Written Answers Nos. 532-546
532. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a breakdown by county and, in Dublin, by post code of the total number of people in International Protection Accommodation Services or direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29606/23]
View answerAs at 11 June 2023, there are a total of 21,387 people accommodated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS).
The requested information is broken down as follows:
|
County |
Occupancy |
County |
Occupancy |
|
Carlow |
45 |
Longford |
77 |
|
Cavan |
137 |
Louth |
603 |
|
Clare |
618 |
Mayo |
857 |
|
Cork |
1513 |
Meath |
913 |
|
Donegal |
1136 |
Monaghan |
518 |
|
Dublin |
7772 |
Offaly |
184 |
|
Galway |
833 |
Roscommon |
165 |
|
Kerry |
579 |
Sligo |
268 |
|
Kildare |
774 |
Tipperary |
503 |
|
Kilkenny |
116 |
Waterford |
568 |
|
Laois |
638 |
Westmeath |
752 |
|
Leitrim |
100 |
Wexford |
233 |
|
Limerick |
408 |
Wicklow |
1077 |
In respect of Dublin areas, the information is broken down as follows:
|
County Dublin |
Total Occupancy |
|
Dublin 1 |
589 |
|
Dublin 2 |
319 |
|
Dublin 3 |
581 |
|
Dublin 4 |
6 |
|
Dublin 5 |
56 |
|
Dublin 6 |
114 |
|
Dublin 8 |
211 |
|
Dublin 9 |
187 |
|
Dublin 11 |
287 |
|
Dublin 14 |
193 |
|
Dublin 15 |
411 |
|
Dublin 16 |
31 |
|
Dublin 22 |
1,780 |
|
Dublin 24 |
293 |
|
North Co.Dublin |
1,783 |
|
South Co.Dublin |
931 |
|
Total Dublin |
7,772 |
533. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether his Department considers existing International Protection Accommodation Services, direct provision and regional homeless facilities when locating a new International Protection Accommodation Services centre. [29607/23]
View answerThe International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) is responsible for the procurement of accommodation for use by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS).
Since January 2022, over 155 emergency accommodation centre locations have come into use across 25 counties in order to shelter those who seek refuge in Ireland.
As of today, there are currently 207 accommodation locations across 26 counties in use by IPAS to provide accommodation to people seeking international protection. This includes 49 permanent centres, 154 emergency centres and two temporary tented locations.
When considering new IPAS centre locations, IPPS co-operates with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and each Local Authorities to ensure that it does not encroach on homeless facilities in use in Local Authorities.
534. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a table of the top ten recipient companies, by cumulative funding, for the period 1 January 2020 to 31 May 2023 for direct provision services, the accommodation of International Protection seekers and accommodation for the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, with funding broken down by year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29608/23]
View answerThe financial amounts paid to individual accommodation providers is deemed to be commercially sensitive information.
Therefore, please see in tabular format below the top ten recipient companies by cumulative funding for the provision of accommodation for international protection applicants.
|
2020 - International Protection Accommodation |
|
|
No. |
Company |
|
1 |
Brimwood Unlimited |
|
2 |
Millstreet Equestrian Services Ltd. |
|
3 |
Mosney Unlimited |
|
4 |
Bridgestock Care Ltd |
|
5 |
East Coast Catering Unlimited |
|
6 |
Towbe ULC |
|
7 |
Travelodge Ireland |
|
8 |
Campbell Catering Ltd. |
|
9 |
Fazyard Ltd. |
|
10 |
Next Week & Co. |
|
2021 - International Protection Accommodation |
|
|
No. |
Company |
|
1 |
Brimwood Unlimited |
|
2 |
Millstreet Equestrian Services Ltd. |
|
3 |
Bridgestock Care Ltd |
|
4 |
Travelodge Ireland |
|
5 |
Mosney Unlimited |
|
6 |
East Coast Catering Unlimited |
|
7 |
Towbe ULC |
|
8 |
Fazyard Ltd. |
|
9 |
Campbell Catering Ltd. |
|
10 |
Next Week & Co. |
|
2022 - International Protection Accommodation |
|
|
No. |
Company |
|
1 |
Tifco Ltd. |
|
2 |
Travelodge Ireland |
|
3 |
Guestford Ltd. |
|
4 |
CGM Hospitality Ltd |
|
5 |
Pumpkin Spice |
|
6 |
Brimwood Unlimited |
|
7 |
Mosney Unlimited |
|
8 |
Millstreet Equestrian Services Ltd. |
|
9 |
Bridgestock Care Ltd |
|
10 |
East Coast Catering Unlimited |
|
To end May 2023 - International Protection Accommodation |
|
|
No. |
Company |
|
1 |
Travelodge Ireland |
|
2 |
Skyline View Ltd. |
|
3 |
Guestford |
|
4 |
Mosney Unlimited |
|
5 |
Tifco Ltd. |
|
6 |
Pumpkin Spice Ltd. |
|
7 |
Brimwood Unlimited |
|
8 |
B C McGettigan Ltd. |
|
9 |
Bridgestock Care Ltd |
|
10 |
Millstreet Equestrian Services Ltd. |
Please see in tabular format below the top ten recipient companies by cumulative funding for the provision of accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection for both 2022 and 2023 (both years are identical).
|
CAPE WRATH HOTEL UNLIMITED |
|
WINDWARD MANAGEMENT LIMITED |
|
BRIMWOOD LIMITED |
|
ALLPRO SECURITY SERVICES |
|
HERONWELL LIMITED |
|
J JUNIOR SERVICES UNLIMITED |
|
WILD WAY HOTELS LIMITED |
|
BENTON REAL ESTATE |
|
UGP BUTTEVANT LIMITED |
|
CROMEY LIMITED |
|
B C MCGETTIGAN LTD |
535. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will examine the case of a child (details supplied). [29613/23]
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.
536. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current staffing position of CDNT1 in Brú Caoimhín, Dublin 8, and CDNT 3 at Armagh Road, Dublin 12; the vacancies that exist; the length of time those positions are vacant; and whether private services have been contracted to address growing waiting lists for each of the services meant to be offered by the Community Disability Network Teams. [29616/23]
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.
537. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will clarify the persons that reviewed cases on foot of a recommendation from a report (details supplied). [29628/23]
View answerI can confirm that Senior Counsel, Mary O’Toole was engaged to undertake a review of 216 cases under the Magdalen ex-Gratia Scheme, where the length of time spent in the institution was deemed less than that claimed by the applicant, as recommended by the Ombudsman in his 2017 Report. Ms O’Toole carried out the review with the assistance of one Junior Counsel and 3 Department officials.
In addition to the above mentioned persons, the then Department of Justice and Equality secured sanction for an additional 4 Counsel to expedite the review, in the time period from October 2019 to March 2020. Responsibility for the Magdalen ex-Gratia Scheme transferred to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in October 2020 following the Transfer of Functions.
The review process is now complete and a final report is to be submitted by Senior Counsel shortly.
538. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to address the issue of a shortage of childcare places and extensive waiting lists for same in Dublin, and the State more generally; if his Department has any intention to actively engage with providers and intervene in childcare provision where necessary to provide communities with childcare facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29639/23]
View answerThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. My Department monitors early learning and childcare capacity on an ongoing basis, with a particular focus on responding to the unmet early learning and childcare needs of families.
The annual data captured by Pobal on behalf of my Department - through the Early Years Sector Profile Survey - is one important data source that allows us to monitor supply and demand. In addition to this survey data, the Department also relies on data from the register of services held by Tusla, data provided by services as part of their application for Core Funding and has also conducted several surveys with parents. Since 2020, five parent surveys have been undertaken by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of the Department.
Data captured from the 2021/22 iteration of the Early Years Sector Profile, indicated that the vacancy is 12% across Dublin and 16% on average across the country. This data does not take account of increases in capacity since the introduction of Core Funding. Data collection for the 2022/23 Early Years Sector Profile is currently underway and will give an updated position.
A series of steps are being taken to address issues of undersupply.
The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
Under the National Action Plan for Childminding, there is a commitment to open up access to the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) to parents who use childminders following the extension of regulation to childminders.
Some €70m has been allocated to my Department through the revised National Development Plan (NDP) – with the majority of this funding earmarked for new places.
My Department, in partnership with the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government, is in the process of updating the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings. As part of this work, my Department has been included in the updated list of prescribed bodies that need to be notified on certain planning matters, including the formulation of County Development Plans and Local Area Plans.
In addition, Core Funding - introduced in September 2022 - has already proven to be effective in expanding capacity, particularly in areas of undersupply and additional funding secured in Budget 2023 for year two of Core Funding provides further opportunity to invest in an additional 3% growth in capacity.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for CCCs may be found on www.myccc.ie.
539. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the date at which the Disability Capacity Review Action Plan will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29656/23]
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. An exact date for publication has not yet been set. This detailed Action Plan sets out the first phase of work 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 of €2.6b 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.
540. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeline he is working towards for publication of the Roadmap for Progressing Disability Services which was said to be in development in June 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29658/23]
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.
541. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeline he is working towards for publication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) Implementation Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29659/23]
View answer548. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the UNCRPD Implementation Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29721/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 541 and 548 together.
The Programme for Government sets out the commitment to develop an implementation plan to coordinate implementation of Ireland’s commitments under the UNCRPD. With the conclusion of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) at the end of 2022, development of a successor strategy that also satisfies the Programme for Government commitment is underway.
Work to develop a new national disability strategy has been ongoing in my Department since 2021. The development of the NDIS Successor Strategy is complex as it needs to provide the blueprint for further comprehensive realisation of the UNCRPD. It needs time at development stage in order to produce the best possible blueprint for UNCRPD realisation.
Both the focus of the new disability strategy and the implementation structure will be developed collaboratively across Government and with people with disabilities and their representative organisations, in line with the Convention itself and it's commitment to "nothing about us without us". In this regard, a comprehensive public consultation process to inform the new strategy is being developed by my Department, which will proceed along with more targeted consultations.
The new strategy will follow Ireland’s long-standing ‘mainstream-first’ approach to disability policy. This will require mature collaboration and sectoral leadership from across government and the wider public service.
Based on feedback to date on the successes and challenges of the NDIS, the new strategy is expected to be more explicitly focused on outcomes. It will also necessarily concentrate on a tighter and more targeted number of ambitious actions that will deliver the most significant change and progress. These will be identified in close collaboration with stakeholders.
542. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeline he is working towards for publication of the Cost of Disability Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29660/23]
View answerThe Cost of Disability in Ireland report was commissioned by the Minister for Social Protection and was prepared by Indecon International Research Economists. It was published by the Department of Social Protection in December 2021. It provides important evidence of the additional costs that people with a disability face.
The Report has implications for many areas of public policy. As such, a whole-of-Government approach is required to develop appropriate responses and to ensure that everyday costs are reduced for people with disabilities and their families. This is in keeping with Ireland's long-standing mainstream-first approach to the development of disability policy. For that reason, the Cost of Disability report was referred to the Steering Group of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDISSG) within 24 hours of publication, and the NDISSG agreed to consider the conclusions and recommendations of the report in the context of monitoring actions under the NDIS until the conclusion of that strategy in December 2022. During this time, departments and agencies across Government reported to the NDISSG on the various ways in which the Cost of Disability report was informing their approach to delivering actions under the NDIS. The NDIS has now ended.
While my Department has no plans to develop or publish a specific cross-Goverment Action Plan to respond to the Cost of Disability report, I will continue to ensure that the Cost of Disability report informs actions within the context of the specialist community-based disability services which my Department has responsibility for since the transfer of functions from the Department of Health on 1 March 2023.
Work is ongoing across Government to coordinate the development of a successor strategy to the NDIS. It is important to me that this strategy includes meaningful action to reduce day to day costs for people with disabilities in Ireland. The Cost of Disability in Ireland report will be an important contribution to the evidence base from which actions and commitments in the new strategy are developed across Government throughout 2023.
543. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what his Department is doing to progress the Transport Working Group's final report published in February this year to enhance transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29700/23]
View answerThe issue of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities is a key priority that has implications for several departments and agencies across Government including, since the transfer of functions from the Department of Health in March 2023, my own.
Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022, the Action 104 Transport Working Group was established to make progress on an important cross-Government action to review transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities and to advance proposals for the enhancement of these supports going forward. Although interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, I chaired meetings of the Transport Working Group from its resumption of work in January 2022 up to its conclusion in December 2022.
The Transport Working Group's work has now concluded and its final report was published in February 2023. It is available on my Department's website. The report conveys the contributions and proposals made by members of the Group for the enhancement of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities.
Transport and mobility supports are critical in supporting inclusion and independent living. For that reason, it is incumbent on colleagues across Government with responsibility for transport and mobility supports to carefully consider how the recommendations of the Transport Working Group ought to be advanced with their respective responsibilities and in light of the schemes and supports that they administer and operate.
Within my own Department, I am giving full and due consideration to the recommendations of the Transport Working Group in relation to the closed Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant, and in relation to transport to and from specialist community-based disability services.
The Working Group's final report will also form an important part of the evidence base guiding the development of the successor to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy throughout 2023.
544. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what plans his Department has to fill the void left after the closure of the motorised transport grant and mobility allowance schemes to support people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29702/23]
View answerThe Government decided to close the Motorised Transport Grant and Mobility Allowance administrative Schemes in 2013, on foot of the Ombudsman reports in 2011 and 2012 regarding the legal status of both Schemes in the context of the Equal Status Acts. Both schemes remain closed.
Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022, the Action 104 Transport Working Group was established in 2020 to make progress on an important cross-Government action to review transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities and to advance proposals for the enhancement of these supports going forward. As Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I chaired meetings of the Transport Working Group from January 2022 up to its conclusion in December 2022.
The Group's work has now concluded and the final report was published in February 2023. The Report is available on the website of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and sets out the contributions made by members for the enhancement of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities.
545. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he expects Ireland to ratify the Operational Protocol as part of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; if he will detail the reason there is a delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29705/23]
View answerThe Optional Protocol is an international treaty that establishes procedures aimed at strengthening the implementation and monitoring of the Convention. Ratification of the Optional Protocol is a commitment in the Programme for Government. The timeline for ratification was originally anticipated to follow the conclusion of Ireland’s first review period before the UN Committee. Due to delays at UN level, Ireland’s appearance before the Committee will now be delayed. Due to this delay, both Minister O'Gorman and I have indicated our support for earlier ratification of the Optional Protocol.
My Department is continuing to scope out the requirements for earlier ratification. This scoping work is required due to the long-standing position of the state in relation to honouring international agreements. As a matter of foreign policy, Ireland does not enter into binding international treaties until we are confident that the obligations set out within can be complied with. As such, the ongoing scoping exercise is procedurally necessary.
While I had expected the scoping exercise to have been completed by Easter this year, the procurement of appropriate expert legal services to complete and conclude the exercise has been delayed. A tender for the necessary specialist services was issued in February of this year, but that process did not result in a suitable contract being awarded. My Department is now in the process of revising the approach to be taken but I can assure the Deputy that this is being addressed as a matter of urgency.
My Department is consulting with the Office of the Attorney General to identify appropriate legal expertise so that the scoping exercise can be completed at the earliest possible time. I am informed that the work will be complete in Quarter 4 of this year, should the procurement of expertise go to plan on this occasion.
546. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the Disability Capacity Review Action Plan; when it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29718/23]
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 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 of €2.6b 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.
