Written Answers Nos. 652-671
652. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a decision will be made on an application to the mother and baby institutions payment scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25267/24]
View answerWhile I try to be helpful at all times in the parliamentary process, the Deputy will be aware that I cannot be involved in individual cases and cannot comment on same.
The legislation underpinning the Payment Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - specifically provides for the explicit independence of the Chief Deciding Officer in administering the application process and making decisions on applications. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for me to engage in the process in relation to the status of individual applications.
All information on the Scheme, and the application process, can be found at the dedicated Payment Scheme website - gov.ie/paymentscheme. Resources include an information booklet, questions and answers, and short 'how to' videos on the straightforward application process. A Helpline is also available at +353 1 522 9992. Applicants will be supported throughout the application process with information and advice as and when they may need it.
In addition to all these applicant supports, public representatives can contact the Payment Scheme Office via a dedicated email address paymentschemereps@equality.gov.ie if they are assisting constituents in relation to the Scheme.
In this case, I suggest that the applicant in question contacts the helpline directly and I am sure they will be assisted appropriately.
653. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will advise on the application process for permanent residential care for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25289/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
654. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when ECCE funding will issue for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25299/24]
View answerThe ECCE Programme is a free, universal two-year preschool programme available to all children within the eligible age range, funded by my Department, with payments made to approved ECCE providers. The key issue of concern for this parent relates to an ECCE compliance inspection of their child's approved ECCE provider, which was conducted by Pobal on behalf of my Department on 12 March 2024, as part of its compliance function.
The ECCE compliance function is key to protecting Exchequer Funding, and upholding the integrity of ECCE funding. In this case, the finding of non-compliance issued to the approved ECCE provider was due to the Pobal Compliance Visit Officer noting that no attendance had been recorded for the named child. Approved providers sign an ECCE Funding Agreement on an annual basis, in which they agree to maintain accurate attendance records for each child receiving ECCE funding. Clause 8.3 of the ECCE 2023/2024 Rules states that, “Failure to maintain attendance records may result in an assumption of zero hour’s attendance”. In this case, the approved ECCE provider had not maintained attendance records for this child, although the child had been registered under ECCE from 16 October 2023. As a result, the service was found to be non-compliant, with the relevant funding to be recouped.
The recouping of funding relates to ECCE funding only, which is provided by my Department to the approved ECCE provider. It may be noted that the provider is receiving Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) Level 7 funding for this child, which has not been impacted by this compliance finding. Furthermore, the service was informed by Pobal that they may re-register the child from the week commencing 18 March 2024, and avail of ECCE funding from that date. The approved ECCE provider has raised a “Late Registration request” with Pobal. Any subsequent ECCE registration for this child for the 2024/2025 ECCE programme year will not be affected by the compliance finding.
Furthermore, Pobal have informed the approved ECCE provider that they may enter into a repayment plan to mitigate any immediate financial impacts arising from this compliance finding.
655. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children availing of the universal National Childcare Scheme subsidy; and the number of children availing of the means-tested National Childcare Scheme subsidy. [25306/24]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help families with their early learning and childcare costs. There are two types of subsidies available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age:
• A universal subsidy which is not means tested and provides €1.40 per hour for a maximum of 45 hours per week;
• An income-assessed subsidy which is means tested and will be calculated based on the family’s individual circumstances.
As of 6 June, the total number of children who have availed of NCS subsidies in the year to date is 165,096.
Of these, a total of 98,684 children have benefitted from a Universal subsidy award. A further 65,627 children have benefitted from an Income Assessed award, granted because their household income was below €60,000. It may be of interest to note that Sponsorship is available for certain vulnerable cohorts of children. Year to date, a total of 5,654 children have benefitted from a subsidy of this type.
*It should be noted that a child may avail of more than one type of subsidy in a period, in which case they may be counted under both application types (i.e. Universal & Income Assessed). However, the same child will only be counted once in the total. For this reason, the total may not match the sum of all application types.
656. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total amount spent on the Universal National Childcare Scheme subsidy; and the total amount spent on the means-tested National Childcare Scheme subsidy in 2023 and the profile for 2024. [25307/24]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is a national scheme that provides financial support to help families with their early learning and childcare costs. There are two types of subsidies available:
A universal subsidy which is not means tested and provides €1.40 per hour towards the cost of a registered childcare place for a maximum of 45 hours per week. This rate will increase to €2.14 from September.
An income assessed subsidy which is means tested and will be calculated based on a family’s individual circumstances. The level of subsidy is determined by the family’s reckonable income (i.e. gross income minus tax and other deductibles and minus any applicable multiple child discount). The income-related subsidy is payable for qualifying families where the family’s annual reckonable income is up to a maximum of €60,000.
It may be of interest to note that Sponsorship is available for certain vulnerable cohorts of children.
The table below shows the total value of successful claims (i.e. eligible for payment) broken down by application type referring to the calendar years of 2023 and of 2024 to date.
|
Award |
2023 |
2024 YTD |
|
Income Assessed (family income up to € 60,000) |
€ 203,426,930 |
€89,641791 |
|
Universal Subsidy |
€118,066,991 |
€60,157,774 |
|
Sponsorship |
€19,696,988 |
€9,835,406 |
• Successful claims are claims that became eligible for payment following submission of attendance returns by providers and parental confirmation (where applicable).
• 2024 year to date figures include claims up to week starting 27/05/2024.
The total amount allocated for the NCS in 2024 is €369 million in Budget 2024.
657. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether there is any expedited process available to facilitate the adoption of orphaned children in Gaza. [25316/24]
View answerThere is no expedited process for intercountry adoptions, particularly in circumstances of war, civil unrest, where a natural disaster has occurred, or the displacement of people due to these events. Intercountry adoption should not be considered in the first instance as a solution/humanitarian response to these very difficult events.
Ireland is a signatory to the 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, which it ratified through the enactment of the Adoption Act 2010. The process in Ireland for intercountry adoption therefore operates on the basis of the principles established by that Convention, the primary objectives of which are to provide safeguards to prevent the abduction, sale and traffic of children, and to establish a system of co-operation amongst countries in order to ensure that intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of the children concerned.
It has been highlighted, particularly by UNICEF and The Hague Conference on Private International Law (the HCCH), that in such emergency situations there is an increased risk that international standards and essential safeguards for child protection are not respected. Adoption procedures should not take place during emergency situations, and those situations should not be used as a justification for expediting intercountry adoptions. Rather, in such situations, the focus should be on child protection measures, other than adoption, in line with the 1996 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children.
658. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures that can be taken to provide a transport link/bus stop for the people currently accommodated at Bert House, Athy, as there are is no bus stop outside the location, and the residents must walk some distance up a very busy rural road to reach public transport, which is necessary to get these people to school/nursery school, local amenities, and so on. [25324/24]
View answerThe Department engages with relevant stakeholders and accommodation service providers as appropriate to ensure that international protection applicants placed in accommodation in isolated areas will have access to transportation for basic requirements. The International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) try to ensure in as far as possible that International Protection (IP) applicants are not located in remote locations however, given the current demand for accommodation, this is not always possible.
In situations where an accommodation centre is located in an area without public transport links within a 2km radius, with manageable access, IPPS will ensure that a shuttle bus service to a nearby town or public transport stop is provided.
In the case of DeBurgh Manor/Bert House, the accommodation centre is located less than one kilometre from Kilberry, Co. Kildare, which is served by Local Link Route 883 Athy-Newbridge.
To facilitate additional transport for IP applicants residing at the accommodation centre, there is a shuttle service contracted five days a week for trips to and from the accommodation centre and Athy. The service provides a pickup and drop off from the accommodation centre, Monday to Friday. This shuttle bus service allows residents to access recreational, educational, medical facilities and other services.
659. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures in place to provide doctor/GP services to the people currently accommodated in Bert House, Athy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25325/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for her question. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is responsible for the provision of community medical services, including doctor and GP services. I have referred this question to the HSE for response.
660. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what measures are being put in place to ensure that women who fall ill whilst on maternity leave can avail of their full entitlement of leave for the timeframe for the implementation of those measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25343/24]
View answerThe Maternity Protection Act 1994 and the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 provide a pregnant employee with six months of paid maternity leave and an additional 16 weeks of unpaid leave. All forms of family leave are kept under review to ensure that they are effective in supporting families and children.
In October I announced plans to introduce legislation to allow women undergoing treatment for cancer or other serious illnesses postpone their maternity leave.
It is planned to bring this forward together with a number of amendments arising out of my Department’s review of Ireland’s equality legislation. My officials are finalising these proposals and I intend to bring them to Cabinet for approval in the coming weeks.
661. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will explain the basis for the 180 days' residency requirement in a scheduled institution as a child in order to be eligible for benefits under the mother and baby institutions payment scheme (details supplied); if, in the interest of fairness, he will review this requirement with a view to removing same, given that all former residents went through the same suffering regardless of the number of days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25356/24]
View answerThe Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme recognises time spent in a Mother and Baby Institution and, in this way, the associated harsh conditions endured over a period of time. The requirement for children to have spent at least 180 days in a relevant institution is not intended to disregard or diminish any person’s experience and Government recognises that there are people who will be disappointed by this.
For children who spent less than six months in an institution and who were adopted in infancy or left the institution with their birth family, the priority need expressed by survivors was access to records.
As of 4 June 2024, under the Birth Information and Tracing Act, the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla have completed 12,885 applications for information. All applications are now being processed in accordance with statutory timeframes and there is no backlog.
It is important to emphasise that the Payment Scheme is just one element of the Government’s response to the country’s complex legacy of Mother and Baby Institutions. Of the seven major commitments set out in the Government Action Plan for Survivors, published in November 2021, six are now delivered and in place, with the seventh well underway. One of these commitments is counselling support for all survivors and former residents regardless of time spent in an institution. This support is in place, is free of charge, and survivors and former residents can self refer or be referred by a medical professional.
662. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a site (details supplied) has been considered as a location to house International Protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25371/24]
View answerI thank the Deputy for this question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.
663. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide the increases made to the mobility allowance over the past ten years, in tabular form; to provide a statement on the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25395/24]
View answerThe Government decided to close the Motorised Transport Grant and Mobility Allowance administrative schemes in 2013, on foot of the Ombudsman reports in 2011 and 2012 regarding the legal status of both schemes in the context of the Equal Status Acts. Both schemes remain closed.
The rates of payment have not changed since the closure of the scheme. Mobility Allowance is an income assessed scheme, there are two payable rates.
|
High rate |
Low rate |
|
€208.50 per month |
€104.25 per month |
Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022, the Action 104 Transport Working Group was established in 2020 to make progress on an important cross-Government action to review transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities and to advance proposals for the enhancement of these supports going forward.
As Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I chaired meetings of the Transport Working Group from January 2022 up to its conclusion in December 2022. The Group's work has now concluded and the final report was published in February 2023. The Report sets out the contributions made by members for the enhancement of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities.
Access to transport for people with disabilities is a multifaceted issue that involves work carried out by multiple Government departments and agencies. It is incumbent on all Ministers, Departments and Agencies with responsibility for transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities to consider the recommendations of the Transport Working Group, as I will be giving due consideration to the recommendations in the context of the schemes outlined above. These considerations will continue in the context of the development of a new National Disability Strategy.
664. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to examine the case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25454/24]
View answerThe ECCE Programme is a free, universal two-year preschool programme available to all children within the eligible age range, funded by my Department, with payments made to approved ECCE providers. The key issue of concern for this parent relates to an ECCE compliance inspection of their child's approved ECCE provider, which was conducted by Pobal on behalf of my Department on 12 March 2024, as part of its compliance function.
The ECCE compliance function is key to protecting Exchequer Funding, and upholding the integrity of ECCE funding. In this case, the finding of non-compliance issued to the approved ECCE provider was due to the Pobal Compliance Visit Officer noting that no attendance had been recorded for the named child. Approved providers sign an ECCE Funding Agreement on an annual basis, in which they agree to maintain accurate attendance records for each child receiving ECCE funding. Clause 8.3 of the ECCE 2023/2024 Rules states that, “Failure to maintain attendance records may result in an assumption of zero hour’s attendance”. In this case, the approved ECCE provider had not maintained attendance records for this child, although the child had been registered under ECCE from 16 October 2023. As a result, the service was found to be non-compliant, with the relevant funding to be recouped.
The recouping of funding relates to ECCE funding only, which is provided by my Department to the approved ECCE provider. It may be noted that the provider is receiving Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) Level 7 funding for this child, which has not been impacted by this compliance finding. Furthermore, the service was informed by Pobal that they may re-register the child from the week commencing 18 March 2024, and avail of ECCE funding from that date. The approved ECCE provider has raised a “Late Registration Request” with Pobal. Any subsequent ECCE registration for this child for the 2024/2025 ECCE programme year will not be affected by the compliance finding.
Furthermore, Pobal have informed the approved ECCE provider that they may enter into a repayment plan to mitigate any immediate financial impacts arising from this compliance finding.
665. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide a schedule of all contracts they have and/or had with a company in the past 25 years to date (details supplied); the agreed contract cost; the ultimate contract cost including extras, design changes, conciliation, claims etc; project name/title; and the name of the body responsible for the delivery of projects where responsibility has been devolved. [25469/24]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the Department for Children; Equality; Disability; Integration and Youth has no current or prior contracts with BAM construction and subsidiaries and companies under the BAM group.
666. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 501 of 21 May 2024, the reason no response has issued yet (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25513/24]
View answerI apologise for the delay in responding to the deferred PQ 25371/24. I can confirm that a response to this PQ has now been issued and will reach you shortly.
667. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25526/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
668. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of vacant whole-time equivalent posts across the 91 CDNTs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25527/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
669. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the case of a child (details supplied) who has been diagnosed with autism, a global speech delay and a developmental delay by a psychiatrist who advises early intervention and access to a range of therapies; if he is aware that parents are being told that there is a five-year waiting list for these services; if he will outline his plans to address this unacceptable delay and a timeframe for ensuring timely access to these much needed services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25544/24]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
670. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding currently available to afterschool service providers and creches for the provision of services to children with additional needs; if additional funding and/or resources are provided on a once off and/or by way of application to the department as these settings require additional adult to child ratio and his plans to develop a funding scheme in this regard. [25585/24]
View answerFunding for Tusla registered School Aged Childcare (SAC) is provided through a number of measures including the National Childcare Scheme and Core funding.
Core Funding, the funding scheme introduced in 2022, allocates funding for providers based on the cost of delivery.
The National Childcare Scheme is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. It establishes an equitable and progressive system of universal and income-related subsidies for children up to the age of 15 to reduce the fee paid by parents to services.
Services funded through these measures provide School Aged Childcare to children with a range of needs.
Rolling out from September, Equal Start is a funding model and a set of associated universal and targeted measures to support access and participation in Early Learning and Care and School Aged Childcare for children and their families who experience disadvantage. Equal Start will adopt a tiered approach, which incorporates universal supports, child-targeted supports and setting-targeted supports. A key element available from September 2024 will be the provision of additional staffing to services with higher concentrations of disadvantage. Further details will be made available to services in the coming weeks.
For children with disabilities who may require extra supports, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower Early Learning and Care (ELC) providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of quality early years care and education in any mainstream ELC service. AIM resources are allocated based on a child’s individual needs..
An independent evaluation of AIM was published in January 2024. The findings from the evaluation have already informed the phased extension of AIM announced in Budget 2024, commencing with the extension of targeted AIM supports to ECCE-age children beyond time they spend in the ECCE programme, both in-term and out-of-term from September 2024. Providers will be funded for up to a further 15 hours of capitation per week in term and for 30 hours per week out of term to enable a lower adult-child ratio.
It is intended that over time, all children with additional needs registered in ELC services will have access to supports under AIM. To this end, officials in this Department will also be considering enhancements to, and/or expansion of AIM to 0-3 year olds and then considering further extension to school aged childcare.
Families who require advice are advised to contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC). Contact details are available at myccc.ie
671. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the HSE recruitment embargo impacting the speech therapy unit in school (details supplied) which will result in children waiting 12 months for necessary services; if he is aware of the detrimental impact this will have on early intervention supports; if his Department will seek recruitment of the speech therapists as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25025/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
