Written Answers Nos. 96-114
96. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department requires pension funds to disclose investments in fossil fuel and extractive companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20924/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are a number of environmental disclosure requirements which apply to Irish pension schemes.
Directive (EU) 2016/2341 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision (the "IORP II Directive") provides for the consideration of Environmental Social and Governance factors in:
- Investment (Article 19)
- General governance (Article 21)
- Risk management (Article 25)
- Own risk assessment (Article 28)
- Statement of Investment Policy Principles (Article 30)
- Information to be provided to prospective members (Article 41)
Additionally, the EU ‘Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth’ (including recent Regulations in relation to Sustainable Finance Disclosures, Sustainable Finance Benchmarks and Taxonomy), will develop over the coming years – and pension providers and schemes will have to address additional reporting requirements as a consequence.
Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 on Sustainability-Related Disclosures in the Financial Services Sector (SFDR) seeks to achieve greater transparency regarding how financial market participants (including IORPs) integrate environmental, social or governance (ESG) risks into their investment decisions and provides for specific disclosure requirements in this regard including:
- Policies on the integration of sustainability risks in the investment decision-making process (Article 3)
- A statement concerning adverse sustainability impacts (Article 4)
- Information on the integration of sustainability risks to be provided as part of pre-contractual disclosures (Article 6)
In line with Action 12 of the 2019 Climate Action Plan, the Department has considered how a requirement could be placed on pension schemes to disclose investment in fossil fuels. In light of the above-mentioned EU initiatives and Ireland’s commitment to our 2030 Climate and Energy goals, this action was considered in the context of facilitating meaningful environmental disclosure rather than a strict requirement on pension scheme trustees.
As noted above, significant developments are taking place in the area of sustainable finance across the EU and in the EU and Irish pensions market. Initiatives under the Government’s Roadmap for Pensions Reform, including those in respect of Master Trusts and an Automatic Enrolment Programme, will also reshape the Irish pension landscape over the coming years.
The adoption of additional disclosure requirements is being kept under review as key milestones in the wider regulatory framework are reached over the coming months and years.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
97. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection if support will be provided to a community centre (details supplied) that wants to retain its maintenance worker under a shortly expiring community employment scheme. [20942/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe aim of the Community Employment (CE) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people by providing valuable work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. They are actively encouraged to avail of training to enhance their employability in the labour market. The programme helps break the cycle of unemployment and improves a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. Participation on Community Employment is intended to be for a temporary fixed-term period.
The participant is due to finish on Community Employment on Friday July 2nd 2021 as per current Government guidelines. However, given the large numbers due to exit CE as a result of the contract extensions that have been in place during Level 5 restrictions, his finish date will be adjusted in line with plans to allow for the phased exit of participants depending on where he falls on the exit phase. He will exit the scheme with the benefit of over 3 years work experience and Industry-recognised Qualifications in Manual Handling, Covid Awareness, First Aid, HACCP/Food Safety and Safepass. This is the maximum participation time available to the participant at the moment.
On finishing CE, participants will be referred to our JobPath service who will work with them to ensure that the benefits of the experience and training they received during their time on CE are maximised.
The Department can also provide incentives to employers, such as through the JobsPlus scheme which provides monthly payments to employers to offset wage costs where they employ eligible jobseekers. Time spent on Community Employment is counted towards a client's eligibility for JobsPlus which will enhance his opportunity of employment.
Community Employment is a very valuable resource and every effort is made to ensure opportunities for work experience and training are given to all unemployed persons in each area.
98. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the level of rent allowance payable was reduced following reassessment in the case of a person (details supplied); if the case will be reassessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20963/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of Rent Supplement is to provide short-term income support to assist with the accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation. It is subject to a means test and other eligibility criteria. Rent Supplement claims are also subject to ongoing reviews and payments may be affected if relevant information is not provided or if there is any change in circumstances.
The person concerned was awarded a weekly Rent Supplement payment of €293.10 with effect from 28/05/2020. Following the closure of her Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) on 15/02/2021, the Rent Supplement claim for the person concerned was re-assessed to €215.30 per week with effect from 13/03/2021. The rate of Rent Supplement entitlement was re-assessed on the basis of her average weekly income from employment and the Working Family Payment she receives from my Department. The person concerned was notified of the outcome of this review on 13/03/21 and was advised of her right to appeal the decision to the independent Chief Appeals Officer.
The person concerned was awarded an Illness Benefit payment this week. Following this award officials from my Department will contact the person concerned to carry out a further review of the rate of Rent Supplement in payment.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
99. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a spouse who has worked on the family farm for all of their life equally with their husband but has not been credited with payments to allow them obtain an old age (contributory) pension; the circumstances in which a person who is not yet at pension age can arrange for payments in respect of contributions to be made for prior years at this stage; the circumstances in which this can be done; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20983/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder social welfare legislation, a self-employed contributor will not be regarded as satisfying the contribution conditions for State pension (contributory) unless the person has paid self-employment contributions in respect of at least one contribution year prior to reaching pension age (currently 66 years), and all self-employment contributions payable have been paid.
The Scope insurability section of my Department makes statutory decisions on the insurability of employment under the Social Welfare Acts. It deals with employers, employees and the self-employed, who may apply to have an employment or self-employment status investigated and the correct class of pay-related social insurance (PRSI) determined. Scope section also determines if a person is considered to have worked in a partnership. The person concerned should apply without delay to Scope section for a determination and provide any details necessary to assist with the determination.
After the Scope decision is made, the person is notified as to whether a partnership exists and, if so, the years covered by the partnership. A bill for consequent self-employment liabilities is issued, and once settled, Class S contributions are updated to the person’s contribution record. For State pension (contributory) qualification purposes, all self-employment contributions due should be paid prior to reaching pension age.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
100. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if a carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited given the urgency of the matter. [20989/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
An application for CA was received in respect of the person concerned on 13 November 2020.
It is a condition for receipt of CA that that the person being cared for must have such disability that they require full-time care. The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the Deciding Officer (DO) decided this evidence did not indicate that requirement for full-time care was satisfied.
The applicant for CA in this case was notified on 6 January 2021 of the decision, the reason for it, and of her right of review and appeal.
A request for review of this decision was received on 28 January 2021. Following this review the decision has remained unchanged.
The applicant for CA in respect of the person concerned was notified on 6 February 2021 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of appeal. To date no request for an appeal has been received.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
101. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will request a full review of an application for invalidity pension which is at appeal stage in the name of a person (details supplied); and if an oral hearing will be arranged in order that they and their family can present their case. [20990/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision on 14 January 2021.
Under social welfare legislation the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by an Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts. I am advised that the person concerned subsequently submitted additional evidence and that the Appeals Officer agreed to review the appeal decision on foot of this additional evidence. After due consideration the Appeals Officer did not find any new facts or evidence which warranted a revision of his earlier decision. The person concerned was notified of this outcome on 2 March 2021.
If there are new facts or evidence in relation to the application for invalidity pension that was not available at the time the decision on the appeal was made or at the time the decision was reviewed it may be referred to the Social Welfare Appeals Office to undertake a further review. An element of any such consideration will be whether it is necessary to hold an oral hearing on the matter.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
102. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Social Protection when legislation will be introduced to enable 16 and 17 year olds to obtain a gender recognition certificate on their own, subject to parental approval, further to recommendations made in reports (details supplied); if there are plans to establish a less onerous approach for those under 18 years to acquire a gender recognition certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21005/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWork was commenced in relation to advancing the legislative process in relation to gender recognition those aged 16 and 17 years and other relevant measures at the start of 2020. Since then, the ongoing devotion of resources within my Department to the public health crisis and associated matters has meant that it has not yet been possible to further progress this work. However, the matter will be kept under review and the measures remain part of the Programme for Government.
I hope this clarifies these matters.
103. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider establishing the free travel scheme as a standalone benefit as recommended by the Oireachtas Committee on Transport in 2018 (details supplied); the investigations which have been carried out on this matter to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21010/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately 994,000 customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2021 is €95 million.
The objective of the Free Travel scheme is to ensure that older people and people with disabilities remain active within their community. The scheme was never intended as a targeted support for people with severe mobility issues.
If the Free Travel scheme was to be extended to all people who had a disability and/or significant health issues, regardless of whether they receive a qualifying payment, a medical assessment process would be required for all such applications, significantly changing the nature of the scheme. Any decision to change the eligibility criteria of the free travel scheme along such lines would have significant costs and require additional administrative processes to be put in place. Accordingly, it could only be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
Under the “Make Work Pay” Initiative people in receipt of a long term disability payment who move off the payment to get a job can retain their Free Travel entitlement for a period of five years.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may award a travel supplement, where the circumstances of the particular case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the individual case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
104. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which her Department and agencies under her remit encourage and facilitate employees to use active travel to commute to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21059/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department, as an employer within the wider civil service, makes the Cycle to Work Scheme available to its employees. There have been 588 Cycle to Work scheme take-ups since the start of 2018. 2020 showed an increased number of applications to the scheme compared to the precious two years.
2018 123
2019 153
2020 230
2021 (to date) 87
The Department's HR Wellbeing Unit was established in 2020 and since then its policy in this area offers supports in terms of educational webinars and other initiatives in areas such as fitness, nutrition and motivation.
The Department recently launched a "DSP Step challenge" with the aim of getting staff active coming into Spring, with 830 staff participating. The Unit will continue to provide similar initiatives in the coming months to support staff wellbeing in keeping active, including initiatives to promote the cycle to work scheme, road safety and being visible on the road during the winter months.
105. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to extending the period of training and upskilling of the present community employment participants for an additional 12 months in lieu of the year lost due to Covid-19 restrictions; if she will acknowledge that to carry through the ethos of the community employment schemes to train and upskill participants in their chosen occupation for a period of three years and have them fully prepared for the labour market on the satisfactory completion of their three-year training and upskilling period would not be fulfilled for the current participants if their contract is not extended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21484/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommunity Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.
In general CE placements for new entrants aged between 21 and 55 years are for 1 year. As the Deputy is aware, CE participants who are working towards a Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) major award can seek to extend their participation on CE by up to 2 years to enable them to reach the required standard of qualification. CE participants aged 55 years or older can remain on CE for 3 years and do not have to work towards a QQI major award. A number participants who are aged over 55 who commenced on the scheme before 2017 can stay on CE for six consecutive years. Therefore participants across the various age cohorts have considerable periods of time to complete the training and development aspects of CE. I agree that training and upskilling of participants is a very important component of CE schemes and is one I fully support.
As the Deputy is aware, my Department has continued to provide funding and support for CE schemes since the onset of the Covid-19 emergency in March 2020. Furthermore a number of CE schemes, which provide essential community services, were in a position to continue to deliver these services, while complying with public health restrictions in place at differing times over the past year.
During each period of Level-5 restrictions, CE participants, whose contracts were due to end during these restrictions, have had their contracts extended for the duration of these restrictions, as a minimum. In early March 2021, Minister Humphreys and I announced funding for a further CE contract extension for participants, up until 2nd July 2021. Over 7,000 CE and Tus participants will benefit from this latest contract extension, that applies to all participants whose contracts were due to finish since end-October 2020. These extensions also provide many participants with additional time to complete their training and work experience on CE.
It is important to note that when CE participants are eventually due to finish on their respective schemes after the 2nd July, their exit will be undertaken on a coordinated, phased basis over a number of months. This will support the ongoing delivery of services by schemes and will be coordinated with the recruitment of new participants to schemes.
Where a CE participant finishes up on their CE scheme without completing the training outlined in their Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and if unfortunately, they remain unemployed, they may continue their development through a range of training supports provided by my Department such as the Training Support Grant (TSG) and the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA). Department case officers will engage with former CE participants to discuss the available options.
Contract extension dates will continue to be monitored in line with Government public health restrictions in place over the coming months. At the same time, I need to ensure that CE places are available for the incoming cohort of long term unemployed, once we start to move beyond the COVID public health restrictions.
The priority for my Department is to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants. CE will continue to be made available to support those who are long term unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market, while maintaining the role of CE as an active labour market programme.
I am fully committed to the future of these programmes and will continue to support and improve the programmes for the benefit of the CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services.
106. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a series of matters (details supplied) in relation to the proposals to publicly tender on a cost bid model for local employment services and jobs clubs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21485/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the July stimulus, the Government committed to increase resources dedicated to the delivery of employment services both within the Department’s own Intreo service, and, in addition, to expand the coverage of the Local Employment Services to areas not currently covered by existing providers. My Department has already increased its own complement of employment service staff and now intends to issue a Request for Tender (RFT) to expand local employment service type provision into some geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist. The specific lots will be detailed in the request for tender, when it is published.
The forthcoming RFT will primarily focus on the quality of services to be provided, while expanding the capacity of the Public Employment Service (PES). This RFT, which is required to comply with EU procurement rules, will have no impact on the contracts of existing providers in other areas and it is expected that the tender will prove attractive to local community-based organisations, including the Local Development Companies.
In practice, the current LES funding approach requires a level of scrutiny of day-to-day expenditure, which places an undue administrative burden on both the employment service provider and my Department. Such an approach diverts valuable resources away from supporting clients and as such does nothing to enhance employment outcomes for the long-term unemployed. Moving to a new multiannual funding approach, which pays for each jobseeker referred to the service, coupled with a strong emphasis on quality of service provision will provide greater flexibility to providers to support individuals who avail of their service.
My Department is investing more in our communities by expanding employment services across the State and providing more support and assistance to the long term unemployed. We are committed to delivering a high quality employment service across the State and we need to increase the capacity of the Public Employment Service now in order to meet the expected demand arising as a result of pandemic.
Separately, the current contracts for all contracted PES provision expire at the end of 2021, following a twelve-month extension to ensure continuity of services during Covid restrictions. My Department is now developing RFTs to ensure that sufficient high-quality employment services are procured in a manner that is compatible with EU and national procurement rules.
Organisations with strong experience in the delivery of similar services at a community and local level will be in a strong position to respond to the RFTs when they issue.
107. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is scope for additional funding to be allocated to an organisation (details supplied) to offset its difficulties due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21041/21]
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 for them and continues to pose.
108. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the actions being taken to address the high costs of rent for small childcare providers particularly during Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20914/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraEarly Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) providers have a range of different arrangements for their premises. In 2019, 48% providers owned their premises, 38% leased their premises, 8% had no formal agreement and 6% had a licensing agreement.
Robust costs data was captured through the Independent Review of the Cost of Providing Quality ELC and SAC Services in Ireland. Data from this review shows that, on average, premises account for 8% of providers' costs although this will clearly vary considerably depending on individual circumstances. In addition, payroll and other staff costs accounts for approximately 70% of providers' costs and commerical rates accounted for 1% of costs, on average.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth provides funding to ELC and SAC providers through a number of strands including the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, the National Childcare Scheme, the Programme Support Payment, the Access and Inclusion Model and other funding schemes. Providers also have income from parental fees.
Given that ELC and SAC providers, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, are private operators and make individual decisions about how to run their services, how best to balance of income from different sources, and managing costs are very varied.
Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, significant additional State funding has been directed towards providers in the ELC and SAC sector. Since summer 2020, the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) has been available to employers in the sector with an exemption from having to demonstrate a 30% drop in income which applies to other sectors. EWSS has been paid at enhanced rates since October 2020. Enhanced rate EWSS is estimated to cover on average 80% of payroll costs or 50% of running costs for services. Other supports provided to the sector from my Department since the onset of Covid-19 includes the Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme, a Reopening Support Payment and a Covid-19 Capital Support Grant. In addition, there have been a range of whole-of-economy supports for eligible providers, including the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Restart Grant and the commerical rates waiver.
The Covid-19 policy response was significantly informed by the data collected through the independent review of costs. My Department plans to continue capturing costs data in order to maintain an up-to-date dataset. My Department is also leading a review of the funding model for ELC and SAC. An Expert Group is considering a range of evidence and is due to report by the end of the year.
Where services are experiencing financial difficulty related to the Covid-19 crisis or otherwise, sustainability funding is also available. Providers are advised to contact their local city or county childcare committee for further information and support.
109. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans to provide funding for childcare providers to increase staff ratio in ECCE classes taking into account the needs of younger children in early education settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20915/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe minimum required ratios of adults to children in early learning and care services in Ireland for full day care or part-time provision are: 1:3 for children under 1 year old; 1:5 for children aged between 1 and 2 years old; 1:6 for 2 year olds; and 1:8 for pre-school children aged between 3 and 6. For children in sessional (less than 3.5 hours) pre-school provision who are aged between 2 years 6 months and 6 years old, there is a minimum adult-child ratio of 1:11. This sessional minimum ratio of 1:11 applies to children participating in the Early Childcare Care and Education (ECCE) programme, for which the eligible age group is children between 2 year 8 months and 5 year 6 months. These adult-child ratios are among the lowest in Europe according to the most recent (2019) edition of the Eurydice / European Commission report on 'Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe'.
The introduction of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) in 2016 had a positive impact on adult-child ratios in many early learning and care settings, with the provision of funding to support additional assistance in response to the needs of children with disabilities within pre-school rooms. This funding can be used either to ensure a 1:8 ratio in a room where a child with a disability is taking part in the ECCE programme, or to recruit an additional staff member for a room with a child with a disability, thus improving the effective adult-child ratio in the pre-school room.
Since AIM’s inception in 2016, more than 10,900 approvals for additional assistance have been awarded as part of AIM, benefitting the children taking part in the ECCE programme in the rooms where this additional support has been provided.
110. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the efforts he will take to address the high level of administrative duties for small childcare providers; if there are plans to streamline the administrative process for childcare providers, particularly smaller ones with less capacity to manage Departmental requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20916/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware that some providers of early learning and childcare services have expressed concerns about the administrative burden related to providing my Departments funded childcare programmes to families.
Since 2017 my Department has provided an annual programme supports payment (PSP) to all eligible childcare services, in recognition of the administrative work associated with the various Department funded schemes.
The PSP is based on the number of children registered in the service under each childcare programme and is usually paid in one instalment in July of each year. €19million was distributed to providers under the PSP in 2020.
As the Deputy may be aware, the early learning and childcare programmes funded by my Department are administered by Pobal.
Pobal has introduced a number of measures to improve the experience of childcare providers:
- a new user friendly on-line administration system, the Early Years Platform was introduced in 2019, and the administration of all childcare funding programmes is moving to this platform,
- 'how-to' guides have been produced for providers to help them to complete administrative tasks,
- additional resources have been assigned to the Pobal provider centre which offers expert advice to providers by phone or email.
In addition to support from Pobal, childcare providers can access support and advice on programme administration from the national network of County Childcare Committees which are funded by my Department. Details of each CCC can be found at www.myccc.ie.
111. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding AIM funding and the ongoing low pay for childcare staff on the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20917/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am very conscious of the need for significant improvement in pay and working conditions for practitioners in early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services. The level of pay they receive does not reflect the value of the work they do for children, for families and for the wider society and economy. It also contributes to challenges in recruitment and retention of staff, which are key to the consistency of care provided to children.
As the State is not the employer, my Department does not set wage levels nor determine working conditions for staff working in the sector. The most recent published data indicates that the average hourly wage in the sector was €12.55 in mid-2019.
I recently wrote to the Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, recommending the establishment of a Joint Labour Committee for the sector, in line with the Programme for Government. If established, a Joint Labour Committee would provide an opportunity for relevant parties to engage in negotiations on an Employment Regulation Order, which could ultimately establish binding rates of pay and conditions for the sector. In addition, my Department has over a number of years provided a range of programmes and funding supports to service providers to support them to improve wages and working conditions.
One recent measure I took in this regard lies within the Access Inclusion Model (AIM), the objective of which is to help service providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that children with a disability can fully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. In 2020 I was successful in increasing the AIM budget by €3.6 million. The majority of this additional allocation was used to increase the AIM Level 7 supports to providers from €195 per week to €210 per week, as from January 2021. This funding is provided to the pre-school provider and can be used either to reduce the adult-child ratio in the pre-school room or to buy in additional assistance.
112. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way in which his Department and agencies under his remit encourage and facilitate employees to use active travel to commute to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21046/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to provide the following information to the Deputy regarding the ways that my Department and the bodies under the aegis of my Department encourage and facilitate employees to use active travel to commute to work.
|
Body |
Active Travel Measures |
|
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) |
DCEDIY provides support for same through the following measures: - Bike parking facilities in DCEDIY office buildings - Shower facilities for those cycling, walking or running to work - - articipation in the Cycle to Work scheme - Participation in the annual Travel-saver scheme for public transport - Details of the above are provided in DCEDIY employee induction programme |
|
Child and Family Agency (Tusla) |
Tusla will reply directly to the Deputy |
|
Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) |
The AAI advised that they do not have any particular active travel initiatives |
|
Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) |
The OCO will reply directly to the Deputy |
|
Children detention school (Oberstown) |
With regard to the Children Detention School (Oberstown) the cycle to work scheme is widely promoted to staff as part of workplace incentives and supports. A number of staff have availed of the scheme and cycle to work on a daily basis. Also, as part of the Campus Support Services, Oberstown run incentives to encourage staff to become active. Such activities include "Work Healthy - All things health and wellbeing", and a focus on exercise, diet and hobbies. The Campus also run monthly workplace initiatives, the most recent of which was last month when they ran "The Marchathon" step challenge, where teams on campus competed in a step challenge during the month of March. |
|
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) |
IHREC will reply directly to the Deputy |
|
National Disability Authority |
The NDA provides support for same through the following measures: - Bike parking facilities to the rear of the premises - Shower facilities for those cycling, walking or running to work - Participation in the Cycle to Work scheme - Participation in the annual Travel-saver scheme for public transport |
113. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on providing financial support for students returning from Erasmus who have to mandatorily quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20876/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is designated as a programme country under the Erasmus+ programme. As a programme country, Ireland is eligible to participate in all actions of the programme and has benefitted significantly from our participation.
The policy of my Department, as national authority for the programme, has always been to strongly encourage participation in Erasmus+ . The Department as national authority, has agreed to cover the cost of mandatory hotel quarantine for Erasmus+ participants at all levels who are returning to Ireland from countries on the quarantine list.
114. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the costs of mandatory hotel quarantine will be waived for students returning from a graduate internship programme similar to that being proposed for Erasmus students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20911/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe decision to support Erasmus+ participants with mandatory hotel quarantine was taken in the specific context of the Erasmus programme, for which my Department is the national authority.
Ireland is designated as a programme country under the Erasmus+ programme. As part of the programme, each programme country must nominate a national authority to monitor and supervise the management of the programme at national level. Ireland’s nominated Erasmus+ national authority is based in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
As national authority, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has designated the Higher Education Authority (HEA), as national agency for Erasmus+ in the field of higher education. As the national agency, the HEA is responsible for the participation of the higher education sector. The national authority provides co-funding for the operational costs to the European Programmes Unit of the HEA.
The policy of the national authority has always been to strongly encourage participation in the Erasmus+ programme. On this basis, the Department as national authority, has agreed to cover the cost of mandatory hotel quarantine for Erasmus+ participants at all levels who are returning to Ireland from countries on the quarantine list. We are not in a position to extend this support beyond the Erasmus+ programme.
