by the HSE through a separate process. This Department is not aware of any subsequent reports supplied by the HSE in this regard.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs became actively involved in responding to the concerns relating to Mother and Baby Homes following the publication of information on the former Bon Secours Home in Tuam around mid-2014. The Inter Departmental Review Group was set up by my predecessor to assist Government in its deliberations on the terms of reference of a Commission of Investigation and to map the important dimensions of the issues in the short time available. The more extensive process of assembling and investigating all relevant records now forms a very significant part of the Commission’s work. The Group's Report cites a range of academic research and published social histories which explore matters related to Mother and Baby Homes and demonstrates that concerns in relation to the role and purpose of these institutions have been the subject of attention, report and debate since their establishment in the early years of the State.
This work culminated in the establishment of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters in February 2015. Using its extensive legal powers, this Commission is now examining matters within its comprehensive terms of reference to ensure that what happened to vulnerable women and children in Mother and Baby Homes is fully examined. Its findings will be published.
I am satisfied that the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004, together with the terms of reference set out in S.I. No. 57 of 2015, provides this Commission with all necessary powers to comprehensively examine the broad range of public concerns that have been expressed in relation to mother and baby homes.
629. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is aware of any allegations of abuse in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin who has been in the care of the State for almost two years, and the action he will take regarding same. [22135/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is not appropriate for me to comment on an individual case but I have forwarded the information provided by the Deputy to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for immediate attention.
It is proper that allegations of child abuse should be reported to the local Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, office in the first instance and, where the allegations are of criminal nature, to An Garda Síochána. This is in line with their respective roles set out in the Children First guidelines. I wish to assure the Deputy that any immediate protective action, which proves to be necessary in a particular case, would be taken in accordance with Tusla's statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991.
630. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the 10% reduction in Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, funding to a day care centre in Dublin 11 (details supplied); how this decision was reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22421/15]
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.
632. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 272 of 19 May 2015 regarding the steps being taken to address the issues identified in United Nations Children’s Fund Innocenti Report Card 12, the contact that his Department has had with the Government Departments in the whole-of-Government approach to address the issues and recommendations of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22492/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraBetter Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014 - 2020 (BOBF), which was published and launched by Government in 2014, provides the overarching framework for the development and implementation of policy and services for children and young people.
The relevant issues identified in the report referred to by the TD, are addressed within this National Policy Framework.
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures is a whole of Government framework. In order to ensure the effective implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures my Department has established a robust infrastructure to guide and support cross-governmental delivery of the framework. The Children and Young People's Policy Consortium is composed of high level representatives from all of the key Government Departments and Agencies, and it has responsibility for driving implementation. It is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, with a Deputy Chair from the Department of the Taoiseach.
As part of the implementation of Better Outcomes, Better Futures, each of the five sponsoring Departments have identified a cross-sectoral priority to progress within the Framework. The Department of Social Protection have identified child poverty as their key cross-sectoral priority. The Department of Social Protection have the lead role in coordinating government strategies on child poverty and are the Sponsor of outcome 4 of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures - economic security and opportunity.
To support this, the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures Advisory Council, which brings together key individuals from the community and voluntary sector, as well as others with experience of working with and for children and young people, have formed a subgroup with the objective of working with key officials from the Department of Social Protection to progress this cross-sectoral priority. The sub-group hopes to bring forward its findings to the Advisory Council for its consideration later this year.
In addition, as noted in my response to your PQ No. 272, ref. 19734/15, my Department is active in a range of areas which enhance outcomes for children, young people and their families.
These areas include:
- The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme which focuses on improving the outcomes for children and young people to break the cycle of poverty;
- Early childhood care and education and after-school support programmes spend €260 million annually providing care to 100,000 children. A number of these are targeted at those on lowest incomes;
- Youth Affairs 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, an allocation of €49.9 million has been provided to my Department to support the provision of youth services;
- In addition, my Department provides funding to Tusla which support a range of responses in this area such as Educational Welfare Services and Family Resource Centres which seek to combat disadvantage and improve the functioning of the family unit.
633. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on a matter regarding Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, funding (details supplied) for a bereavement support group in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22513/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince its establishment, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has been engaged in a comprehensive and much needed programme of reform across our child welfare and protection system. In this regard, Tusla must ensure that it makes the most effective use of its resources in a way that is efficient, equitable proportionate and sustainable.
Tusla's budget is now being directed towards services which are best aligned to those outcomes in Tusla's Corporate Plan, with priority being given to front line services.
The service referred to by the Deputy was in receipt of funding from Tusla but unfortunately, Tusla is not in a position to continue to fund this service.
Tusla very much appreciates the work undertaken by the group in question over the years.
634. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of commissions of investigation established under the aegis of his Department, in tabular form, since the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 came into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22749/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra635. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of commissions of investigation under the aegis of his Department which have yet to complete and publish their reports; if he will provide a timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22760/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra636. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of commissions of investigation established under the aegis of his Department during the term of the current Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22771/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 634 to 636, inclusive, together.
The information being sought by the Deputy on Commissions of Investigation under the aegis of my Department is set out in the following tabular form as requested.
|
Number of Commissions of Investigation: Since the 2004 Act came into effect |
Number of Commissions of Investigation: During the current Dáil term |
Title of the Commission |
Timeframe for Report |
|
1 |
1 |
Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters (S.I. No 57 of 2015) |
Final report to be completed no later than 36 months from the date of its establishment on the 17th February 2015. |
637. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will address the immediate need for resources to be sanctioned by his Department for an automated external defibrillator in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [21876/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy. 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.
638. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of people who have been approved for home care packages, but who are on waiting lists for receipt of this service, in each Dublin local health office area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22419/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra639. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of people who have been approved, granted and declined home care packages in each of the years 2012 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22420/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 638 and 639 together.
As these are service matters they have 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.
640. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the progress in relation to the reinstatement of the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant; and the reason for the delay. [22664/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra641. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Health his plans to announce details for an alternative scheme that is being devised to replace the motorised transport grant, which was suspended in February 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21245/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra753. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health when he will introduce a replacement scheme for the motorised transportation grant scheme, as promised some time ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21770/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra853. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 522 of 24 of March 2015, when a new motorised transportation grant or similar scheme will be reintroduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22251/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 640, 641, 753 and 853 together.
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. The Government decided that the preparatory work required for a new transport support scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by the Minister for Health. 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 cost of their mobility needs, while remaining within the available budget and satisfying all legal and equality concerns.
Work is ongoing on the policy proposals to be brought to Government for the drafting of primary legislation for a new scheme. Once policy proposals have been finalised and approved by Government, the time frame for the introduction of a new scheme will become clearer. The Health (Transport Supports) Bill is included in the Government's legislative programme for 2015. On foot of a Government decision, monthly payments have continued to be made by the Health Service Executive to 4,700 people who were in receipt of the Mobility Allowance at the time the scheme closed, on the basis that this would prevent hardship and, on an interim basis, alleviate stress, anxiety and uncertainty among a vulnerable group in society.
