Written Answers Nos. 264-270
264. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of school non-attendance data for each electoral division in Dublin or the smallest administrative division available in each of the years 2010 to 2016 in tabular form. [21172/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Educational Welfare Service of Tusla has advised that it does not hold the school attendance data in a format which enables Tusla to readily provide information for electoral divisions thus providing the level of detail requested for the years 2010 to 2016. Furthermore Tusla advises it would be exceedingly time-consuming to provide the information required as it would involve a manual trawl of the attendance returns for all schools in Dublin for each of the six years to allocate the schools in Dublin to their correct electoral division and then calculate the data related to each school and electoral division and provide averages. Were staff time to be allocated to this task it would significantly impinge on the day to day delivery of services.
The Educational Welfare Service of Tusla has advised that data at county level is available on the Tusla website in the Annual Attendance Reports prepared by the Education Research Centre. This information can be located at the following web address www.tusla.ie/services/educational-welfare-services/publications/research-and-statistics.
265. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the 9,000 families (details supplied) that are to benefit from more affordable child care; the income bracket those 9,000 families are in; the net incomes they would need to be on to qualify for up to €12 a week when the online system is available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21199/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe take-up of childcare subsidies depends not just on eligibility, but on parental demand for childcare, and on the availability of childcare places in local childcare facilities that are taking part in the relevant subsidy scheme.
Differences between the expected take-up of CCS and TEC subsidies this September and the expected initial take-up in the first year of the Affordable Childcare Scheme partly reflect differences between the schemes in eligibility rules. Eligibility for CCS and TEC depends on receipt of a range of social welfare payments, possession of a Medical Card or GP Visit Card, or participation in one of a range of education or training courses, or labour market activation schemes. Eligibility for targeted elements of the Affordable Childcare Scheme, in contrast, will depend on a family’s income-level. While the income thresholds for the Affordable Childcare Scheme and the planned changes to CCS for September have been designed to ensure a high degree of continuity for families between subsidies available this September and subsequent subsidies under the Affordable Childcare Scheme, it is inevitable that there will be some differences given the change in eligibility rules.
Given expected parental demand and expected take-up by providers, it is estimated that up to 70,000 children and their families will benefit from childcare subsidies from this September, through either the CCS or TEC programmes.
Given expected parental demand and expected take-up by providers, it is estimated that approximately 79,000 children and their families will benefit from the Affordable Childcare Scheme during its first year of operation.
The estimated difference of 9,000 is partly accounted for by children aged 3 and older whose family incomes are above the threshold for a GP Visit Card but below the threshold for the Affordable Childcare Scheme. These families typically have net incomes close to the maximum income threshold for the Affordable Childcare Scheme, and the level of subsidy payable to these families under the Affordable Childcare Scheme would therefore be low. To qualify for the targeted element of the Affordable Childcare Scheme, when it becomes available, families will have to have a net family income of less than €47,500.
The difference is also partly accounted for by children aged 3 and older whose parents may be eligible for a GP Visit Card – or other eligibility criterion for CCS – but have not taken it up. A communications initiative over the coming months will aim to minimise the number of families in the latter group, through increasing awareness among parents of their potential eligibility for CCS subsidies.
266. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of families that will be eligible under the community subvention scheme in September 2017; the number of families that will not be eligible but would have been eligible under the affordable child care scheme if implemented according to details published in October 2016; the rates which will be in effect in September 2017 for bands (details supplied), in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21203/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe take-up of childcare subsidies depends not just on eligibility, but on parental demand for childcare, and on the availability of childcare places in local childcare facilities that are taking part in the relevant subsidy scheme.
My Department has recently made significant efforts to increase the number of childcare facilities taking part in subsidy schemes and the number of subsidised places, particularly through opening up the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) to private providers in 2016 and – earlier this year – through making it easier to register children under the scheme throughout the year. These efforts will continue in the coming months through a communications initiative with parents and providers. In addition, the availability for the first time of a universal band within CCS from September is expected to incentivise more private providers to sign contracts to participate in the scheme.
With regard to the level of parental demand for childcare, there is considerably uncertainty about the level of take-up of subsidised places, given the high level of change to subsidy rates from this September. Increases in subsidies are expected to lead an increase in demand, but this increase may take time to fully materialise as the speed of change in demand depends, for example, on the speed with which parents for whom childcare is now affordable – as a result of higher levels of subsidy – are able to obtain work.
Differences between the expected take-up of CCS and TEC subsidies this September and the expected initial take-up in the first year of the Affordable Childcare Scheme partly reflect differences between the schemes in eligibility rules. Eligibility for CCS and TEC depends on receipt of a range of social welfare payments, possession of a Medical Card or GP Visit Card, or participation in one of a range of education or training courses, or labour market activation schemes. Eligibility for targeted elements of the Affordable Childcare Scheme, in contrast, will depend on a family’s income-level. While the income thresholds for the Affordable Childcare Scheme and the planned changes to CCS for September have been designed to ensure a high degree of continuity for families between subsidies available this September and subsequent subsidies under the Affordable Childcare Scheme, it is inevitable that there will be some differences given the change in eligibility rules.
Given expected parental demand and expected take-up by providers, it is estimated that up to 70,000 children and their families will benefit from childcare subsidies from this September, through either the CCS or TEC programmes.
Given expected parental demand and expected take-up by providers, it is estimated that approximately 79,000 children and their families will benefit from the Affordable Childcare Scheme during its first year of operation.
The table shows the change in CCS weekly subsidy rates that will be in effect from September 2017, for full-time and part-time subsidies. The changes include the introduction of two new bands: a Band C (with the current Band B being divided into two bands: Band B and Band C), and a universal band (open to all families with children between 6 and 36 months old, or until qualification for the Free Pre-School Programme if later).
|
Band A (Full time) |
Band A (Part time) |
Band AJ (Full time) |
Band AJ (Part time) |
Band B (Full time) |
Band B (Part time) |
Band C (Full-time) |
Band C (Part-time) |
Universal band (Full-time) |
Universal band (Part-time) |
|
|
Current Weekly Rate |
€95 |
€47.50 |
€50 |
€47.50 |
€50 |
€25 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Weekly Rate from Sept. 2017 |
€145 |
€80 |
€80 |
€80 |
€70 |
€35 |
€50 |
€25 |
€20 |
€10 |
267. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the maximum hourly and weekly child care subsidy that will be paid for a child aged 18 months, assuming the lowest possible gross and net family income under existing child care schemes in September 2017; the maximum subsidy such a child or similar child will receive when the affordable child care scheme is introduced, or would have received if the affordable child care scheme had been introduced in September 2017 in accordance with details published in October 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21209/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOwing to the rescheduling of the delivery of the Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS), it has become necessary to continue with the existing CCS/P programme into 2017/2018. In an effort to ensure that available funding is utilised to advance my Department's policy objectives, there are modifications to the existing CCS/P programme. Existing band rate subvention under the current CCS/P programme will be adjusted and new bands created to align more closely with the ACS. There will be a universal entitlement to subvention towards childcare costs, for children up to 3 years old or qualification to commence the free ECCE programme, at a rate of up to a maximum of €20 per week with effect from September 2017. This subvention is aligned with the rates proposed under the ACS. The CCS/P caters for children in the age range of 0-15 years. From September 2017, the maximum childcare subsidy available to parents who qualify for CCS/P will be €145 per week, which will be paid pro-rata based on child’s level of attendance (full-time, part-time, sessional, or half-sessional).
Unlike the ACS, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) and the Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) programmes, which are the childcare schemes that will be in operation in September 2017, calculate subsidies on a weekly rather than an hourly basis. Also, unlike the ACS, the existing schemes do not vary subsidy rates by the age of the child; the same subsidy applies whether a child is 18 months or 8 years old.
The maximum subsidy in September will be €145 per week under both the CCS and TEC programmes, eligibility for which is based not on family income but on other specified criteria (e.g. receipt of relevant social welfare payments and possession of a Medical Card). This highest level of weekly subsidy will be available for full-time childcare, which under the current schemes is defined as childcare for more than 5 hours per day.
When the ACS is introduced, the maximum subsidy that an 18 month old will be able to receive will be €4.37 per hour, for up to a maximum of 40 hours per week.
For a family that benefits from this maximum hourly subsidy rate and uses the full 40 hours of childcare per week, the ACS will provide a subsidy of €175 per week.
For a family that benefits from this maximum hourly subsidy and uses 6 hours of childcare per day (which counts as full-time under the existing schemes), i.e. 30 hours per week, the ACS will provide a subsidy of €131 per week.
So, while some 18-month olds in full-time childcare will be slightly better off when the ACS is introduced, some will be slightly worse off. The maximum subsidy rate set for this September (€145), which is 53% higher than the current maximum subsidy rate under CCS (€95), necessarily is a compromise subsidy rate, reflecting the fact that the existing childcare schemes offer less scope for variation in subsidy rates than will be possible when the ACS is introduced.
Similarly, as the existing childcare schemes do not vary subsidy rates by the age of the child, the increased subsidy rates being introduced this September necessarily reflect a compromise between the subsidy rates for older children and for younger children that the ACS will provide. For example, for a child using 7 hours childcare per day, or 35 hours per week, the maximum subsidy this September will be €145 per week, regardless of the age of the child. When the ACS is introduced, the maximum subsidy for 35 hours per week will range from €132 per week for a school-aged child (for out-of-term-time care) to €179 per week for a child between the ages of 6 and 12 months old.
268. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason for the delay in introducing the affordable child care scheme; when her attention was drawn to this; when it is expected she will address those reasons and commence the scheme; if the maximum and minimum subsidies indicated (details supplied) still apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21210/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Affordable Childcare Scheme is an extremely complex and ambitious project because of all that is involved – legislation, new business processes, data protection and building a new IT system. Since the policy paper for the introduction of the Affordable Childcare Scheme was approved by Government in October 2016, officials in DCYA and Pobal have been working intensively to plan for the implementation of this Scheme. The Scheme must be fully functional and rigorously tested before it is introduced.
I committed to ensuring that parents would benefit from September 2017, and I will be delivering on this pledge.
I recently announced that a number of changes will be made to existing childcare schemes that will bring substantial benefits to up to 70,000 children and their families from this September. These changes will include: a new universal childcare subsidy for children aged from 6 months up to 36 months old (or qualification for the free pre-school programme); and increases of up to 50% in childcare subvention rates provided under existing targeted childcare schemes.
I was informed during the first week of February that it would not be possible to have a fully automated IT system for the Affordable Childcare Scheme operational in September. I announced this at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on February 8th, whereupon I also stated my hope that the Affordable Childcare Scheme could be introduced this September on the basis of semi-automated income assessments. Officials in my Department closely examined this possibility, however, given the additional time needed for such income assessments, this scenario would have required opening the Scheme to applications in June. Given the extensive requirements of even a semi-automated process – including legislation, IT development of a parent application portal, and extensive new business processes – it was determined that this scenario was not achievable within the timeframe.
Officials in my Department and in Pobal are now working intensively to deliver the full Affordable Childcare Scheme – including automated income assessments, at the earliest possible date. Rigorous governance and project-monitoring procedures are in place for the Scheme, including a Project Board that meets on a 3-weekly basis which includes representatives of my Department, the Department of Social Protection, the Revenue Commissioners, Pobal, and an independent member. In addition, the IT development is currently undergoing an independent peer review carried out by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer.
There has been no change to the maximum and minimum subsidies approved by Government in January, which will apply when the Affordable Childcare Scheme is introduced. The maximum subsidies under the Affordable Childcare Scheme will range from €3.76 per hour for school-aged children to €5.11 per hour for children between 6 and 12 months old, for up to a maximum of 40 hours per week. The minimum subsidy for children aged between 6 and 36 months (or qualification for the Free Pre-School programme if later) will be €0.50 per hour. There will be no minimum subsidy for older children.
269. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to review Defence Forces regulations with regard to the governance and management of married quarters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21179/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra270. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of families which are in residence in married quarters in the Curragh camp; the number of these families which have an eviction order pending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21180/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together.
Since 1997 the Department’s policy has been to withdraw from the provision of married quarters for serving personnel as they are no longer required for the modern soldier. In this context, there are no plans to review Defence Force Regulations with regards to the governance and management of married quarters.
Personnel who leave the Defence Forces or who vacate a married quarter property are required to return vacant possession of that property.
Those who fail to return vacant possession of such properties are termed “overholders” and the Department seeks to recover possession of the property. Where married quarter properties are located outside the barracks they may be offered for sale to the occupant and many have been disposed of in this manner. The majority of properties being overheld at this point are located within barracks and it is not possible to offer these for sale.
The Department does not have a role in the provision of housing accommodation for the general public and the ongoing illegal occupation of these properties cannot be supported. It is always preferable not to have to use legal means to obtain vacant possession and each case of overholding is dealt with on an individual basis. My officials have met with a number of overholders to discuss and examine what assistance can be provided to bring about a resolution.
However, securing alternative housing is a matter for the individuals concerned. In certain cases individuals may qualify for social housing or some level of housing assistance. When requested to do so the Department provides whatever documentation it can to support such applications.
The Department’s engagement with overholders is ongoing. It is hoped that the discussions will provide an opportunity for both sides to work together in order to bring about a resolution to the problem.
Currently there are twenty six (26) overholders in or near the Curragh Camp. Of this group, the Department has issued “Notices to Quit” in twelve cases and court proceedings seeking vacant possession were commenced in two of these cases. I am aware of a small number of overholders who are particularly vulnerable and the deputy can be assured that they will be treated in an appropriately sensitive manner.
There are also thirteen (13) serving personnel currently residing in married quarters in the Curragh Camp.
