Written Answers Nos. 64-83
64. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the reason early childcare providers who have lost immediate family, even from Covid-19, and who take days off for the funeral have been told by his Department to make up those days. [31374/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe schemes operated by my Department are designed to support the objectives of providing for accessible, affordable, quality childcare and to improve outcomes for children.
Each individual scheme is subject to a funding agreement setting out the responsibilities of the provider and the Department in providing that scheme. The Department makes every possible effort to be flexible with providers participating in theses schemes. DCYA does this through its scheme administrator, Pobal.
In the case of the National Childcare Scheme, providers do not have to make up for closed days. The provider can select up to 10 days (in addition to bank holidays) that they can close for across the year and still be paid. The provider does not need to give a reason for these closures.
For ECCE, to ensure children benefit from the full 38 week provision of care and education, DCYA allows services to close temporarily where this is required, once it is notified to Pobal. Full payment continues in these cases, but the provider must make up the days at another time during the academic year, for example, by adding an extra day at the end of term, or during a mid–term break.
Providers have found this level of flexibility to be reasonable in the past allowing them to respond to any emergencies that may arise and it also ensures that children (or their parents) do not lose out on their entitlement.
Finally, it is important to note that while providing a crucial service, childcare providers and their staff are not employees of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. As such the Department is not responsible for the leave arrangements of childcare providers, whether leave is required on compassionate, bereavement or any other grounds.
65. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the position regarding and status of the widespread testing plan for residents of direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30831/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraA comprehensive programme of COVID-19 testing by the HSE has recently been completed across accommodation centres housing asylum seekers and refugees in the State. The HSE has reported a positivity rate of 0.53% detected cases among residents and staff. The serial testing programme was an additional public health measure, recommended by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) to safeguard residents and staff in Direct Provision Centres.
Testing covered residents and staff in accommodation centres (both permanent and temporary) and in Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROCs).
Each resident and staff member was offered a test. Children aged under 5 years and people who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 were not tested.
This testing programme has helped to identify and isolate cases quickly and will enable the HSE and the IPAS to assess the effectiveness of the public health measures put in place at Direct Provision Centres since March 2020. This will also help to decide if extra supports are needed.
Testing was voluntary and free. My officials strongly encouraged all residents and staff to participate to help keep themselves, their families and their communities safe from coronavirus. Any resident or staff member invited to attend follow-up testing by the HSE is also encouraged to do so.
Any resident who tests positive is moved offsite for self-isolation, along with their close contacts, until such time as the HSE considers that they can safely return to their centre.
All decisions on the necessity for testing is a matter for the HSE.
The Department will continue to follow all Public Health advice, and we will continue to work with the HSE and the Department of Health whilst we remain in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic.
66. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration his plans to make special arrangements in relation to the funding of crèches on offshore islands to ensure they are viable with a small number of children attending due to the smaller populations on islands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30909/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department oversees a case Management process through which local City and County Childcare committees and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to early learning and care and school age childcare services experiencing difficulties. This can include help with completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios, fee setting and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.
Financial supports, which may also be accessed through the Case Management process, are available for community services presenting with sustainability issues following a financial assessment by Pobal.
Community childcare services that are situated on off-shore islands and are anticipating a decline in their attendance may be eligible for a specific strand of sustainability grant, namely the Rural and Isolated Services Sustainability Support.
This purpose of this grant is to allow not-for-profit childcare services in isolated locations to remain viable during a sustained period of low attendance due to a low population density. However, I note that while my Department does provide funding to assist childcare providers through specific challenges to their sustainability, these supports are currently only available to community not for profit services.
As you are aware, service providers may also be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including services located on off-shore islands. Where providers are struggling with an imminent threat to the viability of the service arising from a demonstrated decline in occupancy and/or demonstrated increase in costs due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, my Department has made available financial support in the form of COVID-19 Sustainability Support funding. This sustainability funding is available to both private, for-profit providers and community non-profit providers, subject to eligibility criteria and an assessment of need.
Support for ELC and SAC providers in relation to the completion of the application form and workbook for this funding is available via a service's local City and County Childcare Committee..
Contact details for the CCCs can be found in the Guidelines document, or at www.myccc.ie.
67. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the process of the development of a youth service in an area with a growing population such as Rathcoole, County Dublin (details supplied). [24194/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding for the provision of youth services is administered on behalf of my Department by the Education and Training Boards, which allocate funding via applications to the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme. This scheme is aimed at young people between the ages of 10 and 24 who are, or are at risk of becoming, disadvantaged, marginalised or vulnerable. Targeted annual youth funding of €38.7m is allocated under the scheme.
Key to achieving the aims of the scheme is the development of the Area Profile and Needs Assessment Tool. The purpose of this Tool is to allow each ETB to avail of quantitative and qualitative information to objectively identify the needs of young people within their functional area. This analysis leads to the development of a Service Requirement which is then used as the basis for discussion between ETBs and service providers in terms of service delivery to meet the needs of young people in the area. The approach ensures that we can target supports to the young people most in need of intervention and that funding is allocated on the basis of evidence-informed need.
Funded Youth Services based in Rathcoole are overseen by Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) in respect of matters relating to grants and service provision.
68. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the measures being put in place to support children in statistically vulnerable groups to reduce the uptake of addictive habits such as smoking and drinking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30619/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy may wish to also refer to my colleague the Minister for Health, who has responsibility for overarching national strategies to tackle alcohol use and smoking cessation, including among young people. I will set out for the Deputy what is being done in this respect by youth services.
My Department currently allocates targeted youth funding of €38.7 million via the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme, which was launched in December 2019 and became operational on 1 July 2020. The mission of the scheme is to provide out-of-school supports to marginalised, disadvantaged or vulnerable young people in their communities to enable them to overcome adverse circumstances and achieve their full potential. There is clear evidence that participation in youth work develops a young person's social and personal competencies and fosters their resilience, all of which are protective factors against the misuse of alcohol and other addictive behaviours to which the Deputy refers.
The additional investment, which I have secured for youth services for next year, will strengthen this scheme and ensure that young people continue to benefit from the range of supports provided by youth organisations.
69. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if he has taken formal responsibility for disability matters. [31349/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the Government announcement of June 27, 2020, a number of functions are to transfer to my Department. This involves transferring responsibility for disability policy from the Department of Justice and for disability services from the Department of Health.
A Transfer of Functions Order in relation to disability policy has just recently been made and with effect from 14 October 2020. This includes responsibility for the co-ordination of Government policy in relation to the promotion of, and support for, equal participation in society of people with disabilities. Coordination of two important national strategies are included – the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) 2017 – 2021 and the Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) for People with Disabilities 2015-2024.
Policy matters arising from Ireland’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in March 2018 now also fall under my Department and in addition to this, the National Disability Authority has transferred under my remit.
The next step in implementing Government instructions is to transfer disability functions currently vested in the Minister for Health. The transfer involves over €2bn of funding and there are a number of individual Health Acts, administrative schemes and legacy considerations that need careful consideration prior to making this transfer happen. As a result, this is a very significant and complex transfer of functions and it is very likely that amendments to primary legislation will be required.
In the interim, the Minister for Health retains statutory responsibility for health related disability services. In order to ensure that the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Disability is able to perform her functions as agreed by Government, the Minister for Health has delegated his responsibility for disability functions to the Minister of State from 22 September 2020.
70. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are some serious ongoing issues in terms of the service Pobal is providing for childcare providers (details supplied). [31311/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been informed by Pobal they managed exceptionally high volumes of contacts from providers during the months of August and September, and that the volume of contacts, including emails and phone calls, was three times higher than the same period last year.
Pobal have implemented a number of measures to enable them to respond to the increased volumes. They have recruited additional staff and they have extended their working hours. They have developed additional user guides to help providers to navigate the on-line system, the Hive, and have run a number of on-line training sessions for providers. In addition, Pobal has provided training to the County Childcare Committees to enable them to support providers in using the Hive.
The wider context of ongoing management of the new schemes announced in direct response to the Covid-19 situation including the Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS), the COVID 19 Capital funding and the Reopening Support Payment, coupled with the migration of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme to the Hive added to the usual level of engagement with service providers. This resulted in the average call handling time to the provider call centre of over 12 minutes in August and over 13 minutes in September.
Demand from providers has reducing since the beginning of October, and of the week of 12 October, the average wait time on calls has been less two minutes.
71. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if he still accepts the sixth recommendation of a person (details supplied) to provide a suitable memorial to the victims and survivors of Magdalen laundries following the State apology made in 2013. [30368/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government fully accepts the 6th recommendation of the Quirke Report and is committed to the objective to provide a suitable memorial.
Work is ongoing on the provision of a memorial to the women who were resident in the Magdalen laundries. Sites have been identified at High Park, Drumcondra and Seán McDermott Street, both located in Dublin and each former sites of laundries.
The Seán McDermott site is under control of Dublin City Council (DCC) and while it had a proposal for development at the site and had advanced a planning application, this application was refused and therefore DCC had to rethink the proposal. DCC is working to find a suitable tenant for the site and is committed to providing a suitable area within any potential development on the site to host a memorial.
At High Park, the site is in the possession of Respond Housing Agency which has planning approved to provide 101 social housing units on the former Magdalen laundry lands. It has identified a part of the site which will form a linear park and will be suitable for a memorial. The Government has set aside €500,000 for the memorial and a steering committee of relevant stakeholders has been proposed to be formed in Q4 2020 to progress the memorial at this site.
The Government has committed to provide funding for memorials at these two sites.
72. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the timeframe for the publication of the White Paper on replacing the direct provision system; the details regarding funding set aside in budget 2021 to ensure implementation of the white paper; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31383/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is my intention is to publish a White Paper, by the end of this year, which will set out a replacement structure to the Direct Provision system and the steps to achieving it.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to end the current system of Direct Provision within the lifetime of the Government and to replace it with a new international protection accommodation policy, centred on a not-for-profit approach. It is widely recognised that putting in place a new approach will take time and therefore I expect that the costs associated with doing so will be spread over more than a single Budget allocation.
However, I am pleased to have secured a total of €225 million in funding for International Protection Seekers Accommodation for the coming year. The increased funding, €145 million over what was provided in 2020, will enable my Department to begin the process of implementing the Programme for Government commitment to end the Direct Provision system and to plan for the transition to an alternative model of provision.
The White Paper will be informed by the report of the advisory group chaired by Dr Catherine Day. That group's report was presented to Government today and will be published shortly.
79. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the abolition of the student contribution to fees for third level due to it being a barrier to access to education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31321/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is important to note in relation to this issue that under the Free Fees Schemes the Exchequer currently makes a very substantial contribution amounting to €340m to meeting the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students with those students who are required to pay the student contribution paying €3,000 per annum towards the cost of their studies.
In addition, the Exchequer pays the contribution in full or part, through SUSI, for approximately 44% of students eligible for free fees.
As the Deputy will be aware as part of Budget 2021, I announced enhanced SUSI grant supports for post-grads and increased support for the PATH access initiative to increase participation in Higher Education from the most economically disadvantaged students and a review of SUSI to guide the future strategic direction of the scheme. An important objective will be to ensure access to and continued participation in higher education by students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
I am of course very conscious of the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our students. Government has made available €50 million in funding to provide financial assistance to full time third level students in recognition of the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on this group was included in Budget 2021. My officials and I are developing proposals for the utilisation of this funding for submission to Government prior to commencement.
This builds on the specific student supports in response to Covid, which I announced in July including a doubling of the Student Assistance Fund, and a €15 million technology fund for devices for students in further and higher education.
Furthermore the development of a sustainable funding model for higher education is essential in light of the centrality of higher education. The future development of Ireland as an inclusive society and a knowledge economy against the backdrop of rapid technological change. In that context, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the funding options presented in the Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education is underway supported under the European Commission DG Reform Programme.
My Department is working closely with the European Commission and the independently appointed consultants. The key aim of this review is to investigate methods of increasing the sustainability of higher and further education provision in Ireland, including an examination of the funding options including the existing student contribution and other supports.
Completion of this work will allow for an informed debate on the appropriate policy approach to future funding which is fundamental to Ireland's economic and social sustainability.
All of the foregoing highlights my commitment and that of the Government to support students and learners in accessing and successfully participating in both higher and further education.
80. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider removing the rules within SUSI that do not allow students to be reclassified from the point of entry unless they take a three-year break in their education, which is unfairly targeting independent students. [31363/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the Student Grant Scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold, or in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant.
For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
A student may be assessed as an independent student - in other words assessed without reference to parental income and address if they have attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course and they were not ordinarily resident with his or her parents from the previous 1st of October.
Otherwise, they would be assessed as a dependent student; that is, assessed with reference to parental income and address.
A student’s status for grant purposes is defined at their first point of entry to an approved course or at their point of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years. This classification continues to apply for the duration of their studies.
Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria a student may reclassify from a dependent student to an independent student when they progress from further education to higher education or if they are returning as a "second chance" student after a five year break in studies. This is intended as an access measure for mature students.
Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may still apply to SUSI to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student. Relevant information, including details of parental income, would be required by SUSI to determine grant eligibility as a dependent student.
In line with the Programme for Government, I recently announced plans to review the SUSI scheme. It is intended that the Review will commence before the end of 2020, and will report in Summer 2021. Stakeholders will be consulted as part of the Review process, and it is intended that the future direction of the SUSI scheme will be guided by the outcome of the Review.
The existing rules reflect the fact that very significant numbers of third-level students move out of home to go to college and continue to be supported by their parents, where their parents have sufficient means, while in full-time education. Therefore, any proposed changes would need careful consideration. The forthcoming Review of the SUSI scheme provides a suitable means to do so.
81. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if discussions have taken place with the private purpose-built student accommodation providers in relation to providing flexible arrangements for the 2020-21 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31095/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI appreciate that this is a year unlike any other for students, and that the accommodation needs of students have been significantly altered by the impact of Covid-19 on higher education. My Department, in consultation with these key stakeholders will continue to monitor the situation relating to student accommodation closely.
I understand, based on the information available to me, that a number of universities are offering flexible accommodation options to students this year, in response to the move to blended learning. Short term on-campus accommodation is available in several universities, and students should contact their institution directly to see what options are available to them.
I would hope that private student accommodation providers will recognise the evolving accommodation needs of students this year and respond accordingly, however no powers are available to me under the current legal framework to direct any particular course of action.
In relation to flexibility around existing tenancy or license agreements, the terms of the lease or license should be set out in an agreement signed by both parties at the beginning of the academic year. In the first instance students should engage directly with their accommodation provider to see if an arrangement can be reached.
If no satisfactory solution can be reached with their provider, under the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 students have access to the Dispute Resolution Services of the Residential Tenancies Board.
I have asked my Department to continue to engage with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to continue to assess the situation and to monitor and report to me on developments on this issue in order to ascertain whether any further policy response is feasible.
82. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures he will take to increase further the number of places in third level to account for demographic changes to ensure that the CAO 2021 intake will not be adversely impacted by issues regarding the intake for 2020 and to ensure a third-level place for all who want it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31320/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is closely monitoring any potential impact that the results of Leaving Certificate 2020 may have on entry to further and higher education in 2021.
This year more students than ever before were offered a place in higher education, with 52% of these students being offered their first preference Level 8 course in Round One. As of the end of Round Two, more than 49,000 students have accepted a place. There is no indication that a higher number of students than usual are opting to defer their place to the 2021 academic year, and given the large numbers of students who have been accommodated in higher education this year it is feasible that the numbers of students reapplying to the CAO next year on the basis of Leaving Certificate results from prior years will be lower in 2021 than previously.
€18 million has been provided in Budget 2021 to deliver an additional 2,700 new undergraduate student places from September 2021. This increase will address demographic growth pressures and equates to an overall investment of nearly €80 million to address the demographic increases since 2018. These places are in addition to the 1,330 additional places commencing in 2021, funded through the Human Capital Initiative Pillar 2, which will be on undergraduate courses in areas of identified skills needs.
My Department will monitor the situation as it develops and take action as necessary to ensure the availability of a full range of further and higher education options for the class of 2021.
I am satisfied that very considerable progress has been made in the 2020/2021 academic year on the necessary increase in third level places to meet current and projected demographic demand, and Budget 2021 will greatly facilitate us in continuing this progress in the next academic year.
