Written Answers Nos. 506-525
506. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he intends to increase the accommodation recognition payment for households accommodating Ukrainian refugees given the increase in the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53109/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the Temporary Protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis.
The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of displaced persons like the one that we have seen over the past months.
My Department’s role is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here. To date, more than 54,000 people have arrived in Ireland and in excess of 43,000 of those have been referred to this Department seeking accommodation from the State.
Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains immensely challenging. Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, my Department has contracted in excess of 33,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 500 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.
The priority is to place people fleeing the conflict in safe and secure accommodation.
The Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 provides that a review of the level of the accommodation recognition payment may be conducted by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in consultation with the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I intend to undertake this review in light of the challenges being experienced with accommodation supply.
The Act also provides that before changing the level of payment the Minister shall have regard to the likely effect of changed amount on—
(a) the number of persons who avail of the financial contribution, including where the scheme termination date is extended,
(b) the number of temporary protection beneficiaries to whom accommodation is provided by persons under the scheme, and
(c) the cost to the Exchequer of the payment of financial contributions.
The Act specifically precludes the Minister from have regard to the costs to hosts providing accommodation to temporary protection beneficiaries.
The payment is a recognition for providing accommodation to beneficiaries and was never intended to cover all costs incurred by the hosts.
I trust this information is of assistance.
507. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will shorten the time that foster parents have to wait to receive the child benefit payment for children in their care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53286/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatters in respect of Child Benefit entitlements are solely the remit of the Department of Social Protection. I am aware however that foster parents are required to wait 6 months after a foster child is placed in their care, before they are entitled to claim Child Benefit. Further, I am also conscious that this issue was raised by foster carers during the consultation process that preceded Tusla's Strategic Plan for Foster Care Services for Children and Young People 2022 – 2025.
I will continue to work with my colleagues in Government and other relevant stakeholders in the coming months to improve the supports available to foster carers.
508. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when foster parents will receive his recently announced additional payment of child benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53287/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe CEO of Tusla and I met in the aftermath of the budget, and discussed the issue of supports to foster carers. I recognise that foster carers, like many others, are experiencing cost of living pressures and both myself and Tusla want to respond to this in a positive and meaningful way.
Following this engagement it has been agreed that a single additional once-off cost of living payment in respect of each child in foster care is to be paid as soon as practicable. The payment is to be made at the current foster care allowance rate of €325 for a child under 12 and €352 for a child over 12. It is the intention of Tusla and my Department that the payment should issue before the end of 2022, to all applicable cohorts of foster carers.
I will continue to work with Tusla in the coming months to improve the supports available to foster carers. I will also pursue an increase in the current rate of the foster care allowance in future budgets.
509. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department is undertaking a review of the monthly payments foster parents received to care for their foster children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53288/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFoster carers are paid a weekly allowance, which is a payment to meet the needs of the child in their care. The foster care allowance is currently €325 per week for a child under 12 years of age and €352 per week for a child aged 12 years and over. The allowance is not considered as means for social welfare purposes, and is not subject to tax.
Myself and the CEO of Tusla met in the aftermath of the budget, and discussed the issue of supports to foster carers. I recognise that foster carers, like many others, are experiencing cost of living pressures and both myself and Tusla want to respond to this in a positive and meaningful way.
Following this engagement it has been agreed that a single additional once-off cost of living payment in respect of each child in foster care is to be paid as soon as practicable. The payment is to be made at the current foster care allowance rate of €325 for a child under 12 and €352 for a child over 12. It is the intention of Tusla and my Department that the payment should issue before the end of 2022, to all applicable cohorts of foster carers.
I will continue to work with Tusla in the coming months to improve the supports available to foster carers. I will also pursue an increase in the current rate of the foster care allowance in future budgets.
510. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of Ukrainian refugees that Ireland has welcomed and accommodated since the invasion of their country in February 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53289/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the Temporary Protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis.
The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of displaced persons like the one that we have seen over the past months. My Department’s role is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here.
To date, more than 54,000 people have arrived in Ireland and in excess of 43,000 of those have been referred to this Department seeking accommodation from the State.
Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains immensely challenging. Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, my Department has contracted in excess of 33,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 500 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings. The priority is to place people fleeing the conflict in safe and secure accommodation.
The Government is committed to delivering a humanitarian response to welcome people seeking protection in Ireland as part of the European Union's overall response. The scale of response to this crisis has been unprecedented and Irish people have displayed a commendable level of generosity in their support and pledges of accommodation.
To date 4,612 BOTPs have been matched to 1,834 pledge properties and this figure continues to increase on a weekly basis.
Accommodation for new arrivals will continually need to be found throughout the Autumn/Winter period as my Department expects a further 10,000 people to arrive from Ukraine by year-end. The wider situation in regards to accommodation remains extremely challenging. Ireland is now accommodating 55,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection applicants, compared to 7,500 of the latter last year.
The Department will continue to procure accommodation and assist those fleeing the war in Ukraine as best it can.
I trust this information is of assistance.
511. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of additional staff members have been allocated to his Department to manage the increase in work incurred by the Ukrainian refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53290/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs of the week ending 21st October 2022, there are 143 staff assigned to units in the Ukraine Response Division. This includes 50 staff internally reassigned from within my Department, Ukrainian Temporary Clerical Officers that were recruited and staff on secondment or temporary assignment from other departments/bodies.
512. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 407 of 20 September 2022, if the proposed review of the Equality Acts will examine if there is a need for regulation to recognise epilepsy alert dogs and seizure alert dogs as service animals and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53383/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile the Deputy is aware that I cannot provide an interpretation of legislation, and while the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth has no explicit policy or legislative responsibility over service animals, both I and my colleague and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, T.D, are committed to advancing the right to equality and non-discrimination for all people with disabilities.
The Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in the provision of goods and services, the provision of accommodation, and access to education. There are established complaints procedures for potential breaches of the Equal Status Acts.
In June 2021, Minister O’Gorman, T.D, announced his intention to conduct a review of the Equality Acts (comprising of the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015). The review will be informed by the responses that have been submitted through a public consultation process and it will examine the functioning of the Acts, including their effectiveness in combating discrimination and promoting equality, including in relation to disability.
518. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details from the records available to his Department of the number of persons who spend less than six months in mother and baby homes or county homes for the time period covered by the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022. [53582/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the work undertaken by the Interdepartmental Group on the development of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, it was estimated that approximately 19,500 mothers spent time in a Mother and Baby or County Home Institution, with just under 15,000 of these mothers spending less than six months there. In the case of people who spent time as institutions as children, it was estimated that of the approximately 38,500 people concerned, 24,000 spent less than six months in an institution.
Therefore, in total, an estimated 39,000 spent less than 6 months as mothers or children in Mother and Baby or County Home Institutions. More detailed information can be found in the Report of the Interdepartmental Group (IDG) on the development of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, published in November 2021, in particular at Table 4 on page 71 of the report. The report is available via the following link www.gov.ie/en/publication/0c637-mother-and-baby-institutions-payment-scheme/#idg-report.
519. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason retired persons with qualifying pensions at a college (details supplied) have not yet received the 1% pay increase that was granted in October 2021 which current civil servants have already received; his plans to address this matter; if he can confirm that all eligible persons will receive their increase in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53305/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Shared Services Office (NSSO) is responsible for the payment of pensions to retired personnel from the Technology University and Institute of Technology Sector.
The NSSO have advised officials of my Department the majority of retirees of the HEI to which the Deputy refers will have received the 1 October 2021 increases by the end of October and it is expected the remaining small number of cases will be reviewed for payment in November.
520. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of persons working in his Department’s press office, communications team and social media team in tabular form. [52782/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are a total of 5 persons working in my Department’s Communications Unit. The section is responsible for management of all press and media relations, in addition to internal and external communications and information campaigns delivered through a variety of channels, including via social media.
521. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 414 of 20 September 2022, if he will provide further details on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52804/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing enquiries made by my officials with Cork Education and Training Board (CETB) and SOLAS, I understand that learners who are significantly impacted by a number of factors, including transportation, can make an application to CETB for support funding under the Learner Assistance Fund, within the REACH funding allocated by SOLAS to CETB. The process for learners to apply is currently being finalised and arrangements will be notified to learners shortly.
522. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on efforts to develop an Irish language policy for the post-Leaving Certificate and tertiary education system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52831/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is represented on a new Steering Committee established by the Department of Education to support the development of a Policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht. This group will provide oversight, guidance and direction on the development of the Policy. The Policy will contribute towards achieving the aims of the government's 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language.
As of 2021/22 there were 59 courses in HE delivering Irish language tuition or delivered through the medium of Irish, a total of 1,779 students. This includes students who are recorded as taking Irish language as a subject as part of their course and also includes courses in Teacher Training colleges, but excludes courses in Irish Studies, Irish history, folklore, music/dance and the likes.
Specific support is provided for the development of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge in NUIG. The Acadamh is a research and educational institution which is intended to promote and develop Irish-medium education. It is headquartered in NUIG’s main Galway City campus, but also has campuses in the Ceathrú Rua and Carna in Connemara, and in the Doirí Beaga in Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal.The Deputy may wish to know we have developed a new scheme called Gníomhaí Gaeilge in collaboration with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The scheme is supported by the HEA with €150,000 in funding over a period of 3 years. Each student will be assigned a mentor and support will be provided by the Irish Association and Students Union with their work plan agreed on, at the start of the year. As well as this there will be Gníomhaí Gaeilge awards based on the progress of their work plan, at the end of the year. There will be Gníomhaí Gaeilge Certificates for each student active in the scheme.
523. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of vacant properties that are owned by his Department; the estimated economic value of the vacant properties; and if he will provide a list of such properties. [52851/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe procurement, purchase and rent of Government offices is the responsibility of Property Management Services in the Office of Public Works, which acts as an agent for all Government Departments and offices.
I can confirm to the Deputy that a new office space was acquired in September 2021 for my Department’s Head Quarters at 52 Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.
I can confirm that there are no vacant properties owned by my Department.
524. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of properties that are being leased by his Department that are currently vacant; and if he will provide a list of such properties. [52869/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe procurement, purchase and rent of Government offices is the responsibility of Property Management Services in the Office of Public Works, which acts as an agent for all Government Departments and offices.
I can confirm to the Deputy that a new office space was acquired in September 2021 for my Department’s Head Quarters at 52 Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.
I can confirm that there are no vacant properties leased by my Department.
525. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if all third level students regardless of their SUSI entitlements will be eligible for the €1,000 reduction in student contribution fees in 2022; and when and the way that this reduction will be rolled out. [52882/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of Budget 2023, in recognition of the cost of living financial challenges facing full time third level students funded through my Department, I have secured a significant cost of living package for third level students, including a once-off €1,000 state financial support towards the undergraduate student contribution fee for higher education students eligible for my Department’s free fees schemes. The once off reduction of €1,000 relates specifically to the student contribution payable by students eligible for free tuition fees under my Department's free fees schemes in academic year 22/23 and will reduce the student contribution payable from €3,000 to €2,000 in 22/23. In this regard, all full time undergraduate students eligible for free fees and paying the student contribution will benefit from this measure. In 22/23 it is estimated that over 149,000 Irish and EU full time undergraduate students will be eligible for free fees. This means that, in addition to the SUSI eligible students receiving a student contribution support, an estimated 94,000 free fees eligible students will benefit from this measure alone at a cost of c.€95.6million.
It is anticipated that:
- Students who are paying their student contribution in two instalments will have the amount reduced from their next instalment by their institution during semester 2.
- Students who have already paid their 2022/23 student contribution in full during semester one will receive a refund from their institution before the end of this year. Institutions will communicate with students directly on how the refund process for students who paid their full student contribution during semester one will operate.
A small number of refunds may need to be made in 2023 if there is a delay in students submitting the required payment details to their institution.
This measure is being implemented with the co-operation of Departmental agencies and the institutions themselves. I want to thank the Higher Education Authority, SUSI, the IUA, THEA, and the higher education institutions for all their assistance in bringing this much-needed support to students.
