Written Answers Nos. 1046-1061
1048. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated number of intensive home support packages for children with disabilities that will be required in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27549/23]
View answerAs the question refers to a service matter, I have referred it to the HSE for reply.
1049. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the first and full-year current costs of providing one additional respite centre for people with disabilities in each CHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27550/23]
View answer1050. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current number of respite centres for adults with disabilities, by county, in each CHO; the current number of respite centres for children with disabilities, by county, in each CHO, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27551/23]
View answer1051. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of new respite centres that have been opened since 26 June 2020; the number of additional respite hours that this has delivered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27552/23]
View answer1052. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of additional respite hours delivered by opening one additional full-time four-bed respite centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27553/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1049 to 1052, inclusive, together.
As the queries relate to service matters, I am referring them to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
1053. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27560/23]
View answerI have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
1054. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when PA home support hours will be provided a person (details supplied) who is being discharged from hospital shortly in view of their care needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27571/23]
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.
1055. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of WTE behaviour therapists working in children's disability network teams based in County Kilkenny in 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [27626/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1056. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount that TUSLA has spent on redeveloping St. Dympna's Hospital, Athy Road, Carlow. [27627/23]
View answerAs this is an operational matter for Tusla. I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy.
1057. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of a report published by an organisation (details supplied); if he will respond to the recommendations set out in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27640/23]
View answerI am aware of the report titled Furthest Behind First, or Falling Behind Further? which was recently published by Coalition 2030 and the recommendations it makes to Government in respect of the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I note that most of the recommendations specifically refer to my colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Department of the Taoiseach. I will outline here how my Department incorporates the SDGs into our policymaking and strategic processes.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a significant and ambitious framework. A whole-of-Government approach to its implementation has been taken in Ireland.
Ireland’s Second National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals, 2022 – 2024 was published in October 2022. The Plan was developed by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in collaboration with all Government Departments, key stakeholders, and based on input from two public consultation processes. A key objective of the Plan is to achieve greater policy coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) with the aim of accelerating achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at all levels of Government.
The Plan is supplemented by two supporting documents: an SDG policy map which identifies the lead Departments and relevant national policies for each of the 169 SDG targets; and a Policy Update document which provides policy updates for each of the SDG targets. These documents are available at www.gov.ie/sdgs
The Central Statistics Office, in collaboration with all Government Departments, has prepared as series of statistical publications which monitor and report on how Ireland is progressing towards meeting its targets under the 17 SDGs. Reports are available for SDGs 1 – 16 and can be found on the central statistics website.
Ireland will present its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in July 2023. The VNR report will comprise a high-level data section and a more detailed appendix reporting on progress in respect of achieving the SDGs and related targets. My Department has contributed to this review in respect of our areas of responsibility.
My Department is currently progressing plans to integrate the SDGs into our upcoming Statement of Strategy 2023 – 2025. By aligning our Statement of Strategy with the Second National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals, we will ensure that the SDGs are a priority in all work carried out by this Department and our aegis bodies. My Department has undertaken to incorporate the SDGs into our policies during development to ensure that they are at the heart of the work we do.
DCEDIY continues to engage with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), who lead on SDG implementation, and sit on the Interdepartmental SDG Working Group chaired by DECC.
1058. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will work with Sport Ireland and sporting NGBs to develop a strategy that will support the delivery of sporting infrastructures and or upgraded facilities and pathways for young persons into sport.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27648/23]
View answerThe Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has lead responsibility in relation to sporting infrastructure and access to sporting facilities, and the development of strategy in relation to these policy areas.
My department continues to work with and support organisations and government departments to include the voices of children and young people in decision making, when services and policies that impact their lives are being developed.
1059. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the percentage of social media videos posted on each of his Departmental social media accounts, or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit, that included closed captioning/subtitling between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023, inclusive; and the percentage of same that feature translations into Irish or another language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27650/23]
View answerThe information requested is not routinely collated. However, my Department endeavours to provide information in both English and Irish, not only through social media, but through other communication channels and materials. We are committed to complying with requirements under the Official Languages Act, including providing all static content on the Department's website in both Irish and English, and this is kept under regular review. The Department is committed to accessibility, this includes captioning, this data is however not routinely not collated. With regard to bodies under the remit of this Department, that is a matter for those organisations as my Department does not have a role in the social media activity of those organisations.
1060. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department, and public bodies and agencies under his remit, have an anti-racism policy which can be accessed by the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27668/23]
View answerAll public bodies have responsibilities under Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans.
The recently launched National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) contains recommendations across a wide variety of areas to address racism and promote inclusion. The plan proposes actions to help Ireland to become a place where the impacts of racism are acknowledged and actively addressed. It is intended to be a comprehensive, State-led, coordinated approach to eliminating racism in all its forms in all parts of Ireland. The NAPAR can be accessed by the public at www.gov.ie/en/publication/14d79-national-action-plan-against-racism/
A list of related strategies of bodies under the aegis of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is provided below. Please note that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Ombudsman for Children's Office have chosen to respond directly to the Deputy's question.
|
Aegis body |
Strategy name |
Available |
|
Adoption Authority |
No specific strategy |
N/A |
|
Gaisce - the President's Award |
Gaisce has a Diversity and Inclusion Framework in place. Its mission, vision, and values reflect inclusion, access and respect, and its strategy reflects diversity and inclusion, particularly its commitment to embed the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Diversity and Inclusion Framework is inward facing and not currently on the website, but Gaisce have advised that they will work towards having it updated and publicly accessible as soon as possible. |
www.gaisce.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Gaisce-Award_Strategic-Plan.pdf |
|
National Disability Authority |
No specific strategy |
N/A |
|
Oberstown Children Detention Campus |
Oberstown Children Detention Campus is committed to protecting the dignity and respect of its employees and users of its services and is an equal opportunities employer. Oberstown understands and adheres to its obligations under the Employment Equality Acts and the Safety, Health and Welfare Act. Oberstown has a suite of HR policies including Respect and Dignity at Work, Equality of Opportunity and a Code of Conduct and Behaviour. The suite of policies are made available to all staff at induction and are also published on the Oberstown intranet. |
Not publicly available |
|
Tusla |
Tusla Equality, Diversity and Inclusion charter |
www.tusla.ie/health-wellbeing-and-eap/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-tedi/ |
1061. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which children continue to be supported in situations that present a threat to their well-being; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27702/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. If I, or my officials, become aware of a situation in which a child is considered to be at risk, that concern is communicated to Tusla as a matter of urgency.
The Children First Act 2015 places a number of statutory obligations on specific groups of professionals and on particular organisations providing services to children. Children’s First Guidance 2017 includes information on the statutory obligations for those individuals and organisations under the Act. It also sets out the best practice procedures that should be in place for all organisations providing services to children.
Under the Act, mandated persons are required to report child protection and welfare concerns at or above a defined threshold to Tusla. Mandated persons are people who have contact with children and/or families and who, because of their qualifications, training and/or employment role, are in a key position to help protect children from harm. Organisations classed as providers of relevant services under the Act are required to undertake a risk assessment and develop a Child Safeguarding Statement (CSS) setting out the procedures in place to manage any risk identified.
The Children First Act operates side-by-side with the non-statutory obligations provided for in Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children. The guidance sets out how reports about reasonable concerns of child abuse or neglect should be made by the general public and professionals to Tusla and what organisations need to do to keep children safe.
If a child appears to be at risk of harm or neglect, the concerns should be reported to Tusla. Anyone can report a concern about a child to Tusla, and information on how to do so is available on the Tusla website. If a child is at immediate risk or in danger, An Garda Síochána (AGS) should be alerted without delay.
Tusla acts urgently on notification of an immediate risk to a child. Children who are in a situation of immediate risk may initially be dealt with by AGS or by Tusla, but in the main both agencies work together in such cases.
Tusla has an out of hours emergency number for AGS which provides advice to the AGS based on the circumstances and also can identify where a child is listed on the Child Protection Notification System. There is a 24/7 'out of hours' social work team available in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Cork and on call social workers in other areas. Tusla has a network of emergency foster care placements for children in need of emergency care out of hours.
Gardaí have specific powers under Section 12 of the Child Care Act to remove a child from a situation of danger, and under Section 13 of that same act, to deliver that child into the custody of Tusla. Tusla will at that point carry out an assessment to determine the child's needs. This may in some cases include applying for an Emergency Care Order. In all cases, a plan will be put in place to ensure that the child is safe from harm. Where a child is already in care, Tusla will make a determination as to whether the child is safe in their placement or if they need to be moved.
As previously advised, the Department chairs a statutory interdepartmental committee on Children First where matters of risk and safeguarding, across all Government areas, are reviewed regularly.
