Written Answers Nos. 164-183
164. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will establish a neuro-rehabilitation team in CHO9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32902/23]
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.
165. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that the extra social protection payments designed to combat the cost-of-living crisis are adversely affecting the subsidies received by many families under the national childcare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32944/23]
View answer175. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that a significant number of families in receipt of a subsidy under the national childcare scheme have had their subsidy affected due to the extra social protection payments designed to combat the cost-of-living crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32943/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 175 together.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents meet the cost of early learning and childcare and to support better outcomes for children. There are two types of supports available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age under the National Childcare Scheme:
• Universal Subsidies are available to all families with children under 15 years old. This subsidy is not means tested and provides €1.40 per hour towards the cost of a registered childcare place for a maximum of 45 hours per week.
• Income Assessed Subsidies are available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years. This subsidy is means tested and is calculated based on individual circumstances. Rates vary depending on the level of family income, a child’s age and educational stage, and the number of children in the family.
Parents cannot get the Universal Subsidy and an income-assessed subsidy at the same time. However, they can choose which subsidy is of greatest benefit.
Reckonable income must be less than €60,000 per year to qualify for an income-assessed subsidy. Families are entitled to the maximum subsidy rates if their reckonable income is €26,000 or less.
If parents are applying for an income-assessed subsidy, the rate they qualify for depends on their reckonable income.
Reckonable income is the total amount of net family income. This is income from all sources (including most social welfare payments), after tax, PRSI and USC have been deducted.
However, some social welfare payments and other allowable items or allowable deductions are excluded from reckonable income under the NCS.
When the NCS assesses income, it does not take into account allowable deductions or allowable items. Reckonable income is reduced by the amount of the allowable deductions. Allowable deductions include:
• A multiple child discount of €4,300 if families have 2 children under 15
• A multiple child discount of €8,600 if families have 3 or more children under 15
• Pension contributions, within the limit allowed by Revenue
• Maintenance payments made to a child or a former spouse
The following social welfare payments are also included:
• Aftercare Allowance
• Back to Education Allowance
• Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
• Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
• Back to Work Family Dividend
• Blind Welfare Allowance
• Caranua services support
• Carer’s Support Grant
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• DE Third Level Bursary Scheme
• Diet Supplement
• Domiciliary Care Allowance
• Exceptional Needs Payments
• FET Training Allowance
• Foster Care Allowance
• Guardian’s Payment
• Humanitarian Assistance Scheme
• Mobility Allowance
• Personal Reader Grant
• Rent Supplement
• Short-Term Enterprise Allowance
• Springboard+
• Student Assistance Fund
• Student grant (SUSI)
• VTOS Training Allowance
• Youthreach Allowance
My Department funds a national network of County Childcare Committees (CCCs) who provide support and advice to parents and childcare providers. I would encourage any family to contact their local CCC regarding any issues around childcare, and to ascertain which subsidy type would be most beneficial for them. The contact details for the CCCs can be found on www.myccc.gov.ie.
166. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has received the pre-Budget 2024 submission from a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32954/23]
View answerI can confirm receipt of the pre-Budget 2024 submission from the Neurological Alliance of Ireland.
The delivery of services for people with disabilities is a matter for the HSE, funding is provided by way of the agreed annual National Service plan.
At this time, engagement continues between The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Health (DCEIDY) and key stakeholders, with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the HSE, in relation to the 2024 Estimates.
These discussions will inform the finalisation of the Estimate for the DCEIDY Vote for 2024 over the coming weeks and the final position will be announced in the Budget Communications/speeches on Budget Day.
Pending this, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on specific funding proposals.
167. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if Ireland should have launched public awareness campaigns in relation to the Second Optional Protocol on the UNCRC before the protocol was ratified (details supplied); the exact explanation of Article 9(2), given that it appears that to ratify this protocol without informing the public first would not seem to make sense. [32996/23]
View answerThe Government is firmly committed to ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, several legislative measures have been implemented which were necessary to ensure that Ireland is in compliance with the obligations of the Optional Protocol. Enactment of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 and the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 were significant steps on the pathway to the ratification of the Optional Protocol.
Further smaller legislative amendments relating to the extra-territorial jurisdiction requirements under Article 3.1 will ensure that the State is in compliance with certain outstanding aspects of the Protocol. These amendments were included in the General Scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023, which underwent pre-legislative scrutiny in December. The Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice was published on 8 March and can be found at www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/33/justice/.
The Minister for Justice is committed to publishing the Bill in mid-July after which time a date will be sought for the Bill to be debated by the Oireachtas. Once enacted, the State should be in a position to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child sexual abuse material, and my Department will proceed with the next steps towards ratification including any requirements on awareness raising as set out in Article 9(2).
168. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if funding will be made available to fully staff a community neurorehabilitation team in each of the nine CHOs around the country, as outlined in the National Neurorehabilitation Strategy. [33007/23]
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.
169. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what can be done to help a person (details supplied) who has two special needs adult sons with profound intellectual disabilities. [33100/23]
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.
170. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of funding for a community neurorehabilitation team in CHO9; the timeline he is working towards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33109/23]
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.
171. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a facility (details supplied) is being investigated; and if so, if he can provide an update on the investigation. [32843/23]
View answerIn September 2022, Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare, was launched. This new funding model brings together three major programmes, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, including the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) and Core Funding.
All Partner Services who participate in Core Funding must operate their early learning and childcare service in line with the terms and conditions outlined in the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement - publicly available here: first5fundingmodel.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Core-Funding-Partner-Service-Funding-Agreement-09.08.22-Final-revised-clean-PDF.pdf
Regarding fees, Partner Services must uphold their contractual obligations regarding Fee Management as laid out in the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement. In its first year, Core Funding requires Partner Services not to increase the fees charged to parents from those charged in September 2021. An increased charge of any kind for an existing and unchanged Service Type will be in breach of Core Funding rules.
The Partner Service may create a new Service Type and but must ensure that the fee for any new Service Type will be calculated as not more than a proportion of the closest equivalent fee extant on September 30th 2021 which, all other things being equal, would apply to the eligible child.
Parents or Guardians of children attending a Core Funding Partner Service may seek to have issues examined and a conclusion reached through the Core Funding Fee Management Review process operated through City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), Pobal and the DCEDIY. A parent/guardian may initiate this process by contacting their local CCC. If a Fee Management Review Process has been initiated for a Partner Service it will remain confidential between the involved parties until the process reaches a conclusion.
To support services, parents/guardians and the CCC’s, the Department have published guidelines on fee management and an overview of the fee review process. These documents provide examples to assist with understanding of the new fee management conditions and review process. These documents have been circulated to the CCC’s and services and are available to all online here: earlyyearshive.ncs.gov.ie/together-for-better-guidelines-on-fee-management.pdf.
I would encourage any parent or person with concerns or questions about fees to contact their local CCC for support and guidance, contact details available here: myccc.ie/where-is-my-nearest-ccc.
172. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail the allocation criteria used for the rapid build housing programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32856/23]
View answerAn allocation policy has been developed and approved for the allocation of the rapid build units. Priority criteria are being applied by DCEDIY in allocating the units, prioritising families of four located in the county / counties close to the site. DCEDIY will make decisions on assignments to the accommodation based on the priority criteria.
173. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the referenda on equality and care due to take place in November; whether all three proposed constitutional amendments of the Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality will be brought forward; when the interdepartmental group will publish its proposed referenda wording in relation to Article 40.1, Article 41.2 and Article 41.3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32894/23]
View answerOn 8 March 2023, the Taoiseach and I 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, involving all Government Departments and chaired by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, was then established to further examine and advance these recommendations. The IDC is now working on policy proposals, which will be brought forward for consideration and decision by Government shortly. We will be in a position to update further at that stage.
174. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will review the arrangements with respect to pregnant people being unable to defer maternity leave for illness leave to be taken, as is possible under Section 11 of the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32568/23]
View answerThe Maternity Protection Act 1994 and the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 provide a pregnant employee with six months of paid maternity leave and an additional 16 weeks of unpaid leave, alongside other entitlements such as breastfeeding breaks which will be extended to two years following the birth of the child through the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023.
The Acts include provisions for the postponement of maternity leave in the event of the hospitalisation of the child and for the termination of additional unpaid maternity leave in the event of illness of the mother.
All forms of family leave are kept under review to ensure that they are effective in supporting families and children. I have asked my officials to examine the issues raised by the Irish Cancer Society regarding the deferral of maternity leave where a mother falls ill during this period and this work is ongoing.
176. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has considered an expansion of his Department’s Building Blocks Capital Programme to make capital grants available to potential childcare service providers towards the cost of purchasing premises to develop childcare facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32985/23]
View answerSome €69 million has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2023-2025. This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars:
• Building Blocks - Improvement Grant;
• Building Blocks - Capacity Grant; and
• Building Blocks - Innovation Grant.
The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant is now closed. Under this Pillar, €9 million was allocated earlier this year in grants ranging from €35,000 to €75,000 for energy upgrades and retrofit projects.
Work is currently underway on the design and delivery of Pillar 2, which has an allocation of €20 million in 2024 and €25 million in 2025. The Building Blocks – Capacity Grant will address capacity gaps, fund an expansion in existing services and invest in the development of new services where most needed.
A working group has been established to oversee the design and delivery of the Capacity Grant. The group is conducting a need analysis, which will identify areas of unmet need, by geographical area and by age cohort. The group comprises officials from my Department, representatives of the County Childcare Committees and Pobal.
I hope to be in a position to provide more information on the delivery of this Building Blocks – Capacity Grant in the coming weeks.
A full mid-term review of the NDP will be undertaken in 2025, to allow Government to:• take stock of progress in terms of delivery of the planned projects and programmes; and• review and reaffirm investment priorities of Government.The review will be carried out in order to prepare and publish a new updated 10-year plan for public capital investment in 2026, covering the period 2026 to 2035.
177. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason a person (details supplied) has not received OT support since January 2023; if he will ensure that this situation is rectified as a matter of urgency, considering the impact that the removal of services has had on the person and their family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33015/23]
View answerThis is a matter for my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
178. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the pay and any other benefits, including any loyalty payments/bonuses or other benefit-in-kind, of each chief executive of State/semi-State body or other public body under the aegis of his Department for each year since 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33046/23]
View answerMy Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
179. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if childcare facilities will receive an injection of funding which is required if they are to survive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33112/23]
View answerIn 2023, the Government has for the first time allocated more than €1 billion to early learning and childcare – a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector.
Over the past eight budgets, investment in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) has risen from €260 million in 2015 to € 1.025 billion in 2023, reaching the First 5 investment target 5 years ahead of time.
Together for Better is the new funding model for Early Learning and Childcare, launched by the Minster in September 2022. The new Funding Model supports delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents/guardians and families.
Together for Better brings together three major elements, the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, including the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), the National Childcare Scheme and Core Funding.
Core Funding, is a key pillar of funding to early learning and childcare services that forms part of the new funding model as recommended by an Expert Group 2021 in their report, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, and approved by Government.
Core Funding introduced a new way of funding the sector through supply-side funding to contribute to a services costs of delivery, with the primary purpose to improve pay and conditions in the sector as a whole and improve affordability for parents as well as ensuring a stable income to providers. 95% of services have signed up for Core Funding as Partner Services and have significant freedom on how best to spend this grant to improve the quality of their service, once they are committed to delivering their service for the public good in line with public management requirements.
The original Core Funding allocation of €207 million secured in Budget 2022 increased to €221 million in spring 2022 at a time when cost pressures were significantly increasing. This further increased to €259 million based on significant capacity growth in sector in Budget 2023. For the second year of operation, Core Funding has increased by €28 million, an 11% increase, to a total of €287million.
Approximately €4 million of this new funding will be used to remove the experience requirement on both Graduate Premiums under Core Funding, underpinned by new EROs. This move was widely welcomed in the sector.
The remaining €24 million will be used for further developments and enhancements to the scheme, including increases for non-staff overheads and new targeted measures to support small and sessional services. The new budget of €287 million facilitates the continuation of the fee freeze into the second year of the scheme, ensuring that any potential increases in non-staff costs are not passed on to parents whilst supporting services sustainability.
In addition, my Department was allocated €69 million in capital funding under the National Development Plan to meet current and long-term early learning and childcare infrastructure needs. Under the Building Blocks Improvement Grant, €9 million was allocated in 2023, offering grants across two separate strands: Green Energy and Retrofit. 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. This scheme will be operated in 2024 and 2025. As it stands, there is no further capital funding available to my Department for the early learning and childcare sector in 2023.
Services that are experiencing difficulty and who would like support are encouraged to contact their City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) to access case management supports. Services can be assisted on an individual basis through this route. Sustainability funding is available to Partner Services, community and private, who are experiencing financial difficulty.
180. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of instances in which his Department used unlicensed software and/or lapsed licenced software in the past ten years to date; the associated expenditure on same to remedy the situation; and the software that was used. [33150/23]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has no record of any instances in which this Department used unlicensed software and/or lapsed licenced software and that no payments have been made by this Department to remedy unlicensed software and/or lapsed licenced software.
181. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if his Department has received the pre-Budget 2024 submission from a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32857/23]
View answerThe pre-budget submission to which the Deputy refers is the Alzheimer Society of Ireland's 2024 pre-budget submission.
The Government is committed to ensuring that those living with dementia have access to the right services and supports to help them to live well in their communities, and has prioritised much-needed investment in dementia over the past three budgets.
We have invested €12.16 in dementia services and supports in 2023: €4.86 million has been provided for the National Dementia Strategy and €2.1 million for the full resumption of dementia-specific day care services. We have also prioritized investment valued at €5.2 million to allocate a minimum of 15% of 5 million new home support hours to people with dementia, up from 5% in 2021 and 11% in 2022. This investment is in addition to €5.9 million provided for the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy in 2021, and a further €7.3 million in 2022.
A new Model of Care for Dementia was published in May, setting out a framework for the provision of comprehensive dementia diagnostic and post-diagnostic support services on an equitable basis countrywide. To support the new Model of Care, funding has been provided for 10 new Memory Assessment and Support Services (MASS) countrywide over the past three years. Each of these MASS will provide dementia diagnostic and post-diagnostic support services, mainly focused on older people with typical dementia presentations. For those with more complex or atypical presentations, often people with early onset dementia, the Government has funded two new Regional Specialist Memory Clinics (RSMC) in Cork and Galway and boosted the provision of services in the existing RSMCs in St. James’ Hospital and Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin. We have also funded a National Intellectual Disability Memory Service at Tallaght Hospital.
In each of the past three years, funding has been allocated to improve the provision of care to people with dementia in acute hospitals. This includes an Assistant Director of Nursing in each hospital group to drive quality improvement, and the recruitment of 18 Clinical Nurse Specialists for dementia to implement a dementia and delirium care pathway in acute hospitals, ensuring a specific focus on the needs of people with dementia in hospital.
The Government has also prioritised funding for the national Dementia Adviser service, which now has 28 advisers and a coordinator. These Advisers play a crucial role engaging with people with dementia, their families and carers to provide free and confidential supports and signposting to help connect with essential services.
We have also funded a national network of 25 Memory Technology Resource Rooms (MTRRs) which provide free occupational therapist assessments and advice on assistive technology to help people adapt to their condition and maintain a degree of independence for as long as possible, while also providing support to family carers.
€2.1 million has been provided this year to ensure that dementia-specific day care can return to full capacity in a post-pandemic environment. In addition, day care at home continues for people with dementia who cannot, or do not wish to, attend a day care centre.
The ASI’s pre-budget submission focuses on strengthening a number of areas that have been the focus of Government funding over the past three years such as the provision of dementia nurse specialists in acute hospitals, the delivery of new Memory Assessment and Support Services, the provision of dementia day care at home, and the provision of increased home support hours for people with dementia.
The ASI’s pre-budget submission will be considered by the Department of Health in its preparations for the estimates and budgetary process.
182. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health the reason section 39 physiotherapists not received the Covid recognition payment of €1,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32863/23]
View answerLast year the Government announced a once-off, ex-gratia COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for certain frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. Eligibility criteria for the payment were set following significant consideration and consultation.
While the Department does not comment on individual cases, I can confirm that in order to receive the recognition payment, staff must have:
• Been in COVID vaccination cohorts 1 or 2, and
• Worked ordinarily onsite in a COVID-19 exposed healthcare environment, and
• Worked for at least 4 weeks in the 1/3/2020 – 30/6/2021 period, and
• Worked in a HSE/Section 38 organisation, or one of the following:
1. Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary,Section 39 etc.);
2. Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities, working on-site;
3. Agency roles working in the HSE;
4. Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;
5. Members of the Defence Forces redeployed to work in frontline Covid-19 exposed environments in the HSE;
6. Paramedic staff employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver services on behalf of the HSE.
Only those staff who meet all of the above eligibility criteria are covered for this payment. I appreciate that many other workers, volunteers, and other citizens, provided important services during this most difficult time. While this is not questioned, it is important to recognise that this in itself is not sufficient to be considered eligible for this payment.
The Government appreciates that those organisations and staff who are not encompassed for this particular payment may feel disappointed. It was tough to draw a line on this matter, but the Government based its decision on the risks which eligible frontline workers faced, following careful consideration. While undoubtedly immense efforts have been made by other healthcare staff since the onset of this pandemic, it is right that the Government pursue this course to recognise those at greatest risk in the performance of their duties throughout the pandemic, including those who worked in the very acutely affected environments above.In recognition of the efforts of all workers, volunteers, and the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government announced a public holiday which took place on 18 March 2022. As of February this year there is also a new permanent public holiday established to mark Imbolc/St Brigid’s Day.Finally I want to again express my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during what has been a challenging period for our health services.
183. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health the cost and staffing that would be associated with expanding clinical psychology to heart failure patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32884/23]
View answerChanging Cardiovascular Health 2010 -2019 highlighted the importance of cardiac rehabilitation which includes a psychological component. There are at least 36 centers providing cardiac rehabilitation services nationally. Cardiac rehabilitation is an internationally recognised standard of care for patients recovering from a cardiac event and is proven an essential component of secondary prevention for patients with cardiovascular disease. Recent Irish Heart Attack Audit data suggest a 71% referral rate to cardiac rehabilitation programmes post an event.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a multifaceted programme and encompasses a psychological component. Given that there are clear, evidence-based guidelines in cardiac rehabilitation and the benefits of psychological intervention, it is recognised that this is an important component to maximise people’s quality of life in living with heart failure.
To understand the challenges, requirements and next steps more, a National Review of our adult Specialist Cardiac Services which includes heart failure was commissioned. The Reviews recommendations will inform the future provision of cardiac services nationally. The Report is now finalised and is being prepared currently for my consideration.
