Written Answers Nos. 637-652
637. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on efforts to ensure that employed or self-employed IPAS applicants, living in State-provided accommodation, will contribute to the costs incurred by the State, as set out in Article 5(2) of S.I. No. 230 of 2018 (Reception Conditions Regulations); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5620/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThank you for your question, Deputy.
My Department is developing recommendations for Government on a contribution model for people in international protection accommodation.
The overall purpose of this proposal is to ensure equity and fairness in accommodation-related contributions sought from people across all of society, including those in international protection accommodation.
Many other EU Member States operate some form of contribution model in this sector. The income limits and contribution rates used vary from country to country and the income is determined mainly by self-declaration.
IPAS is currently providing accommodation to almost 33,000 people, of whom over 9,000 are children. IPAS is responsible for the provision of accommodation and related services to IP applicants who wish to accept an offer of accommodation from the State. This offering includes all meals and utilities. Full access to public medical services is available.
A weekly personal allowance of €38.80 per adult is also paid to those eligible. Many applicants are working, which they can apply for a permit to do after 5 months in Ireland.
On foot of Government approval to conduct an overall review of entitlements for those within the international protection system, my Department was asked by Government to explore options for adults in receipt of income who are resident in international protection accommodation to make an income-based contribution to accommodation costs. This work is ongoing and will soon be a matter for the Department of Justice, which is taking over policy responsibility for integration and migration.
The proposals will aim to ensure that:
• State entitlements for residents of IPAS accommodation are in line with current legal frameworks including EU and national legislation.
• We maintain solidarity with EU Member States by aligning, in so far as possible, with what is offered by our European counterparts.
• Entitlements are administered in an equitable manner across the system, taking into account the variances in income levels among our resident
The proposal is looking at viability of such a system, implementation timelines, costs and resourcing implications. Engagement is ongoing with Government colleagues, Revenue, the Department of Social Protection, and stakeholders in the private sector, the NGO sector and within the public sector to explore options.
It is estimated that a model, if agreed, could be implemented within 9 to 12 months of approval, having regards to legal considerations, compliance with procurement guidelines, deploying payment systems, and onboarding of staff.
I trust the above is helpful.
638. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department or bodies under the aegis of her Department received funding support for projects of any kind from the United States of America International Development for the period 2016 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5643/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise that neither my Department nor the bodies under its aegis have received funding from the United States of America International Development from 2016 to date.
639. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department ever provided funding to a company (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5660/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that my Department does not provide funding to the named company.
Tusla has advised that the named company does receive funding from the Agency, as a non-statutory foster care agency currently providing foster care placements.
640. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware that under the new childminding regulations, a childminder is prevented from hiring a relief staff worker, or from accessing AIM level 7 support, or to hire a second person under any circumstances; if she will review this from the point of view of the child or children concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5717/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 30 September 2024, relevant sections of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 were commenced to provide for removal of the exemption from registration for childminders, and the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Childminding Regulations) 2024 came into effect on the same day. These changes allowed for the registration of childminders with Tusla.
This was a milestone in the implementation of the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028. Phase 1 of the National Action Plan for Childminding, which is now complete, included extensive consultation with childminders, parents and other stakeholders. The childminding-specific Regulations, which were initially developed by the Regulation and Inspection Advisory Group, whose stakeholder membership includes childminders and Childminding Ireland, are proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work. In finalising the Regulations, substantial changes were made in response to feedback in the public consultation last year.
In addition, an independent external review of the draft regulations was carried out by Dr Bill Maxwell, the former CEO of Education Scotland, former Chief Inspector in both Scotland and Wales, and OECD consultant, which confirmed that the approach was proportionate for childminding in Ireland.
The Act provides for a transition period of three years before registration becomes mandatory. This phased approach aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for childminders to learn about and prepare for registration.
Under the amendments made in the 2024 Act, the definition of a childminding service:
"(a) entails an individual taking care, by himself or herself, of children under the age of 15 years, in the home of the individual, and
(b) is provided to children (other than that individual’s own children) for a total period of not less than 2 hours per day."
In line with this definition, a primary feature of a childminder is that they undertake the work themselves and there are no staff employed in the service.
In developing the Regulations, the then Minister acknowledged the need for support in exceptional circumstances and this resulted in the inclusion of Regulation 15 which provides for emergency cover in limited circumstances:
"To assist the childminder in the event of an emergency, a childminder shall ensure that one or more persons, aged 18 years or over, familiar with the operation of the childminding service are, at all times, within close distance of the childminding service and available to attend the childminding service."
This Regulation provides for cover in emergency situations such as where the childminder or a child falls ill and must be taken to hospital. It is not intended to provide a regular back-up arrangement.
AIM supports are available to early years services (including childminding services) that deliver the ECCE programme. AIM supports are grouped into universal and targeted supports. Where universal supports are not enough to meet the needs of an individual child, targeted supports are available to ensure the child can meaningfully participate in the service. These supports consist of specialist advice and support, specialist equipment or appliances, minor building alterations, therapeutic intervention or extra assistance in the pre-school room. AIM Level 7 (extra assistance in the pre-school room) can not be awarded to a childminding service as, in line with the definition of childminding above, no staff can be employed in a childminding service.
The National Action Plan for Childminding commits to a review of the initial implementation of the childminding-specific Regulations before 2028. My Department will undertake this review, which will include consultation with childminders and other stakeholders, during the transition period.
In addition, it is open to an individual to register a service under either the 2016 Pre-School Regulations or the 2018 School Age Regulations - rather than the 2024 Childminding Services Regulations - if they wish to employ staff.
641. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she plans to extend the accommodation recognition payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5718/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) who arrived in Ireland after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The ARP scheme is provided in Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on my behalf. In line with extensions of the EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), the ARP scheme was initially extended to 31 March 2024 and then to 31 March 2025.
As the TPD is now extended to March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension of the ARP scheme. Resolutions must be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before this Order is made. A decision will be reached in respect of the ARP shortly.
642. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the case of a child (details supplied) in need of a residential care place. [5734/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
643. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will extend the accommodation recognition payment until at least March 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5778/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) who arrived in Ireland after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The ARP scheme is provided in Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on my behalf. In line with extensions of the EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), the ARP scheme was initially extended to 31 March 2024 and then to 31 March 2025.
As the TPD is now extended to March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension of the ARP scheme. Resolutions must be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before this Order is made. A decision will be reached in respect of the ARP shortly.
644. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a timeline on the introduction of the European disability card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5802/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe European Commission published a proposal for a Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities on 6th September 2023. The proposal is one of the flagship initiatives of the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-30.
A provisional agreement was reached on the proposed Directive between the Council and the European Parliament on 8th February 2024, and the Directive was adopted by the Council on 14 October 2024. Following signature by the Council and the European Parliament, the Directive was published on 14 November 2024. Member States now have until 5 June 2027 (30 months) to transpose the Directive into national law and until 5 June 2028 (42 months) to introduce the Cards.
645. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will address the lack of access to essential services for children diagnosed with autism, specifically in the case of a child (details supplied) diagnosed in May 2024 who was recommended psychology, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy in his assessment of need but has been unable to access these services due to long waiting times, lack of service provision, and staffing shortages; if urgent measures will be taken to provide timely intervention for this child and others in similar circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5812/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
646. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the gender breakdown of her Department in respect of principal officers, assistant secretaries and secretaries general, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5847/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra647. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total available budget for the building blocks–extension grant scheme-community–construction for early learning and childcare facilities; how many applications were received for this strand of the building blocks capital programme; and the number approved by Pobal as meeting the minimum criteria for consideration of an allocation of a grant. [5874/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2025, €25m is being made available to deliver additional capacity under the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme. There are four strands under the scheme, Private - Extension, Community - Extension, Community - Purchase and Community - Construction.
The total funding allocation has not been apportioned to each of the strands a priori. The allocation will be determined based on the quality and deliverability of applications.
The Building Blocks Extension Scheme is designed to support the delivery of full day provision for children aged 1-3. It was launched on 4 November 2024 and the closing date for applications was Thursday 30 January, following an extension to accommodate some services affected by power outages following Storm Eowyn.
I am advised that 13 eligible applications were received under the Community – Construction strand. All eligible applications are currently being appraised. I hope to announce the successful applications in the next month.
648. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when endometriosis will be recognised as a disability for those sufferers unable to work and seeking disability allowance; if this is being considered as part of the development of the national endometriosis framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5910/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for this question and note that while eligibility criteria for different schemes and supports offered by the state can differ, in broad terms we do not define disability by way of reference to individualised impairments or medicalised diagnoses. For instance the Disability Act 2005 interprets disability as meaning a “substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability”.
This definition takes a broadly functional approach to disability, recognising that an individual's specific circumstances, societal barriers, and medical history will all have an impact on the extent to which a person is or is not "disabled". This is in line with the social model approach to disability set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It also provides a more flexible definition to practitioners where specialised health needs arise that is not tied to a prescriptive list of conditions - which runs the risk of inadvertently excluding people from recognition or supports.
Specific issues relating to endometriosis and associated policy lie outside of my Department’s remit and fall instead under the remit of the Department of Health. Entitlements and eligibility related to Disability Allowance are the remit of the Department of Social Protection.
649. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will address concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the lack of childcare places in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5921/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIncreasing access to affordable childcare is a key priority of government.
There has been an expansion in the amount of early learning and childcare places being delivered in recent years, and in particular a very substantial increase in school age childcare services and places, but challenges remain for some parents in accessing the type of provision they would like to in certain pockets of the country.
My Department has increased its capacity to monitor, analyse and forecast supply and demand, and this will be further developed through a new forward planning model utilising the expertise of statisticians from the Central Statistics Office, an early learning and childcare expert from a County Childcare Committee and a GIS mapper working with the Department. The model will seek to identify the nature and volume of different types of early learning and childcare places across the country, and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level. This model will assist my Department in identifying where unmet need/demand and areas of low supply exist.
One way in which Government is supporting the expansion of capacity is through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on the 4th of November 2024. Applications for this scheme have now closed and an appraisal process has begun. The primary focus of the Extension Grant Scheme is to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day care.
Appraisal of applications for this scheme will consider the supply and demand in the area around the proposed projects and seeks to prioritise funding for areas with the biggest supply/demand mismatch. €25m will be made available this year to deliver additional capacity under the Scheme and I expect to announce the outcome of the application process in March.
My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. The network of 30 CCCs across the country are in a position to assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need. Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local CCC for assistance.
All Core Funding Partner Services are bound by the conditions in the Agreement for the Provision of Core Funding Programme year 3 2024/2025. As per that agreement the service must give 20 working days’ notice to parents if they intend to remove a session type. The relevant clause in the agreement is as follows: “7.5.6. If a Partner Service introduces a new Service Type, discontinues an existing Service Type, or introduces a new fee for a Service Type, they must provide parents affected by this change with 20 working days of notice ahead of change in service offering”
If any parent/guardians believe that their provider has not followed the above procedure, or in the event that they would like to raise a concern regarding a potential breach in conditions, the first step is to contact their local CCC for support and guidance.
I also acknowledge that many early learning and care and school-age childcare services report staffing challenges in relation to recruitment and retention. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover. In a very competitive labour market and with low levels of unemployment, recruitment and retention is a challenge for all employers, especially in low-paid sectors.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to continue to implement Employment Regulation Orders to attract and retain early years educators and to remove barriers in education and training for early years educators to broaden access to the profession. It also pledges to introduce an ‘Earn and Learn’ apprenticeship model enabling childcare staff to gain qualifications and advance their careers.
Pay is one of a number of issues impacting staffing levels. There is now, through the independent Joint Labour Committee (JLC) process, a formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate terms and conditions of employment including minimum pay rates for different roles in early learning and care and school-age childcare services. This is supported by a new funding stream, Core Funding, which allocates substantial additional investment to employers to assist with, among other things, pay costs. The JLC process has seen two rounds of Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) signed into law over the last two years to progressively increase wage rates in the sector with the support of additional Core Funding investment. For the 2025/26 programme year, a further €45 million has been specifically ringfenced to support employers with additional costs conditional on new EROs being agreed by the JLC.
Finally, Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028, which was launched in December 2021, aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in the sector. It contains a range of commitments to raise the profile of careers in the sector and to support recruitment, retention and diversity in the workforce.
650. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to list all properties that have housed international protection applicants in the past twelve months, by county, and in the case of Dublin, by postcode, in tabular form. [5934/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra651. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of international protection applicants who have been accommodated in the past twelve months, by county, and in the case of Dublin, by postcode, in tabular form. [5935/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 651 and 650 together.
Currently, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is providing accommodation to almost 33,000 people, and over 9,000 of these are children with their family. I regret the information requested by the Deputy is not completely available in the format requested, but my officials have provided information below, which will be of assistance. The Department has a responsibility to protect the right to confidentiality of each international protection (IP) applicant; this duty is set out in the International Protection Act 2015. Accordingly, we do not currently publish details of the specific locations of our accommodation centres by their own location or by postcode. This is due to both safety and security concerns, and to protect the privacy of international protection applicants. However, we can provide in tabular format the numbers of international protection applicants residing in Department supported accommodation by Local Electoral Area, as of 26 January 2025. This information relates to all persons being accommodated by IPAS at this time.
In addition to this, the International Protection Accommodation Service releases weekly statistics in relation to IP applicants. This includes a per county breakdown of where IP applicants are residing and a wide range of other details. These statistics are located on the Gov.ie website: www.gov.ie/en/publication/07027-ipas-statistics/.
I trust this information is helpful to the Deputy.
652. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a list of all family resource centres in east Cork. [5954/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that there are three members of the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme in east Cork. These are Carrigtwohill FRC, Cobh FRC, and Midleton FRC.
