Written Answers Nos. 890-909
890. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of requests to her Department that have granted for various matters (details supplied); the number of such requests that have been refused; and the grounds on which they have been refused. [2499/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Department has received no requests as outlined in the details supplied by the Deputy.
891. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to extend the ARP scheme to allow householders to accommodate migrants from countries other than Ukraine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2790/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) who arrived in Ireland after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The ARP scheme is provided in Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. In line with extensions of the EUTemporary Protection Directive (TPD), the ARP scheme was initially extended to 31 March 2024 and then to 31 March 2025.
As the TPD is now extended to March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension of the ARP scheme. Resolutions must be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before this Order is made. A decision will be reached in respect of the ARP shortly.
892. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to consider putting forward a proposal to introduce paid miscarriage leave as a specific payment, for a temporary period, which would not replace the current sick leave policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2865/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth commissioned a qualitative research study to examine the workplace experiences of parents coping with pregnancy loss.
The study focuses on people who experience pregnancy loss prior to 24 weeks’ gestation, as people who have a pregnancy loss after 24 weeks’ gestation can avail of full maternity leave and paternity leave entitlements.
The PLACES research report was published on 26 January 2024, with the recommendations arising from this study being reviewed with a view to determining Government policy in respect of this issue.
893. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the continuation of the accommodation recognition payment (ARP) for Ukrainian refugees (details supplied); whether the scheme is to continue; if not, what will happen to persons are currently accommodated under the ARP; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2956/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) who arrived in Ireland after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The ARP scheme is provided in Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. In line with extensions of the EUTemporary Protection Directive (TPD), the ARP scheme was initially extended to 31 March 2024 and then to 31 March 2025.
As the TPD is now extended to March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension of the ARP scheme. Resolutions must be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before this Order is made. A decision will be reached in respect of the ARP shortly.
894. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of people in receipt of the after school childcare scheme in County Clare, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3039/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra895. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of people in receipt of the after school childcare scheme County Clare for each of the years from 2020 to 2024 inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3342/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 894 and 895 together.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents reduce the cost of early learning and childcare, including school-age childcare. Subsidies are available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age. The minimum rate available is €2.14 per hour, which is available for up to 45 weekly hours.
Specific to County Clare, the number of unique school-aged children benefitting from an NCS subsidy between the years 2020-2024 (inclusive) is detailed in the table below. These are children falling within the following education stages: Junior/Senior Infants, 1st-6th class and Post-Primary.
|
Education Stage |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
Grand Total |
|
1st-6th Class |
118 |
172 |
437 |
921 |
1589 |
1805 |
|
Junior/Senior Infants |
139 |
221 |
502 |
977 |
1292 |
1801 |
|
Post-Primary |
2 |
1 |
2 |
9 |
15 |
20 |
|
Grand Total |
244 |
352 |
882 |
1695 |
2591 |
2964 |
*Please note, that the number of children in each category may vary from the 'Grand Total(s)'. This is because some children may have multiple registrations for more than one Education Stage across a calendar year, particularly if they are moving between stages within a given year. In such instances, children are counted once in each applicable Education Stage, and then once in the relevant grand total.
896. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason the midlands is one of only two regions of the country which still has not been funded for a community neurorehabilitation team; the plans she has to change this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2148/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
897. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a child (details supplied) will receive permanent respite; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2150/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly. Please include disabilityresidentialservices@equality.gov.ie in reply.
898. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an autism assessment will be provided for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2159/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
899. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the actions she will take to remedy the situation for section 39 workers in Mallow, County Cork (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2218/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is important to note that Section 39 organisations, such as the St. Joseph’s Foundation, are not public bodies. The terms and conditions of employment for staff in these organisations, once in-line with relevant employment legislation, are ultimately between the employer and employee.
While the HSE maintains a Red Weather policy for HSE and Section 38 organisations, as a Section 39 organisation, St. Joseph’s Foundation operate it's own policy that is required to be in line with employment law.
900. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare places currently available in Louth. [2229/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra901. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of applications received from families in Louth for childcare places for the years 2020 to 2025 respectively. [2230/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 900 and 901 together.
Data on the number of children enrolled in ELC and SAC services is compiled each year by Pobal as part of the Early Years Sector Profile.
The most recently available capacity data for the 2022/23 programme year estimated that there were 5,278 children enrolled in Louth ELC and SAC services, 39% of services had at least one vacant place, and 58% had a waiting list.
It is important to note that waiting list data can give an indication of levels of demand for places for a given age group or service type. However, waiting list data should not be used as a measure of overall demand as not all services operate a waiting list and an individual child may be on multiple waiting lists in different services.
Applications made by parents to individual services for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) places are managed independently at the individual service level. Data regarding these applications is therefore not available to my Department.
Further information can be found on the Early Learning and Childcare data website. The Capacity section of the website provides information on enrollments and vacancies on services that responded to the survey as well as estimated figures for the overall sector.
902. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of new childcare places that have been opened in Louth for the years 2020 to 2025 respectively. [2231/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra903. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare providers that have closed in Louth; and the childcare places that have been lost as a result of closures in Louth in each of the years 2020 to 2025. [2232/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 902 and 903 together.
Tusla, the independent statutory regulator for early years services, including pre-school, childminding and school age services, is responsible for maintaining the register of services under the Child Care Act 1991. Where an early years service ceases operation, the registered provider is required by law to advise Tusla of this and the service will then be removed from the public register. Tusla provides my Department with the verified figures on closures and new service openings a month in arrears. This allows time for verification. The most recent available figures are therefore up to the end of December 2024.
Data provided from Tusla on service registrations in Louth are detailed in the following table and shows the number of pre-school and school age services that opened from January 2020 to December 2024 as well as the number of services that ceased operation in Louth over the same time-period.
|
- |
New |
Ceased |
||
|
Louth |
Pre-school |
School age |
Pre-school |
School age |
|
2020 |
2 |
16 |
2 |
0 |
|
2021 |
1 |
37 |
4 |
2 |
|
2022 |
2 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
|
2023 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
2024 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
|
TOTAL |
9 |
67 |
17 |
6 |
From January 2020 to December 2024, a total of 9 pre-school services and 67 school age services opened in Louth. This compares to 17 pre-school closures and 6 school aged closures in the same period.
In any year, it is normal for a number of services to open and close. In terms of closures, there is considerable diversity in the reasons given for closure by providers, nationally. While some services state they closed for financial reasons, many state they closed for other reasons (e.g. retirement of the owner/manager, property related, availability of staff, and reduction in child numbers). Information on reasons for closure is self-reported and is not verified by Tusla.
Data provided by Pobal uses a snapshot date of 30 November for each year.
Number of ELC and SAC places in services that have been opened and services that have closed in Louth for the years 2020 to 2024:
|
- |
||||||
|
New services |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
Total |
|
No of unique children attending the new services on 30 November |
63 |
92 |
244 |
47 |
52 |
498 |
|
Closed services |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
Total |
|
No of unique children who were attending the closed services on 30 November previous |
159 |
62 |
68 |
24 |
158 |
471 |
My Department has a range of supports in place to avert closures and to work with providers and stakeholders to avoid closures where possible. Through a case management process, City/County Childcare Committees and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to ELC and SAC services experiencing difficulties. This support focuses on operational as well as financial supports to assist services to manage their immediate difficulties and transition to a more sustainable model of delivery.
904. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when it is expected that there will be a funding announcement for applications under the 'Building Blocks' scheme, allowing community childcare facilities to expand their premises and enrol more children into their facilities. [2250/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on the 4th November 2024 and opened for applications last month. The closing date for applications was Thursday 30th January, following an extension to accommodate some services affected by power outages.
The scheme has four strands:
1. Extensions to existing premises for private services
2. Extensions to existing premises for community services
3. Purchase of new premises for community services
4. Construction of new premises for community services
The primary focus of the Extension Grant Scheme is to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day care. 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.
Following the closing date of the scheme having passed, eligibility checks are now being undertaken on the applications before proceeding to full appraisal which will be partly undertaken by Pobal and partly by OPW. I expect to announce the outcome of the application process in the coming weeks.
905. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the care plan, including transport, being put in place for a person (details supplied) as his family are awaiting an update but to no avail; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2256/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
906. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current number of properties in County Monaghan being used for the purpose of State-supported accommodation for people affected by the war in Ukraine, the people of people accommodated in these properties; the number of such properties which have been or for which it is intended to end this use; the number therein for which the purpose has changed or will change to international protection accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2290/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) 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 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) to make longer term independent arrangements if they decide to remain in Ireland for the duration of the Temporary Protection Directive. To date, almost 114,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) have arrived in Ireland and almost 88,500 of those have been referred to this Department seeking accommodation from the State.
My Department currently has contracts with 5 properties in Co. Monaghan for the purpose of State- supported accommodation for BOTPs affected by the war in Ukraine. These 5 properties collectively accommodate 96 BOTPs.
My Department currently has no plans to terminate these contracts and is in the process of renewing relevant contracts where appropriate, issuing short term contracts of 3-6 months duration.
Where contracts between my Department and accommodation providers for those fleeing the war in Ukraine come to an end, the future use of the property is a commercial decision for the provider. My Department does not determine the future use of these properties. Some providers may choose to enter into contracts for International Protection accommodation.
907. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to ensure Ukrainian families currently residing at the Tougher's site on the outskirts of Carlow town in County Carlow can remain at this accommodation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2328/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) 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 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) to make longer term independent arrangements if they decide to remain in Ireland for the duration of the Temporary Protection Directive.
In order to provide this temporary shelter, my Department contracts with private providers for a wide range of accommodation. Providers agree to abide by the contracted terms and are subject to inspections by an independent inspections company. In the case of the accommodation on the grounds of Toughers Bar and Restaurant, an inspection revealed concerns around fire safety which could not be quickly remediated. The safety of the people in our accommodation is our highest concern, and the Department decided to terminate the contract and arranged to move people out of the property as soon as possible.
Following discussions with the relevant local authority, a fire officer inspected the property on 17 December. As a result of that inspection, we agreed to temporarily extend the contract until the end of January 2025. This temporary extension was given on the condition that the provider fulfilled some new temporary safety conditions on site for the mobile home residences where the people were being accommodated.
Officials in my Department’s Relocations team were in contact with the residents to provide details of their moving date and to offer further the State-contracted accommodation that will be provided to those who still needed it.
The Department appreciates that this is not easy for people and that moving location may be disruptive. The Department strives to minimise any such disruption to BOTPs and communities as part of its relocations while also seeking to ensure that the State is getting value for money and continuing to comply with its obligations under the Temporary Protection Directive. State-funded accommodation is temporary and subject to change.
Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection are entitled to make their own private arrangements including potentially availing of pledged accommodation if they wish, subject to availability, and can avail of some supports to do so. Those wishing to avail of pledged accommodation in any given area should contact the Local Authority in that area or the Irish Red Cross pledge process. The Irish Red Cross can be contacted by email atregisterofpledges@redcross.ie or by phoning 1800 50 70 70.Details regarding the Offer a Home scheme can be found under www.offerahome.ie.
BOTPs may also explore private rented accommodation either through their own means or with the assistance of Rent Supplement, if eligible. Rent Supplement is a means-tested payment administered by the Department of Social Protection to help meet the cost of private rented accommodation. Their local Department of Social Protection office may be able to provide further information relating to Rent Supplement. Contact details for the local offices can be found at: www.gov.ie/en/directory/category/e1f4b5-intreo-offices/?referrer=https://www.gov.ie/intreocentres/
908. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of a premises in the context of the use of it by his Department (details supplied); if she has engaged persons and or companies to make use of the premises; and if she has funded enabling works for its use in 2024 and or 2025. [2338/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for this question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.
909. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if equipment funding is available for youth clubs to apply for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2342/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraArising from Budget 2025, €84.9m will be allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Over the period from 2021 to 2025, the level of current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes will have increased by over 34%.
The additional funding allocated in Budget 2025 will enhance the sustainability of youth organisations and boost youth work service capacity by financing new targeted youth services. This investment will facilitate the implementation of Opportunities for Youth: The National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028.
Capital funding of €1m has been allocated for the benefit of young people throughout 2025. Of this, €0.5m is specifically earmarked for upgrades to playgrounds and recreational facilities. The remaining €0.5m will be available to new UBU services, which are due to be established in 2025, and to National Youth Organisations to support the purchase of essential equipment and the completion of minor works. My Department does not have plans for a specific capital fund for the purchase of equipment by youth clubs in 2025, beyond that outlined above.
My Department will make current funding of €2.7m available for the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme which supports the running costs of local volunteer-led youth work activities. This scheme will be administered by the 16 Education and Training Boards and will be advertised by each ETB with details of the application process and supports available to clubs within each ETB functional area.
