Written Answers Nos. 1454-1473
1454. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there is a standard protocol that all persons in the care of the State receive psychological assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36023/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA standard protocol for the provision of psychological assessment to every child who comes into or lives in the care of the State has not been developed. In most cases a protocol of this nature would be unnecessary and inappropriate. When a child is taken into care they are assigned to a social worker, who undertakes a detailed assessment, prior to developing a tailored care plan. Any needs identified which require an assessment, including a psychological assessment, will be included in the care plan and the HSE will be asked to provide the appropriate service. In the situation where no appropriate service is available or is not available in a timely manner, a private service may be purchased to meet the child's needs, as outlined in the care plan.
1455. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 811 of 11 April 2017, if she has received the evaluation report on the youth employability initiative; if so, when the report will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36058/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraLast year, I announced the Youth Employability Initiative which is funded under the Dormant Accounts scheme. 28 youth projects have received grants under this Initiative to support programmes that target disadvantaged young people who are most at risk of unemployment and who are not in education, employment or training. The programmes assisted over 1,000 young people aged 15 to 24 years build skills that will enhance their employability.
Following a Forum hosted by my Department with the successful projects, sharing knowledge, experience and the lessons learned from this Initiative, three further events were held and were both well attended and received. The Initiative was evaluated by the Centre for Effective Services and a draft report is currently being considered by my Department pending publication in the near future.
1456. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the problems encountered by many small child care providers that do not have the resources to deal with the complicated administrative rules for the operation of child care payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36088/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe funding provided by the Department has always been intended to be sufficient to cater for all of the costs associated with the child care schemes funded, including administrative or "non-contact" work, or to fund this pro-rata where the Department's contribution is a part of the total cost of care provided.
Notwithstanding this, to take account of the additional administrative burden on child care providers as a result of significant changes to the child care schemes in 2016-17, including the expansion of the ECCE scheme to include three intake points, contractual changes, and the coming into force of the Child care Regulations, I provided some €14.5m in 2017 to be drawn down as a "non-contact time" payment for providers. I have also secured an additional once-off payment of €3.5m in respect of the More Affordable Child care measures being implemented by providers from this September.
With regard to the necessity of administrative demands on providers, whilst my Department is seeking to minimise the red tape or burden on providers, it is important that appropriate governance and compliance standards are met where Exchequer funding is being used.
The various child care schemes were introduced some years ago on an administrative basis, in response to immediate, identified needs. They were put in place within very short timescales, with limited resources to manage them to today’s standard of financial and administrative compliance. The schemes have benefited tens of thousands of families, helping parents to seek training and employment in circumstances where they would otherwise have been unable to work outside the home. They have also benefited children by providing early care and education.
Many of the services that have been funded are operated by small, locally based providers, and some are overseen by voluntary boards, which would not have the resources or expertise for extensive financial or administrative procedures. With this in mind, my Department has always tried to balance the need for straightforward rules and reasonably simple procedures with the requirements of financial accountability in using taxpayer’s money. Working with community and voluntary organisations and a range of small to larger private services has enabled my Department to reach vulnerable children and families, most in need, all around the country.
My Department has been working for some time to ensure appropriate financial and administrative compliance in the use of child care investment, balanced with sufficient flexibility to enable small local providers or not for profit organisations to meet important needs of young families.
Many of the financial and administrative issues arising will be addressed when the Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS) is put in place on a statutory basis, replacing the existing administratively based schemes. I am committed to introducing the ACS as soon as possible, and am working on the legislation, business processes and ICT system necessary for a robust well-functioning scheme. The new single scheme should be administratively less complex for providers, whilst strong on governance and compliance requirements to protect exchequer investment.
In advance of the ACS, my Department has taken a number of important steps. It has:
- Put significantly increased staffing resources in place to put the schemes on a more robust footing
- Revised grant agreements with providers, strengthening provision of financial reporting
- Prepared improved scheme rules which were published this week to accompany the schemes, giving greater clarity about providers’ record keeping and reporting responsibilities
- Commenced the commissioning of work to review, refine and implement governance and financial accountability capacity within the EY sector
- Increased the number of unannounced visits by Pobal (which operates the schemes on behalf of the Department) especially in areas of particular concern and compliance: and
- Ensured a substantially expanded compliance programme by Pobal since 2016.
My Department has sought to balance administrative, governance and compliance demands on providers with supports such as the non-contact payments, support from the 30 City and County Childcare Committees across the country, and other quality initiatives.
Managing the administrative burden on providers, whilst meeting governance and compliance requirements, is an important and complex task for my Department. We will continue to prioritise this work so that the needs of local communities are met while value for public money is assured.
1457. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of whole-time equivalent staff working in the child care sector, by qualification level, or working grade. [36093/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to bring it to the Deputy's attention that there is no professional registry for early years professionals. Data on the number of staff working in the child care sector is gathered annually through the Early Years Sector Profile. This is a survey which is administered by Pobal in conjunction with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs with the aim of providing a national picture of services providing early childhood care and education in Ireland.
For the most recent figures, the best indicator is the Early Years Sector Profile Report 2015-16, which was published in November 2016. The survey on which the Report is based was completed by 79 per cent of child care providers in April 2016. Pobal have extrapolated the figures provided in the Report in order to establish the qualification levels for early years practitioners at a national level. It is estimated that there are 23,291 early years practitioners currently employed in private and community services. Of these, 7,418 hold a level 5 qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), 8,926 hold a level 6 qualification on the NFQ, 1,215 hold a level 7 qualification on the NFQ , while 2,687 hold a level 8 qualification on the NFQ qualification.
The Early Years Sector Report 2015-2016 can be found on Pobal's website, www.pobal.ie.
The figures for mid-2017 will become available in the coming months, when this year’s data has been gathered and analysed.
1458. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of each body or organisation that is scheduled to receive in excess of €1 million from her Department's Vote of expenditure or the group of Votes of expenditure connected with her Department in 2017 for the provision of services by the body or the organisation concerned; the amount involved in each case; if there is a signed service level agreement in place in respect of the services to be carried out by these bodies or organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36152/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes that enable services to be provided on behalf of my Department. The following information provides an account of each body or organisation that is scheduled to receive in excess of €1 million in 2017.
- Pobal’s service costs for the implementation of my Department’s Early Years Programmes over the course of 2017 are projected to total approximately €18.1m. The services, carried out by Pobal, are agreed annually in accordance with the governance arrangements set out in a service level agreement.
- The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is conducting the Growing Up in Ireland Study which has been allocated €4.38m from my Department’s vote in 2017. A five-year contract (2015-2019) is in place with the ESRI for the implementation of the study.
1459. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount that was spent in 2015 and 2016 and the projected spend for 2017 on subsidies to private operators of child care. [36367/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following amounts were paid to private providers for the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE), the Community Childcare Subvention Programmes (CCS/P) and the Training and Education Childcare Programmes (TEC)
- €13,788,619 in 2015 (not including ECCE – see note below)
- €100,051,282 in 2016
- €137,277,614 in 2017 to date.
These sums cover payments for subsidies and capital monies. The ECCE payments were paid through an older system in 2015 and it is not possible to disaggregate community and private providers. The total paid to ECCE in 2015 was €168,539,884.
The projected spend to year end for the subsidised programmes is approximately €156m. As this consists almost in its entirety of new child registrations for the 17/18 cycle, it is not possible at this stage to meaningfully predict payments between private and community providers, particularly as this figure includes an estimated €50m allocated towards the expanded childcare subventions under CCS and TEC and the entirely new CCS universal subvention which will be available to community and private providers.
1460. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount it would cost to restore the parental contribution cap for all participants availing of child care under the TEC schemes. [36410/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to inform the Deputy that the maximum parental contributions, under the TEC schemes, have not changed from 2016/2017 to 2017/2018. The rates are as follows:
|
Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) |
After-School Childcare (ASCC) |
Community Employment Childcare Pre-School (CEC PS) |
Community Employment Childcare After-school (CEC AS) |
|
Full Day €25pw |
ASCC €15pw |
CEC PS €15pw |
CEC AS €15pw |
|
Part-time €15pw |
|||
|
After-School €5pw |
|||
|
After-School with Transport €15pw |
1461. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will review the allowances paid to foster persons particularly those paid for foster children over 18 years of age that remain in full-time care of the foster persons and require as much if not more care than younger children but receive a lower rate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36438/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Foster Care Allowance is currently €325 per week per child under 12 years of age and €352 per week per child aged 12 and over. It is an allowance in respect of the child and is provided in order to allow foster carers to meet all of the child's daily living needs including food, clothing, basic travel, education costs and hobbies and sporting activities. The allowance is not considered as means for Social Welfare purposes nor is it taxable. There is no intention to increase the rate of the Foster Care Allowance at this time.
In response to the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015, Tusla has introduced a number of new practices. These include the standardisation of financial supports and planning offered to eligible young people leaving care. This weekly standardised allowance ensures equality for all care leavers engaged in training and education.
Each care leaver as part of their leaving and aftercare planning will have an Individual Financial Support Plan. This is a standardised tool to assist in identifying all the financial supports required by, and available to, each young person. It is important to note that young people leaving care typically receive supports relating to accommodation, further education, employment and training, which are funded by other Government Departments. This means that the part of Tusla’s expenditure related to aftercare supports and services represents one constituent element of the total spending by the State on those in receipt of aftercare services.
It is expected that each young person eligible for aftercare and engaged in education or training will have access to an income of a minimum allowance of €300 per week. The €300 may be a combined amount from other Departments/ agencies or may be paid in full or partly by Tusla.
Where a young adult is in education or training at 18 years of age and remains in their former care placement, the aftercare allowance is payable to the foster carer(s) or supported lodgings provider. Where a young adult continues with education / training and is in independent living, the aftercare allowance is payable directly to the young adult. Tusla informs me that aspects of the provision of standardised aftercare payments are under review.
1462. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will consider the status of a community centre (details supplied) in County Kildare as a family resource centre in view of the low level of such centres in County Kildare and the work that is carried out at the centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36439/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTusla, the Child and Family Agency administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme. Under the Programme, Tusla provides financial support towards the running costs of Family Resource Centres nationwide. This typically covers the employment of two to three members of staff and some overhead costs. FRCs provide a range of universal and targeted services and development opportunities that address the needs of families.
The Deputy will already be aware that there are currently two FRCs in County Kildare in receipt of funding under the FRC Programme. These centres are based in Newbridge and the Curragh.
As the FRC Programme is managed by Tusla, it is a matter for that organisation to make decisions regarding the inclusion or non-inclusion of Family Resource Centres to the Programme. Tusla has advised that voluntary groups are welcome to submit expressions of interest to join the Family Resource Centre Programme. However, admission to the FRC Programme is subject to competing demands and the availability of funding.
I recognise that County Kildare has experienced a significant increase in its population base, and that there is a strong demand for services in the area. If additional funds are sought by Tusla and allocated to the Programme in the future, there will be scope for Tusla to review matters. It is not possible, at this early stage, to predict the level of funding that will be available for the Family Resource Programme in 2018.
1463. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will engage with persons (details supplied) on a matter; if the issue will be dealt with as a matter of urgency; if she will investigate the poor management of this case by Tusla officials and the negative impact the experience has had on the lives of the persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36440/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI appreciate the distress involved in situations such as the one referred to by the Deputy, however it is not appropriate for me to comment on an individual case. This is an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy will be aware that there are other independent statutory mechanisms through which the management of cases such as this can be reviewed. These include the Tusla complaints mechanism, and the investigative function of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children.
I will also write to the CEO of Tusla regarding the suitability of this case for submission to the National Review Panel, which reviews serious incidents of children in care.
1464. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the latest profiles in value and outruns forecasted in her Department for the end of December 2017 and any variances that may arise based on her Department’s performance against profile in gross voted expenditure at the end of June 2017. [36562/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe gross funding allocation for my Department in 2017 amounts to €1.311 billion. Expenditure outlays at the end of June were under profile by €47m or 7% of profile.
The current resource provision is under profile by €39m or 6% of profile. The variation is principally due to the variable nature of expenditure across programmes and the timing of the associated payments with the most significant deviations by amount occurring in respect of the Childcare and Youth Programmes. In respect of the capital budget this is under profile by €7.8m or 55%. Again the Childcare and Youth Programmes are showing the most significant underspends. The variations are largely timing related at present.
Looking at the projected outturn for the year it is difficult to be precise about the full year expenditure for the Department at this stage as we are only just over half way through the year. Where applicable, Budget 2017 measures are being implemented and the outturn for the year will be affected by the cost and timing of implementation. My Department keeps expenditure trends continuously under review and provides details on monthly Exchequer Issues to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that are reported in the Expenditure Reports published with the monthly Exchequer Statement. As the year progresses my Department will continue to manage expenditure within the allocation agreed by the Dáil in the 2017 Estimates in order to deliver my Department’s agreed objectives.
1465. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department will contribute to the funding of a second Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland study as has been recommended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36640/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI believe that the first report on Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland (SAVI 1) made a valuable contribution to our understanding of the area. As I stated in my PQ response of 11 May, I am supportive, in principle, of an appropriate follow-up study, and I will pursue this further with the Minister for Justice and Equality, who leads on this area.
1466. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of staff in her Department that are suspended from work on full pay; the reason in each case; the length of time in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36725/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraNone of the staff in my Department are suspended from work on full pay.
1467. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there will be an underspend in her Department's current or capital budget for 2017; if so, the subheads that are now below profile and those that may come in below profile at the end of the calendar year; if underspends in her Department will be available to the central Exchequer at year end; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36741/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe gross funding allocation for my Department in 2017 amounts to €1.311 billion. Expenditure outlays at the end of June were under profile by €47m or 7% of profile.
The current resource provision is under profile by €39m or 6% of profile. The variation is principally due to the variable nature of expenditure across programmes and the timing of the associated payments with the most significant deviations by amount occurring in respect of the Childcare and Youth Programmes. In respect of the capital budget this is under profile by €7.8m or 55%. Again the Childcare and Youth Programmes are showing the most significant underspends. The variations are largely timing related at present.
Looking at the projected outturn for the year it is difficult to be precise about the full year expenditure for the Department at this stage as we are only just over half way through the year. Where applicable, Budget 2017 measures are being implemented and the outturn for the year will be affected by the cost and timing of implementation. My Department keeps expenditure trends continuously under review and provides details on monthly Exchequer Issues to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that are reported in the Expenditure Reports published with the monthly Exchequer Statement. As the year progresses my Department will continue to manage expenditure within the allocation agreed by the Dáil in the 2017 Estimates in order to deliver my Department’s agreed objectives.
1468. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of protected disclosures received from staff in her Department in 2016 and to date in 2017; the details of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36757/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to fostering an appropriate environment for dealing with protected disclosures under the 2014 Act. In this regard, my Department has adopted the guidelines provided by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in processing any protected disclosure received. My Department has developed a draft set of guidelines for guidance in these matters and staff are encouraged to follow these procedures fully. My Department has also recently provided protected disclosure training to all staff managers and to staff deemed to be in public-facing offices throughout the Department.
Based on the information available at this time, I can confirm that there have been no protected disclosures received from staff in my Department in 2016 or to date in 2017.
1469. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of introducing an annual scale and polish under the dental treatment benefit scheme, DTBS, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35185/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe cost of providing services under the treatment benefit scheme is dependent on the demand for such services from qualified customers. As a result, the annual cost of re-introducing the scale and polish treatment can only be estimated at this time. If the demand for this treatment is in line with the 2009 out turn (the last time the scale and polish treatment was provided under the scheme), then the estimated cost of re-introducing this treatment would be circa €18M in a full year.
|
Year |
Estimated cost of re-introducing an annual Scale And Polish. |
|
2018 |
€18M |
1470. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the funding available for repairs of private property damaged by flooding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36083/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, my Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding through the humanitarian assistance scheme.
The purpose of the humanitarian assistance scheme is to prevent hardship by providing income-tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, replacement of household items and in some instances structural repair.
Expenditure under the scheme is demand led. There was expenditure of some €2 million to assist over 580 householders affected following the flooding of winter 2015/16, which was the wettest winter ever recorded in Ireland.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1471. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount that would be collected if both current bands of employers' PRSI were increased by 2%. [36309/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1472. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount that would be collected if a new PRSI rate of 19.75% was introduced for employers hiring staff who earn more than €100,000. [36310/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1471 and 1472 together.
Currently, Class A employers pay PRSI at the rate of 8.5% where weekly earnings are between €38 and €376. Once weekly earnings exceed €376, the rate of employer PRSI is 10.75%.
The estimated increase in the PRSI yield to the Social Insurance Fund from increasing the class A employer PRSI rates by 2% is provided in the following table:
|
% Increase in Rate of Employer PRSI |
Increased Yield from Increase in 8.5% Lower Rate |
Increased Yield from Increase in 10.75% Higher Rate |
Total |
|
2% |
€72m |
€1,366m |
€1,438m |
The estimated yield from increasing the higher PRSI rate of 10.75% to 19.75% for employees earning over €100,000 per annum (applied only earnings over €100,000) is €607m.
These estimates are based on the latest available data and reflect macro-economic indicators for 2018. It should be noted that these estimates do not take possible changes in employer behaviour arising from increasing the rates of contributions into account.
1473. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated yearly cost of restoring the full telephone allowance under the household benefits package to the 2012 level of €270 per year; her views on whether the telephone allowance was an important measure for vulnerable persons particularly those living alone; her plans to restore the telephone allowance in the forthcoming budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34911/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe savings arising from the initial reduction and subsequent discontinuance of the telephone allowance meant that my Department was able to retain the other valuable elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and the television licence. My Department will spend approximately €232 million this year on these elements of the household benefits package for over 428,000 customers.
The cost of the telephone allowance scheme had risen significantly each year, as the number of eligible customers grew. At the end of September 2013 there were almost 396,000 receiving the telephone allowance compared to approximately 316,000 people in 2007. This was an increase of 25%, or an average increase of nearly 4% per annum.
The value of the telephone allowance in 2012 was €270 per annum. Therefore, the cost of restoring the allowance at this level in 2018 might be estimated to be in the region of €118 million per annum, although the precise figure would depend upon a number of factors.
While the telephone allowance was an important measure for vulnerable persons, the nature of the market has been transformed in recent years with deregulation, mobile services and bundled services including television, broadband and telephone. It makes the former notion of an allowance covering handset rental, standing charges and a number of calls somewhat outdated, when similar assistance can be achieved by increasing the rate of core payments, which benefit people regardless of whether they have a landline or not, and which can be spent by the recipients either on their landline-related costs, or on something else of their own choosing.
The Government is keenly aware of the impact of Budget decisions on the Department’s clients, and strives to ensure that the money available is targeted in the most effective way. In Budget 2016, the first increase in the basic rate of the State pension in seven years was given. This increased the personal rate of the non-contributory pension to €222, and that of the contributory pension to €233.30. There was also a €2.50 increase in the rate of the Fuel Allowance, from €20 to €22.50 per week.
In Budget 2017, there was a further increase in the rate of State pensions by €5, which has increased the maximum personal rate of the non-contributory pension to €227, and of the maximum rate of the contributory pension to €238.30.
Therefore, over the past two Budgets, the maximum weekly rate for State Pensions has increased by €8 per week, along with pro-rata increases for Increases for Qualified Adults. The value of these increases is well in excess of the value of the telephone allowance previously provided.
Any decision to restore the telephone allowance would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations. In the previous two Budgets, the Government has concentrated resources on increasing the rate of the pension, rather than on the Household Benefits package.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
