Written Answers Nos. 269-279
269. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which the relevant bodies under her aegis can react to reports and-or concerns affecting children in all forms of care or in the home in which a strong suspicion exists in respect of their welfare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22622/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe bodies under the aegis of my Department are the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Ombudsman for Children and the Oberstown Children Detention Campus. I have referred the question to each of these bodies and asked them to provide the information sought directly to the Deputy.
The referred replies under Standing Order 42A were forwarded to the Deputy.
270. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of the legislation and the procedures arising therefrom to adequately protect children and vulnerable young adults in all situations in which their security and well-being may be threatened; the extent to which case officers are appointed and can report in a reasonable time; the extent to which required action can take place to address issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22623/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am committed to the protection and welfare of children and believe that there is a moral duty on Government and on society to work together to protect children and to ensure their safety.
From my Department’s perspective Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Any child who resides in Ireland and who is not receiving adequate care and protection can be received into the care of the State if deemed to be the appropriate action required. Tusla is required under the 1991 Act to investigate allegations of abuse, including historical abuse, and to engage with An Garda Síochána where appropriate. Tusla has a key role in supporting some of the most vulnerable children and young people in State care. My Department provides funding for Tusla. In 2017 it has been allocated exchequer funding of €713 million, representing an increase of €37 million on 2016. Tusla provides a comprehensive range of services and supports for vulnerable children and families. These include child welfare and protection, including family support; educational welfare; pre-school inspection and domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. These services and supports are provided by Social Workers, Educational Welfare Officers, and Early Years Inspectors.
The Deputy may be aware that my Department is leading a review of the Child Care Act 1991. This work is being progressed in close cooperation with Tusla. The review process will also involve consultation with stakeholders.
The Children First Act 2015 was signed into law on 19th November last year. With the removal of the common law defence of reasonable chastisement, children now enjoy the full protection of the law in relation to assault. This new legislation will also provide for mandated reporting of child protection concerns and will require organisations working with children to prepare Child Safeguarding Statements. I have approved phased preparations for implementation of the remaining provisions of the Act in the period up to end 2017. The legislation will operate side-by-side with the existing non-statutory obligations provided for in Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011. The Guidance is currently being revised and updated to take account of the new legislative obligations so as to provide in one place a comprehensive reference resource for individuals and organisations. A statutory Children First Inter-Departmental Implementation Group has been established to promote the importance of Children First compliance across Government and to ensure a consistent approach is adopted.
My Department has responsibility for the Oberstown Children Detention Campus and it has a range of procedural safeguards in place to ensure the safety and welfare of the children detained there.
The Deputy will of course be aware that there is a broad range of legislative protections for children across a range of Government Departments - Health, Education, Justice, Social Protection - which are embraced by the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures.
271. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which the relevant bodies under her aegis have received notification of cyberbullying among children and young adults; the action available or pending to address such issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22624/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe bodies under the aegis of my Department are the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Ombudsman for Children and the Oberstown Children Detention Campus. I have referred the question to each of these bodies and asked them to provide the information sought directly to the Deputy.
The referred replies under Standing Order 42A were forwarded to the Deputy.
272. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she and her Department continue to support voluntary agencies such as youth organisations involved in providing support for children and young people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22625/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff working in youth services and communities throughout the country.
I am pleased to confirm that I have allocated an extra €5.5m in current funding to support the provision of youth services in 2017. This will bring the total youth funding by my Department to €57.4m, an increase of 10% over last year's allocation. The additional funding is being used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services.
These schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme under which funding is made available on an annual basis to thirty national and major regional youth organisations. In 2017, some €10.65m has been allocated under this scheme, a 5% increase over 2016.
This funding is intended to ensure the emergence, promotion, growth and development of youth organisations with distinctive philosophies and programmes aimed at the social education of young people.
The Local Youth Club Grant Scheme supports youth work activities at a local level. These grants are made available to all youth clubs and groups through the local Education and Training Boards. The scheme is open to some 1,600 youth groups and clubs, with an estimated 89,000 club members around the country. The scheme, which is open to new entrants, is advertised locally and applications for funding are invited by the Education and Training Boards from local groups in their respective areas. Each year, some 600 local youth clubs benefit from the scheme. In 2017, I have provided an additional 10% in funding to the scheme, bringing the total allocation to €1.1715.
273. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she continues to support the various programmes of Kildare youth services, with particular reference to the need to ensure supportive measures in their efforts to meet challenges as identified by them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22626/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra274. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the full extent of grant aid or other support available through her Department to the various youth organisations throughout the country, including County Kildare, in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22627/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 273 and 274 together.
My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff working in youth services and communities throughout the country.
I am pleased to confirm that I have allocated an extra €5.5m in current funding to support the provision of youth services in 2017. This will bring the total youth funding by my Department to €57.4m, an increase of 10% over last year's allocation. The additional funding is being used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people and to assist national youth organisations in their work to support local voluntary youth services.
In 2017, an amount of €525,425 was allocated for the projects and services under Kildare Youth Services, which operates under Youth Work Ireland. My Department provides funding to Kildare Youth Services under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme in respect of six local youth projects in Athy, Naas, Leixlip, Newbridge, the Curragh and Kildare town and a Youth Information Centre in Naas.
The Local Youth Club Grant Scheme supports youth work activities at a local level. These grants are made available to all youth clubs and groups through the local Education and Training Boards. The scheme is open to some 1,600 youth groups and clubs, with an estimated 89,000 club members around the country. The scheme, which is open to new entrants, is advertised locally and applications for funding are invited by the Education and Training Boards from local groups in their respective areas. Each year, some 600 local youth clubs benefit from the scheme. In 2017, I have provided an additional 10% in funding to the scheme, bringing the total allocation to €1.1715, of which €102,624 was allocated to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board. The scheme was advertised by Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board last week and I am advised that the closing date is 26th May next.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has provided an allocation to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board for the provision of a full time youth officer for County Kildare in 2017. I am advised that this post has been advertised by the ETB. I expect that the post will be filled shortly. In the interim, the ETB has a Youth Officer in place who is very active in both counties.
275. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department continues to engage with juvenile offenders with a view to providing rehabilitative or educational supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22628/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Children Act 2001, as amended, provides the statutory basis for dealing with children who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The key principle of the Children Act 2001 is that detention of a child should only be imposed as a last resort. When children come into contact with the criminal justice system there is an emphasis on the promotion of community based options in the first instance. The Irish Youth Justice Service oversees a significant investment in community based programmes to divert young people from further involvement in criminal or anti-social behaviour. In 2016, approximately €17m has been allocated by the Department of Justice and Equality to the Irish Youth Justice Service to administer Garda Youth Diversion Projects, Young Persons Probation Projects and a number of other youth diversion community-based projects. These projects also benefit from support under the European Social Fund.
My Department provides funding to the Irish Youth Justice Service for services relating to the Oberstown Children Detention Campus (Oberstown) and the Bail Supervision Scheme which has recently been established on a pilot basis.
The Bail Supervision Scheme provides therapeutic supports in the community for children who are subject to bail conditions. The service is a ‘wraparound’ service to the young person and their family with a prescribed reporting system back to the courts through the appropriate statutory bodies; Probation Service, An Garda Síochána and Oberstown.
If a child is remanded or sentenced to a period of detention in Oberstown, a range of rehabilitative supports is offered as part of an overall programme, which focuses on the child’s individual needs and provides the framework for each child’s individual journey through detention. The focus is on developing supportive relationships with the main emphasis placed on education and rehabilitation.
The Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS) is a national service provided by Tusla; they provide clinical services to children in the community, children in detention and also in special care facilities. On admission to Oberstown an individual management plan is put in place for each child which includes a mental health assessment to determine the need for more specialist support provided by ACTS and short term interventions may continue when the child returns to the Community.
Oberstown also have service level agreements with EPIC, the Youth Advocacy Programme (YAP) and Le Chéile - Mentoring and Youth Justice Support Services. These provide rehabilitative services to children and young people in detention and during their transition back to their home and community by providing mentoring and support to both the young person and their family.
The Department of Education and Skills provides education and training services through the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board. These include both primary and secondary level courses as well as a wide range of vocational and Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) accredited awards through the Oberstown Education Centre.
The wide range of rehabilitation, education and support services provided and supported by the Irish Youth Justice Service are detailed in the Tackling Youth Crime: Youth Justice Action Plan 2014 – 2018, and a progress report covering the period 2014 to 2015, published in December 2016, is available on my Department's website.
276. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the aspect of youth affairs that has generated most concern in the past eight years; the extent to which adequate action was taken; the quality and efficacy of measures put in place to address such issues; if further action is required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22629/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrior to the establishment of my Department in 2011, funding for youth services was provided through a number of disparate funding schemes and administered by several Government Departments. Against this backdrop, my Department has engaged in a reform programme to ensure quality effective, value for money services that are evidence based and designed to secure the best outcomes for young people. In this regard you will be aware that the targeted schemes supporting youth services were the subject of a Value for Money and Policy Review. The review involved an in-depth scrutiny of the impact youth service provision has on young people’s lives. The review made a number of recommendations for the future operation of the youth schemes and their development in the years ahead. These included the merging the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund 1 and 2 and Local Drugs Task Force Projects into a single youth funding scheme. The work on the development of this new funding scheme has been prioritised by my Department and consultations with youth services are continuing with a view to introducing the new youth funding programme in line with the Value for Money and Policy Review of Youth Programmes over the coming years.
My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work involving approximately 1,400 youth work staff working in youth services and communities throughout the country. The schemes include the Youth Service Grant Scheme under which funding is made available on an annual basis to thirty national and major regional youth organisations, the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme which supports youth work activities at a local level and the Youth Information Centre Scheme which funds twenty five Youth Information Centres.
The National Youth Strategy 2015-2020, published in 2015 was developed in close consultation with statutory youth interests and the voluntary youth organisations and services that work with young people. The strategy sets out Government’s aims for young people, aged 10 to 24 years, so that they are active and healthy, achieving their full potential in learning and development, safe and protected from harm, have economic security and opportunity and are connected and contributing to their world.
My Department, along with all government departments, was required to deliver substantial savings on all funding programmes in line with the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure 2012 – 2014. My Department sought to ensure that front line youth services, particularly those for the most vulnerable young people, were protected as far as is possible from the impact of any necessary reductions in funding. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that Budget 2017 has provided some €57m in current funding to my Department to support the provision of youth services. The increase of €5.5m, along with increases previously provided in Budget 2016 effectively reverses the cuts endured in recent years.
277. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if an Air Corps plane was prevented from entering Swedish airspace due to a failure to submit the necessary paperwork for clearance to a foreign country; the person or bodies responsible for this error; if there will be an investigation into the events; if the aircraft was low on fuel when making the return trip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22424/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Air Corps operates two CASA 235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, which are unarmed aircraft and primarily used for sea fisheries protection and maritime patrolling. They are also on occasion tasked with providing support such as military transport to the wider Defence Forces.
With regard to this particular mission, the necessary paperwork was completed by the Department of Defence. Whilst in normal circumstances the CASA aircraft would have been cleared to enter Swedish airspace, the requirements of the Swedish authorities were not met on this occasion. I wish to assure the Deputy that we fully respect the laws, practices and procedures of other countries with respect to the control of military aircraft in their airspace. Similarly we expect other countries to respect our laws, practices and procedures with respect to the control of foreign military aircraft in our airspace.
Following the decision by the Swedish authorities to refuse access by our aircraft into their airspace, this aircraft was re-tasked mid-operation and it undertook a maritime patrol. The military authorities have assured me that the mission in its entirety was well within the aircraft’s maximum endurance.
278. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason the LÉ Eithne was delayed from leaving Haulbowline to help Italian authorities rescue migrants in the Mediterranean Sea; the length of time the LÉ Eithne was forced to remain in dock; if there will be an investigation into the events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22425/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere has been no delay in the deployment of the LÉ Eithne to support the Italian authorities in addressing the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean Sea.
On 11 April 2017, the Government approved the despatch of a Naval vessel to the Mediterranean to undertake humanitarian search and rescue tasks as part of a bilateral arrangement with the Italian authorities. The Government decision provided that the deployment is subject to finalisation of a bilateral arrangement with the Italian authorities in relation to the operation of the mission and the landing of persons rescued.
Standard practice, since the first deployment of the Naval Service to the Mediterranean, has been that the Naval Service vessels do not depart their base in Haulbowline until the relevant diplomatic procedures are completed, which normally takes four to six weeks. This is necessary to ensure that the requisite coordination arrangements with the Italian authorities and the arrangements for the landing of rescued migrants are in place before a vessel commences operational duties. The requirement for completion of the diplomatic arrangements has been a feature of all Naval Service deployments to the Mediterranean to date and is well understood by all involved. As such, no date for a deployment had been determined and there has been no delay in the deployment of the vessel.
On receipt of the Government decision, the relevant communication was made to the Italian authorities by the Department of Defence through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Embassy in Rome. There has been ongoing contact with the Italian authorities in relation to this matter and I expect, in accordance with normal procedures, the exchange of diplomatic notes to be completed shortly. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Naval Vessel cannot deploy until all of the relevant diplomatic procedures have been completed in accordance with standing practice and the relevant Government decision.
279. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the expected date for completion of the report of the independent review of the investigation into the death of a person and disappearance of another person (details supplied) in Lebanon; his plans to publish the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22493/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn December 2014, the then Minister for Defence, Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D., appointed former High Court Judge, Mr. Roderick Murphy to conduct an independent review of the investigation of the death of Private Hugh Doherty and the disappearance of Private Kevin Joyce (Caomhán Seoighe) on 27 April 1981 while serving as members of the Irish Battalion with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Privates Doherty and Joyce were serving with UNIFIL in 1981 when, on 27 April 1981, an observation post at Dayr Ntar manned by them came under attack. Private Doherty was later found dead from gunshot wounds and Private Joyce was missing. The attackers are unknown. Over the years, extensive diplomatic and military efforts to locate Private Joyce have proved fruitless. To date, no information has been elicited to lead to the recovery of Private Joyce’s remains.
In late June 2015, Mr. Roderick Murphy presented his draft report to the Minister for Defence. Following a review of his report a number of clarifications were raised with Mr. Murphy which were addressed. The Department of Defence also sought and received legal advice from the Attorney General in relation to the publication of the report.
In March 2016, a copy of the draft report was forwarded on a confidential basis to the families and persons identified by the Reviewer for comment prior to publication of the report. The Reviewer received comments from families and a number of persons identified. He has considered these comments and has amended the draft Report where he has considered it appropriate to do so. As a result of this exercise further legal advice was sought from the Attorney General. This advice has been received and is under consideration with a view to finalising the report. It is intended to publish the report once all issues have been finalised.
