Written Answers Nos. 1312-1326
1312. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeframe for the publication of the Disability Capacity Review Implementation Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17981/23]
View answerThe Department of Health published the Disability Capacity Review in July 2021. This report set out the capacity requirements for health-funded disability services for the period up to 2032 and it is intended to address the capacity deficits in a phased approach over this period. This reflects the obligation under the UNCRPD for progressive implementation of social, cultural and economic rights.
Following the commitment in the 2020 Programme for Government to work towards implementing the findings, a Disability Action Plan Framework was published in July 2021 alongside the Terms of Reference for an interdepartmental Working Group to develop this Action Plan.
The Working Group has now completed its work and the draft Action Plan, which will be an implementation plan for the first phase, is currently being finalised for approval. This detailed Action Plan sets out the first phase of work over the 2023-2026 period to build the necessary capacity. This Action Plan aims to:
build the capacity of disability support services to meet changing needs;
improve timely access to services;
do the groundwork to tackle constraints on the development of services;
strengthen the focus on individualised services and supports to enable people with disabilities to live a life of their choosing in the community;
begin the realignment of services to deliver better value with a particular focus on early intervention;
In recent years, significant resources have been invested by the health sector in disability services. Building on the previous year, an unprecedented level of funding for Disability services has been allocated for 2023. This follows substantial increases in the budget in 2021 and 2022; and reflects this Government’s commitment to strengthening the funding provided for the disability sector and working to act to address the shortfalls identified in the Disability Capacity Review.
1313. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons released from Oberstown Detention Centre in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023. [18017/23]
View answer1314. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons admitted to Oberstown Detention Centre in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023. [18018/23]
View answer1315. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the age range of persons detained currently in Oberstown Detention Centre. [18019/23]
View answer1316. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of persons currently detained in Oberstown Detention Centre. [18020/23]
View answer1317. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of times staff in the Oberstown Detention Centre have been assaulted while working in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023. [18021/23]
View answer1318. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of times inmates in the Oberstown Detention Centre have been assaulted in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023. [18022/23]
View answer1319. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons who have died while resident in Oberstown Detention Centre in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023; and if a breakdown can be provided on the cause of death in each case. [18023/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1313 to 1319, inclusive, together.
Oberstown Children Detention Campus have been asked to compile the information requested by the Deputy and the Campus will provide this information at the earliest possible opportunity.
1320. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the concerns of persons in a location (details supplied) are warranted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18097/23]
View answerThank you for your correspondence. I can confirm that my Department's International Protection Procurement Service has not received a proposal to accommodate international protection applicants of a single gender, or international protection applicant families, in this property.
1321. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing the threshold for the maximum subsidy under the national childcare scheme from €26,000 to €35,000 annual income on a full-year basis. [18251/23]
View answerAt Budget time I allocated a total of €358 million under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) for 2023. This figure is based on an additional €121 million being made available as a result of the estimated full year costs of a number of amendments to the Scheme:
The removal of the practice of deducting hours spent in school pre-school or school from overall NCS hours reward as of May 2022.
The increase in the upper age eligibility for the NCS universal subsidy from 3 years to all children under 15 years as of August 2022.
An increase in the NCS minimum subsidy from €0.50 to €1.40 as of 2nd January 2023.
Given the recent nature of these changes, full year data is not available on claimants under the Scheme on which to provide an exact cost for the Deputy's proposed change.
Using the ESRI SWITCH model, my officials have been able to simulate an increase in the threshold for the maximum subsidy under the NCS from €26,000 to €35,000 annual income on a full-year basis, which results in an approximate increase of 5.8% to the full year cost of the NCS.
Applying this rate of increase to current expenditure estimates for 2023, the cost of increase is estimated to be approximately €21m.
This estimate comes with a number of caveats. The ultimate impact of the changes from Budget 23 are yet to fully realised and as such extensions to the scheme are based on estimates. In addition these costing are on the basis of a static system; that is, the model assumes that the level of usage of eligible early learning and childcare remains static. Any changes to subsidies may create a change in behaviours in families, for example, women returning to workforce and using formal early and childcare for the first time.
1322. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated full year cost breakdown of increasing the intake of graduate social workers to 350 throughout the graduate programme, in tabular form. [18252/23]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.
1323. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the assisted capacity bill will be enacted. [18263/23]
View answerThe Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) was signed into law on December 17 last year. The Act makes amendments to the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act), particularly with regard to the streamlining of processes in the interests of those using the provisions of the Acts, and the strengthening of safeguards under the 2015 Act.
The 2015 Act is an important piece of legislation that represents significant legal reform. It changes the existing law on capacity from the status approach of the wardship system to a more rights based and flexible approach, whereby capacity is assessed on an issue and time-specific basis.
The 2015 Act will abolish the wards of court system for adults by repealing the Lunacy Regulation (Ireland) Act 1871. Adults currently in wardship will transition to the new decision-making support arrangements on a phased basis over 3 years from the date of commencement.
The Decision Support Service (DSS), which is the organisation that will operate the provisions of the 2015 Act, will respond to the complex decision-making needs of people with capacity difficulties. To date, the Decision Support Service has made considerable progress in preparing to operate the 2015 Act.
The 2015 Act required amendments in advance of commencement, and these were brought in the form of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022. This Act was signed into law by the President on December 17 2022.
Work is currently underway to draft the necessary Statutory Instruments that are required as part of the commencement and operationalisation process, including the drafting of commencement orders and of regulations that the new system of tiered decision supports will need to function. There are a number of such instruments that will need to be finalised before the 2015 Act, as amended, can be operationalised, and my officials are working closely with the Office of the Attorney General to progress this work. The passage of the 2022 Amendment Act was required in order to provide the legal basis to progress these final preparations.
On foot of this engagement, I have already commenced certain sections of the 2022 Act needed to allow for the recruitment of three additional judges of the circuit court, in order to help meet the demands of the new system. This was done by way of a Commencement Order dated February 17.
I have set April 26 of this year as the date on which I will commence further remaining sections of both the 2022 and 2015 Acts. This will have the effect of abolishing wardship and ushering in the new system of decision supports.
1324. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in the context of the UNHCR resettlement programme, if he will provide a schedule of the annual refugee resettlement figures of persons who arrived in the State for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; if he will provide a breakdown for each month, by number; and the origin of persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18298/23]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that, on 10 September 2015, as part of Ireland’s response to the migration crisis in central and southern Europe, the Government established the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). Under this programme, the IRPP has seen the arrival of over 4100 refugees under various resettlement strands, the largest of which is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) led programme.
Following a Government decision in December 2019, Ireland pledged to welcome 2900 refugees through the UNHCR led process, from 2020 to 2023
The figures requested by the Deputy are set out in the table below and include all arrivals under the UNHCR led process from 2020 to 2022. These figures below relate to Syrian nationals, approved for resettlement in Ireland following selection missions in Lebanon and Jordan. The figures for arrivals from Afghanistan under the IRPP through humanitarian admissions are also included for completeness.
|
2022 |
2021 |
2020 |
Total 2020-2022 |
|
|
Jan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Feb |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mar |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Apr |
5 |
32 |
0 |
37 |
|
May |
76 |
19 |
0 |
95 |
|
Jun |
0 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Jul |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Aug |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sep |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Oct |
69 |
0 |
0 |
69 |
|
Nov |
0 |
0 |
166 |
166 |
|
Dec |
48 |
0 |
29 |
77 |
|
Afghan Humanitarian Admissions |
160 |
404 |
0 |
564 |
|
Total |
358 |
459 |
195 |
1012 |
The Deputy will appreciate that significant challenges arose in meeting the UNHCR resettlement targets as a result of the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic, Ireland's response to the crisis in the Ukraine, and the significant increase in the arrivals of international protection applicants.
The timelines for arrivals through the UNHCR mechanism remain dependent on the time required to make necessary travel arrangements, on the space available in Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROCs) and on the pace at which accommodation is made available by local authorities for programme refugees exiting EROCs.
1325. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm information received by parents of young children in Newcastle, County Dublin that no public health nurse service is available in their area; the reason this is the case; if his Department is taking action to ensure a public health nurse service is provided in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16052/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have directed the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1326. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on staff shortages in the Dublin mid-west public health nurse network; if vacant positions have been filled; if a full service is now available in all parts of the constituency; and if not, what areas remain impacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16053/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
