Written Answers Nos. 295-309
295. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his Department's policy on early-years interventions for children with disability or developmental delay; how this integrates with early-years education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26046/24]
View answerI am wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that children with disabilities are supported on an equal basis with every child in our society.
Participation in mainstream Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) is supported through the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM)
The goal of AIM is to create a more inclusive environment in pre-schools, so all children, regardless of ability, can benefit from quality early learning and care. The model achieves this by providing universal supports to pre-school settings, and targeted supports, which focus on the needs of the individual child, without requiring a diagnosis of disability.
AIM commenced in 2016, since then, it has helped tens of thousands of children with a disability to access and meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme in pre-school settings nationwide. The model has been recognised internationally and has won awards for both excellence in practice, and inclusive policy.
From September 2024, the model will be extended outside of the 38 weeks, 3 hours per day of ECCE to include additional hours during term time and time spent in ELC out of term. The ultimate goal is that AIM will support children of all ages with extension to 0-3 year olds currently being considered.
In addition, I would note that my Department is currently operating the Complex Healthcare Needs (CHN) trial in collaboration with the Department of Health (DoH) and the Health Service Executive (HSE). The CHN trial provides nursing support to facilitate a child’s attendance during Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) hours where the child has complex medical needs and is in receipt of a Paediatric Homecare Package (PHCP). The HSE Key Contact must complete a clinical nursing need assessment. If the assessment determines that nursing support is required to attend preschool, a registered nurse will be engaged as an extension of the HSE Paediatric Home Care Package.
93 Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) are aligned to 96 Community Healthcare Networks (CHNs) across the country and are providing services and supports for children aged from birth to 18 years of age.
The model of service for all CDNTs is family-centred and based on the needs of the child. This includes universal, targeted and specialised supports and interventions, as appropriate to the individual child and family. It is based on the objectives of empowering and supporting parents and others who are with the child on a daily basis to facilitate the child’s developmental needs.
The implementation of the Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People (PDS) programme is agreed Government and HSE policy. The PDS model addresses the previous inequity in service provision whereby there may have been an excellent service for some children and little or no service for others. This variance may have been linked to diagnosis, age group or geography. A key objective of PDS is to provide equity of access for all children with disabilities based on need, not on diagnosis. The PDS Roadmap for Service Improvement (2023-2026) was launched by the HSE on Tuesday 24th October 2023 and is a targeted Service Improvement Programme which sets out to achieve a quality, accessible, equitable and timely therapy services for children with complex needs and their families.
296. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 523 of 21 May 2024, for a further update on plans to reopen Ard Aoibhinn respite services at Carndonagh, County Donegal; and what efforts are being made to secure a fire certificate for same. [26109/24]
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.
297. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of the difficulty being experienced by young adults with disabilities and additional needs in accessing transport to adult education facilities once they transfer from the special schools they attended as children (details supplied); what plans his Department have to address this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26112/24]
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.
298. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the fines issued against his Department by the Court of Justice of the European Union for the period 2010 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26128/24]
View answerI am informed that the Court of Justice of the European Union has not imposed any fines on the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in the period from 2010 to date.
299. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what support his Department can provide to an organisation (details supplied) after its building was condemned due to the presence of defective blocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20935/24]
View answerI am aware of this service in Donegal with structural issues because of the presence of defective blocks.
My Department works with Pobal and local CCCs to offer Case Management support to services in difficulty. Through this process, services may also access sustainability funding following an assessment of need. One strand of this funding can support a service with the cost of relocation. A strand of emergency capital for fit-out/renovation of premises or necessary maintenance is currently under development.
I have asked Pobal, and the Donegal CCC to engage with the service’s management board, and investigate any possible relocation options for the service.
A possible new location has been found, and is being reviewed for suitability. If the new location is a feasible option for the service, relocation supports and other accommodations such as a 4 day, 41 week ECCE contract will be supported by my Department.
My Department will continue to engage with Pobal, local Childcare Committees, and services in order to support services who have been affected by mica.
This is a unique situation, and each service will need to be supported on an individual basis.
300. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on his engagement with the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth on a facility (details supplied) in Churchfield, Cork. [19708/24]
View answerI am aware of the issues facing Northside Community Enterprises and of the funding that they require to support the re-opening of the Before 5 Family Centre in Churchfield, Co. Cork.
The Before 5 Family Centre is in an area of undersupply and of high need, so the ambition of Northside Community Enterprises to reopen this Centre, with an extended offer of full time, full year places for children under three as well as places for school-going children, is very welcome.
Having recently met with Northside Community Enterprises representatives in Cork, I confirmed that the capital funding I announced for the early learning and childcare sector earlier this year under the National Development Plan will only fund the expansion of existing services and does not apply to the scenario that Northside Community Enterprises finds itself in with Before 5 Family Centre.
However, I did confirm that I am working within my Department to look at what solutions can be found to support Northside Community Enterprises with reopening this vital service for the Churchfield community.
Additionally, both Pobal, the scheme administrator and the local Childcare Committee are engaging with, and offering support to, Northside Community Enterprises in this regard, with follow up to the meeting of 17th May between Pobal and Northside Community Enterprises expected shortly.
I am very happy to keep the Deputy updated on this matter.
301. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an issue in relation to an assessment of needs for a child (details supplied) will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26182/24]
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.
302. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the procurement of private assessments for families long waiting an assessment of need, announced on 21 May 2024, has commenced; the process by which children are chosen to be assessed; and if parents can book a private assessment directly and have the cost reimbursed. [26194/24]
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.
303. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update in relation to the HSE’s Roadmap for Service Improvement 2023 – 2026 for Disability Services for Children and Young People; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26199/24]
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.
304. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the CDNT funding grant that an organisation (details supplied) applied for in November 2023; when these grants will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26210/24]
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.
305. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the proposed national centre for research and remembrance to be located on the site of the former Magdalen Laundry on Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26243/24]
View answerIn March 2022 Government approved high level proposals for the National Centre for Research and Remembrance to be located on the site of the former Magdalen Laundry in Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1 to comprise:
• a museum and exhibition space, the development of which will be led by the National Museum of Ireland
• a research centre and repository of records related to institutional trauma in the 20th century, which will form part of the National Archives
• a place for reflection and remembrance
• social housing
• educational and community facilities
A Steering Group, chaired by Mr Martin Fraser, former Secretary General to the Government and Ambassador to Great Britain, was established in April 2022 and is driving the overall coordinated development of the National Centre.
In July 2022, Dublin City Council voted to transfer the site of the former Magdalen Laundry at Sean McDermott Street to the OPW, to be developed as the National Centre. The OPW is continuing essential maintenance works on the site to facilitate safe and full access and necessary building surveys.
In July 2023 Government approved the masterplan for the National Centre campus and a preliminary business case for the main National Centre buildings (museum and archive). In March 2024 Government approved further key project documents including the preliminary business case for the full National Centre Campus.
Extensive work is continuing on the development of a detailed project plan including timelines for development, with a number of Government departments and agencies acting in partnership. It is anticipated that an application for planning permission for the National Centre campus will be submitted in the summer.
An initial, open consultation on certain elements of the National Centre ran from July to September 2023. A report analysing the almost 220 responses, which was prepared by an independent research company, was published on 23 May 2024 alongside a response from the Steering Group outlining its key commitments. The report and the Steering Group response, as well as details on the current status of the National Centre project, are available on the dedicated website: www.gov.ie.nationalcentre.
306. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which the funds available to his Department remain adequate to meet whatever challenges may arise, for whatever reason in the course of the next twelve months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26263/24]
View answerThe Revised Estimates for Public Services 2024, published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, detail gross allocation of €7.43 billion in respect of my Department for 2024.
At the end of May, gross expenditure is running €164.3 million ahead of REV profile.
As the year progresses the main expenditure pressures for the Department in 2024 are in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS), Specialist Community Based Disability Services (SCBDS), Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and Early Learning and Care, and School-Age Childcare.
My Department continues to closely monitor expenditure. In this regard, there are a number of measures to ensure effective monitoring of expenditure trends. These include monthly reporting of actual expenditure against profiled, timing of spend over the course of the year and monthly forecasting of expected spending to the end of 2024. In addition, my department meet regularly with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform regarding expenditure and spending projections for the Vote in 2024.
307. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans in place to provide sufficient childcare places at an affordable rate, so that parents can plan for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26264/24]
View answerMy Department provides a number of schemes under the Together for Better funding model, which offset the cost of early learning and childcare to families.
The ECCE programme, which provides two years of pre-school without charge, enjoys participation rates of 96% each year. Over 70% of families on low income report that they would not be able to send their child to pre-school without this programme.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) complements the ECCE programme, providing subsidies – both universal and targeted - to reduce the costs to parents for children to participate in early learning and childcare.
Since January 2023 - with the increase in the minimum NCS subsidy to €1.40 per hour – out of pocket costs to families have fallen by 25% on average. From this September, the minimum subsidy will increase again to €2.14 per hour – and the cumulative reduction in out of pocket is estimated to reach 50% on average.
Finally, the fee freeze in place in 95% of early learning and childcare services as a result of the Core Funding scheme ensures that the investment in NCS has resulted in real change for parents and not been absorbed by fee increases.
Record numbers of children and their families are now benefiting from the NCS.
Later this year, an estimated 2,000 children in childminding settings will be added to this cohort of beneficiaries, when the initial cohort of childminders come forward for registration with Tusla enabling the NCS to be opened up to families using these childminders for the first time.
As well as increasing the numbers of funded and regulated early learning and childcare places available through the regulation of childminders, my Department is progressing a range of other actions to ensure the supply of early learning and childcare is aligned with demand. Work in this area led by a new Supply Management Unit that I established earlier this year.
A key part of the Supply Management Unit’s remit is to develop a planning function for monitoring, analysing and forecasting of the supply and demand - akin to the Forward Planning Unit in the Department of Education.
The Unit will also oversee the administration of capital investment under the National Development Plan, through the Building Blocks Capacity Grant. The primary focus of the Building Blocks Capacity Grant Schemes is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day or part-time care. I hope to announce details of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme in the coming weeks.
Additionally, my Department is currently engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine and review the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings with a view to updating them.
Finally, and in addition to the fee freeze, Core Funding has proven to be effective in expanding capacity. Year 2 of the scheme provided for capacity growth of 3%, which has materialised and for Year 3 of the scheme, additional funding will be directed towards a further 5.6% increase in capacity growth.
308. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans in place to increase the number of childcare places throughout County Kildare over the next twelve months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26265/24]
View answerCapital funding has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant investment in early learning and childcare.
In 2024 and 2025, my Department is delivering capital investment through the Building Blocks Capacity Grant. The primary focus of the Building Blocks Capacity Grant Schemes is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day or part-time care.
The schemes will operate between 2024 and 2025. It will operate over two strands, an Expansion scheme and an Extension scheme to support existing services to increase capacity.
The Expansion scheme offers funding for internal reconfiguration projects valued at between €50,000 and €100,000 that increase capacity. This scheme is now closed and Pobal are preparing to notify the successful applicants.
The Extension scheme will offer funding for larger scale projects to enable existing services to build new capacity on their current site or nearby. The scheme will be formally announced in the coming weeks to allow services to prepare their applications.
Participationin Core Funding is a requirement of both strands. Kildare County Childcare Committee will be providing support to services from Kildare that are applying for funding
A Relative Demand Model has been developed by my Department using the latest census data and information on existing provision and enrolments to generate insights into the extent to which existing levels of supply meet local demand on a county by county basis. This analysis will allow the funding to be targeted to where it is most needed.
A key feature of the Capacity Grant Schemes will be a check to ensure that fees charged by services applying do not exceed a maximum fee threshold. This will ensure that capital investment does not result in the delivery of places that are unaffordable to parents.
309. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which disability services for children are available throughout north County Kildare; the areas of deficiency that have been identified; the remediation plans for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26266/24]
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.
