Written Answers Nos. 1030-1045
1030. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when payments long overdue will issue to a centre housing refugees from Ukraine (details supplied) in view of the fact that the contract with this provider states that they will be paid in advance monthly and they have not received payments for April, May and June 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27416/23]
View answerMy Department is prioritising making more timely payments of valid invoices, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls.
With regard to the service provider referred to, I am advised by my officials that the two outstanding invoices relating to the Purchase Orders referred to in the Details Supplied are in process with payment expected in the coming week once final checks are completed. The remaining Purchase order in respect of June is expected to issue in the coming days and payment will follow the submission of a valid invoice from the supplier.
My Department will continue to press on to eliminate the payments backlog while ensuring appropriate governance is in place to safeguard the proper spending of Exchequer funding.
1031. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the capital cost of providing 1,200, 1,450 and 1,700 additional day service places for school leavers and graduates of rehabilitative training respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27487/23]
View answer1032. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current cost, including staff and operating cost, of providing 1,200, 1,450 and 1,700 additional day service places for school leavers and graduates of rehabilitative training respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27488/23]
View answer1033. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the first and full-year costs of providing 1,200, 1,450 and 1,700 additional day service places for school leavers and graduates of rehabilitative training respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27489/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1031 to 1033, inclusive, together.
Adult day services are HSE funded programmes to provide day service supports to people, age 18 and over, with intellectual disabilities, autism, or people with complex physical disabilities. These services are demand led and the number of new places in any year reflects the number of applications from young people leaving school. Additional funding of €8.5m in 2023 will support approximately 1,400 people with disabilities who are leaving school to transition into adult day services from September, with a full year cost of €27m in 2024. Once vacancies are taken into account, and in the light of demographic change, approximately 1,200 new places are needed in 2023 to ensure all eligible school leavers can get a day service place.
There were no significant capital costs allocated in Budget 2023 associated with the delivery of day services to school leavers. The new developments allocation includes non pay costs to prepare buildings for new intake and for the lease/rent of new buildings to facilitate new intake.
The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year that require a HSE funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers by end of May to confirm placements to young people and their families. In many instances young people due to leave school at end of June are introduced to their day services for trialling purposes during April, May and June so there is a natural transition into day services in September.
The cost of a day placement for school leavers and graduates of rehabilitative training is completely dependent on the needs of each person referred for services. Each young adult who leaves school or a Rehabilitative Training programme and has a requirement for a HSE funded day service is profiled by the HSE Day Opportunities/Guidance Officers to establish their support needs. Based on the identified support needs a placement cost is determined. In 2022 the cost bands ranged from €14,000 - €55,000 per placement. There are occasions when in excess of €55,000 is required to meet complex needs.
1034. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated number of additional day services for people with disabilities that will be required in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27490/23]
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.
1035. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of residential units managed directly by Tusla or its predecessor agency for each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27495/23]
View answerAs this relates to Tusla operational matters, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.
1036. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the terms of reference for the interdepartmental committee concerning the referendums on family, care and equality will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27503/23]
View answerOn 8 March 2023, the Taoiseach and Minister O’Gorman announced that a referendum will be held in November 2023 to amend the Constitution as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality and the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality. An Inter-Departmental Committee, chaired by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, was then established.
The IDC’s remit is to further examine and advance the Citizens’ Assembly and Oireachtas Committee recommendations. This is with a view to developing policy proposals which will be brought forward for consideration and decision by Government. The full IDC has now met seven times, with additional bilateral meetings taking place as needed, to progress its work.
1037. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when River Walk House, Carndonagh, County Donegal will reopen to offer respite services to families in Inishowen, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27506/23]
View answerAs the query relates to service matters, I am referring it to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
1038. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when payments for April, May and June will issue to an accommodation provider for Ukrainian refugees (details supplied); whether all outstanding queries raised with the supplier have been replied to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27516/23]
View answerMy Department is prioritising making more timely payments of valid invoices, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls.
With regard to the service provider referred to, queries were raised following due diligence checks and the material supplied by the provider in response is under review. A revised invoice for April has been paid. My officials are in regular communication with the provider regarding the two outstanding invoices.
My Department will continue to press on to eliminate the payments backlog while ensuring appropriate governance is in place to safeguard the proper spending of Exchequer funding.
1039. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what funding is available to a facility (details supplied) for works considering that the works are urgent as there are health and safety concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27518/23]
View answerMy Department was allocated €69m under the National Development Plan to meet current and long-term early learning and childcare infrastructure needs. This allocation will enable significant capital investment across three pillars: Building Blocks - Improvement Grant, Building Blocks - Capacity Grant and a Building Blocks - Innovation Grant.
Under the Building Blocks Improvement Grant €9m was allocated offering grants ranging from €35,000 to €75,000 across two separate strands: Green Energy and Retrofit. Services that signed up for the Core Funding Scheme were eligible for funding under the scheme.
The volume and quality of applications received and the amounts sought were particularly high. Overall, 946 services submitted applications out of a total eligible cohort of 4,200 services, which had signed up to Core Funding. In total, 141 services were offered funding under the scheme, totalling just under €9m.
Work is currently underway on the design and delivery of the Building Blocks – Capacity Grant which will address capacity gaps, fund an expansion in existing services and invest in the development of new services where most needed. The Building Blocks – Innovation Grant will pilot a range of innovative initiatives such as outdoor early learning and childcare services and I hope to announce details of these schemes in the coming months. Funding under both Grants were be allocated over 2024-2025. As it stands, there is no further capital funding available to my Department for the early learning and childcare sector in 2023.
I am encouraging services to maintain contact with their local County Childcare Committees, which will be in a position to advise them on all aspects of the remaining Building Block Grants (Capacity and Innovation), once they are launched.
1040. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the first and full-year current costs of providing 24, 36 and 48 additional planned residential places respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27541/23]
View answer1041. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated number of planned residential places for people with disabilities that will be required in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27542/23]
View answer1042. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of planned residential places for people with disabilities that have been delivered in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27543/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1040 to 1042, inclusive, together.
As these queries relate to service matters, I am referring them to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
1043. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the first- and full-year current costs of transferring 100, 200 and 300 people with disabilities out of congregated settings and into an assisted community home respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27544/23]
View answer1044. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of people with disabilities still residing in a congregated setting; the number of people with disabilities transferred from a congregated setting to an assisted community home or their family home in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27545/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1043 and 1044 together.
As the queries relate to service matters, I am referring them to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
1045. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the first and full-year current costs of transferring 50, 100 and 200 people with disabilities, under the age of 65 years, out of a nursing home and into an assisted community home respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27546/23]
View answer1046. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of disabled people under the age of 65 years who are currently residing in a nursing home; the number of these people who have requested to be transferred to an assisted community home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27547/23]
View answer1047. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of disabled people under the age of 65 years who were transferred from a nursing home to an assisted community home or their family home in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27548/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1045 to 1047, inclusive, together.
As these queries relate to operational matters, I am referring them to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
