Tuesday, 20 Feb 2018

Written Answers Nos. 505-520

Harbour Authorities

Ceisteanna (505)

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

505. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that during recent sampling of dredge material in Galway bay, the Galway Harbour Company was advised of the presence of the banned substance dichlorodipheny-trichloroethane (details supplied); the details in relation to the circumstances of the find; the site from which the sample was taken; the level of toxicity found in the sample; the bodies or organisations that have been made aware of the find; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8791/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

This a matter for the Galway Harbour Company and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. 

Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A.

School Completion Programme

Ceisteanna (506)

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

506. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a project for the completion of a school (details supplied) will be supported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8251/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Regarding the question my Department's responsibility covers the Educational Welfare Service in Tusla who have funding responsibility for the School Completion Programme. The Deeside School Completion Programme receives funding of €219,536.17

Tusla Educational Welfare Service has informed my Department that this programme is fully funded on the basis of its 2017/2018 retention plan and has indicated that there are no plans to reduce this allocation.

It should be noted that school buildings and the completion of same, are the responsibility of the Department of Education and Skills.

Community Childcare Subvention Programme

Ceisteanna (507)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

507. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding available to community childcare organisations that need to extend their facilities (details supplied). [8258/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I thank the Deputy for the query regarding capital funding made available by my Department for the expansion of childcare facilities.

I can inform you that two strands of funding exist for the expansion of childcare facilities under my Department's capital programmes for 2018. Early years and school age childcare services may apply for funding to create new childcare places under Strand 1 and Strand 4 of the 2018 Capital programmes respectively.

Early Years Strand 1 provides for a maximum of €50,000 in grant funding, while School Age Strand 2 provides for a maximum of €20,000. Services may apply for either or both strands, provided that they meet the basic eligibility requirements — including minimum additional new places created under the respective programmes — for each. 

Services may apply for funding for capital projects for which costs exceed the maximum grant allowable. As stated in the applicant guidelines published on 1 February 2018, applicants must provide evidence of having the additional funds to pay for the total cost of the project where the cost is greater than the amount of grant applied for under this strand. For example, bank statements verifying the additional funds or a letter of offer of funding or contract from another funder or loan agreement. In doing so, applicants demonstrate the overall viability of the project concerned.

I can assure you also that the representation made on behalf the childcare organisation in question is being dealt with by officials in my Department at present, and a written response will be issued as soon as is possible.

Departmental Staff

Ceisteanna (508)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

508. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the job descriptions and role profiles of staff across her Department; the sections of her Department those staff are working in; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8294/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The Department is comprised of my Office, the Management Board and four Divisions:-

- Corporate and Business Support;

- Early Years Care and Education Division;

- Child Policy and Tusla Governance Division;

- Youth Justice, Adoption, Youth and Participation Division.

Each of the Divisions have a number of units headed by Principal Officers. 

The Framework of Assignments document outlining the role and responsibilities of the Management Board members and their Principal Officers and equivalents is currently being revised and will be made available on the Department's website in the near future.

In addition to the Management Board and Principal Officers, the Department's staffing consists of  the generalist civil service grades of Service Officers, Clerical Officers, Executive Officers, Higher Executive Officers, Administrative Officers, Assistant Principal Officers and some specialist positions in the areas such as child welfare, social work, and legal advice.

The role profiles for the generalist grades are based on the business plans of the unit to which the staff member is assigned having regard to their grade and the competencies advertised by the Public Appointments Service for that grade.

The specialist positions are held by suitably qualified personnel whose role is to provide expert advice and in some cases to also head up units as Principal Officer equivalents.

At the end of January 2018, my Department had 245 members of staff and is still in the process of recruiting additional staff.  As my Department has recently completed its business planning for 2018, staff are now discussing and developing their individual role profiles for 2018. As this process has not been completed as yet, up to date role profiles for 2018 are not yet available.

Youth Services Funding

Ceisteanna (509)

Martin Heydon

Ceist:

509. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the supports available for the refurbishment of a community hall and the development of a youth facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8325/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

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.  

In 2017, €58.95 m has been allocated in current funding to support the provision of youth services, an increase of €1.5m. 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 Local Youth Club Grant Scheme. This 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. Each year, in the region of 1700 local youth clubs are eligible to apply under the scheme. The Scheme is intended to support the operation of volunteer-led youth projects.  

The Scheme does not extend to the provision of capital funding for large scale works. My Department does not have available any other funding streams for the refurbishment of the premises in question.

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Ceisteanna (510)

Tom Neville

Ceist:

510. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the mother and baby homes redress scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8334/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

There is no redress scheme in place in relation to the matters currently being examined within the scope of the statutory Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

As the Deputy will be aware the Commission has made no findings to date in relation to abuse or neglect in these institutions. 

The Commission's final reports are due in February 2019, at which time its conclusions on all matters regarding the treatment and welfare of former residents will be studied very carefully in determining the appropriate State response.

The Commission's second Interim Report included a recommendation that the exclusion of certain institutions from the Residential Institutions Redress Act should be re-examined by Government. The Government did consider this matter very carefully last year and decided not to re-open the scheme, or to extend it to any other institutions. The Government decided it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the final reports of the Commission on relevant matters.

Psychological Services

Ceisteanna (511)

James Browne

Ceist:

511. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of meetings of the working group involving the HSE, Department of Health and Tusla that have been held; the timeframe of the working group’s key actions in line with its proposed terms of reference; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8614/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The working group to examine the provision of community-based psychological provision for children held its first inaugural meeting on 19 January 2018. The working group is co-chaired by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Health. The group is made up of senior officials from both Departments with representatives from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the Health Service Executive and a representative from the Psychological Society of Ireland.

The key objective of the working group is to examine the psychological and mental health services for children and young people with the aim of ascertaining a clear continuum of provision, strengthening alignment and areas for improvement, centred on the needs of children and young people.

The working group have agreed the Terms of Reference and are focusing on assessing work and policies in place with a view of identifying key actions to be progressed. The working group will reconvene having completed the scoping phase in line with the Terms of Reference for the group.

Departmental Properties

Ceisteanna (512)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

512. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of vacant habitable dwelling units and vacant derelict residential dwelling units in the ownership of or part ownership of or under the control of both her Department and agencies under her remit; the county in which each unit is located; the length of time each unit has been vacant, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8659/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone)

My Department does not own, nor have in its direct control, any vacant habitable dwelling units or vacant derelict residential dwelling units.

The situation regarding agencies under the remit of my Department is an operational matter for each agency and I asked the agencies concerned to reply directly to the Deputy.

The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.

Youth Services Funding

Ceisteanna (513, 514)

Michael Collins

Ceist:

513. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of youth workers funded in south-west County Cork; the way in which this number compares proportionally with the number of youth workers employed throughout the rest of the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8774/18]

Michael Collins

Ceist:

514. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to rectify the situation of the under provision of youth workers by establishing and resourcing a dedicated west County Cork youth service and providing resources for this new entity to commence delivery of service at a level on a par with services in other counties (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8775/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 513 and 514 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.  

In 2018, €58.9 m has been allocated in current funding to support the provision of youth services, an increase of €7m on 2016. 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.  Funding to staff led youth services has generally been targeted at areas of disadvantage and not in proportion to the youth population of a county.

The Deputy will be aware that my Department is managing the most significant reform of youth services ever undertaken. This will provide an opportunity to identify need and to focus funding on young people most in need of intervention.  Last year, I approved funding for the establishment of new youth projects and for the augmentation of a small number of existing youth services to meet new challenges arising from population increases.

Each of the sixteen Education and Training Boards, including Cork ETB, was invited to nominate locations within their catchment areas for the establishment of new services and to nominate a project or service to be considered for augmentation. In total twenty-eight applications for new services were received.  Subsequently  I approved the establishment of nine new targeted youth services across the country and the expansion of a further seven to respond to new demand from increased population and needs of young people which included a new service in Mitchelstown and an augmented service in Midleton.

Future development and investment in youth services will be informed by the mapping exercise completed last year which mapped youth service provision across the State. This mapping will assist the Department and the relevant ETB in developing a detailed social demographic profile in terms of both population numbers and deprivation levels.  My Department is committed to working with Cork ETB to identify need and explore ways to address this need where it emerges.

Disability Support Services Funding

Ceisteanna (515, 516)

Joan Burton

Ceist:

515. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his attention has been drawn to an application for core funding by an organisation (details supplied); and his plans for continued support and funding of deaf advocacy services. [8561/18]

Joan Burton

Ceist:

516. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his attention has been drawn to an application for core funding by an organisation (details supplied); and if advocacy services for the deaf will continue to receive supported funding. [8569/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

I propose to take Questions Nos. 515 and 516 together.

My Department provides funding to the organisation in question under the Scheme to Support National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary sector, which aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services.

The current round of funding under the Scheme commenced on 1 July 2016, for a period of three years. 70 organisations are funded, with a total envelope of €16.6 million over three years. The maximum amount of funding available under the Scheme is €90,000 per annum per organisation. The organisation in question was allocated €269,700 over the three year period of the scheme. 

LEADER Programmes Funding

Ceisteanna (517)

Martin Heydon

Ceist:

517. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports available for the refurbishment of a community hall and the development of a youth facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8326/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

Leader is a multi-annual programme covering the period 2014-2020 which is delivered through Local Action Groups in each of the 28 LEADER sub-regional areas around the country. 

Funding under LEADER is available for a range of defined themes, which include enterprise development and job creation, social inclusion, and the environment.

The Social Inclusion theme of the LEADER Programme focuses on the provision of services for people living in rural and remote areas and, in that context, support for the works outlined by the Deputy could be considered eligible for LEADER funding.

In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, it must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved Local Development Strategy in the LEADER sub-regional area concerned, and it must comply with the Operating Rules and EU Regulations in place for the programme. 

The decision to approve a project, or otherwise, is a matter for the Local Action Group in the relevant area. 

Applications for project funding should be made directly to the relevant Local Action Group (LAG).  Contact details for all LAGs are available on my Department's website www.drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/rural-development/leader/.

Seniors Alert Scheme

Ceisteanna (518)

Tom Neville

Ceist:

518. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the introduction of a subsidy for burglar alarms for senior citizens in conjunction with the existing seniors alert scheme will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8357/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered community-based organisation of a personal alarm or pendant. 

Following a review,  a new version of the scheme came into effect on 1 November 2017. A number of changes were introduced under the new scheme including the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements.  I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the revised scheme has been a resounding success with unprecedented levels of demand for the new package.  There are no plans to introduce further amendments to the scheme at this point in time.  

The issue of the introduction of a subsidy for the installation of house alarms is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality under his remit of community crime prevention.

National Planning Framework

Ceisteanna (519)

Willie Penrose

Ceist:

519. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the input he made to the national planning framework; the additional capital investment he has secured in the national development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8367/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

Last Friday, 16 February, the Government published Project Ireland 2040 which incorporates the new National Planning Framework and the 10-year National Development Plan (NDP).  The  NDP will underpin the Planning Framework with a programme of capital investment to 2027.

My Department provided inputs to the National Planning Framework though its participation on a Cross Departmental Steering Group which was led by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and through additional bilateral engagement with that Department.

The general focus of the inputs included:

-  the importance of rural Ireland in the development of our national economy;

-  the central importance of our towns and villages in supporting sustainable economic and population growth nationally, and the role key settlements play in driving the development of each region;

-  maximising the potential of rural Ireland through the diversification of enterprise sectors; and

- the contribution which the Atlantic Economic Corridor can make in supporting regional development.

The final NPF reflects the inputs made by my Department.

The National Development Plan includes a commitment to the establishment of a new Rural Regeneration and Development Fund which will provide capital investment of €1 billion over the next ten years to support the sustainable growth of towns, villages and rural areas.  This Fund will be overseen by my Department and is additional to the current baseline funding in my Department’s Estimate.  

In addition to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, capital investment across many other Departments and sectors will also contribute to rural and regional development, including in areas such as broadband, regional and local roads, tourism and agriculture.

Walks Scheme

Ceisteanna (520)

Willie Penrose

Ceist:

520. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way in which he plans to meet the programme for a partnership Government commitment to double the number of walks in the walks scheme; the number of extra walk routes that will be added in 2018; the locations of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8368/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department administers the Walks Scheme which facilitates the development and maintenance of many of Ireland’s walking trails. The scheme involves landholders as key participants in the provision of high quality walking trails, by contracting them to undertake maintenance work on sections of National Way Marked Ways and other priority walks that traverse their lands. The landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken, in line with agreed work plans.

The scheme currently covers 39 trails, with payments made to approximately 1,900 landholders to maintain those trails.

The Programme for a Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development include a commitment to increase the number of trails covered by the Walks Scheme and my officials are working towards this objective. I intend to initiate a comprehensive review of the scheme’s operation this year in order to determine how best to expand the scheme and maximise the impact of the resources available to me. This review will inform any decisions to be made regarding new walks to be included in the scheme.

As significant consultation will be required with both landholders and other stakeholders, it is unlikely that any increase in the number of walks covered by the scheme will be implemented until late 2018 or early 2019.