Written Answers Nos. 321-333
321. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of secondments from her Department to the university third level sector over the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22258/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere have been no secondments from the Department of Social Protection to the university third level sector in the past 2 years.
322. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if the current contracts for the provision of local employment and job clubs services have been extended until the end of August 2022; the number of times that deadlines have been extended in this process; the reason that it has been extended on this occasion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22295/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of contracted employment service provision has been under review by my Department for some time with extensive consultation taking place with the sector since late 2018.
My Department had initially planned that the two phased procurement process for the new Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service would be completed in 2021, with new services commencing in January 2022. However, at the request of the sector, my Department provided additional time for extensive consultation following Phase 1, which meant that the publication of the Phase 2 RFT was held until late December 2021.
In order to facilitate this extended period of consultation, my Department offered a new 6 month contract to 22 Local Employment Services and 30 Job Club contractors for the provision of activation services until 30th June 2022.
Interested parties were provided additional time to submit their tenders under Phase 2 with the deadline for bids being extended until the 25th April, which reflects the detail of the procurement process. Therefore, to provide further time for the contractors to make appropriate arrangements regarding the existing contracts and to ensure service delivery in the transitionary period, my Department has recently offered a two-month extension of the existing contract(s) for the delivery of employment services. This is an extension of the existing contract(s) for service on the same terms and conditions as the existing contract with a pro-rata value increase until August 31st 2022.
323. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the jobs that are being protected under the new tendering process for local employment. [22296/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra324. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will suspend the process of a new tender for local employment services and establish a formal stakeholder forum and agree a way forward for the provision of these vital services in line with the recommendations from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, Report on the Examination of Employment Services in November 2021. [22297/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 323 and 324 together.
My Department is currently undertaking a significant expansion of public employment services. In particular, specialised employment services for those farthest from the labour market - previously available in just twelve counties - will soon be available State-wide for the first time.
In the first phase of this procurement, contracts for Intreo Partners - Local Area Employment Services (LAES) were agreed in late 2021 across four lots in seven counties in the Midlands and North-East. These new services are now operational and accepting referrals.
Phase two of this process is currently ongoing. The procurement of phase 2 of the Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Services commenced with the publication of the request for tender on 21 December last. Phase 2 included a proportionate increase over Phase 1 in guaranteed referral numbers, calculated on the basis of ensuring the financial viability of the new employment services with due regard to the cost structures of existing Job Clubs and Local Employment Services in the Phase 2 lot areas.
This procurement was preceded by extensive consultation with all stakeholders, but in particular with the community sector providers and with their representative body the ILDN. Every existing provider was visited on site by my officials and asked for their views on the way forward for the best provision of employment services, there has also been engagement with the staff representative bodies. In addition, the external consultants engaged by the Department to assist in the restructuring of these services also and separately from the Department consulted with existing providers.
My Department extended the deadline for the Requests for Tenders to 25 April to ensure all interested parties, including the community sector, will have sufficient time to prepare quality tender responses that reflect their experience and capacity to deliver a quality service.
Following detailed compliance checks, the tenders received will shortly be evaluated in accordance with procurement regulations and the preferred tenderers notified in due course. My officials will then proceed to finalising contracts with a view to establishing services at the earliest possible date.
My Department has a responsibility to ensure the provision of legally-sound, high quality employment service for everyone who needs them irrespective of their location or how long they have been unemployed. This process will ensure, for the first time, that people in all parts of the country will have access to the full range of the Public Employment Service offerings. This expansion in service provision will be operational in quarter 3 of this year.
It is the nature of competitive procurement that the outcomes depend solely on the quality of tenders received. My Department's focus has been on ensuring that these employment service procurements place great emphasis on service quality, so as to provide the unemployed person with the most appropriate services and enable existing service providers to submit tenders that reflect their experience and expertise.
325. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a schedule of fines and totality of the amount paid in respect of fines issued by the EU on her Department for failing to transpose EU directives; if she will include the directive that was not transposed on time; and if she will indicate the directives that are still not fully transposed for the past 25 years to date in 2022. [22333/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere have been no fines issued by the EU on my Department for failure to transpose EU directives.
I hope that clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
326. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received for the disability assistance support scheme in each year from 2020 to date; the number of grants given in each of these years by county or sector breakdown; the reports that are available on the accessibility of this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22363/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the HSE administer and fund a number of personal assistance services for people with disabilities.
There is also the Reasonable Accommodation fund which is administered by my department. Through this, a number of grants are available which can help employers and employees with a disability to take appropriate measures to help a person with a disability to access, improve or retain their employment.
Separate from these schemes is the Disability allowance scheme which currently provides a basic income support to over 150,000 individuals across the country.
If the Deputy could specify the scheme she is interested in, my Department will seek to provide her with the required information.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
327. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received for the reasonable accommodation fund in each year from 2020 to date; the number of grants given in each of these years by county breakdown or sector; the reports that are available on the accessibility of this fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22364/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn addition to providing income supports, my department provides a wide range of employment-related supports for jobseekers/employees with disabilities and private sector employers seeking to support or recruit an employee who has a disability.
The Reasonable Accommodation Fund Grants (RAFG) include a number of grants which are available through the department's network of Intreo centres:
1. Workplace Equipment/Adaptation Grant:
Where a person with a disability has been offered employment, is in employment or is self-employed and requires a more accessible workplace or adapted equipment to do the job, a grant is available towards the costs of adapting premises or equipment. A maximum grant of €6,350 can be given towards the cost of adaptations to premises or equipment. Applications in excess of this sum are considered on an individual basis up to a maximum of €9,523 if specialist training for assistive technology is required.
2. Job Interview Interpreter Grant
A jobseeker who is deaf, hard of hearing or has speech impairment and is attending job interviews may apply for funding to have a sign language interpreter or other interpreter to attend interviews. A three-hour period for each interview can be funded. There is no limit to the number of interviews a person can attend with an interpreter. Funding is also available to cover the cost of an interpreter to assist a person during the induction process, when he/she starts work with a private sector employer. A maximum of three hours interpreter support is available.
3. Personal Reader Grant
A person employed in the private sector who is or is becoming blind or visually impaired, and who needs assistance with job-related reading, can apply for a grant to support them to employ a personal reader. The amount payable is based on an hourly fee paid to the reader, in line with the current minimum wage, for an agreed period up to a maximum of 640 hours per year.
4. Employee Retention Grant
The Employee Retention Grant Scheme is available to assist employers to retain employees who acquire a disability. The grant provides funding to identify accommodation and/or training needs to enable the employee to remain in his/her current position. It can also be used to retrain the employee to take up another position within the company. Funding varies from a maximum of €2,500 or 90% of eligible programme costs to fund an occupational capacity and workplace job assessment or to a maximum of €25,000 or 90% of eligible programme costs for training and job coach support.
The tables below provide data on the number of Reasonable Accommodation Fund Grants issued for the years 2020 to 2022, and a breakdown by county.
Table one: the value of the grants issued for 2020, 2021 and (to April*) 2022:
|
WEAG |
JIIG |
PRG |
ERG |
TOTAL |
|
|
2020 |
€84,149.36 |
€3,845.02 |
€18,969.50 |
€00 |
€106,963.88 |
|
2021 |
€65,117.91 |
€2,748.15 |
€27,701.83 |
€00 |
€ 95,567.89 |
|
2022 |
€14,908.44 |
€135.00 |
€9,473.03 |
€00 |
€ 24,516.47 |
*provisional figure.
Table two: Breakdown by County*
|
County |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
Carlow |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cavan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Clare |
0 |
3 |
1 |
|
Cork |
12 |
17 |
6 |
|
Donegal |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Dublin |
48 |
37 |
10 |
|
Galway |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Kerry |
3 |
8 |
4 |
|
Kildare |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Kilkenny |
2 |
13 |
3 |
|
Laois |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Leitrim |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Limerick |
6 |
6 |
0 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Louth |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mayo |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
Meath |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Monaghan |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Offaly |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Roscommon |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sligo |
5 |
1 |
0 |
|
Tipperary |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Waterford |
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
Westmeath |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Wexford |
1 |
4 |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Total |
92 |
98 |
29 |
*Invoice addresses have been used to provide a county breakdown.
In March, I launched a public consultation on the Reasonable Accommodation Fund grants. The consultation runs from 31 March 2022 until the 13th of May. The aim of the consultation is to improve the effectiveness of the supports available. To promote the completion of the surveys and submissions, the department is running a national media campaign using print, radio and social media. The department has also made contact with disability organisations to promote the participation by their members. The public consultation page is located on Gov.ie - which provides full details in relation to completing the survey(s) and how to make a submission. The report on the outcome of the consultation is to be published in Q3.
It is also important to note:
- That these grants are demand led, i.e. the overall value of the grants issued each year rises or falls in response to the number and value of the grants applied for; and
- the funding the Department makes available through the grants it administers does not impact or lessen the obligation on employers to provide reasonable accommodations. The Employment Equality Acts oblige employers to take reasonable steps to accommodate the needs of both employees and job applicants with disabilities.
My Department regularly review its services, supports and payments schemes to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives, while any proposed changes must be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
328. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans for the provision of new childcare options in counties Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare in view of the fact that there is a shortfall in the number of services available. [21701/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority.
Since 2015, significant increases in State investment in early learning and childcare has given rise to a substantial growth in the numbers of children participating in these services. More than 100,000 children now participate on the universal pre-school programme on an annual basis and the National Childcare Scheme subsidises up to 80,000 children.
To ensure that the supply of early learning and childcare places meets demand, my Department has, since 2015, funded the creation of more than 27,000 new places through an Annual Capital Programme.
Before the onset of Covid-19, national data indicated that, on the whole, supply of early learning and childcare places was meeting demand, with evidence of undersupply for certain age groups including children under 3, and in certain areas.
Data gathered throughout the Covid-19 pandemic revealed lower demand for early learning and childcare, and reduced occupancy among early learning and childcare services. Indeed, data captured in June 2021 found significant vacancy rates across the country – with the national vacancy rate averaging at 21%. Vacancy rates in Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare are outlined below.
|
County |
Vacant places |
Children enrolled |
% vacant places |
|
Dublin - Dublin City |
1,662 |
8,263 |
20% |
|
Dublin - Fingal |
1,176 |
5,793 |
20% |
|
Dublin - South Dublin |
983 |
5,577 |
18% |
|
Dublin - Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown |
403 |
3,784 |
11% |
|
Meath |
627 |
3,549 |
18% |
|
Wicklow |
410 |
2,518 |
16% |
|
Kildare |
722 |
4,088 |
18% |
Pobal has, using the data captured in June 2021 and current registration data, recently projected vacancy rates in February 2022. While this analysis shows a fall in vacancy rates from June 2021 to February 2022 – with vacancy rates falling from 21% to 19%, this analysis suggests that there is unused capacity across the country.
Pobal has commenced the new data collection as of 4 April 2022, as part of the Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey. This will allow for updated information on capacity among early learning and childcare services to be established.
In addition to these efforts to monitor capacity issues across the country, my Department is planning a range of steps to address any issue of under supply. A new funding model, to roll out in September, will provide funding for services aligned to costs of delivery so, for example, greater funding will be available to services that cater for younger children where costs of delivery are higher than older children. Some €70m has been allocated to my Department through the revised National Development Plan (NDP) – with the majority of this funding earmarked for new places. Another important step being taken by my Department, in partnership with the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government (DHPLG), is to update the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings. In addition, CCC are currently proactively engaging with early learning and childcare services to identify unused capacity and explore the potential for services in increase capacity where there is evidence of unmet early learning and childcare needs of families.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for CCCs may be found on www.myccc.ie.
329. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons waiting to be interviewed by the adoption authority in order to determine their suitability and or eligibility to adopt here; if he will provide the duration of the backlog of pending interviews; and the estimated date of when the backlog will be cleared. [21727/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for the Adoption Authority of Ireland, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.
330. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of registrants that applied to the voluntary adoption contact preference register in each of the past five years to date; and number of those that have completed the process to adoption to date [21728/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for the Adoption Authority of Ireland, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.
331. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of declarations of eligibility and suitability that were granted by the adoption authority from each foreign jurisdiction it deals with in the past five years to date in 2022; and the number of declarations of eligibility and suitability that were declined by the adoption authority from each foreign jurisdiction it deals with in the past five years to date in 2022. [21729/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for the Adoption Authority of Ireland, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.
332. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has surveyed the demand for childcare places in the Dublin region, that is counties Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Louth; if he has collated the number of persons seeking childcare but cannot source a spot in these counties; and his plans to address the shortfall in available spaces. [21811/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority.
Before the onset of Covid-19, national data indicated that, on the whole, supply of early learning and childcare places was meeting demand, with evidence of undersupply for certain age groups including children under 3, and in certain areas.
Data gathered throughout the Covid-19 pandemic from parents revealed lower demand for early learning and childcare. There was also evidence of reduced occupancy among early learning and childcare services. Indeed, survey data captured from providers in June 2021, previously shared with the Deputy, found significant vacancy rates across the country – of 21% - and in counties, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow (see below).
|
County |
Vacant places |
Children enrolled |
% vacant places |
|
Kildare |
722 |
4,088 |
18% |
|
Louth |
796 |
3,301 |
24% |
|
Meath |
627 |
3,549 |
18% |
|
Wicklow |
410 |
2,518 |
16% |
This survey also captured data on waiting lists. Based on providers reports, an estimated 38,987 children were a waiting list nationally. While the number of children on waiting lists is an indication of demand, it must be noted that parents often place their child/children on multiple lists. Therefore, this figure cannot be used to indicate overall demand.
Data collection under the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2021/22 is currently underway. The closing date for providers to complete this survey early May. This will allow for updated information on capacity among early learning and childcare services to be established. This will also provide updated information on waiting lists across services.
As outlined previously to the Deputy, my Department is planning a range of steps to address issues of under supply. A new funding model, to roll out in September, will provide funding for services aligned to costs of delivery so, for example, greater funding will be available to services that cater for younger children where costs of delivery are higher than older children. Some €70m has been allocated to my Department through the revised National Development Plan (NDP) – with the majority of this funding earmarked for new places. Another important step being taken by my Department, in partnership with the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government (DHPLG), is to update the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings. In addition, CCC are currently proactively engaging with early learning and childcare services to identify unused capacity and explore the potential for services in increase capacity where there is evidence of unmet early learning and childcare needs of families.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for CCCs may be found on www.myccc.ie.
333. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the basis for statements made by him and by other Ministers that Ireland had capacity to welcome up to 200,000 refugees; the assessments compiled or reports commissioned within his Department or by external agencies which allowed him to come to this estimate; his views on whether Ireland can welcome 200,000 refugees into the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21817/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine on February 24, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on meeting the immediate, temporary accommodation needs of those fleeing the conflict.
A dedicated team is focused on the provision of temporary accommodation to refugees from Ukraine. This team is collaborating with all relevant Departments, Agencies, NGOs and Local Authorities, as well as the private sector, to ensure that refugees are provided with temporary accommodation on arrival, and to facilitate access to the supports from others that they require.
Approximately 17,500 people have been placed in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation to date.
IPAS has contracted approximately 5,000 hotel rooms, with additional capacity also being pursued through all suitable means including, hotels, guest houses and B&Bs, religious properties, accommodation operated by voluntary bodies, pledges of accommodation and local authority emergency facilities. Given arrival numbers sourcing suitable accommodation continues to be a challenge.
In seeking to address immediate accommodation needs, safety and security are the paramount considerations.
