Written Answers Nos. 998-1012
998. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an increase in funding and capitation rates will be given to improve the financial sustainability for services with regard to children and allow for higher staff wages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35995/23]
View answerThis Government has in 2023, 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 childcare has risen from €260 million in 2015 to € 1.025 billion in 2023, reaching the First 5 investment target 5 years ahead of time. This unprecedented investment speaks to the commitment of Government in prioritising early learning and childcare services.
In September 2022, Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare was launched, bringing together the ECCE programme, including the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), the NCS and Core Funding, with a fourth programme, the Equal Participation Model in development.
The primary purpose of Core Funding is 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.
Core Funding offers greater stability and sustainability for providers by substantially increasing the overall investment in the sector, particularly through a supply-side funding approach and in providing funding for spaces rather than participating children. Services can choose to spend their Core Funding on a wide range of expenditure areas related to the delivery of a quality service.
In terms of investment in the new Core Funding scheme, the initial investment in Budget 2022 of €207 million, was increased to €221 million in April 2022, and again increased to €259 million before the programme began in September 2022. For year 2 of the scheme, a further 11% increase in this budget or €28 million was secured. In total, there is now €287million provided to the sector for year 2 of Core Funding, providing a sustainable model with increases for all services. Further detail on the impacts of budget increases for sessional services have been recently published on our website: first5fundingmodel.gov.ie/core-funding/
Through ECCE capitation and Core Funding combined, services will receive minimum of €79.20 per child per week in capitation under the ECCE programme and maximum of €95.85 per child per week, with additional funding for graduate lead educators, graduate managers and for sessional services.
The introduction of a flat rate allocation of €4,075 for all sessional-only services will benefit approximately 1,700 Partner Services delivering the ECCE programme. The introduction of a minimum base rate allocation of €8,150 will benefit small, part time services and SAC services.
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. Partner Services can be assisted through the case management route to ensure their services remain sustainable under Together for Better.
Providers of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) are private businesses. As the State does not employ staff in ELC and SAC services, neither I nor my Department can set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector.
However, there is now, through the independent Joint Labour Committee (JLC) process, a formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate pay rates for ELC and SAC services.
With effect from the 15 September 2022, two new Employment Regulation Orders for Early Years Services, which were negotiated through the JLC, came into effect which provide for minimum hourly rates of pay and other conditions of employment for various roles both in early learning and care services and in school-age childcare services.
The Orders are being supported by Core Funding, to support amongst other things, improvements in staff wages, alongside a commitment to freeze parental fees and sustainability of services.
999. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to the residential care provision for children and young people undertaken by private for profit providers, the number of residential care centres provided by each such provider in 2022; the location of each centre; the costs of this provision per centre for 2022; the bed placement capacity for each centre; the average occupancy level for each centre in 2022; the total number of children and young people that were placed in each centre in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36032/23]
View answerAs this relates to Tusla operational matters, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.
1000. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to the residential care provision for children and young people undertaken by voluntary NGO providers, the number of residential care centres provided by each NGO provider in 2022; the location of each centre; the costs of this provision per centre for 2022; the bed placement capacity of each centre in 2022; the average occupancy level for each centre in 2022; the total number of children and young people placed in each centre in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36033/23]
View answerAs this relates to Tusla operational matters, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.
1001. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to the residential care provision for children and young people undertaken directly by Tusla, the number and type of residential care centre provided by Tusla in 2022; the location of each centre; the cost of this provision per centre for 2022; the bed placement capacity of each centre for 2022; the average occupancy level per centre for 2022; the total number of children placed in each centre in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36034/23]
View answerStatutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
1002. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of bed placement capacity in Oberstown Children's Detention Campus in 2022; the average occupancy level in the centre in 2022; the total number of children placed in the centre in 2022; the costs of this provision in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36035/23]
View answerOberstown Children Detention Campus provides care and education to young people on detention or remand orders, supporting them to address their offending and return successfully to society. As at the 31 December 2022, the bed placement capacity at Oberstown was 46, 40 beds for males and 6 for females. The average daily occupancy level was 32 young people. In 2022 a total of 114 young people were placed in Oberstown of the 110, 106 were male and 4 were female. The financial allocation for Oberstown was 26.218m. All information is available in the annual report 2022, which is available on their website www.oberstown.com
1003. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of asylum seeking children placed in care in 2022; the ages of the these children; the number of asylum seeking children placed in residential care; the number of children placed with private-for-profit providers; the number of children placed with Tusla; the number placed with NGO providers; the costs of this provision for each care provider; the number of asylum seeking children placed in foster care in 2022; the ages of these children; the numbers placed in private-for-profit foster care and the numbers placed in Tusla foster care; the cost of this provision for the private-for-profit provider and Tusla foster care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36036/23]
View answerStatutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
1004. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of Ukrainian children placed in care in 2022 under the temporary protection directive; the ages of the these children; the number of Ukrainian children placed in residential care; the number of Ukrainian children placed with private-for-profit providers; the number of children placed with Tusla; the number placed with NGO providers; the costs of this provision for each care provider; the number of Ukrainian children placed in foster care in 2022; the ages of these children; the numbers placed in private-for-profit foster care and the numbers placed in Tusla foster care; the costs of this provision for the private-for-profit provider and Tusla foster care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36037/23]
View answerStatutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
1005. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to the unregistered unsuitable placements of children in 2022 and in the first six months of 2023, the number of children and young people placed in unregistered placements in 2022 and the first six months of 2023; the type of placements that were provided; the age and gender profile of this cohort of children and young people; the number of children and young people assessed as having complex needs who have no suitable alternate care placement in 2022 and the first six months of 2023; the age and gender profile of this cohort of children and young people; the plans and provision that Tusla has in place to address the care needs of children assessed as having complex needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36038/23]
View answerStatutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
1006. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when additional places will be provided in a training centre (details supplied) due to increased demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36069/23]
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.
1007. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeframe for when payments will be made to those who successfully apply for the mother and baby home redress scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36071/23]
View answer1041. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the mother-and-baby-home redress scheme will open for applications; when redress payments are likely to be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36471/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1007 and 1041 together.
I am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and I am focused on delivering the Scheme as soon as possible.
To that end, a significant milestone was achieved on 11 July with the enactment of the underpinning legislation - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023.
This Act allows for the establishment of an Executive Office in my Department to oversee the Scheme and the appointment of the Chief Deciding Officer in that office, as well as the staff needed to support the performance of his or her functions.
It also allows for the making of the necessary regulations which must be in place prior to the Scheme opening and provides a lawful basis for access to records and other information which are essential to processing of applications.
With the Act in place, my Department can now complete the administrative structures required to deliver the Scheme. A number of months will be needed to transition to a live Scheme.
1008. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the cost to roll out the hot school meals programme to all registered early years and SAC services nationally. [36081/23]
View answerAll full day early learning and childcare services (ELCs) are currently obliged to provide hot meals; part time services also provide meals and snack with parents providing lunch boxes in most sessional services.
The school meals programme is delivered by the Department of Social Protection. The current payment for a hot school meal is €3.20. It is estimated that there is approximately 200,000 children enrolled in early learning and childcare settings.
Assuming a 38 week term time delivery cycle, this would cost approximately €121m. To note this figure only relates to the provision of food and does not account for any staffing or infrastructural that may arise. Such requirements would vary widely from service to service.
It also does not account for the fact that hot meals in full-times services are currently included in fees which are subsidised through the National Childcare Scheme.
A pilot is currently underway to test meal provision in part time and sessional services. This pilot is one of a range of measures being tested under First 5 the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families to help tackle early childhood poverty and to support children’s health and development and is a pre-cursor to and will inform part of a wider plan on responses to supporting children living with disadvantage. Informed by recommendations in Partnership for the Public Good, the wider plan will provide services with a proportionate mix of universal and targeted supports to support children and families’ accessing their services who are experiencing disadvantage.
The pilot was rolled out to services in areas of concentrated disadvantage as part of the planning for my Department’s Equal Participation Model. Pobal is supporting the delivery and evaluation of the pilot project, which will report in August.
The findings of the pilot will inform the potential future development of a meal provision scheme.
1009. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the personalised budgets pilot programme; when the findings will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36084/23]
View answerThe pilot Personalised Budget Project is open to adults with a disability who are currently in receipt of HSE funded services across a broad spectrum of services, including day services, residential services and respite services. It provides participants with more control in accessing health funded personal social services, giving each participant on the Pilot Personalised Budget Project greater independence and choice in accessing services which best meet their individual needs.
The pilot Personalised Budget Project is currently in its demonstration phase and it is anticipated that up to 180 persons will participate in the project by either establishing a person managed fund where they are managing the service themselves, by entering into a co-managed arrangement with a current service provider, or by utilising the services of a broker to purchase services.
An extension to the demonstrator project was granted by Minister Rabbitte, which will see the project extend to Q3 2023 for admission to the demonstrator project, with the final evaluation due for completion in Q2 2024.
This extension will facilitate suitable applicant participation and allow time for a robust evaluation to be completed.
1010. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline all of the functions and associated finances transferred to the Department of Health since 1 January 2023 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36100/23]
View answerThere has been no transfer of functions and associated finances from my Department to the Department of Health since 1 January 2023 to date. Responsibility for Specialist Community Based Disability Services transferred from the Department of Health to my Department with effect from 1 March 2023
1011. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 576 of 16 May 2023, if he will provide an update on the working group on PA services established in Q2 2023; its progress and status; and whether they will be able to establish a centrally maintained waiting list for PA services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36101/23]
View answer1014. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 64 of 30 May 2023, where he referenced the National Service Plan and delivery of additional 70,320 PA hours, how many more hours are needed to allow PWD to determine the supports that they need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36104/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1011 and 1014 together.
My Department acknowledges the role of PA Services in supporting the person with a disability to live independently in the community as set out in Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Following the transfer of specialist disability services to this Department, officials will be working with the HSE on the further development of policy on the provision of PA services with an agreed definition, criteria for accessing the service, assessment process and an indication of the level of support that can be provided.
In relation to the level of funding available for disability services, I will be seeking additional funding as part of the Estimates process to support individuals with disabilities to live a fuller, more independent life and participate in normal activities in the community, in line with UNCRPD Article 19.
As the working group referred to is chaired by the HSE, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1012. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 548 of 9 May 2023, when he plans to decommission the use of tented accommodation at a site (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36102/23]
View answerAny decision to decommission tented accommodation is dependent on having sufficient alternative accommodation to provide shelter to international protection applicants. In 2022, over 15,000 people arrived in Ireland seeking international protection and were accommodated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS). The numbers of new arrivals remain elevated. Since the beginning of 2023 to date, over 5,150 people have arrived seeking international protection and have been accommodated by IPAS.
IPAS have also re-accommodated over 2,500 international protection applicants (IPAs) in 2023 who were accommodated in hotels which returned to the tourism sector.
The Department is considering all offers of accommodation and is continuing to engage with providers on new accommodation and repurposed buildings as hospitality sector offers wane.
The Department is also availing of student accommodation this summer that is being used short term to accommodate new arrivals.
The Department is considering a number of proposals to expand longer-term capacity at Knockalisheen using rapid build options.
