Written Answers Nos. 262-271
262. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will make available any analysis done on the capacity of childcare spaces in County Wicklow; the amount in Budget 2023 that will go towards enhancing capacity by county; the way that this will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48851/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
263. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if more residential places will be offered (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48974/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis is a matter more appropriate for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
264. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of any contracts or services procured by his Department with top security, including any that are subcontracted to top security; the value of such contracts since 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48990/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that my Department has no contracts with the company referred to nor is there a record of any such contracts or subcontracts since 2015.
265. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to the Exchequer to bring the pay of workers in Section 56 organisations in line with public service pay agreements including Building Momentum and its potential successor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49031/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, I value highly the work of the community and voluntary sector across the country that provide services to and on behalf of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I am conscious of the extremely positive impact these organisations have on improving outcomes for children, young people and families all over Ireland.
The arrangements that Tusla enters into with a person or organisation for the provision of child and family services are subject to the provisions of Part 8 of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013.
Section 56 (14) is clear that Tusla's arrangements with such providers do "not give rise to an employment relationship between a service provider, its employees or agents on the one hand and the Agency on the other'.
Organisations commissioned to deliver services under Section 56 Service operate independently of Tusla and are responsible for their own internal resource management, including the terms and conditions under which their staff are employed. The remuneration of the staff of these bodies is therefore a matter for these organisations as employers.
Neither Tusla nor my Department are in a position to determine the pay of workers in Section 56 organisation as they are not public sector employees.
266. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to provide additional after-school child places in the Dublin 11 area, particularly in Finglas and Glasnevin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49094/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare 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.
Before the onset of Covid-19, national data indicated that, on the whole, supply of early learning and child (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) places was meeting demand, with evidence of undersupply for certain age groups and in certain areas.
Data gathered throughout the Covid-19 pandemic revealed lower demand for ELC and SAC, and reduced occupancy among ELC and SAC services.
My Department has continued to monitor capacity, with a particular focus on monitoring Covid-19 impacts as public health restrictions have been lifted and on responding to the unmet ELC and SAC needs of families. Data captured earlier this year parallels the pre-Covid-19 context, whereby the supply of ELC and SAC is meeting demand though there is evidence of undersupply for certain age groups and in certain areas.
The network of 30 CCC across the country, including Dublin City, are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places. In addition, CCC have been mobilised to engage proactively with services to identify vacant places and to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
In addition to this, a range of steps are being taken to address issues of under supply.
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.
Under the National Action Plan for Childminding, I have committed to opening up access to the NCS to parents who use childminders following the extension of regulation to childminders, which is expected to happen within the first 2-3 years of the Plan.
My Department, in partnership with the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government, is in the process of updating the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings.
Finally, since the introduction of Core Funding, there has been a significant expansion of capacity. Initial analysis shows this increased capacity is the type of capacity that is in highest demand relative to supply (including SAC places) and in areas where there has been pressure on places, including all four Dublin local authority areas.
To meet the cost of this expanded capacity, I recently announced that the original allocation for Core Funding will be increased to €259m for Year 1 of the Scheme. In addition, the full year value of Core Funding will increase by €28m to €287 million in Year 2 of the Scheme. €24m of this additional allocation in Year 2 is earmarked for developments to Core Funding informed by the emerging data from Year 1 of operation. Developments may focus on promoting further capacity expansion, investing more in the base rate or to taking more targeted initiatives to invest in specific parts of the sector.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their ELC and SAC needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for CCCs may be found on www.myccc.ie.
267. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has engaged with the governing authority of Maynooth University in respect of a decision to terminate a capital project on its campus (details supplied). [48663/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMaynooth University recently informed my Department that its’ Governing Authority has taken the difficult decision to terminate the Maynooth University Student Centre contract.
My Department does not have any direct involvement in the project in question, as no direct exchequer funding was being provided by my Department for this project, which was solely being funded by European Investment Bank borrowings serviced by income from a student levy. However, all capital projects advanced by publicly funded Higher Education Institutions must comply with the provisions of the Public Spending Code. I understand following detailed consideration on a number of matters, including the risk associated with continuing with a project that would breach the Public Spending Code, the Governing Authority decided to terminate the contract.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs including dealing with policy and procedure in relation to any levy payable by students for services or campus facilitates.
The expenditure that has been incurred to date on the project will be met by the University from financial reserves. No financial contribution is being sought from the exchequer and there will be no impact on the student levy collected from the MU student body. Maynooth University are considering the most appropriate means of meeting the need for additional student spaces on campus, in the short and long term, in the overall context of achieving value for money in any future investment.
I would strongly encourage the University to continue engagement with the student representative body, on the next steps for this project.
268. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of persons within his Department who are working remotely on a part-time or full-time basis in County Clare in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48736/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the publication of the Blended Working Policy Framework for the Civil Service by my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department has developed a draft blended working policy based on the overarching framework, tailored to its business requirements. Consultation on this policy is currently underway with staff representatives. Once agreed and rolled out, staff members will be eligible to make applications to work remotely for a number of days per week and register a remote working location. This will require the approval of line management, in line with the parameters set out in the Department’s blended working policy in relation to the maximum number of remote working days permitted. In the interim the majority of staff of my Department are currently attending the office for a minimum of two days per week and working remotely for the remaining days in the line with the phased return to physical attendance in the workplace following the easing of Government restrictions earlier this year.
269. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to financially assist students who are attending a college (details supplied); if he will review this matter urgently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48759/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe student grant scheme is a statutory based scheme administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). To qualify for student supports under the scheme, students must be attending an ‘approved course’ at an ‘approved institution’.
The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2022. In this regard, the inclusion of any new institutions require the Minister to have regard to the policies and principles as set out in section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and seek the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
The list of approved institutions is predominantly populated by publicly funded institutions. While there are a small number of private institutions who have certain courses approved on the list these are categorised as ‘not for profit’ institutions. Apart from the new Technological Universities prescribed under the Technological Universities Act 2018, no additional institutions have been added to the scheme since the passing of the 2011 Act.
As the college referred to by the Deputy is a private educational institution, it does not come under the remit of the Student Grant Scheme. In the context of limited public funding and competing priorities, student support funding is currently targeted at full-time students undertaking study in approved publicly funded institutions. Any consideration to extend the list of approved institutions would not only have to consider the potential impact on existing approved institutions but also other institutions both in Ireland and across the EU.
It is open to higher education institutions that operate on a 'for profit' basis to use their own resources to provide financial supports to any of their students that they consider to be in particular need.
Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax office or from the Revenue Commissioners website www.revenue.ie
270. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48809/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is strongly committed to supporting the health and well-being of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our health services.
My Department understands there is a longstanding arrangement in place under which the HSE recruit Trainee Clinical Psychologists and sponsor their training in order to encourage employment with the HSE of suitably qualified professionals. This arrangement is made by the HSE and is not the responsibility of my Department.
The question of whether similar arrangements should be put in place in relation to other psychological specialties in order to meet their workforce needs is a matter for consideration by the Department. of Health and Education.
271. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason that a trainee educational psychologist completing a doctorate is the only professional doctorate programme which is not Government funded; the reason for this inequality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48874/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is strongly committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our health services. My Department understands there is a longstanding arrangement in place under which the HSE recruit Trainee Clinical Psychologists and sponsor their training in order to encourage employment with the HSE of suitably qualified professionals. This arrangement is made by the HSE and is not the responsibility of my Department.
The question of whether similar arrangements should be put in place in relation to other psychological specialties in order to meet their workforce needs is a matter for consideration by the Department of Health and the Department of Education.
