Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Catherine Connolly

189. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons to whom a draft report or relevant part of the draft report of the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes was sent pursuant to section 34 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7518/21]

Local Authority Funding

Catherine Murphy

190. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the payments to local authorities under programmes for Traveller support initiatives and migrant integration by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7548/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

191. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if childcare providers are permitted to continue to charge fees for parents who cannot avail of their services throughout level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7611/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

192. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has encouraged childcare providers to refund fees already charged to parents who cannot access their services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7612/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Neale Richmond

193. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports in place to protect childcare workers such as enhanced PPE, mass Covid-19 testing and so on; his views on whether these supports are sufficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7613/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

194. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on whether remuneration for childcare providers is satisfactory; the steps he has taken to engage with providers and representative bodies on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7614/21]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Neale Richmond

195. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when children with additional needs who avail of the ECCE scheme will be permitted to return to crèches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7615/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

196. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the return of children with additional needs to crèches is a priority for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7616/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

197. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has engaged with childcare providers on extending their opening hours to ease the burden on front-line workers and parents working from home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7617/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

198. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if parents who can avail of the ECCE scheme but choose to use the national childcare scheme will be allocated the same number of hours under the NCS as they would under the ECCE scheme in order to support parents through the Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7618/21]

National Childcare Scheme

Neale Richmond

199. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if parents applying for the national childcare scheme should be permitted to apply with their 2019 tax return as in the case of farmers who file their returns a year behind and are being penalised when applying to the scheme as they do not have their 2020 returns yet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7619/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

200. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an attempt has been made to improve lines of communication between his Department and childcare providers in terms of giving as much notice as possible before announcements are made and making these within working hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7620/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

201. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if crèches who refuse the additional funding announced by him on 27 January 2021 still continue to charge fees to parents who are not permitted to use their service due to restrictions or parents who are permitted to avail of childcare but opt not to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7621/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

202. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps his Department has taken to ensure that there are sufficient childcare places for all children who require them in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7622/21]

Childcare Costs

Neale Richmond

203. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he has taken to ensure that childcare is affordable to parents; if he will ensure that one parent does not have to sacrifice their career to mind their child unless this is their preference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7623/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

204. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has engaged with childcare providers to encourage them to take in young children aged one to two years to minimise the disruption to parents and their careers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7624/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

205. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress that has been made towards State childcare as committed to in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7626/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

206. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on whether it is appropriate that some parents classified as essential workers are sending their children to childcare against their better wishes as they will be charged fees regardless due to the parent's essential worker status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7628/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

207. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has engaged with the Minister for Finance to suggest that childcare providers should be able to claim back VAT on expenses such as rent and maintenance fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7629/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

208. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to review the sponsorship scheme in place for children to receive childcare sponsored through Tusla given that for many providers the contribution per child does not cover the provider’s running costs and they are at a loss by taking on these children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7630/21]