Written Answers Nos. 21-53
21. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he expects the proposed national centre for research and remembrance to advance; when physical works will be carried out; the services that will be provided there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38751/24]
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. The National Centre will comprise:
• a museum and exhibition space, to 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, configured to universal design standards and appropriate for older persons and persons with disabilities;
• further and higher educational facilities; and
• community-based family and parenting support 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 to drive the overall coordinated development of the National Centre.
In July 2022 Dublin City Council voted to transfer the site to the OPW. 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 it approved the preliminary business case for the full National Centre Campus.
The development of the National Centre is multi-annual in nature. 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 will be submitted shortly, with construction to commence in 2025.
22. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he agrees with the Taoiseach that immigration is causing the homelessness crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39151/24]
View answerIreland has a legal obligation to meet the temporary accommodation needs of people newly arrived in Ireland seeking international protection and International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres are established for this specific purpose.
I support and I will always defend that process because it is important that people who are fleeing war and conflict have the ability to find safety in Ireland or in any other country.
Currently, there are over 32,000 people accommodated in IPAS provided accommodation. My Department has increased IPAS capacity by more than 400% since 2020, from just under 7,000 people on 31 December 2020.
It is important to clarify that a person seeking international protection in Ireland has no right to claim housing supports, and has no right to access homelessness accommodation.
Furthermore, as part of a whole of Government approach, my Department's International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) endeavours to minimise any impact on the private rental or housing markets in conducting its operations. The majority of accommodation offers to the Department come from alternative sources outside of the private rental or housing sector.
Of the 32,000 people in IPAS accommodation nationwide, approximately 5,200 are people with status. People with status or permission to remain have completed their international protection application and are no longer entitled to IPAS-provided accommodation.
However, acknowledging the shortages of private accommodation in the community, IPAS continues to accommodate people with status in emergency accommodation, until such time that they can move into the community. IPAS also works with local authorities to help avoid residents leaving IPAS centres and directly entering into emergency homeless accommodation.
Since the beginning of 2024 over 3,500 people with status or permission to remain have left IPAS accommodation and moved into the community. IPAS teams, supported by 32 integration support workers from partner organisations, work with residents to support them in sourcing accommodation and moving forward into the community.
People with status have the same housing entitlements as the wider community, and are supported to register with a Local Authority and, if required, to avail of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to secure alternative accommodation. In addition, people with status can access standard social welfare entitlements.
23. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to provide capital funding for the development of facilities for providers of early childhood care and education and afterschool care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38522/24]
View answerSome €89 million has been allocated to the sector over the period 2023-2026 under the revised National Development Plan. This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare.My Department’s Building Blocks Capacity Grant scheme, which is operating over 2024 and 2025, will support services to increase capacity through two strands, the Expansion Scheme, now closed for applications, and the Extension Scheme. Under the Building Blocks Expansion Grant scheme, which is currently being disbursed, grants of between €25,000 and €100,000 were awarded to projects to undertake renovation or upgrades to existing space to cater for more children.Under the Building Blocks Extension Scheme, €25 million in capital funding will be made available next year to deliver thousands of additional early learning and childcare places. It will offer funding for larger scale projects to enable existing community and private services to build new capacity onto their current premises by means of physical extension. It will also allow community services to apply to purchase or construct a new premises.The primary focus of the Extension Scheme is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old, pre-ECCE age range for full day provision. While applicants will be required to deliver additional full-time places in this age range, places for children in other age brackets may be considered for funding once the minimum requirements for places for 1-3 year olds are met.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. I hope to announce further details of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme in the coming weeks.
24. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department has conducted a socio-economic impact assessment in relation to the accommodation recognition payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39108/24]
View answerMy Department has not conducted a socioeconomic impact assessment in relation to the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme.
However, before considering extending the scheme, which ends in March 2025, my Department consulted its key pledge stakeholders; the Irish Red Cross, the International Organisation for Migration and the Local Government Management Agency, via survey and facilitated discussion, as well as the Ukraine Civil Society and Action Forums through a survey only.
These consultations concluded that ARP has been instrumental in increasing the number of pledged units available for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) and diverting them away from state procured accommodation and the private rental sector.
These consultations also concluded that the scheme end date should be extended in line with the recent extension of the Temporary Protection Directive to March 2026 to maintain a supply of non-state accommodation for BOTPs.
In addition, stakeholders have highlighted that the monthly payment of €800 has assisted in the retention and extension of pledges. This scheme has also proved to be a cost-effective solution for the State.
The legislation that established the ARP, the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022, requires me to consult with the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if extending the scheme termination date, and to have regard to the need to continue to make provision for a financial contribution to assist in increasing the availability of accommodation for BOTPs.
The Act of 2022 also requires, where such an order is proposed to be made, that a draft of the order be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the order shall not be made until a resolution approving the draft has been passed by each House of the Oireachtas.
25. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration will be given to implementing Sinn Féin's €10 a day childcare affordability plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38968/24]
View answerI launched Together For Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare in September 2022. A key objective of this model is to make early learning and childcare more affordable.
Through Together for Better, my Department provides a number of schemes which offset the cost of early learning and childcare to families.The ECCE programme, which provides two years of preschool 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 preschool 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 the minimum subsidy has been progressively increased to €2.14 per hour – the cumulative reduction in out of pocket costs is estimated to reach 50% on average through these changes.
Record numbers of children and their families are now benefiting from the NCS. Over 200,000 children have benefited from an NCS subsidy this year so far.From 30 September, children in childminding settings will be added to this cohort of beneficiaries, following changes to the childminder Tusla registration requirements. Finally, the fee freeze in place in early learning and childcare services as a result of the Core Funding scheme and the new cap on fees introduced for new services entering Core Funding this year ensures that the investment in NCS has resulted in real change for parents and not been absorbed by fee increases.
Through these measures I am committed to reducing the amount parents are required to contribute to their early learning and childcare costs while continuing to improve pay and conditions for educators and practitioners, maintaining a stable sector and making best use of public monies to improve affordability, accessibility and quality.
26. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare services availing of the new Equal Start support package; if he has plans to expand the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38532/24]
View answerEqual Start is a major new model of Government-funded supports to ensure children experiencing disadvantage can access and meaningfully participate in early learning and childcare. Equal Start was launched in May and the first phase of implementation commenced in September.
Around 750 services have been targeted for supports under Equal Start as they have been objectively found to have the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage.
To date, 668 services have completed the contractual process to enable payment with the remaining services expected to complete the process in the coming weeks.
Provision of funding to services with the highest level of need is the first stage in the commencement of Equal Start implementation will significantly improve the experience for children and early years educators in services in areas of concentrated disadvantage.
For the 24/25 programme year this includes additional staffing supports providing for a 15% increase in staffing hours for Tier 1 services and 8% for tier 2 services based on the minimum staffing required under regulation. It also includes additional supports for Traveller and Roma families delivered through Better Start and Tusla, language and literacy measures including the roll-out of Early Talk Boost and developmental measures to enable delivery of next phase supports.
The full year cost of Budget 2024 measures is €13.1m
From Budget 2025, additional funding of €4m million will be provided for the following new development measures:
• Additional Nutrition Programme - €3 million to design and cost a scheme for additional meals to be provided in Equal Start targeted ELC and SAC settings beyond minimum regulatory requirements.
• Parent Community Coordinator Training - €750,000 for new role in services to enhance parental engagement.
• Update and roll out Diversity Equality and training and other development measures - €250,000.
An additional €1.3m will be provided to support small equipment purchases through capital measures to support the roll-out of the additional nutrition programme.
Equal Start is designed to be rolled out on a phased basis over a five-year period, 2024-2028. The investment from Budget 24 and now in Budget 25 provides a strong grounding to develop and deliver the remaining measures described in the Equal Start model.
27. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the work of his Department in providing assistive technologies to aid children with autism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38672/24]
View answerAssistive Technology (AT) covers a broad spectrum of technology, from low level vision aids to high level technologies such as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tablets, which assist children or adults with a verbal impairment.
The Government has committed to supporting the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and this also encompasses the inclusion of persons in society through the use of assistive technology.It is also recognised that the need for assistive technology will continue to rise due to the increase in non-communicable diseases and aging populations. The 2022 Global Report on Assistive Technology (GReAT) published by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) outlines this, with the number of people needing at lease one form of AT rising from 2.5billion today to 3.5billion in 2050.
In order to address this domestically, the Department is progressing work with WHO Europe around a collaboration agreement on Digital Assistive Technology (DAT). This partnership will include three core streams of work covering:
1. A review of Ireland’s assistive technology capacity through a multi-stakeholder approach;
2. The development of workforce optimisation initiatives using digital tools focusing on assessments and intervention and;
3. Progressing 2 Global DAT/Workforce Expos with the first hosted by Ireland in 2026.
These work streams will seek to improve the lives of people with disabilities, including those with Autism, through the use of DAT.
Additionally, the Department has funded specific supports for children with Autism needing assistive technology through the AAC Support Programme by AsIAm. This initiative supports children with additional communication needs through the provision of information and training to the key stakeholders in a child’s life and, most crucially, it supports the provision of an AAC device and App best suited to the child’s needs.
28. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of CDNT staff that have accepted different terms to HSE contracts in the CDNT staff roles under the HSE panel access confirmed by the HSE in recent weeks. [38910/24]
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.
29. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration has been given to increasing financial assistance for parents who are sending their children to creches, particularly given the rising costs of early childhood education. [37653/24]
View answerA key objective of my Department to reduce the cost of childcare for parents to an affordable level.
Investment in early learning and childcare is at unprecedented levels with public funding exceeding €1.1 billion, clearly demonstrating Government commitment to this objective.
The ECCE programme, which provides two years of preschool 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 preschool 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. As of this September, the minimum subsidy was increased again to €2.14 per hour – the cumulative reduction in out of pocket is estimated to reach 50% on average.
Record numbers of children and their families are now benefiting from the NCS. Over 200,000 children have benefited from an NCS subsidy this year so far.
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.
The NCS allows the flexible allocation of subsidies to families where the highest subsidies are provided to families that need it most. The NCS is designed to allow for rapid changes to subsidies, income thresholds and other criteria as Government decisions are made and Exchequer funding becomes available.
30. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on his efforts to make childcare accessible and affordable; the amount he believes it is affordable for parents to contribute to the cost of their childcare needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39109/24]
View answerMy Department is progressing a range of actions to improve the accessibility and affordability of early learning and childcare.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is the primary measure aimed at reducing childcare costs. Through the provision of both universal and targeted subsidies, the NCS ensures the highest levels of subsidies go to families that need them most.
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 was increased again to €2.14 per hour – and the cumulative reduction in out of pocket is estimated to reach 50% on average.
The fee cap in place in 95% of early learning and childcare services as a result of 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. Over 200,000 children have benefited from an NCS subsidy this year so far.From 30 September, an estimated 2,000 children in childminding settings will be added to this cohort of beneficiaries, following changes to the childminder Tusla registration requirements.
Regarding accessibility of childcare places, earlier this year I established a new Supply Management Unit.
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 of childcare places.
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.
Additionally, the Core Funding scheme has proven to be effective in expanding the capacity of the sector since it's establishment in 2022. 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.
31. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the national childcare scheme will be open to childminders who are not registered with Tusla; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39146/24]
View answerThe Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides the statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that the Scheme is only open to Tusla-registered providers. This ensures that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision. Therefore, only childminders who are registered with Tusla can offer the National Childcare Scheme to the families that avail of their services.
On 30 September, I commenced the relevant sections of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024, which included removal of the exemption to registration for childminders. On the same day, I also commenced the Childminding Services Regulations, and Tusla opened their registration process for childminders. In line with the commitments I made in the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028, all paid, non-relative childminders can now apply to register with Tusla and, once registered with Tusla, take part in the National Childcare Scheme.
The Act also introduces a transition period of three years before registration becomes mandatory. During this three-year period, childminders are able to register with Tusla but are not required to do so. 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.
During the transition period, supports are available for childminders at local level through the City and County Childcare Committees. Childminders who wish to learn more about registration and the National Childcare Scheme should contact the Childminding Development Officer in their local City / County Childcare Committee. Contact details are available www.myccc.ie
32. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will engage with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the provision of childcare facilities in housing developments so that childcare is treated as essential infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38972/24]
View answerThe 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings, issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provide the current framework to guide both local authorities, and developers and ELC and SAC providers in formulating and considering development proposals. The Guidelines are intended to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country to the treatment of applications in respect to the land use planning aspects of ELC and SAC provision, for relevant planning applications.
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. A Working Group is in place between these Departments, and an invitation has been issued to the Department of Education to be represented on this group as well. The group will develop data and evidence bases, review existing policy and implementation measures, and support co-operation and collaboration.
An important component of this work will be the development and dissemination of a DHLGH-initiated survey of planning authorities on the application of the 2001 Planning Guidelines.
More broadly, this year I established a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Division of my Department. A key part of the Supply Management Unit’s remit is to develop capacity for monitoring, analysing and forecasting of supply and demand. The development of a forward planning model is currently underway. The model will seek to identify the nature and volume of different types of ELC and SAC places across the country, whether or not those places are occupied and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level.
33. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the new measures he has implemented in the area of youth work and youth employability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38521/24]
View answerMy Department has made a significant investment in youth services in 2024, building on the increases in recent years and securing the achievements into the future. The current funding for youth services and programmes in my Department this year is €78 million, an increase of €5 million, or 6.8%, on the 2023 budget. From 2020 to Budget 2024, current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes increased from almost €62 million to €78 million, a 26% increase overall.
In addition to providing increases under the existing funding schemes, my Department has introduced a number of new measures in 2024. €1 million is being allocated to the new Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative, which focusses on supporting young people furthest from the labour market to participate in the workforce or in education or training.
My Department has also established an additional funding line to allow youth organisations not currently funded under the Youth Services Grant Scheme, which is currently undergoing reform, to apply for funding for universal youth services open to all young people between 10 and 24 years old. This will enable more young people to benefit from youth opportunities. More than 1 million in grant awards will be announced under this scheme in the coming weeks.
Moreover, in order to address the key issue of recruitment and retention of volunteers in youth organisations already funded by the Youth Services Grant Scheme, I have allocated funding to support a new initiative called the Volunteer Activation Fund. This scheme is designed to provide additional support to youth service providers who offer universal youth services, thereby increasing the number of volunteers in the youth sector and the number of volunteer-led clubs operating across the country. €812,500 is being made available by my Department across 2024 and 2025 to support impactful projects to meet these objectives.
In 2024, I have also made €1.3 million available to organisations who support LGBTI+ people. As part of this, a total of €400,000 is being made available by my Department across this year and next to support impactful projects working with LGBTI+ young people. The LGBTI+ Youth Fund supports initiatives that make a difference in ensuring LGBTI+ young people are visible, included, treated equally, healthy, and safe in their communities.
Last month, I launched Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028. This is a new national strategy on youth work and related services which provides a clear vision, strategic objectives, and priority actions to guide a collective approach to developing youth work services over the coming years. The strategy is guided by the overall vision that ‘all young people in Ireland are able to reach their full potential and positively shape their own future’.
Opportunities for Youth, as well as ongoing development of the State's chief youth funding schemes, will provide a platform to continue to enhance youth service delivery in Ireland.
34. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to increase core funding for childcare providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39083/24]
View answerThe introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding.
This funding, which increased by 11% (to €287 million) in year 2, will increase again by another 15% in year 3 (to €331 million). This facilitates the following changes from 2 September:
• The Base Rates for all age groups are increasing with larger increases in funding for places offered to children under the age of three. All providers currently signed up to Core Funding will receive a higher payment going forward to support their day-to-day costs.
• The flat rate for services registered on the Tusla Early Years Register as sessional-only is increasing from €4,075 to €5,000. This will strengthen supports to sessional-only services, who typically operate for shorter hours per week and fewer weeks per year.
• The minimum Base Rate allocation is increasing from €8,150 to €14,000. This is the minimum amount of funding a centre-based service will receive through their Base Rate. This ensures a minimum guaranteed income for services. This increase supports for smaller services and services operating in rural areas, who may be prone to fluctuations in demand.
Additionally there has been changes in the Fee Management conditions of the scheme.
Up to now, services availing of Core Funding have not been allowed to raise their fees above what was charged to parents on 30 September 2021 (or at the point of first signing up for Core Funding if the service did not exist on 30 September 2021).
The fee freeze will remain in place for the majority of these services for year 3 of Core Funding, though services whose fees have been frozen at a level that may not be sufficient to sustain their business even with increased funding available through Core Funding, will have the opportunity to apply for a Fee Increase Assessment. Only services currently charging low fees (fees below the average in their county) will be eligible to apply and the onus will be on the provider to demonstrate a need for a fee increase. Any approved fee increases will not go above the increased universal NCS subsidy that a parent would be receiving for the full hours offered within the fee. This means that parents receiving the universal NCS subsidy for the full hours offered in these services will not face higher costs.
Further increases to Core Funding for year 4 (September 2025-August 2026) will be considered in the context of the estimates process.
35. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the discussions he had with the Minister for Social Protection in advance of Budget 2025 with regard to guaranteeing an income for those with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39175/24]
View answerThe allocation made for Specialist Disability Services in my Department's budget for 2025 is €3.2 billion. This funding will help support people with disabilities participate equally in society. The money will go towards improving and expanding services, increasing pay, and assisting people to continue living independently in their own homes. I believe this significant allocation reflects the priority given to disability since the transfer to my Department from the Department of Health, and reflects the good work of my colleague Minister Anne Rabbitte.
I did not have a direct meeting with the Minister for Social Protection on the specific matter raised by the Deputy during the estimates process for Budget 2025. In the context of the National Disability Strategy, there is ongoing and extensive engagement between my Department and Minister Humphreys' Department on issues relating to employment, income and the cost of disability.
36. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of international protection applicant refugees that are currently without accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39158/24]
View answerDue to a number of well-documented factors, my Department has not been in a position to offer International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation to every adult male seeking IP since 4 December 2023. As of 26 September 2024, 2,756 people who applied for international protection (IP) since December 2023 have not been offered accommodation.
A triage process is in place for those who are vulnerable, and an enhanced expense allowance is available to those who have not been provided with accommodation. The Department has grant agreements in place with four homeless charities in Dublin to provide hot meals, showers, places to charge devices and rest. In addition to the extension of day services, the Department has partnered with a homeless charity to conduct outreach to identified locations where applicants are rough sleeping. When available, the Department makes offers of accommodation to eligible persons identified through this outreach. Over 1,500 offers of accommodation have been made to unaccommodated rough-sleepers referrals in the last 6 months.
The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking IP in Ireland and work is ongoing across the country to bring available accommodation into use to support our residents. The Department has increased IPAS capacity by more than 400% since 2020, from just under 7,000 people on 31 December 2020. Currently, there are over 32,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole.
This work is underpinned by the Government's Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for people seeking IP. This aims to address the current serious shortfall in accommodation for people seeking IP and to build a more sustainable system for the longer term.
Accommodation in the new strategy will be delivered through the use of State land for prefabricated and modular units, conversion of commercial buildings, and targeted purchasing of turnkey properties.
It will also involve design and build of new Reception and Integration Centres and upgrading of IPAS Centres. This will be supplemented, as required, by high standard commercial providers
37. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is a plan to expand entitlements to flexible working and remote working contained in the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 to all employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38750/24]
View answerThe Government is committed to supporting workers, and working parents in particular.
The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 provides for a right to request flexible working for parents and carers, as provided for in the EU Work Life Balance Directive. Such flexible working arrangements will allow parents and carers to alter their working day or pattern to care for children or others for whom they have caring responsibilities. The Act also provides for a right to request remote working for all employees.
The right to request flexible working for parents and carers and the right to request remote working for all employees, were commenced on 6 March 2024 following the preparation of a Code of Practice by the Workplace Relations Commission.
The 2023 Act provides explicitly for a review of the right to request flexible working for parents and carers two years after commencement of those provisions.
38. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on development of the next LGBTQI+ inclusion strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38559/24]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that drafting of the successor to the National LGBTI+ inclusion Strategy is currently advancing well.
As the Deputy may be aware, an independent review of the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy was commissioned by my department, and the final report was published in June 2024. This review will inform, in part, the development of the successor Strategy.
An extensive consultation process has recently been completed, which sought the views of members of the LGBTIQ+ community and those who engage with LGBTIQ+ issues through their own lived experience.
Two separate consultation approaches were designed to inform the successor Strategy. One consultation was open to participants aged 18 and over and a separate process involving the children and young people (aged 13-18) was carried out. The consultation with those over 18 was delivered by independent facilitators while the consultation with children and young people was facilitated by the National Participation Office. A Youth Advisory Group was established to support the youth consultation.
Regional consultations were carried out in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Dundalk, Portlaoise and another was held online which included Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpretation. The youth consultation was held in Dublin but included participants from around the country. 416 online submissions were received and analysed as part of the process.
The consultations engaged with intersectional voices including trans people, intersex people, bisexual people, older people, migrants, people with disabilities, and representatives from the Traveller and Roma communities. Listening to these intersectional voices will support the Strategy in addressing the specific needs of the most marginalised LGBTIQ+ people in Ireland. A consultation was also held with representatives from Government departments, State Agencies and civil society organisations who sit on the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy Steering Committee.
The findings from the consultations will feed into the development of a successor Strategy. Reports from the consultations are available on the gov.ie website.
My Department is currently engaging with other Government Departments on the drafting of the Strategy and on developing key actions for it.
39. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether an up-to-date audit of the gaps in childcare provision is being planned to inform future capital provision in the sector; and how he hopes to attract new entrants to the sector. [39117/24]
View answerMy Department is progressing a range of actions to ensure the supply of early learning and childcare meets demand, with work in this area led by a Supply Management Unit that I established earlier this year. A key part of the Supply Management Unit’s remit is to develop a better understanding of the nature of supply and how it relates to demand and to develop policy to support the delivery of more early learning and childcare places in the parts of the country where they are most needed.This unit is currently developing a forward planning model which will identify the quantum and volume of different types of early learning and childcare places across the country, whether or not those places are occupied and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level.The Unit will also lead on the delivery of the Building Blocks capital funding schemes. The primary focus of the Building Blocks Schemes, funded under the NDP, is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day care. The scheme is open to Core Funding Partner Services only. 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.
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. A Working Group is in place between these Departments, and an invitation has been issued to the Department of Education to be represented on this group as well. The group will develop data and evidence bases, review existing policy and implementation measures, and support co-operation and collaboration. An important component of this work will be the development and dissemination of a DHLGH-initiated survey of planning authorities on the application of the 2001 Planning Guidelines.
My Department does not have capital funding available in 2024 or 2025, to assist with the establishment of new services.
40. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the actions he is taking to ensure the ratification of the Optional Protocol of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and other commitments in relation to disability and carers in the Programme for Government, before the term of this Government ends; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39164/24]
View answerI am dedicated to ensuring that disabled people are supported to live full lives of their own choosing, on an equitable basis with all others in society, and in delivering on commitments in the Programme for Government in order to advance this objective.
I remain committed to ratifying the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) at the earliest possible date.
In March this year an Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) was established by my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman. All government departments and the Office of the Attorney General are represented on that Group, so that a comprehensive, whole-of-Government approach is taken to ensuring that the necessary preparatory work to provide for the ratification of the Optional Protocol is completed, and so that ratification can proceed as quickly as possible.
Cabinet was updated in July on the progress of the IDG, which has been considering issues across government to facilitate ratification. Work is ongoing to provide a pathway to ratification at the earliest possible date, and I look forward to delivering on this priority.
The Disability Action Plan 2024-2026 was published by Government in December 2023, and work to progress actions for 2024 is underway. This plan forms the first phase of work towards implementing the Disability Capacity Review, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government. The Action Plan commits to the delivery of 110,000 additional Home Support hours to address shortfalls in services and to support people with disabilities to live at home. The Action Plan also commits to 800,000 additional Personal Assistance hours in the same period, with the delivery of 80,000 additional hours in 2024.
I am committed to ensuring that young people leaving school in 2024 who wish to avail of a disability day service place will be supported in doing so. Funding of €18.2m has been allocated for new Day Services places to support the Disability Action Plan commitment of approximately 1,250 people with disabilities who are leaving school to transition into adult day services from September 2024.
Residential Service capacity has also increased from 8146 places in 2021 to 8578 places as of July 2024. Between 2021 and July 2024, 261 people have been moved from congregated settings to homes in the community. A total of 81 people under the age of 65 have transitioned from nursing homes to homes of their choosing in the community since the start of the programme in 2021.
The Progressing Disability Services (PDS) Roadmap 2023 – 2026, launched by the HSE on October 24th 2023, focuses on the ongoing development of Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) services to meet current and growing demand with particular focus on recruitment and retention. The Roadmap will underpin the work that the HSE and lead agencies will need to do in order to ensure access to services by children with disabilities and their families, re-focusing efforts in reducing waiting times for children currently waitlisted for CDNTs.
National action on autism is being progressed via the recently published Autism Innovation Strategy. This cross-government strategy aims to identify and deliver tangible solutions to address the bespoke challenges faced by autistic people across Ireland. It seeks to improve awareness and understanding of autism across the public system and wider society. The Strategy contains 83 actions and will be implemented over an 18-month period.
Additionally, the development of a plan to coordinate the implementation of the UNCRPD is being progressed under the next National Disability Strategy. Public consultation has been completed, and engagement is ongoing across government and with Disabled Persons’ Organisations for the development of what will be a whole-of-government strategy, planned for publication in 2024.
41. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 291 of 18 June 2024, the number of applications to the mother and baby institutions payment scheme received to date; the number refused and the reasons therefor; the number where a notification of a positive determination has been made; the number accepted; of those accepted, the number fully completed and the value of each, in tabular form; the average time from receipt of application to receipt of payment; if he is satisfied with the way in which the scheme is operating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39111/24]
View answerThe Deputy has sought some statistics pertaining to the operation of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme which I provide here up to 30 September.
|
Applications received |
In processing |
Notices of determination |
Benefits |
No benefits |
Accepted |
Paid or in process of being paid |
Average payment |
|
5,163* |
4,541 |
3,194 |
2,628 |
566 |
1,986 |
1,751 |
€15,400 |
Note:
* 622 of these are incomplete applications. In such cases, applicants are being supported by the Payment Scheme Office in order to provide the outstanding information required so that their application can move forward. This could be, for example, a supporting document such as certified photo ID.
All information on the Scheme, and how to apply, 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 application process. A Helpline is also available at +353 1 522 9992. The application process is very straightforward and applicants will be supported throughout the process with information and advice if they need it. Overall, we have received positive feedback that applicants are finding the application process straightforward and the information line helpful.
We have also received some feedback regarding delays in the Scheme. Delays may emerge for different reasons. For example, if the Payment Scheme Office has to contact applicants to seek further information, or if there are issues in the verification of application details. In such cases, the Payment Scheme Office engages with the applicant to resolve those difficulties so that applications can be processed as quickly as possible.
I am advised that each and every application is handled on an individual basis to ensure thorough and accurate processing, and depending on the nature of enquiries, the response timeline can vary. Overall, the Payment Scheme Office are constantly working to improve the applicant experience and reduce processing times, taking on board feedback from survivors and other stakeholders, while upholding the integrity of the Scheme through proper and robust validation processes. It is ultimately the aim of the Payment Scheme Office to ensure the correct award amount is paid to the correct applicant in as timely a manner as possible.
Where notices of determination are issued that do not provide an offer of benefits there can be different reasons e.g. hard copy application naming an institution not in the Scheme or less than 180 days in an institution as a child.
42. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of WTE staff that will be removed from each CDNT into special schools, in tabular form; and if he expects the gaps to be filled for the CDNT intervention. [38912/24]
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.
43. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the work currently being undertaken to recognise foetal alcohol syndrome as a long-term condition and disability; to provide a timeline for its recognition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37292/24]
View answerFoetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a prevalent, yet preventable neuro-developmental issue. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and is associated with a range of lifelong physical, mental, educational, social, and behavioural difficulties.
Many people do not know or recognise that they are living with FASD. The most recent available figures from the HSE, estimate the prevalence of FASD in Ireland is between 2.8 and 7.4% of the population. The majority of children with FASD have no visible issues at birth, and difficulties may not manifest until preschool age. Currently, there are no standard diagnostic policies or guidelines for diagnosing or treating children with FASD in Ireland.
In line with the HSE’s ‘mainstream first’ approach to the delivery of healthcare, such measures, supports and campaigns are led across the country by the HSE’s Health and Wellbeing division, under the remit of the Department of Health and overseen by the HSE Clinical Lead for FASD Prevention.
The HSE has recommended that a number of actions are implemented to prevent FASD. Many of these actions are currently being progressed, and some new actions are proposed that will require resourcing, such as the development of a national strategy on FASD prevention and response in Ireland.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) made €200,000 available to support an action in the HSE 2024 service plan to deliver a foetal alcohol project using a multi-care health sector approach (primary care, mental health services etc.).
44. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will establish a publicly owned childcare service in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39159/24]
View answer45. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he supports the goal of a publicly owned and operated childcare system; the steps taken in Budget 2025 towards achieving that; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39152/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 45 together.
For my own part, I do support the goal that the State become a provider of early years care and education in the future. The Deputy will appreciate that reform of the early learning and childcare sector has been a major focus of this Government.
The Programme for Government committed to reforming the system to create one that brings together the best of community and private provision and the development of a new funding model for affordable, accessible, sustainable and high quality early learning and childcare.
Significant progress has been achieved through the development of this funding model, which represents a substantively different approach to working with early learning and childcare services, as well as unprecedented levels of funding, exceeding €1.1billion in 2024, to progressively move towards a sector with greater levels of public investment and greater levels of public management.
The framework for reform of the sector is set out in Partnership for the Public Good , the 2021 report of an Expert Group which was established to develop a new funding model for the sector. The key theme of the recommendations in the report was to strengthen State involvement and enhanced public management in the sector, in conjunction with increased State funding. This is intended to be underpinned by a cultural shift to a partnership relationship between providers and the State that reflects the public good dimension of early learning and childcare, with new responsibilities on both sides.
The introduction of the new Core Funding scheme and its associated conditionality including in relation to staff pay and fee management; developments to the National Childcare Scheme and the Access and Inclusion Model; and the establishment of Equal Start this year represent the implementation of several of the specific recommendations in the report.
Under their terms of reference, the Expert Group was not asked to propose changes to the current model of delivery (i.e. privately-operated provision), rather that the Group should seek to further achieve policy objectives of quality, affordability, accessibility and contributing to addressing disadvantage in a privately-operated system through increased public funding and public management.
Notwithstanding their terms of reference, the Expert Group included in one of its 25 recommendations that “[i]n the medium term, the Minister should mandate the Department to examine whether some element of public provision should be introduced alongside private provision.”
In January 2024 I established a new unit in my Department which includes as part of its remit to begin an exploration of public provision as called for in Recommendation 25. There are different understandings of what public provision means to stakeholders in the sector. Issues relating to staff employment, pay and conditions; ownership and management of buildings; operating models; governance arrangements; service offering; fees for parents; and the overall funding model will need to be examined. These issues, along with the wider potential implications of introducing an element of public delivery, are being examined by officials.
46. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of times he has met with the Minister for Health in person regarding pay and conditions for CDNT staff. [38909/24]
View answerAs Ministers with responsibility for respective functions within the HSE, I have ongoing interactions with Minister Donnelly on such matters, as do our officials. The topic of Children’s Disability Network Teams was discussed extensively with other issues as part of the transfer of function of Specialist Disability Services from the Department of Health to my Department by myself, Minister Donnelly and Minister of State Rabbitte. I have not had a specific meeting with Minister Donnelly where the topic was the pay conditions for CDNT staff.
Organisations funded under section 39 of the Health Act are the lead agency in a number of CDNTs. The Deputy may wish to note that my officials have engaged extensively with counterparts in the Department of Health in the context of talks facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission on pay for organisations funded under section 39 of the Health Act. The agreement reached last year has provided an 8% increase of funding specifically for pay increases for staff in these voluntary organisations. This is a significant investment in the sector and the Government is committed to further engagement with unions and employers to ensure sectoral challenges in the recruitment and retention of staff can be further addressed.
While Government recognises the essential role provided by the staff in section 39 funded organisations, it is important to recognise that these service providers are not public bodies and terms and conditions of employment are ultimately a matter between the employer and the employee.
47. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding streams available under his Department to assist with migrant integration; the amount allocated under these funding streams for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38558/24]
View answerMy Department administers a number of funding streams addressing integration by way of annual and multi-annual grants. I have been working to maximise these funds to support excellent work in communities across Ireland, to help migrants to integrate more fully.
The National Integration Fund has the goal of supporting communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants. In 2024, a total of €2.9m has been awarded to 18 projects over a three-year period.
The Communities Integration Fund has been in place since 2017. Annually, grant awards of €1,000 to €5,000 are made available for local integration initiatives. This year, over €500,000 has been awarded to 113 projects across the country.
The Ireland Against Racism Fund (IARF) was launched in May 2023. In its first year, the fund made €1.3 million available to applicant groups operating at national, regional and local level. IARF has the overall objective of providing funding for national and regional projects, as well as local initiatives, that aim to combat racism and foster racial equality and community cohesion. This year, €1 million has been made available under the fund, and results will be announced in October.
My department also operates a fund specifically to support the integration of International Protection applicants. In 2024, the International Protection Integration Fund has allocated a total of €2.5m to 56 projects.
Europe is also supporting us in our efforts to facilitate migrant integration. The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) is a multi-annual EU co-funded programme; in April 2024, we announced 17 projects that have been approved total funding of €10m for a four-year period.
Finally, the Integration and Employment of Migrants funding stream is part of a multi-annual EU fund under the European Social Fund Plus. In Ireland, seven projects have been approved total funding of €2.7m for a three-year period to support legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion.
48. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the average waiting times for services in community disability network teams in Dublin mid-west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39155/24]
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.
49. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on his Department's efforts to tackle child poverty in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39014/24]
View answerI am committed to supporting the broader Government action to combat child poverty. My Department is taking a series of actions in this regard.
Investment in early learning and childcare is at unprecedented levels, a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector.
In 2025, my Department’s funding for the early learning and childcare sector will rise to €1.37 billion , a further investment of €266m, or 24% increase on last year’s funding. This includes substantial affordability, accessibility and quality building measures. It includes the further extension of Equal Start provides a set of universal and targeted measures to support access to, and full participation in, early learning and childcare for children and their families who experience disadvantage.
It also includes unprecedented levels of investment in affordability measures through the National Childcare Scheme which will see investment of 530m in 2025 and the recently extended Access and Inclusion Model which will reach 81m in 2025.Young Ireland: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028, was published in November 2023. Child poverty is one of Young Ireland’s current Spotlights, and my Department is working with the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach to establish robust governance structures to ensure progress is made on the key areas.
Ireland’s National Action Plan under the European Child Guarantee commits to establish four pilot Child Poverty Local Area Action Child Poverty Action Plans in Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) areas. In 2024, my Department is providing €378,000 under What Works (funded by Dormant Accounts) to four Children and Young People’s Services Committees working in collaboration with their corresponding Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) to research and pilot Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans.
My Department's UBU Your Place Your Space youth funding scheme seeks to provide out-of-school supports to marginalised, disadvantaged or vulnerable young people to overcome significant challenges and achieve their potential. In 2024, over €47m was allocated to UBU funded organisations.
50. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will approve a suite of interim funding arrangements for special schools to hire their own school therapists to protect CDNT staff currently deployed in intervention work. [38913/24]
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.
51. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress being made in addressing the delivery of assessment of need and therapy services for disabled children and the implementation of the Roadmap for Service Improvement 2023-2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39165/24]
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.
52. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the next phase of the pilot programme to reinstate in-therapy supports to special schools; when the announcement of the next ten schools will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38880/24]
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.
53. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is satisfied with the availability of childcare facilities, given the increasing need for both parents to be at work, and to meet the requirements of one-parent families; the ongoing work being undertaken to improve provision in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39169/24]
View answerEnsuring access to quality, affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority for Government.
Data available to my Department demonstrates that, overall, early learning and childcare provision is expanding in terms of number of services opening, the number of places and hours of provision that services are offering, the numbers of staff employed and the numbers of parents supported through various schemes and initiatives. The Early Years Sector Profile Survey shows that, between 2021/22 and 2022/23, the estimated number of enrolments in services rose by 8%, while Core Funding application data shows that between Year 1 and Year 2 of the scheme, annual place hours increased by 7.4%. Data from Tusla on service closures and new service registrations shows a net increase of 129 in the overall number of services in 2023 and a five-year low in the number of net services closures – with preschool service closures falling by 18% in the first year of Core Funding. The Early Years Sector Profile Survey shows that the estimated number of staff in the early learning and childcare workforce rose by 8% from 34,357 to 37,060 between 2021 and 2023.Data from the National Childcare Scheme indicates that since 2022, there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of providers offering the Scheme, a 100 per cent increase in the numbers of children benefitting from the Scheme and a 52 per cent increase in the number of sponsored children.However, some parents continue to have difficulty in finding places for their children, in part due to the progress that has been achieved in relation to affordability with the introduction of the fee freeze through Core Funding and the expansion the National Childcare Scheme.
Notwithstanding the significant increase in provision, there is also evidence of some parents having difficulty in finding the type of provision that they would like for their children, particularly younger children. This is likely at least partly driven by the major progress that has been achieved in relation to affordability of provision over recent years with the introduction and extension of the National Childcare Scheme subsidies and the establishment of the fee freeze through Core Funding.
At the same time, there are also instances of underutilisation of capacity with some services reporting vacant places and others not operating to the maximum of their Tusla capacity.
This year, I established a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare division of its Department. A key part of the Supply Management Unit’s remit is to develop a better understanding of the nature of supply and how it relates to demand and to develop policy to support the delivery of more early learning and childcare places in the parts of the country where they are most needed.
This unit is currently developing a forward planning model which will identify the quantum and volume of different types of early learning and childcare places across the country, whether or not those places are occupied and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level.
In addition to the design and implementation of the major current funding streams such as Core Funding, the NCS and ECCE which all influence the volume and type of provision in place, the Department also administers capital investment under the revised National Development Plan, through the Building Blocks Capacity Grant. DCEDIY has a capital allocation of €89 million between 2023 and 2026 under the National Development Plan. The Building Blocks Capacity Grant schemes will operate during 2024 and 2025. The Building Blocks Capacity Grant has two strands, an Expansion scheme (now closed) and an Extension scheme to support existing services to increase capacity.Under the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme, some €25 million will be available in 2025 to deliver additional capacity. Under the scheme, Community and Private providers may apply for funding between to physically extend their premises. In addition, community providers may apply for funding to purchase or to construct new premises.
From 30 September, following the commencement of the Childminding Regulations, it will be possible for childminders to start applying to Tusla to go through the registration process. Once registered by Tusla, childminders can then also apply to take part in the National Childcare Scheme. This will increase the numbers of funded and regulated early learning and childcare places available.
