Written Answers Nos. 1669-1686
1669. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the consumer rights Bill, the general scheme of which her Department had previously published; if she is considering greater consumer protection in relation to unfair contract terms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1980/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department originally published the draft Scheme of a comprehensive Consumer Rights Bill for public consultation on 25 May 2015. Part 5 of the draft Scheme proposes to strengthen consumer protection against unfair terms, including removing the exemption for negotiated terms, narrowing the scope of the terms exempt from assessment for unfairness, and expanding the list of contract terms presumed to be unfair. While I am anxious to progress the Scheme of the Consumer Rights Bill, I have to take account of current European Union legislative proposals for Directives on consumer contracts for the supply of digital content and consumer contracts for the online and other distance sale of goods. These proposals which were announced in May 2015 and published in December 2015 overlap very substantially with two of the main parts of the draft Scheme of the Consumer Rights Bill. Discussions on the digital content proposal at working party level have proceeded rapidly with a first reading of the proposal completed by April 2016 and agreement reached at the June Justice and Home Affairs Council on the basic principles of the proposal and on political guidelines for future work on it. The principles and guidelines endorsed by the Council provided the basis for a revised text of the proposal prepared by the Dutch and Slovak Presidencies. Working Party discussions over 12 meeting days during the Slovak Presidency in 2016 examined the revised text in detail. In the view of the Presidency, these discussions made good progress and provided the basis for a policy debate on a number of aspects of the proposal at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 8-9 December.
The incoming Maltese Presidency has indicated that it aims to achieve agreement on a general approach to the digital content proposal in the first half of 2017. In this situation, I have to consider the advisability of bringing forward a legislative proposal to the Oireachtas when a directly related and fully harmonised legislative proposal may be at an advanced stage of the European Union legislative process. The wisdom of introducing legislation in the Oireachtas in 2017, if large parts of that legislation would have to be repealed or substantially amended within a relatively short space of time, is obviously open to question. I will continue to review the progress of the two European Union proposals in 2017 with a view to deciding the best course of action to take with regard to the Scheme of the Consumer Rights Bill.
On the issue of unfair contract terms, EU legislation already exists in this area. The European Communities (Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts) (Amendment) Regulations 2013, which gave effect to the corresponding European Council Directive on Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts, applies to any term in a contract concluded between a seller of goods or supplier of services and a consumer which has not been individually negotiated. Whilst contracts for financial services such as mortgages may indeed come within the scope of the Regulations, certain terms within such contracts are excluded from the scope of the Regulations. While these Regulations are enforced by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, ComReg and the Central Bank, it is ultimately a matter for the Courts to determine whether a specific term of a contract is unfair having regard to the features of the contract and the particular provisions of the Regulations.
1670. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made to date with the investigation into the mother and baby home in Tuam, County Galway; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that soil has been removed from the site by the investigation team; the steps taken to secure the safety of this soil in view of the sensitive nature of the investigation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41885/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, it is important to stress that the statutory Commission of Investigation is independent in the conduct of its investigations.
I am aware that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission has undertaken test excavations at the site of the Children's Burial Ground/Memorial Garden located in the Dublin Road Housing Estate, Tuam, Co. Galway. The Commission has publicly stated that a sample of the site was being excavated to resolve a number of queries that the Commission has in relation to the interment of human remains at this location. The Commission has also clarified that only a fraction of the site would be excavated through test trenches, the location of which have been informed by a Geophysical Survey previously carried out at the site in October 2015.
The Deputy may wish to seek further information directly from the Commission.
1671. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for further investment or the provision of additional resources for a service (details supplied); her further plans for a women's refuge for either counties Cavan and Monaghan to cope with the demand for services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1563/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTusla, the Child and Family Agency allocates funding for a network of 60 organisations that provide services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in Ireland. This includes 20 services that provide some 145 family units of emergency refuge accommodation to women and children.
In 2016, the dedicated national budget for domestic, sexual and gender-based services was €20.6m. This funding level will increase this year and will allow for the continuing implementation of actions in the second National Strategy for Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention).
The precise level of funding to be allocated to the domestic violence services in 2017 is being finalised by Tusla, having regard to the totality of funding, which will exceed €700m in Exchequer support, an increase of €37m over 2016. Following consideration of, and commencement of the process to implement Tusla's Business Plan for 2017, service providers, including domestic violence refuges centres, will be informed of their budget for 2017.
Currently, there are no refuges located in counties Cavan and Monaghan. However, there are three refuge services located in counties Louth and Meath which are responsible for providing services to women and families across the wider North East area.
A range of supports are required in order to reduce the need for women and families to use emergency accommodation and to ensure that families disrupted by domestic violence can be supported to resume safe family living beyond refuge type accommodation, within the shortest possible time frames. The important role that local domestic violence services, including the organisation in question, play in prevention and supporting families outside of refuge is recognised and valued.
Tusla recognises that there are challenges to be addressed in ensuring that there is an appropriate configuration of spaces available to all women and children who require emergency refuge accommodation, and that those with the greatest need for safe accommodation, are prioritised appropriately.
As part of its commissioning process, Tusla is looking at levels of need and will work with the organisation in question and all key stakeholders to ensure that appropriate responses are in place for those affected by domestic violence in counties Cavan and Monaghan.
1672. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of pupil suspensions at second-level schools in County Louth, by name of individual school, for the school years 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. [1575/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following tables. Tusla have advised that they are still awaiting information from some schools for the 2015/16 school year and that data for the 2016/2017 year will not be available until Annual Attendance Reports are filed with Tusla later in 2017.
2014/2015 Post Primary
|
Roll Number |
School Name |
Number of Suspensions |
|
91441T |
Ardee Community School |
42 |
|
71750U |
Bush Post Primary School |
15 |
|
63891T |
De La Salle College |
40 |
|
63870L |
Drogheda Grammar School |
4 |
|
63920A |
Dundalk Grammar School |
38 |
|
71770D |
Ó Fiaich College |
13 |
|
63850F |
Our Lady’s College |
9 |
|
63840C |
St Joseph’s CBS |
98 |
|
63910U |
St Louis Secondary School |
23 |
|
63890R |
St Mary’s College |
43 |
|
63841E |
St Mary’s Diocesan School |
33 |
|
71761C |
St Oliver’s Community College |
70 |
|
63880O |
Coláiste Rís |
28 |
|
63900R |
St Vincent’s Secondary School |
6 |
2015/2016 Post Primary
|
Roll number |
School Name |
Number of Suspensions |
|
91441T |
Ardee Community School |
39 |
|
91573N |
Ballymakenny College |
15 |
|
71750U |
Bush Post Primary School |
11 |
|
63891T |
De La Salle College |
42 |
|
63870L |
Drogheda Grammar School |
8 |
|
71770D |
Ó Fiach College |
50 |
|
63850F |
Our Lady’s College |
15 |
|
63860I |
Sacred Heart Secondary Sch |
9 |
|
71780G |
Scoil Uí Mhuirí |
86 |
|
63910U |
St. Louis Secondary School |
25 |
|
63890R |
St. Mary’s College |
54 |
|
71761C |
St. Oliver’s Community College |
67 |
|
63900R |
St. Vincent’s Secondary School |
9 |
|
63880O |
Coláiste Rís |
30 |
|
63840C |
St Joseph’s CBS |
75 |
|
63841E |
St Marys Diocesan School |
22 |
1673. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will intervene with insurance companies that are raising premiums for providers of child care services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41076/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that officials from my Department have made enquiries with the Department of Finance on this matter, who have advised the following: The Cost of Insurance Working Group, which to date has looked at the increasing cost of motor insurance, will be broadening the review to specifically consider other lines of non-life insurance. The Report relating to motor insurance was approved by Government on 10 January. As some of the factors are common to all insurance lines, many of the recommendations in that report will also address the difficulties being experienced in the cost and availability of insurance in other sectors, including the small business sector. The Department of Finance has already received submissions from some relevant representative bodies and SMEs which outline their concerns. The Department of Finance also welcomes any submissions from childcare provider organisations on this as part of the review.
Submissions can be sent to insurance@finance.gov.ie.
1674. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures in place for the potential fallout from the implementation of new guidelines for crèches that will cause huge difficulties for the staffing of services and that will commence as of 1 January 2017, when the new guidelines are proposed to come into effect; if her attention has been drawn to the crisis in the early years sector in which providers are facing being unable to hire new staff with the required level of qualifications in January 2017; the system being put in place to assist these providers whose employees are either currently upskilling and therefore unable to continue with full-time work at their crèches or have not yet commenced the upskilling process; and if she will make any exceptions for those that have been working with particular services for many years, in order for their experience to count towards the new qualification requirements. [41235/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 all childcare staff working directly with children in early years services registering with Tusla on or after 30th June 2016 must hold a major award in early childhood care and education at level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be equivalent, or an exemption from the qualification requirement.
It was originally intended that the minimum qualification requirement for early years staff would come into effect from September 2015. In the autumn of 2014, the childcare sector was advised that an exemption from the qualification requirement would be available for those staff who intended to retire from the sector within the next few years, and who did not wish to engage in a course of study leading to the required minimum qualification.
In addition to this cohort, there are a number of childcare staff who, because of the absence until late 2015 of an official list of approved qualifications for the early years sector, thought they already held the required qualifications and only found out that they did not when my Department published the reference list of qualifications for staff working in the early years sector on 25th September 2015. A number of such staff applied to my Department for recognition of their qualifications and any person’s qualification found not to meet the requirements of the Regulations could have availed of the exemption.
However, applications for exemption were only permitted up to the date of commencement of the Regulations (30th June 2016). The exemption from the qualifications requirement for the purpose of the Regulations will expire on 1st September 2021.
My Department is aware of the issues faced by the childcare sector in sourcing suitably qualified persons and is currently working on initiatives to address this issue in order to ensure that there is a sufficient number of people available to work in the sector.
One of those initiatives, the Learner Fund, was introduced in 2014 in order to provide support for existing childcare staff to achieve the minimum NFQ level 5 qualification requirement in the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016. This Fund has also been expanded to support existing pre-school leaders to up-skill to NFQ Level 6, given that it is now the minimum requirement for pre-school leaders delivering the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme to have a NFQ level 6 qualification.
Funding of €1.5m will be available in 2017 to continue to Level 6 support in the context of the expansion of the ECCE programme. In addition, my Department also hopes to extend the Learner Fund to support childcare staff to achieve higher level qualifications in childcare, i.e. NFQ Level 7 and Level 8. In this regard, my Department intends to commence work as soon as possible on the development of an approved panel of Level 7 and Level 8 training providers, and a new Learner Fund application process.
I have recently made funding available to provide a bursary to childcare staff who have undertaken higher level courses at their own expense. My Department hopes to focus now on higher level childcare qualifications, and providing some support to staff who have undertaken such courses of study on their own initiative is the first step in this process.
Finally, my Department will continue to monitor the situation with regard to staffing in the childcare sector. However, in the meantime I would urge childcare providers to continue to engage on the matter with their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC).
1675. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to address the length of time it takes early years services to get Garda clearance for hiring new staff; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that it often has little to do with the actual process and is in fact more to do with a backlog; and if her Department is researching any new options that will relieve this backlog and speed up the process in order that services are not left with a shortage of staff which in turn affects the sustainability of the whole service and the children in it. [41236/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra1697. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the fact that Garda vetting of early childhood practitioners can take more than ten weeks; if consideration will be given to centralising the vetting process in one organisation in order to speed up the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1271/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1675 and 1697 together.
I am aware that there have been difficulties in relation to obtaining vetting disclosures for staff. I have provided additional funding to both Early Childhood Ireland and Barnardos to assist the clearance of the backlog of vetting applications that built up during the changeover from paper to e-vetting. In addition, officials from my Department will be meeting with both organisations in the next few weeks to discuss the administration of vetting applications, with the objective of endeavouring to ensure that the process works as efficiently as possible in the interest of early years services and the children attending those services.
1676. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the plans in place to support and assist community child care providers to mitigate against the inevitable pressures which will follow the removal of community employment workers from the rota from 1 January 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41248/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, registered providers of pre-school services are now required to ensure that each employee working directly with children attending the service holds at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework or a qualification deemed by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to be equivalent.
In early 2016, my Department asked Childcare Committees Ireland (CCI) to lead on a national piece of work, with the 30 City and County Childcare Committees, to ascertain whether there were community services who were reliant on Community Employment workers to maintain the staff ratios and who would struggle financially when the new regulations came into full effect on 31st December 2016. This research indicated that the majority of services would not experience major difficulties as a result of this regulatory change, which had been notified to services some time in advance.
My Department, through CCI, is continuing to engage with services that are affected by this change and, in cases were challenges have been identified, CCI is working with these services to finalise business plans that will enable them to continue to provide service, in compliance with the childcare regulations.
1677. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount paid to private children's residential services to care for and accommodate unaccompanied minors arriving here in the near future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41374/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been informed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that no money has been paid to private children's residential services for unaccompanied minors who have not yet arrived in Ireland. Tusla is preparing suitable accommodation and care for the young people's arrival.
1678. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there are sufficient private residential services to meet the demand required by Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41383/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe latest figures from Tusla indicate that, at the end of October 2016, there were 6,306 children in care. Of these, over 93% were in foster care, either with relatives or a general foster placement and 5% were in a general residential placement. At the end of October 2016, there were approximately 160 centres, including private, statutory and community based centres caring for 320 children. These centres also cater for 18 year olds who are no longer in care but who are completing school.
Residential care is the placement of choice for older children who have needs that are best met by this placement type. In general, residential care is based in domestic style homes, catering for 2 or 3 older children.
The placement of children in care is governed by Regulations. These provide, inter alia, for the welfare of the child, the care practices, care records, accommodation and safety precautions. Tusla has an active procurement policy and keeps its requirements under review and commissions foster and residential services as required. This ensures that Tusla can access specialist services to meet the emotional and mental health needs of children in care.
The Health Information & Quality Authority (HIQA) inspects all Tusla-run residential centres, and publishes its findings on www.hiqa.ie. Tusla has responsibility for inspecting all private and voluntary children's residential centres and these inspection reports are available on the Tusla website, www.tusla.ie.
1679. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will consider setting up a State-sponsored voluntary DNA website for all those persons who have been in care in order to trace family and relatives. [41430/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the vast majority of instances, the family of a child or young person in State care is known to them and, of course, to Tusla – the Child and Family Agency. On that basis, there are no plans to establish a State sponsored voluntary DNA website in order that those who have been in care can trace their relatives.
As the Deputy is aware, the Child Care Act 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 are the two main pieces of legislation governing children in care. Under these Acts, Tusla has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. A core principle of Ireland’s care system is the maintenance of relationships with a child’s natural family unless, of course, it is considered that such contact is not in the child’s best interests.
In some cases, parents may agree to their children being taken into the care of Tusla on a voluntary basis that is with the agreement of the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s). In others, Tusla may apply to the court for a care order. It should be noted that 93% of children in State care are in foster care and almost 30% of them have been placed with relatives.
Tusla has informed me that details in relation to family members and relatives and significant others are retained on the child’s care file. Information in relation to these people is made available to the child during their time in care.
However, in some cases, children may not have details in relation to both of their natural parents. In such instances, social workers work closely with the family members to ascertain this information for the child(ren).
In the exceptional circumstance where no natural parents or relatives can be identified for a child who has come into care, namely with unaccompanied minors, Tusla makes extensive searches, and supports children and young people in searching for their family. Reunification with family is considered a priority for children in these circumstances.
1680. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of new foster carers recruited by the Child and Family Agency for 2015 and 2016, broken down by social work office and by year. [41470/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been advised by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that data are not collected on the number of newly recruited foster carers. However, the total number of foster carers on the approved panel of foster carers at the end 2015 and to the end of September, 2016 is as follows:
Total Number of Foster Carers on the panel of approved foster carers - General and Relative
|
Year |
Total Number |
|
2015 |
4,149 |
|
2016 (Q3) |
4,160 |
Tusla has advised that this information is not available by area. The 2016 year end figures for numbers of approved foster carers will be published in the coming weeks.
1681. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the conditions under which private foster placements are used by the Child and Family Agency; the number of private placements used by the Child and Family Agency in 2015 and 2016 broken down by local social work office, in tabular form; and the additional cost of these placements over the cost of a Child and Family Agency foster carer. [41471/16]
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.
1682. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of specialist interviews relating to child sexual abuse completed jointly by social workers and gardaí for 2015 and 2016, broken down by area and year. [41472/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been advised by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency that Tusla does not collect data on the number of joint social work and Gardaí specialist child sexual abuse interviews carried out.
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 (a voluntary based organisation). 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).
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. The HSE, Tusla and CARI along with others, provide counselling, therapeutic and family support to children who have been abused sexually.
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. Tusla, along with other agencies, provides counselling and support to 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.
1683. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of Tusla workers and the number of reports received in respect of concerns regarding the welfare of children by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41480/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraTusla, the Child and Family Agency, holds the statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, and is the appropriate body to receive relevant reports of concerns relating to children. Data on referrals are reported quarterly in arrears. At the end of Quarter 2, 2016, Tusla reported that approximately 59% of referrals received were of a child welfare concern with the remaining 41% relating to child protection concerns as detailed in the following table.
|
Year |
Child Welfare Referrals |
Child Protection Referrals |
Total Number of Referrals |
|
2015 |
25,361 (58%) |
18,235 (42%) |
43,596 |
|
2016 (end Q2) |
13,983 (59%) |
9,587 (41%) |
23,570 |
Tusla's policy is to refer child welfare referrals to relevant family and community support services. At any stage, if a determination is made that there is abuse, whether physical, emotional, sexual or neglect, from which there is an ongoing risk of significant harm, the child protection pathway is followed. The number of reports of child welfare and protection concerns received by Tusla, by administrative area, to the end of June 2016 is set out in the table below.
|
Combined Totals for Child Protection (Abuse) and Child Welfare Concern (Note: Data is reported quarterly in arrears) |
Outturn 2015 (Total) |
Quarter 1 2016 |
Quarter 2 2016 |
YTD 2016 (Total) |
|
Dublin Mid Leinster |
11,522 |
3,003 |
3,063 |
6,066 |
|
Dublin South Central |
1,753 |
495 |
403 |
898 |
|
Dublin South East Wicklow |
2,145 |
548 |
524 |
1,072 |
|
Dublin South West Kildare West Wicklow |
3,129 |
743 |
704 |
1,447 |
|
The Midlands |
4,495 |
1,217 |
1,432 |
2,649 |
|
Dublin North East |
9,619 |
2,584 |
3,029 |
5,613 |
|
Dublin City North |
2,457 |
686 |
788 |
1,474 |
|
Dublin North |
3,853 |
927 |
1,116 |
2,043 |
|
Louth Meath |
2,371 |
737 |
852 |
1,589 |
|
Cavan Monaghan |
938 |
234 |
273 |
507 |
|
South |
12,257 |
3,285 |
3,674 |
6,959 |
|
Cork |
5,160 |
1,431 |
1,604 |
3,035 |
|
Kerry |
997 |
300 |
294 |
594 |
|
Carlow Kilkenny South Tipperary |
2,638 |
567 |
694 |
1,261 |
|
Waterford Wexford |
3,462 |
987 |
1,082 |
2,069 |
|
West |
10,198 |
2,434 |
2,498 |
4,932 |
|
The Midwest |
4,079 |
1,039 |
1,021 |
2,060 |
|
Galway Roscommon |
3,179 |
759 |
901 |
1,660 |
|
Mayo |
884 |
212 |
164 |
376 |
|
Donegal |
1,007 |
252 |
191 |
443 |
|
Sligo Leitrim West Cavan |
1,049 |
172 |
221 |
393 |
|
National Total |
43,596 |
11,306 |
12,264 |
23,570 |
Tusla has advised that at the end of November 2016, there were a total of 3,573 (whole time equivalent) staff employed by Tusla broken down by grade as follows:
|
Staffing by Category |
% of Grade Group |
November 2016 |
|
Social work |
40.90% |
1,460.58 |
|
Social Care |
30.90% |
1,103.55 |
|
Psychology and Counselling |
0.60% |
22.62 |
|
Other Support Staff inc catering |
1.80% |
63.48 |
|
Other Health Professionals |
0.30% |
9.92 |
|
Nursing |
1.40% |
50.01 |
|
Management VIII+ |
3.00% |
106.43 |
|
Family Support |
4.60% |
162.99 |
|
Education and Welfare Officer |
2.30% |
83.78 |
|
Admin Grade III-VII |
14.30% |
509.63 |
|
Total Staffing |
100.00% |
3,573 WTE |
1684. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will report on the proposed free child care scheme for homeless children in Dublin; and if there are plans for the scheme to extend to children outside Dublin. [41506/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra1685. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the timeline for rolling out free child care hours for homeless children in the County Kildare area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41544/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1684 and 1685 together.
As part of the “Rebuilding Ireland – an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness”, my Department has commenced the rollout of a special provision under the current Community Childcare Subvention Programme (entitled CCS Transitional), which will provide access to free childcare for children of families experiencing homelessness. The provision aims to provide subvention for all pre-school children aged 0-5 inclusive, including those of ECCE eligible age range (i.e. 3-5 years inclusive). This provision is also designed to help those transitioning from homelessness to permanent accommodation.
A flat rate of €110 per week, for part-time childcare over 5 days per week will be paid in relation to each child attending under CCS Transitional, for the eligible duration of their childcare place. A daily meal must be provided for each child, the cost of which is included in the subvention rate.
Enrolment of children under this programme opened for Service providers with effect from Monday 2nd January 2017. Approximately 50 providers have applied thus far.
Focus Ireland are working closely with my Department to identify eligible families. The Dublin based City and County Childcare Committees will continue to encourage and support relevant childcare providers to engage with this new provision.
Initial figures for the numbers of children are not yet available pending the completion of the registration process.
While the provision was initially rolled out in the Dublin area, given that the substantial majority of eligible children are in the Dublin area, DCYA are currently examining mechanisms to make the subvention available outside of Dublin.
1686. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if children in direct provision will be eligible for free child care hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41545/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the status of people in direct provision will vary from person to person. Given that eligibility for different schemes will be very much dependant on the individual circumstances of the family concerned, thus access to childcare schemes will vary.
The Community Childcare Subvention (Resettlement/Relocation) programme is available to certain families engaging with the Department of Justice and Equality Resettlement and Relocation Programmes and those possessing the relevant letter of approval from that Department. In this scheme, a flat rate of €95 per week, for part-time childcare over 4 days per week, is paid in relation to each child attending for the eligible duration of their childcare place.
Information on the Community Childcare Subvention (Resettlement/Relocation) programme and all other childcare schemes, including the specific eligibility criteria of each scheme, is available on my Department’s website.
