Written Answers Nos. 100-120
100. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Justice if her Department has considered, as advocated for by an organisation (details supplied), the alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders, such as community-based sanctions or diversion programmes, to reduce prison overcrowding and the socio-economic impact of short-term imprisonment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26545/24]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, including by progressing policies aimed at reducing offending, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, where appropriate, and by providing effective rehabilitation.
The Programme for Government contains a broad range of policies and proposals that represent a coherent approach to enhancing and sustaining a more just and safe society, and a specific commitment to review policy options for prison and penal reform. In fulfilment of this commitment the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 was published in August 2022.
The purpose of the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform is to strengthen the options available to judges when they are considering sentencing in cases.
This report, and its action plan, seek to find the balance so that people who commit serious crimes receive a punishment and a period of incarceration proportionate to that crime, while at the same time ensuring that the courts have a wide range of appropriate alternative options for dealing with those who have committed minor offences and who might otherwise receive a sentence of 12 months or less.
As the Deputy will be aware, non-custodial penalties, particularly supervised community sanctions, can play a significant and important role in addressing criminality, reducing reoffending and providing a degree of protection to the public. This is supported by Central Statistics Office figures on recidivism.
This targeted approach will facilitate a more tailored response so that the interventions made will be more effective in preventing people falling into a cycle of offending behaviour.
The Deputy may also be aware that my Department has undertaken a policy review of the previously published General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill 2014 and following on from this, I expect to bring a revised General Scheme to Government in due course.
101. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, in light of the recent RTÉ findings on the appalling treatment of horses, he will make a commitment to improve animal welfare standards and strengthen the enforcement of the current laws in place to address this ongoing problem; the measures will he introduce to prevent instances of animal cruelty from continuing, not just in relation to horses but in the ongoing issue of ‘puppy farming’ in Ireland; the measures he will take to increase animal welfare training among gardaí, customs officers, and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26345/24]
View answerMy Department takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously.
The RTE Primetime footage broadcast last week showing incidents of animal cruelty was extremely upsetting and I share the reaction of views who were appalled and upset by such a blatant disregard for the welfare of horses. An investigation into this matter is ongoing.
The welfare of equines is protected by legislation and appropriate enforcement action is undertaken by my Department and authorised officers under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, including An Garda Síochána, Customs agents, authorised officers appointed by local authorities, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), where breaches or shortcomings are identified. Any reports of welfare issues received by my Department, including breaches of the animal welfare legislation, are acted upon and investigated.
My Department continually reviews and works to update legislation, in relation to Animal Welfare, in order to strengthen and improve standards, with controls and procedures in place for ear cropping of dogs and work under way to ban the use of remotely controlled electronic shock collars on dogs and cats, being recent updates in this regard.
Responsibility for Dog Breeding Establishments lies with the Department of Rural and Community Development as provided for by the Dog Breeding Establishments Act, 2010.
102. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an aquaculture foreshore license application (details supplied) on Lough Swilly; when a final decision will be made on this license application; if every effort is being made to progress the application through the stages by the various State agencies, the Marine Institute, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and others speedily to have it in place for the new season in September 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26366/24]
View answerMy Department considers all applications for Aquaculture and Foreshore Licences in accordance with the provisions of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997, the Foreshore Act 1933 (as amended) and applicable National and EU legislation. The licensing process is complex and involves consultation with a wide range of scientific and technical advisors, as well as various Statutory Consultees. The legislation also provides for a period of public consultation.
The time for processing an aquaculture licence varies depending on a number of factors including location, species, scale and intensity of production, statutory status of sites and potential visual impact. My Department also takes full account of all scientific and technical advice, in addition to all issues identified during the public and statutory consultation phases. Further factors that can impact the time taken to process an application can include; the requirement for an Appropriate Assessment and whether the application is required to be accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment Report; the need for additional underwater or archaeological assessments; consideration of any submissions or observations raised during the public consultation period, etc.
Decisions in respect of aquaculture licence applications are only taken following the fullest consideration of all scientific, legislative, technical and public interest elements of each application.
The aquaculture and foreshore licence application referred to by the Deputy was updated on the Departments AquaMIS on the 31st of May, has completed the GIS mapping stage and is now for review by the Departments local engineer. The applicant will be contacted by the Department once this report is received.
103. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to a television report (details supplied) related to the welfare and treatment of horses; the action he will take to ensure that this is investigated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26369/24]
View answerMy Department takes the matter of equine welfare most seriously. I am aware of the programme referenced.
The welfare of equines is protected by legislation and appropriate enforcement action where breaches or shortcomings are identified. I have instigated an investigation into the events depicted on the programme footage and that investigation is on-going. I am therefore not in a position to comment in detail on the matter at this time but can confirm that the premises on which the majority of the filming took place has been subject to restriction since late May and I have recently suspended the approval of the licensed slaughter house.
Any reports of welfare issues received by my Department, including breaches of the animal welfare legislation, are acted upon and investigated.
If the public are aware of any cases of suspected abuse or neglect, they can contact my Department's Animal Welfare Helpline on:
Helpline Phone No: 01 607 2379
Email address - animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie.
104. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an ACRES payment will issue to persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26370/24]
View answerThe person named was approved into Tranche 1 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), under the Co-operation approach, with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2023.
All ACRES applications must undergo pre-payment validation checks before payment can issue. The 2023 ACRES payment checks found an issue in respect of the associated Basic Income Support for Sustainability claim due to a change of ownership. ACRES payments cannot be processed until this issue is addressed. This is now being investigated by BISS who have in turn contacted the Mayo District Veterinary Office on behalf of the person named in order to resolve the issue. If further information is required contact BISS on 057 8674422 or Email DirectPaymentsCorrespondence@agriculture.gov.ie.
Once this issue is resolved the application will be further processed for ACRES payment.
105. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will attend the next EU Agricultural Council Meeting of Ministers. [26484/24]
View answerI can confirm that I will be attending the next Agri-Fish Council which is due to take place in Luxembourg on Monday 24 June.
106. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has received the 2023 annual report from Bord Bia. [26485/24]
View answerThe Bord Bia Annual Report for 2023 was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 13th June 2024 and is available at the following link: www.oireachtas.ie/en/publications/docs-laid/.
The final accounts for 2023 are are currently under audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) and will also be published on completion.
107. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will give details of the recent changes announced regarding the social welfare benefits for Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection; when the change in respect of the €38.50 payment will commence; if claimants living in State-provided hotel accommodation will still have to pay €70 per week per adult for food after their benefits have been reduced; if the €70 payment is reduced or scrapped, if it will also be reduced for those residents who are working or does this only apply to those receiving some form of State aid; how the new benefit scheme will affect single mothers, pensioners and people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26374/24]
View answerLast month, the Government agreed that Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in state-provided serviced accommodation should receive the same level of payment regardless of when they arrived.
The Minister for Social Protection and I, and our officials are liaising on the operational arrangements to give effect to this change, with an estimated 12 week lead-in time to allow details to be finalised and notice to be provided to the people affected.
This change will apply to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in designated fully serviced accommodation in receipt of any of the Department of Social Protection’s social assistance schemes. However, they will continue to have an entitlement to Child Benefit and to Additional Needs Payments, subject to the normal eligibility criteria.
Details of the operational arrangements giving effect to the change, including the matters to which the Deputy refer, have yet to be finalised and will be made available in due course.
108. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to include an assessment on difficulties Travellers experience in accessing and retaining open housing applications in the new NTRIS currently being considered, given that this is an outstanding issue in the current NTRIS since 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26667/24]
View answer115. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to include an assessment on difficulties Travellers experience in accessing and retaining open housing applications in the new NTRIS currently being considered; if he will acknowledge that this is an outstanding issue in the current NTRIS since 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26398/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 115 together.
Work on developing the successor National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS II) is currently being finalised and my intention is to submit it to Cabinet shortly. The successor Strategy will represent the next step in a whole-of-Government and targeted approach to improving the lives of Travellers and Roma and to ensure their full inclusion in Irish life. Traveller and Roma organisations have been closely involved in the development of the new Strategy.
I fully expect accommodation to be a key theme under NTRIS II, as it was in the previous Strategy. However, as the Deputy will appreciate, actions under the Strategy relevant to any policy area will fall to be delivered by the Department that holds policy responsibility for that area. My Department has no policy or operational role in relation to housing applications by members of the Traveller community. Accordingly, I would advise the Deputy to raise any specific concerns in this regard with my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
109. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of student placements in CDNTs based within CHO7 in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [26328/24]
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.
110. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide a list of the successful applicants to the children's disability services grant scheme; the funding each of these groups were awarded, in tabular form. [26336/24]
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.
111. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details on his Department's plans to close accommodation sites in County Clare which are currently housing Ukrainian war refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26340/24]
View answerSince the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, my Department continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it, in line with Government policy. This supports BOTPs to make longer term independent arrangements if they decide to remain in Ireland. As this is a temporary support, there is an onus on my Department to ensure that its portfolio of accommodation meets the evolving needs of the State’s response to the Ukraine Crisis.
In recent months we have seen decreases in arrivals from Ukraine to Ireland, decreases in those arriving who request accommodation from the State and greater numbers of Ukrainians who choose to move on from State accommodation. As a result, my Department is currently seeking to consolidate and rationalise its BOTP accommodation portfolio to ensure value for money and greater oversight.
My Department is making decisions to end commercial contracts across the country, which will include sites in County Clare, in accordance with contractual terms and conditions agreed with providers, on the basis of financial, administrative, other accommodation management reasons or at the request of the accommodation provider.
It is expected that a significant number of contracts will end across the country over the next months, and my Department will try to schedule moves for the summer months to minimise disruption to the school year if possible.
While my Department acknowledges that this will result in significant numbers of people moving over the next number months, all accommodation arrangements provided by the State are temporary in nature. Any BOTP who is considering staying longer term in Ireland is regularly encouraged to make their own independent arrangements for accommodation using the options available to them such as pledged or Offer a Home properties, or to rent privately using supports such as rent supplement if eligible, or their salaries when they are in employment.
112. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will clarify several queries (details supplied) in relation to the changes to social welfare payments for Ukrainian refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26344/24]
View answerLast month, the Government agreed that Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in state-provided serviced accommodation should receive the same level of payment regardless of when they arrived.
The Minister for Social Protection and I, and our officials are liaising on the operational arrangements to give effect to this change, with an estimated 12 week lead-in time to allow details to be finalised and notice to be provided to the people affected.
This change will apply to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in designated fully serviced accommodation in receipt of any of the Department of Social Protection’s social assistance schemes. However, they will continue to have an entitlement to Child Benefit and to Additional Needs Payments, subject to the normal eligibility criteria.
Details of the operational arrangements giving effect to the change have yet to be finalised, and will be made available in due course, including the matters to which the Deputy refers in details supplied.
113. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide transport to a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26352/24]
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.
114. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps his Department is actively taken to assist an organisation (details supplied) regarding their staffing crisis at present which has resulted in day services being stopped for service users. [26375/24]
View answerI am aware of the staffing issues the IWA is facing, which are reflective of challenges affecting the wider health and social care sector, and impacting on the ability of the HSE and other providers like the IWA to deliver services.
Due to the sudden and unplanned extended leave of key staff members, IWA Cavan found itself in a position where it could not safely continue to provide full services within its centre. IWA Cavan implemented a contingency plan to provide community outreach support to service users on a temporary basis.
The HSE is supporting the continuing efforts of IWA Cavan to recruit additional personnel to fill vacant positions, including the use of specialist recruitment agencies and extending the search into Northern Ireland. Further interviews were held last week, with more scheduled this month, and the IWA has advised that 2 of an initial 4 successful candidates have accepted job offers. The new staff are currently in the on-boarding phase. Their proposed start date of 1st July 2024 will facilitate a graduated return to on site day services with the number of days increasing with further successful recruitment. The use of agency staff as a short-term measure is also being explored.
I appreciate the frustration faced by service users and their families, and I am assured that all possible avenues are being exhausted in order to fill the vacant posts with appropriate staff as quickly as possible.
It is important to note that Section 39 providers, such as the IWA, are not public bodies. These organisations are independently operated. Their terms and conditions of employment, once in line with employment legislation, are strictly between the IWA and its employees. Notwithstanding this point, it is accepted that the ability to determine pay and conditions for staff is highly dependent on State funding.
To support organisations like the IWA to recruit and retain staff, the Department and its agencies engaged with a Workplace Relations Commission process with unions representing staff in Section 39 disability organisations, as well as other providers. This engagement led to the agreement of an 8% pay increase last October, which is a significant uplift in the funding available to the IWA and many others.
A preliminary payment was made to the IWA in early February 2024. The IWA’s subsequent application to the HSE was approved and the organisation will benefit from an additional €4.9m to facilitate staff pay increases across the organisation. This increased funding encompasses pay cost increases for staff in IWA Cavan and other locations.
116. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail all capital funding that is available for afterschool only facilities for this coming academic school year. [26416/24]
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 scheme 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 in the process of notifying 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. Participation as a partner service in Core Funding is a requirement of both strands.
Service providers which School Age Childcare only are not eligible to apply under Building Blocks unless the purpose of the grant is to expand in order to provide Early Learning and Care places to the to the 1-3-year-old (pre-ECCE) cohort. The focus of the investment is designed to ensure that capacity is expanded in the part of the sector where there is the greatest misalignment between supply and demand.
117. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing the ECCE capitation grant by 15% with effect from 1 January 2025. [26479/24]
View answerThe ECCE scheme is a universal programme which provides 2 years of free preschool to children in the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months. My Department funds private early learning and care service providers to provide the ECCE programme at a standard rate of €69 per week per child attending the ECCE programme.
I would note that further funding is available for childcare services through the Core Funding scheme. Through ECCE and Core Funding combined, services receive a minimum of €79.20 per child per week in capitation and a maximum of €95.85, with additional funding awarded for services employing graduate lead educators and graduate managers.
In calculating the full year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by 15%, officials in my Department used the total budget allocation for the ECCE scheme for 2024 which is €256 million. Using this allocation the estimated full year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by 15% would be €384m. This estimate assumes zero growth in ECCE registrations for 2025.
|
Standard capitation per child per week |
Cost per year |
|
|
Current Rate |
€69 |
€256m |
|
15% Increase |
€79.35 |
€294.4m |
118. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of individuals and couples currently registered as foster carers with Tusla; and the number of foster carers within the State in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [26480/24]
View answerAs this relates to data collated by Tusla, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.
119. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will honour his predecessor's commitment to provide five additional clinical practice tutor posts for radiation therapy to increase the number of college places for students in the coming academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26419/24]
View answerHealth and Social Care workforce planning and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified healthcare professionals in Ireland is a top priority for the Government.
Department of Health officials engage on an ongoing basis with colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Higher Education Institutions to ensure that we train enough graduates with the skills necessary to support the delivery of health and social care services. An additional five Radiation Therapy places were secured as part of the additional 662 student places that have been provided in the Higher Education Sector on health-related courses in the academic year 2023/24. Clinical placements will be provided in line with undergraduate college places identified.
Minister for Health is supportive of increasing the availability of clinical placements to match additional student training places, and his department has allocated funding and resources to demonstrate this. In 2023, there was an increase of 132 student places in the HSCP disciplines. In 2023, the Department of Health provided €1m funding to support the provision of clinical placements for the Health and Social Care Professions through 10 WTE funded posts to be filled in 2024. This funding is in proportion to the increase in student numbers in these professions.
Department of Health officials are working in collaboration with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, National HSCP Office in the HSE and Higher Education Institutions to ensure the provision of clinical placements to support the expansion of student places. The Minister for Health has committed that clinical placements will be provided in line with the number of additional undergraduate college places identified by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
120. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE primary care reimbursement service is not answering emails or phone calls to public representatives on the TD REPS email and phone line provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26311/24]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
