Written Answers Nos. 715-732
715. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to address the low employment rate of persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16942/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES) 2015 - 2024 is the primary disability employment policy framework in Ireland. It is a cross-government approach, bringing together actions by Government Departments and Agencies to address the barriers and challenges to employment of people with disabilities. The CES’s strategic priorities are to build skills, capacity and independence, to provide bridges and supports into work, to make work pay, to promote job retention and re-entry to work, to provide coordinated and seamless supports and to engage employers.
Implementation of the Strategy is undertaken through agreed action plans and is monitored by an Implementation Group with an independent Chairperson: Fergus Finlay. Currently the group is monitoring the CES Phase Two Action Plan which covers the period 2019 – 2021.
Accessing and staying in employment for people with disabilities is difficult but can be achieved with appropriate supports. It requires many Government services to work for that individual and importantly to work together to provide a joined-up service. The Action Plan contains a range of actions, to be carried out by Government Departments and agencies, to advance the strategic priorities and ultimately to increase the numbers of those with disabilities in employment.
Separately, the Government will bring forward legislative proposals this year to increase the percentage target of people with disabilities employed in the public service from 3% to 6%.
716. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to ensure uniformity regarding the use and quality of parental capacity assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16959/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhere a child has for one reason or another entered the care of Tusla a core feature of the care plan created for the child is the planned reunification with the child's parent/s. This only occurs where it is appropriate and safe to do so. In establishing this a parental capacity assessment is conducted.
Parenting capacity is the ability to parent in a capable manner long term. An individual may be able to parent for a short period of time in specific circumstances (e.g. a supervised visit) and therefore demonstrate parenting ability, but not the parenting capacity to parent effectively over the long term. Key areas of parenting capacity are basic care, ensuring safety, emotional warmth, stimulation, guidance and boundaries, and stability.
The Child Protection and Welfare Practice Handbook details the approach to conducting an assessment and social workers will have received training in this regard, providing a degree of uniformity and quality to assessments conducted.
In addition Social workers in Tusla are using Signs of Safety as the national approach to practice, and assessments and plans resulting from the assessments have been aligned with that model. This should further ensure a level of consistency between Tusla areas. Of course, no family will receive an identical service as each service should be tailored to meet the needs of the child and family appropriately.
In instances where commissioned assessments, involving professionals outside of the social work team, attachment specialists, independent social workers and psychologists are being developed they too should align with Signs of Safety ensuring a consistent approach to assessments.
718. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding parental leave from 1 April 2021. [17070/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid parent's leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.
The Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021 provides an additional three weeks of paid parent's leave to each parent, and to extend the period in which the leave can be taken to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. This Act was signed into law by the President on 27 March 2021.
Each parent is entitled to five weeks parent’s leave from the date that the relevant sections of the Act are commenced. Where a parent has already availed of the existing two week entitlement, they will be entitled to take an additional three weeks parent's leave. It is anticipated that commencement will take place on 1 April 2021.
719. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the proposed role of an association (details supplied) in the setting of settlement patterns for asylum seekers under the White Paper on the international protection support service. [17090/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra720. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeline envisioned for a decision on the establishment of a new body to oversee the proposed international protection support service. [17091/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra721. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the accommodation strand he envisions for housing victims of trafficking as per page 43 of the White Paper on the international protection support service. [17092/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra722. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which the urban renewal schemes strand of accommodation proposed on page 45 of the White Paper on the international protection support service represents a not-for-profit model. [17093/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra723. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the complaints process envisioned on page 53 of the White Paper on the international protection support service will be independent and have a right of appeal to the ombudsman or the court system. [17094/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra725. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the appointment of the transition team within his Department outlined on page 81 of the White Paper on the international protection support service. [17096/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 719 to 723, inclusive, and 725 together.
The role of the City and County Management Association (CCMA) will be to support my Department to develop a national allocation key which will set out the number of applicants for international protection who will be accommodated in urban areas in each county. My Department will work with the CCMA to develop criteria in this regard. The objective is that the allocation key should be fair and transparent and based on clear and simple criteria.
The preparatory process for the Programme Board, which will oversee the implementation of the new system and whose members will include representatives from Government Departments, NGOs and former residents of Direct Provision, is currently underway. An external advisory group of three independent persons will be established to monitor the implementation of the new model. Preparatory work is being undertaken on the process for selecting these independent experts.
The appointment of the Transition Team is underway and its first task will be to develop a detailed implementation plan and timeline for all accommodation strands in the White Paper.
724. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the legally binding standards on international protection accommodation providers, their operation and the warnings or sanctions given since 1 January 2021. [17095/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Standards meet the requirements of the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive (Directive 2013/33/EU) which we voluntarily opted into in June 2018.
My Department is engaged in consultations with the Department of Health and HIQA aimed at establishing an independent monitoring mechanism for standards in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres. It has not yet been determined whether legislative change will be required to put this in place.
Accommodation centres are currently subject to regular unannounced inspections by both my officials in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) and an independent inspections company (QTS Limited). The requirement for inspection of dedicated accommodation centres is a contractual obligation for the contractors.
There are currently 46 designated accommodation centres that come under the inspections programme including the National Reception Centre in Balseskin, Co. Dublin.
These inspections are generally undertaken, twice yearly by my officials in IPAS and once yearly by QTS Limited. Inspections cover a wide range of issues including the quality of the food quality, fire safety, appropriate signage and information for residents, the condition of communal areas and sleeping quarters and adherence to hygiene and other health and safety measures. Completed inspections are published on www.ria.gov.ie.
The current inspection programme was severely compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic. All inspections were suspended temporarily during the first phase of COVID-19 restrictions but they recommenced on 14 September 2020 with all necessary safeguards in place. In 2020, my Department was able to ensure that all centres, with the exception of the new centre in Dominick Street in Galway which was not fully occupied until late 2020, were inspected at least once by IPAS officials, with 13 centres being inspected twice by IPAS officials. Furthermore QTS carried out an additional 29 inspections last year. This gives a combined total of 101 inspections carried out in 2020.
726. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the provisions being made by his Department to ensure that children born in January of a particular year can avail of a second free early childhood care and education, ECCE, year given that at present many children born in the early part of the year are excluded from a second free year. [17121/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is a universal free two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range.
The minimum eligibility age for the ECCE programme was revised in September 2018 when it was reduced from 3 years to 2 years and 8 months. The revised minimum of 2 years and 8 months was chosen based on national experience and a review of international practice.
Some children will not be able to commence their ECCE in September of the programme year as they will not have reached the age of 2 years and 8 months on or before 31st August. However, they will be able to commence ECCE the following September, and will be eligible for two years of ECCE.
Parents may prefer for their children to start school at age 4 rather than 5 years and may therefore choose to avail of one year of ECCE only. This is the parents choice to make. ECCE is not a mandatory scheme and a parent may choose to send to their child for one year only, or not at all.
727. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to ensure all childcare providers will sign up to the national childcare scheme; if his attention has been drawn to the hardship that refusal of some providers to join the scheme is having on parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17122/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) was introduced in November 2019. Since then, over 50,200 children have benefitted from NCS subsidies.
ELC/SAC providers are private businesses and as such it is matter for those businesses to decide whether they enter into any contractual arrangement including for the provision of the NCS. Services contract on an annual basis to participate in the Scheme. At present, over 3,000 ELC/SAC providers are contracted to participate in the NCS.
My Department provided a number of supports in advance of the launch of the NCS in 2019 including a transition support payment and a capital grant for ICT equipment to support scheme administration. These were designed to encourage sign-up and support readiness.
In addition, my Department provides an annual programme support payment to support administration of all schemes.
In addition to these payments, multiple training sessions were offered through all City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) nationwide. Training continues to be available from all CCCs for ELC/SAC providers who require assistance in operating the NCS.
I do appreciate the difficulties caused when a parent’s preferred ELC/SAC provider does not engage with the NCS. However, parents can access their NCS award through any ELC/SAC provider in the country that is registered to provide the NCS. Their CHICK number, which unlocks their subsidy award, can be used in any NCS-registered ELC/SAC service.
Parents seeking support in this regard should contact their local County Childcare Committee, details of which are available at myccc.ie.
729. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to introduce entitlement to leave for parents who welcome a child via surrogacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17384/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraPolicy on surrogacy rests with the Minister for Health while policy on parentage rests with the Minister for Justice. Legislation on family leaves must be developed in the context of the legal situation concerning parentage, including in relation to surrogacy. Any changes in the legal situation with regard to parentage and surrogacy are matters for the Minister for Justice and Minister for Health. Some forms of family leaves may be available to commissioning surrogate parents. These include parental leave and parent's leave and benefit.
730. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if additional funding will be provided to a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17389/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe ongoing management of the organisation referred to by the Deputy is a matter for their Board, including the challenges being presented due to the recent Covid-19 restrictions.
My Department provides substantial funding to this organisation, which plays an important role in providing young people with opportunities for developmental experiences and informal learning. All of the youth funding provided by my Department has been maintained fully throughout the ongoing period of restrictions. In addition, I secured an increase in 2021 for youth services, including an increase for the organisation referred to by the Deputy. I have no plans to provide additional funding to this organisation.
My officials are in regular contact with youth sector representatives in relation to the impact of the pandemic and associated health restrictions. It is of importance that Exchequer funding to youth services nationally is protected and I am satisfied that Government has been able to continue to support them. My officials will continue to work closely with youth organisations and will actively monitor the situation. We very much appreciate the challenges COVID-19 has posed and is posing for them.
731. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way in which his Department and agencies under his remit are meeting obligations under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17421/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Sign Language Act, 2017 was signed into law on 24th December 2017. The Minister of State with Responsability for Disabilities, Anne Rabbitte and I jointly signed the commencement order. My Department is responsible for this piece of legislation, although key sections of the Act are the responsability of other Departments.
The Act recognises Irish Sign Language (ISL) as a native language of the State and provides that the ‘community of persons using Irish Sign Language shall have the right to use, develop and preserve Irish Sign Language’.
The Act sets out requirements and obligations on public bodies for the provision of ISL services. This includes a duty on all public bodies to provide ISL speakers with free interpretation when availing of or seeking to access statutory entitlements and services. My Department will meet this duty. My Department also wrote to all Departments to advise them of the commencement of the Act and of their duty, and the duty of agencies under their remit, under the Act.
In addition, under section 10 of the Act, my Department is required to prepare periodic reports on the operation of the Act. My Department has engaged the National Disability Authority to carry out this work and preparation of the first such report under the Act is underway.
732. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of the Acts falling under his Department which have been signed into law but have not been commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17439/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following Acts contain provisions for which my Department has responsibility but which have not yet been commenced :
Children (Amendment) Act 2015 (No. 45 of 2015)
Section 6(88b), section 8, section 9, section 10, section 16, section 18, section 19 and section 26 of the Children (Amendment) Act 2015 have not yet been commenced as alternative policy proposals for the remission of children's sentences are currently under consideration.
Assisted Decision Making Act 2015 (No. 64 of 2015):
A number of sections of the Assisted Decision Making Act 2015 have been commenced as follows:
- Part 1, other than sections 3, 4, and 7, and Part 9, other than section 96, section 102 and Chapter 3 were commenced by the Minister for Justice and Equality on 12th October 2016 (S.I. No. 515 of 2016).
- The definition of “Minister” in section 82; the definitions of “code of practice” and “working group” in section 91(1); and section 91(2) were commenced by the Minister for Health on 13th October 2016 (S.I. No. 517 of 2016).
- Section 91 was commenced by the Minister for Health on 13th December 2018 (S.I. No. 527 of 2018).
- Section 7(1) was commenced by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on 27th January 2021 (S.I. No. 24 of 2021).
It is intended to commence remaining sections of the Act in 2022.
Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 (No. 11 of 2016)
Section 2 and section 31 of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 have not been commenced. It is intended to commence these provisions in the near future.
Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (No. 35 of 2019 )
Section 2 and section 29 of the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 have not been commenced. It is intended to commence these provisions in the near future.
Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021 (No. 4 of 2021)
The Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021 was signed into law by the President on 27th March 2021 and a Commencement Order (SI 148 of 2021) was signed on 30th March 2021 to give effect to the commencement of all Parts of the Act (other than Parts 4 and 9 which are the responsibility of the Ministers for Social Protection and Justice respectively) from 1st April 2021.
