Written Answers Nos. 385-398
387. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the average length of time it takes to respond to a request for a review of an investigation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19002/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am unclear as to what specific information is being sought by the Deputy in his question. In the circumstances, perhaps it is best that my officials will contact the Deputy for clarification and I can follow up with him accordingly.
388. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a request (details supplied) was made to Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19003/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question refers to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, I have requested Tusla to respond directly to him.
389. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will address a matter regarding funding for a club (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19047/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding to Kerry Diocesan Youth Service for youth services under the Special Projects for Youth scheme which supports projects which target young people who are disadvantaged including young Travellers and young people who are out of school and at risk of drugs, substance abuse or homelessness. Funding is also provided for a youth information centre operating in Tralee and Killarney.
In 2017, funding of €539,398 was allocated to Kerry Diocesan Youth Service for these youth services, an increase of €35,000 over the previous year. My Department is at an advanced stage in advising projects and services, including those in Kerry of their 2018 allocations.
There has been no reduction in funding to this organisation this year, and my Department has not been advised of any funding difficulties being experienced by the project in Killarney.
Officials within my Department have commenced a process of engagement with the funding intermediaries, Kerry ETB and City of Dublin Youth Service Board with a view to ensuring that the needs of young people in Killarney are being met.
390. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she plans to take to ensure children's safety is paramount while they are in foster care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19058/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Child Care Act, 1991, as amended, and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Where appropriate, children who are in need of care and protection are received into the care of the State under the Child Care Act, 1991, as amended.
Regulations govern the placement of children in care. These provide for the welfare of the child, the care practices, care records, accommodation and safety precautions. The Regulations also provide that the allocated social worker oversees the implementation of the child's care plan, visits the child and consults with family members, foster carers and other people involved with the child to ensure that his or her needs are being met and that the care being provided is optimal.
Children, depending on their identified need, may be placed in foster care either with relatives or general foster carers, in residential care, special care or other placement types. The majority of children in care in Ireland are in foster care. Matching carers with children and young people is outlined in the National Standards for Foster Care (2003), and the National Standards for Children's Residential Centres (2001) outlines the need for suitable placements in residential care.
It is vital that all children in care, and their carers, receive adequate support to ensure a successful placement. Foster care is the main form of alternative care for children in need of care and protection, and is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their parents or guardians. At the end of December 2017, there were 6,189 children in care in Ireland. 92% (5,702) of these were cared for in foster placements. The majority of children are in the care of general foster carers.
Key elements of the support to be provided to children in care include: access to a link social worker for supervision and support to the foster carers; allocation of a dedicated social worker for children in care; onward referral and advocacy for access to specialist services to meet the child's identified needs, such as speech and language therapy, counselling and psychology services.
The link worker is a professionally qualified social worker and meets regularly with foster carers to supervise the capacity of the foster carers to adequately meet the needs of the child and to provide training, information and whatever other support that may be required. At the end of December 2017, 81% (3554/4384) of foster carers had a link social worker and 95%(5415/5702) of children in foster care had an allocated social worker.
Tusla provides funding to the Irish Foster Care Association which provides supports to carers, including training and a phone advice service.
My Department receives regular detailed reports on key performance and activity indicators of service provision, including on children in care, from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. My officials have regular meetings on a monthly and quarterly basis with Tusla management to review the overall level of service provision, including areas in need of improvement. In addition to regular reports, Tusla also provides occasional or special topic reports, as required, which can then be used for budget and resource planning.
In addition to the reporting arrangements with Tusla my Department also reviews the findings of a number of independent bodies, which are made available in the inspection reports from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) who inspect all statutory children's residential centres and special care units run by the State, as well as Fostering Services and Child Protection and Welfare Services in each area. Services are required to develop an Action Plan in response to any recommendations made by Inspectors. HIQA undertakes follow-up inspections to examine the progress being made against Action Plans. All of these Reports are published on HIQA's website www.hiqa.ie. All 17 areas have been inspected at least once by HIQA as well as a number of private foster care services.
Registration and inspection of non-statutory run Residential Centres is carried out by Inspection and Monitoring Officers employed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. My Department also receives reports on child deaths and serious incidents from the independently chaired National Review Panel, and reports from the Ombudsman for Children.
391. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to increase substantially the maximum level of grant aid in respect of the provision of new childcare facilities in cases in which there is an identified need for additional places and the maximum level of grant aid, under the present scheme, would be inadequate to support a community childcare organisation to provide accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19068/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra392. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to introduce a new childcare capital grant scheme in 2018 to assist community childcare operators to extend or provide new childcare facilities in cases in which there is an identified need for additional places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19069/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 391 and 392 together.
Assisting childcare providers in extending their existing childcare services, or establishing new childcare services, have always been key areas of focus for my Department's capital programmes.
The 2018 Early Years and School Age Childcare Capital programmes provide two strands of funding for the set-up or expansion of childcare facilities, with the aim of creating additional new childcare places (Strand 1 Early Years and Strand 4 School Age, details provided in the attached applicant guidelines). The application window for the Early Years and School Age Childcare Capital programmes closed on 14th March 2018, with appraisals now under way. Approximately 2,000 individual applications were received, including over 560 applications for funding across Strand 1 and Strand 4. Decisions on capital grants will be delivered to providers in late May 2018. Both of the strands mentioned above are open to all providers, community and private, who wish to create new childcare places. In addition to this, there are two strands of funding dedicated to community childcare services only (Early Years Strand 2 and School Age Strand 5) to provide grant funding to contribute towards essential maintenance and repair of facilitates. The final strand of funding (Early Years Strand 3) provides for the creation of a new natural outdoor play area, and is open to all early years providers, both community and private. I am happy to have secured €250m in capital funding for childcare under the National Development Plan (NDP, 2018-2027), as part of which childcare has been confirmed as a strategic priority for capital investment. Officials in my Department are currently undertaking research to determine capital need both current and future, with a view to focusing state capital investment in the sector. The preliminary results of this research are due later this year, and will inform any capital plans or programmes administered by my Department from there on. The shape and focus of capital investment under the National Development Plan are as such yet to be determined. Furthermore, I would like to assure you that the structure and priorities of 2019's Capital programmes are under review by officials in my Department, and these will be shared with childcare providers and the general public as soon as they are confirmed in late 2018. As part of this, the scale of individual grant amounts available is being reviewed along with all other aspects of Early Years and School Age capital funding.
I remain committed to assisting all childcare providers, both community and private, in providing world-class childcare and meeting demand for childcare places, and I anticipate that next year's Capital programme will build on this year's good work in the sector, as well as that of previous years.
393. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she continues to improve the services available for the protection of children in the home, foster care or statutory residential care; if sufficient resources continue to be available to meet all likely future requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19128/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am committed to supporting the Child and Family Agency in meeting the growing needs of children and families. I was pleased to secure an additional €40.6 million for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in 2018. This is the third year in succession that Tusla has received a significant increase in its funding, which now amounts to over €753m.
The extra resources secured for Tusla in 2018 will assist in meeting key priorities. The additional investment will allow Tusla to recruit a range of additional staff to respond to areas of identified risk, and to meet increased demand for services, including an anticipated increase in referrals following the introduction of mandatory reporting.
As the Deputy will be aware, in December 2017, I commenced all remaining provisions of the Children First Act 2015 in fulfilment of a key Programme for Government commitment to put elements of the Child Protection Guidance on a statutory footing.
The aim of the Act is to improve the care and protection of children by raising awareness of child abuse and neglect. It will help to ensure that child protection concerns, in whichever setting they arise, are brought to the attention of Tusla without delay. The Act is an important addition to the child welfare and protection measures already in place, and it forms part of a suite of child protection legislation including the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 and the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012.
The framework surrounding the placement of children in the care of the State in foster care (including foster care with relatives) and residential care is governed by the Child Care Act 1991 and associated Regulations, relevant standards and, in the case of private service providers, contractual obligations. This framework to secure the best interests of the child in State care is monitored by Tusla and inspected against by HIQA (in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Health Act 2007).
394. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department can provide for adequate funding for youth services and youth development services with particular reference to areas of social and economic deprivation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19129/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to confirm that an extra €1.5m has been allocated in current funding to support the provision of youth services in 2018. This will bring the total current youth funding available to my Department to €58.9m. The additional funding is being used for programmes that target disadvantaged young people.
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.
As the Deputy may be aware 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 each of the sixteen Education and Training Boards (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.
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 ETBs to identify need and explore ways to address this need where it emerges.
395. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the average time taken to investigate cases of children at risk of various forms of abuse; the degree to which a systemic response is in place to deal with such issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19130/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have written to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to request the information outlined by the Deputy. A further response will issue when the information has been supplied.
Tusla publishes figures on a quarterly basis to indicate the length of time a case is awaiting allocation, by priority level. At the end of Q3 2017, the most recent validated data published, 63% of high priority cases were waiting less than 3 months, compared to 53% of medium priority cases and 43% of low priority cases.
396. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which support services can be made available to children who may be at risk as result of being undocumented non-nationals; the extent to which particular measures are taken to protect such children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19131/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Child Care Act, 1991 applies to all children resident in the State irrespective of their immigration status. Under the Child Care Act, 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection. The Agency is obliged to provide care for these children for as long as their welfare requires it.
Children First National Guidance (2011) gives advice for notifying Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, of situations where abuse is suspected. A range of professionals including teachers, nurses, early years educators, Gardaí and other health professionals, who see children regularly, are in a good position to identify children at risk. Where someone has reasonable grounds for suspecting a child is being, or has been, abused, they are expected to immediately contact Tusla.
The Children First Act, 2015 places a statutory obligation on key professionals, such as those named above (mandated persons) to report concerns of harm above a defined threshold to Tusla without delay. These provisions commenced on December 11th, 2017.
When a child who is undocumented, and is living with his or her parent or guardian, is taken into care, their needs are given priority. A social worker is assigned to the child and prepares a care plan, in consultation with the child. The plan should be dynamic and formally reviewed regularly. Intrinsic to this process is ensuring that the voice and best interest of the child are central. When outlined in the care plan, Tusla will assist the child with the process of establishing residency.
Unaccompanied asylum seeking children who seek the assistance of the State are placed in the statutory care of Tusla. Their needs are assessed by an allocated a social worker from a specialist team who work exclusively with unaccompanied minors. They receive appropriate educational, social, medical counselling support.
Children who, with their parents, live in Direct Provision, are provided with welfare supports as required. Tusla have seconded an experienced social worker to the Department of Justice and Equality to liaise directly between Direct Provision and Tusla services.
397. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the back-up facilities available on an ongoing basis for children and young adults on leaving institutional care; her plans to improve this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19132/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the responsibility of my Department for children and young adults leaving institutional care relates specifically to those who are or have been in the care of the State. As the Deputy will also know, the aftercare provisions of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015 came into force on the first of September last. This means that there is now a statutory obligation on Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to prepare an aftercare plan for each eligible child and young person. This plan encompasses the range of supports that a young person may need from all service providers, including Tusla, to help them make the transition to independent adult life. This might include identifying suitable accommodation, which for many young people may mean remaining with their former foster carer.
A minority of young people leaving care are at a more pronounced risk of entering unstable accommodation due to the complexity of their support needs. Funding is now available to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) to provide accommodation to these particularly vulnerable young people. The security provided by a tenancy in CAS accommodation combined with the aftercare supports identified by Tusla as part of the aftercare planning process should ensure that these young people have a safe base from which to begin their independent life.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have secured an additional €40 million for Tusla in 2018. This is the third year in succession that Tusla has received a significant increase in its funding, which now amounts to over €753m. The additional resources secured for Tusla in 2018 will assist in meeting key priorities. The additional investment will allow Tusla to recruit a range of additional staff to respond to areas of identified risk, and to meet increased demand for services, including aftercare supports.
398. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which her Department continues to support voluntary bodies involved in the provision of care or support to children at risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19133/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides financial support to a large number of organisations involved in the provision of services to children at risk. Grants are issued to service providers that work in conjunction with Tusla, as well as to local school completion projects and to voluntary organisations.
The total expenditure in the form of grants paid by Tusla came to some €151.7m last year.
Tusla will continue to support voluntary bodies that carry out this important work in 2018 and into the future.
