Tuesday, 14 Feb 2023

Written Answers Nos. 403-420

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna (403)

Peter Burke

Ceist:

403. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are any plans to introduce short-term illness benefit for the self-employed. [6822/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

Illness Benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance.Eligibility for Illness Benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. People must have made the required number of contributions in Class A, E, H or P to qualify. Currently there are no plans to extend entitlement to illness benefit to those persons who pay Class S PRSI.In general, self-employed people make PRSI contributions at Class S which does not count towards eligibility for Illness Benefit. However, self-employed contributors who cannot work due to an illness or a disability may apply for Disability Allowance, a means-tested social assistance payment, or Invalidity Pension, a social insurance payment.Illness Benefit is funded by the Social Insurance Fund through PRSI contributions. The Fund is central to our social protection system and the Government needs to ensure that it can provide adequate and sustainable social insurance pensions and benefits for a growing and ageing population.Self-employed people pay contributions to the Fund at a lower rate of 4%. This is 11 percentage points lower than the combined employer and employee contribution of 15.05% made in respect of employed contributors. However, self-employed contributors do have access to over 90% of benefits available from the Fund. These are:

- Adoptive Benefit;

- Guardian's Payment (Contributory);

- Invalidity Pension;

- Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed);

- Maternity Benefit;

- Parent's Benefit;

- Partial Capacity Benefit (where in receipt of Invalidity Pension);

- Paternity Benefit;

- State Pension (Contributory);

- Treatment Benefit; and

- Widows, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension.

The only benefits that Class S PRSI does not provide access to are Carer's Benefit, Health and Safety Benefit, Illness Benefit, and Occupational Injuries Benefits.

Any changes would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, including the contribution rates for self-employed contributors.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna (404)

Gary Gannon

Ceist:

404. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason social welfare payments to single mothers, such as the one-parent family payment, are reduced if their ex-partner is still contributing to the family's mortgage payments. [6935/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

One-Parent Family Payment is a means-tested payment which is made to men or women who are caring for a child or children without the support of a partner and whose youngest child is aged under 7. The Jobseeker's Transitional Payment is then available where the youngest child is aged between 7 and 14, subject to the qualifying criteria.

Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes such as One-Parent Family Payment, all income, non-cash benefits, and capital belonging to the claimant are assessable for means-testing purposes. Accordingly, where an individual is receiving a contribution to the payment of the mortgage on their family home, the cash value of amounts in excess of €4,952 per year is assessed.

On foot of recommendations of the Child Maintenance Review Group, the Government has decided to make a number of improvements to the payments available to lone parents. In particular, the means test for social welfare payments will be eased as child maintenance payments will no longer be assessed. This will mean that many lone parents currently on reduced rates of payment will see their payment increase. It will also mean that some additional lone parents will qualify for a payment. It is estimated that this measure will be of direct benefit to approximately 16,000 lone parents at a cost of approximately €10 million per year.

Introducing these changes requires amendments to legislation, the details of which are currently being examined. The reforms will also necessitate changes to some of my Department’s systems, application forms and processes.

My officials are working on advancing the legislative provisions and associated issues at present to ensure implementation as early as possible. In the meantime, other changes recommended by the report - namely the removal of the liable relatives provisions and the "efforts to seek maintenance" requirements - are being implemented on an administrative basis.

Pensions Reform

Ceisteanna (405)

Gary Gannon

Ceist:

405. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the progress being made towards creating a lifetime carer's pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6936/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

This Government acknowledges the important contribution that carers provide and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workforce, often to raise families or to provide another full-time caring role. PRSI Credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate.

Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension. They may, for example, have difficulty establishing the minimum number of 10 years paid contributions.

I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system in September. The measures are in response to the Pensions Commission’s recommendations and represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system.

One of the most important reforms agreed by Government is enhanced State Pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years. It will do this by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to long-term carers to cover gaps in their contribution record and by establishing a register of family carers for this purpose.

Department officials are currently working to implement the reforms, including the drafting of legislation and development of administrative and IT systems for implementation by January 2024.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Schemes

Ceisteanna (406)

Gary Gannon

Ceist:

406. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for details of the average social welfare appeals processing times in weeks for summary decisions and oral hearings, by scheme. [6937/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.

The current* average processing times for an appeal with the Social Welfare Appeals Office are 17.4 weeks for summary decision, or 33.0 weeks for decision by way of oral hearing.

*Figures based on January 2023.

The first table below provides the average processing times by scheme for the period 1 January to 31 December 2022.

The second table provides the average processing times by scheme for the period 1 January to 31 January 2022.

Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 1 January 2022– 31 December 2022

	Average processing times (weeks)Summary Decisions	Average processing times (weeks)Oral Hearings
Blind Person’s Pension	14.0	-
Back To Work Family Dividend	11.0	-
Carer's Allowance	12.2	18.5
Carer's Benefit	10.4	17.8
Carer's Support Grant	10.5	19.9
Child Benefit	26.2	38.8
Death Benefit	4.9	-
Deserted Wife’s Benefit	14.9	64.2
Disability Allowance	12.1	21.9
Disablement Pension	19.2	28.8
Domiciliary Care Allowance	19.4	30.4
Farm Assist	16.7	36.5
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)	14.5	12.6
Guardian's Payment (Non-Con)	13.1	-
Illness Benefit	15.4	18.9
Incapacity Supplement	11.8	-
Insurability of Employment	139.7	72.9
Invalidity Pension	14.0	30.9
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means)	15.1	28.9
Jobseeker's Allowance (Payments)	12.3	36.2
Jobseeker's Benefit	13.4	23.7
Jobseeker's Benefit O65	13.1	23.4
Jobseeker's Benefit Self Employed	15.8	-
Jobseeker's Transitional	12.3	23.2
Liable Relatives	8.9	-
Maternity Benefit	11.7	20.9
Occupational Injury Benefit	21.7	-
One Parent Family Payment	16.6	23.2
Pandemic Unemployment Payment	23.7	-
Partial Capacity Benefit	12.5	24.1
Parents Benefit	13.2	-
Paternity Benefit	12.5	-
State Pension (Contributory)	19.3	60.1
State Pension (Non-Contributory)	22.2	52.5
Supplementary Welfare Allowance	16.0	32.7
Treatment Benefit	11.7	-
Widow/Widower's Pension (Contributory)	16.4	58.7
Widow/Widower's Pension (Non-Contributory)	14.3	-
Widowed Parent Grant	16.8	-
Working Family Payment	18.3	65.4
All Appeals	15.0	26.0

Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 1 January 2023

	Average processing times (weeks)Summary Decisions	Average processing times (weeks)Oral Hearings
Carer’s Allowance	14.7	14.3
Carer’s Benefit	12.2	10.6
Carer’s Support Grant	12.5	18.8
Child Benefit	28.8	-
Disability Allowance	16.6	21.7
Disablement Pension	22.5	-
Domiciliary Care Allowance	16.7	23.4
Farm Assist	9.5	18.6
Guardian's Payment (Non-Con)	21.0	-
Illness Benefit	17.1	37.3
Insurability of Employment	18.3	141.4
Invalidity Pension	29.0	20.7
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means)	20.3	-
Jobseeker's Allowance (Payments)	19.7	17.8
Jobseeker's Benefit	14.5	-
Jobseeker's Benefit O65	31.2	-
Jobseeker's Benefit Self Employed	20.5	-
Jobseeker's Transitional	15.4	89.3
Maternity Benefit	11.7	-
Occupational Injury Benefit	18.5	-
One Parent Family Payment	17.7	62.7
Pandemic Unemployment Payment	38.9	-
Partial Capacity Benefit	15.7	-
Paternity Benefit	16.6	-
State Pension (Contributory)	18.7	-
State Pension (Non-Contributory)	21.9	68.8
Supplementary Welfare Allowance	21.2	-
Treatment Benefit	14.0	-
Widow/Widower's Pension (Contributory)	29.1	-
Working Family Payment	23.0	-
All Appeals	17.4	33.0

Significant efforts and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeal process in recent years. As a result, average appeal processing times have generally improved between 2018 and 2022 from 30.0 weeks for an oral hearing in 2018 to 26.0 weeks in 2022, and from 24.8 weeks for a summary decision in 2018 to 15.0 weeks in 2022. The average times for all appeals finalised in 2022 was 14.9 weeks. Further improvements in appeals processing times are a priority for the Chief Appeals Officer.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna (407, 408)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

407. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments received in 2022, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7002/23]

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

408. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments received by those aged under 25 years, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7003/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 407 and 408 together.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary.

The schemes are demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.

Table 1 provides a breakdown of the number of ANP claims awarded by county, in 2022.

Table 2 provides a breakdown of the number ANP claims awarded to those aged under 25, by county, in 2022.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a national community welfare contact centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Table 1 - The number of ANP claims awarded by county, in 2022.

County	Awarded
Carlow	1,282
Cavan	1,526
Clare	3,686
Cork	7,840
Donegal	5,164
Dublin	25,171
Galway	3,685
Kerry	5,219
Kildare	2,491
Kilkenny	1,969
Laois	1,854
Leitrim	1,498
Limerick	3,639
Longford	2,316
Louth	2,409
Mayo	2,924
Meath	4,346
Monaghan	802
Offaly	2,358
Roscommon	1,173
Sligo	1,758
Tipperary	3,411
Waterford	2,333
Westmeath	3,144
Wexford	2,386
Wicklow	2,817
Unknown	23
Total	97,224

Table 2 - The number ANP claims awarded to those aged under 25, by county, in 2022,

County	Awarded
Carlow	123
Cavan	85
Clare	311
Cork	557
Donegal	381
Dublin	2,577
Galway	373
Kerry	515
Kildare	190
Kilkenny	154
Laois	189
Leitrim	61
Limerick	259
Longford	150
Louth	177
Mayo	217
Meath	279
Monaghan	72
Offaly	183
Roscommon	87
Sligo	136
Tipperary	245
Waterford	185
Westmeath	388
Wexford	154
Wicklow	203
Unknown	2
Total	8,253

Question No. 408 answered with Question No. 407.

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna (409)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

409. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an application for disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); when the application will be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7016/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

I can confirm that the Department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from the person concerned on 02 December 2022

On 13 December 2022, the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on his eligibility.

On 04 January 2023, the person concerned called the office asking for an extension of 21 days as they were not in a position to supply the requested information by the deadline given.

On 10 January 2023, further information was received and a decision was made by the deciding officer.

Based upon all the evidence submitted, the application was refused on medical grounds as it was found that they were not substantially restricted in taking up employment and on the grounds that they did not satisfy the conditions of being habitually resident in the state.

The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 09 February 2023 and was also notified of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna (410)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

410. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the amount being deducted from weekly payment can be reduced in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7050/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

The person concerned is repaying an overpayment to my Department which currently stands at €37,526.98. The person is repaying this overpayment at an amount of €33 per week which is equivalent to 15% of his Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) payment.

Following the Deputy’s representation and on the basis of the person’s circumstances, this repayment has been reduced to €10 per week. This revised repayment will take effect in the person’s next JA payment due on 21/02/2023.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Birth Certificates

Ceisteanna (411)

David Stanton

Ceist:

411. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason former surnames are requested to be included on birth certificates in respect of birth certificates issued pursuant to the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7083/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

The requirements for birth registration are set out in Part 3 of the Civil Registration Act 2004 (the Act), as amended. These include the recording of details, known as the required particulars, which are required to be given to a registrar by the parent or parents of the child.

The details required to be recorded and which appear in a birth certificate are set out in Part 1 of the First Schedule to the Act. These include the former surnames of the parent(s) and must be registered if either parent previously used or were known by that surname.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Pension Provisions

Ceisteanna (412)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

412. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for invalidity pension by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7155/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

The person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension (IP) with effect from 22 December 2022 and will receive his first payment to his nominated bank account on 02 March 2023. Any arrears due from 22 December 2022 to 01 March 2023 will issue shortly. The person in question was notified of this decision on 10 February 2023.I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna (413)

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

413. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a fuel allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7157/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April.

The Fuel Allowance for the person concerned was awarded from 06 January 2023. They were notified in writing on 28 January 2023.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna (414)

Frank Feighan

Ceist:

414. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allocating some rent allowance or assistance to persons on disability allowance payments who are living in social housing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7292/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

The rent supplement scheme provides short-term income support to eligible people, including those who are in receipt of disability allowance, living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source.

Responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to those in social housing rests with local authorities.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to rent supplement is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna (415)

Peter Burke

Ceist:

415. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the carer’s benefit allowance to a person (details supplied). [7338/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. Carer’s Benefit is payable for up to a maximum of 104 weeks to a carer in respect of a care recipient.

To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions, employment conditions, show that they are providing full-time care and attention and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention.

An application for CARB was received from the person concerned on the 02 March 2021 in respect of their mother.

CARB was disallowed as the person concerned was deemed not to be meeting the threshold of full time care based on the information provided by the carer. A decision letter to this effect was issued on 12 March 2021.

A review request with supplementary information was received on 16 April 2021. Following this review, it was decided to award CARB from 04 February 2021 to 01 February 2023 for the full 104-week entitlement in respect of the care recipient. The award letter issued on 4th May 2021 advised of this and served as the notification of the dates that the claim payment starts and ends.

It is open to the person concerned to apply for Carer’s Allowance if the care recipient is still in need of full time care and attention.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna (416)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

416. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection when an exceptional needs payment will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7414/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments (ANPs) to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. Supports from my Department however are not intended to cover circumstances where another Government Department/Agency has a primary responsibility.

My Department received an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) application from the person concerned for assistance with the cost of a generator for oxygen. In order to assess the person’s application, the following information has been sought:

- A letter from the person’s GP/Public Health Nurse confirming his medical condition and outlining the need for a generator if the Health Service Executive (HSE) cannot provide the necessary equipment.

- A supplier quotation for the generator.

- Details of total household income

When the information requested is received, the person’s application will be processed promptly.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Pension Provisions

Ceisteanna (417)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

417. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision will be made on a pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7415/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

An interim decision was made and the person concerned was awarded State Pension (contributory) at the current weekly rate of €238.50 from 23 December 2022.

A copy of their UK insurance record was recently received in my Department from the Department of Work and Pensions. The rate of their State Pension (Contributory) was reviewed and increased to €260.10.

The person concerned has been notified of this decision. Any arrears due will issue without delay.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Asylum Seekers

Ceisteanna (418)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Ceist:

418. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to take up existing offers of accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers, to take pressure off the current system and ensure that new arrivals are not forced into rough sleeping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6426/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Deputy, the response to the ongoing migration crisis has entered an extremely difficult phase, with no apparent accommodation for international protection applicants (IPAs) at scale available into the short term to medium term.

I can assure you that every effort is being made to address the current shortfall in accommodation. Since 1 December 2022 to 30 January 2023 over 1,700 additional spaces have been brought into use by IPAS for international protection applicants.

The arrival numbers are at an all time high with 15,000 people arriving in 2022. In the first month of 2023, more than 1,200 new IPA arrivals have sought accommodation from the State. The average annual number of applications from 2017 to 2019 was 3,500.

Since the beginning of 2022, Ireland and many other European countries are experiencing a significant increase of new arrivals seeking international protection (IP). All of the limited accommodation capacity within the IPAS system is currently being used.

Emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country. There have been circa 60 accommodation locations utilised since January 2022 across 17 counties.

The Department has a dedicated procurement team who engage in detailed assessments of all buildings offered for IPA accommodation. Intensive efforts are being undertaken daily by staff in DCEDIY to source emergency accommodation. However, procuring enough bed space to keep pace with incoming arrivals remains extremely challenging, leading to very significant shortages.

The Department continues to evaluate all offers or accommodation made to it as quickly as possible and welcomes offers from providers who will accommodate international protection applicants (IPAs). At present all offers of accommodation for IPAs are being advanced. As you may be aware, the volume of applications from providers to accommodate IPAs is far less numerous than the offers proffered for beneficiaries of temporary protection. As a consequence, there is no backlog of offers for international protection accommodation that have not been examined.

The Department has made every possible effort to secure accommodation and has sought support from the widest possible range of organisations to provide accommodation to IPAs. Where request for tender processes have not delivered the required capacity, the Department has engaged in emergency accommodation sourcing through networks with other State accommodation providers such as the local authorities, through newspaper advertisements, through cold calling and the use of online booking engines.

The Department has utilised offers that have come through the Association of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI) for religious buildings such as seminaries and convents for IPAS accommodation.

The Department has reached out to other Government Departments such as the Department of Education for school and third level institution facilities; the Department of Defence for unused barracks and buildings; the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media for sporting and arts facilities; the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Office of Public Works for buildings that can be used to accommodate people.

Many of the offers that have come through these requests have resulted in accommodation, both temporary and longer term.

In 2022, the Department has utilised all manner of buildings offered to it including office buildings and sports facilities such as Pairc Ui Chaoimh and the National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown

The Department continues to evaluate all offers of accommodation made to it as quickly as possible and welcomes offers from providers who will accommodate international protection applicants.

Last week, I wrote to Ministerial colleagues seeking their assistance in sourcing buildings to facilitate emergency rest centre operations to address the increase in arrivals.

Presently, there are almost 20,000 international protection applicants being accommodated by my Department compared with 7,500 at this time last year.

Childcare Services

Ceisteanna (419)

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Ceist:

419. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the programme for Government commitment to establish an agency, Childcare Ireland, to assist in the expansion of high-quality childcare, spearheading leadership, best practice and innovation, as well as professional development in community and private settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6433/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

On 29th March 2022 Government accepted the findings of the independent Review of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) Operating Model in Ireland that a dedicated state agency is the optimal operating model for the sector for the years ahead. It is envisaged that this dedicated agency will undertake the functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years (including Better Start), the City and County Childcare Committees, as well as operational functions currently undertaken by my Department.

A dedicated state agency will assist in the development of a more streamlined structure to better support the delivery of ELC and SAC, and will facilitate my Department in implementing and progressing the significant reform agenda envisaged under First 5, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families .

Significant progress has been made in advancing this ambitious and transformative reform programme. My Department has commenced a comprehensive phase of analysis, planning, consultation, and engagement with sectoral stakeholders to determine how the recommendation arising from the Review can best be implemented. This phase will include a detailed design of a new agency, which will include determining the appropriate national, local and regional structures, an examination of all legal requirements, transition and continuity planning, risk management, and a comprehensive evidence-based cost projection for the establishment and annual running costs of a new state agency.

This work will culminate in a full agency design and implementation plan which will be presented to Government for approval.

The implementation of this reform programme will likely require considerable lead-in time and the full establishment of the new Agency will take several years to complete. A timeline for the design and implementation of this complex project, which will involve multiple strands of interdependent work streams, is being developed as part of the design and implementation planning phase currently underway.

Departmental Data

Ceisteanna (420)

David Cullinane

Ceist:

420. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number and details of compensation or redress schemes put in place by his Department since 1998, in tabular form; the number of claims made; the total cost of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6456/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, which will open later this year, will provide financial payments and an enhanced medical card to defined groups in acknowledgement of suffering experienced while resident in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions.

As this scheme has not yet opened, no details can be provided regarding costs or number of claims.