Written Answers Nos. 449-466
449. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the arrangements he is making for refugees in a centre (details supplied) having fled Afghanistan to have family members reunited with them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3206/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThank you for your query, Deputy. Please note that the Department of Justice is responsible for visas for travel to Ireland - including cases where people wish to join a family member residing in Ireland. As the Department of Justice is responsible for these arrangements I would, therefore, direct you to the Minister for Justice to assist you in this matter.
Queries regarding the Afghan Admissions Programme should be addressed to Department of Justice at aap@justice.ie.
450. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to move Afghan refugees out of direct provision centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3207/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAfghan refugees who have been admitted to the International Refugee Protection Programme are accommodated in Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROCs), where they are assisted in applying for Government supports, and not in IPAS Accommodation (Direct Provision). Many have already moved to accommodation in the community, often supported by Community Sponsorship groups. Those currently in EROCs are being assisted to move into accommodation in the community as soon as it becomes available.
451. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reasoning and rationale behind the end age for parental leave being 12, extending to 16 in circumstances in which there is a disability or long-term illness; if there are plans to review this age cut-off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3212/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraParental leave is one of a range of measures that have been introduced to support parents to play a greater role in their children's early development. It recognises the additional level of care needs in younger children and children with disabilities, and supports working parents to reconcile work and family life. As both parents are entitled to an equal separate entitlement to parental leave, it also supports women's career progression by promoting greater gender-balance of caring responsibilities.
The Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019 introduced a significant extension to parental leave entitlements, increasing the upper age limit of the child for whom parental leave may be taken from eight years to twelve. This Government amendment aimed to introduce an approximate parity between private sector and public sector employers [where the applicable age for the taking of parental leave is 13 years].
The Deputy will appreciate that the age limits provided for in the Act is a statutory minimum, and it is at the discretion of individual employers whether they wish to extend the eligibility criteria for their employees to avail of parental leave beyond that minimum.
The Government has no plans to review the age limits on parental leave entitlements at this time.
452. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children under 12 years of age in Tusla care by area. [3217/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
453. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in Tusla care placed outside their area of origin by local office. [3218/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
454. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of private foster placements in each of the past 36 months by Tusla area. [3219/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
455. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children aged under 12 years and aged under 18 years, respectively resident here by Tusla LHO area in tabular form. [3220/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
456. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of relative and non-relative carers, respectively approved in each month for the past 36 months by Tusla area. [3221/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
457. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in care currently by local area office. [3222/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
458. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in care placed outside their area of origin by LHO area. [3223/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
459. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in care without an allocated social worker by LHO area. [3224/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
460. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of young persons in care who turned 18 years of age from 2019 to date by LHO area. [3225/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
461. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of requests for a child or young person turning 18 years of age to be allowed to stay on in residential care for 2021; and the number of those requests granted. [3226/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
462. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a report (details supplied) which was completed in October 2020 will be provided to him, the board of Tusla and the named whistle-blower; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3253/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
463. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps that have been taken to address the matters raised by the Ombudsman in the report, Wasted Lives: Time for a Better Future for Younger People in Nursing Homes; and if he will address the recommendation to establish a budget dedicated to each HSE area to improve the quality of life of persons affected more specifically. [3488/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment on these matters which are more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
464. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his Department’s total capital and current expenditure budget for 2021 and 2022 for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence with a breakdown for each related allocation for both years in tabular form. [3494/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). Tusla is funded from my Department through Vote 40.
My Department does not have a capital budget for this DSGBV. Capital funding for approved housing bodies, including services that provide refuge accommodation for victims of DSGBV, is provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
In 2021, Tusla allocated €28m in core funding for DSGBV services plus €2m in contingency funding to address challenges arising from Covid-19.
For 2022, I expect Tusla to increase its funding to support DSGBV services and to address the recommendations arising from Tusla’s Accommodation Review. Tusla is currently finalising its annual Business Plan for 2022 in accordance with section 46 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. This will outline proposed activities for the year and the proposed allocation of its financial resources.
465. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1077 of 19 January 2022, the number of persons accommodated in approved housing body, turnkey and other categories of accommodation through the €12.5 million capital allocation under the international protection spending heading within the Revised Estimates 2022. [3511/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWork on the implementation of the new model of accommodation envisaged by the White Paper to End Direct Provision is underway. Under that plan, income support payments and integration supports are intended to be in place before International Protection applicants will move to the new system. Good progress is being made on these fronts, along with development in parallel of new accommodation through acquisitions. The size and types of properties being acquired will determine the number of applicants who can be accommodated using the €12.5m allocation. That information will be made available over the coming year as more and more properties are acquired.
466. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of direct provision applications planned to be accommodated in each county under the allocation key used by his Department in conjunction with an organisation (details supplied) for the year it is envisioned to begin operation in tabular form. [3512/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver the last number of months the Transition Team has been working closely with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Agency and the County and City Managers Association on developing the new accommodation model. This has included the development of an allocation key which sets out the number of applicants to be accommodated in each Local Authority once the new model of accommodation for International Protection Applicants is fully in place.
The details of the allocation key are under review and will be finalised towards the end of February. Once finalised it is intended to publish the allocation key towards the end of quarter one this year.
