Written Answers Nos. 416-435
416. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the solutions that can be offered in relation to a strike (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43556/23]
View answerThe sustainability and stability of health and social care sectors are a concern for Government and we recognise the ability of voluntary organisations to pay their staff is highly dependent on state funding. The Government is therefore committed to resolving this issue.
In July, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Health made a combined offer of a 5% pay funding increase to employer bodies.
This offer was in line with those accepted by community and voluntary staff in other sectors. The offer to workers in this sector amounted to a 5% increase in funding for pay effective from November 2023, with 3% backdated to April 2023.
This combined offer was not accepted by trade union representatives and last week unions representing some Section 39 and Section 56 workers announced that their members in a selection of employer organisations would take indefinite strike action.
While Government has engaged in a process through the Workplace Relations Commission, it is worth noting that Section 39 and Section 56 organisations are privately owned and operated, and the terms and conditions of employment for staff in those organisations are ultimately between the employer and their employees.
Similar considerations arise in respect of other sectors across Government adding to the complexity in seeking to resolve matters in any specific sector. All involved parties want to see a meaningful resolution that improves sustainability and the ability of these vital organisations - including the organisation you refer to - to actively recruit and retain staff.
Any industrial action will impact negatively on the people who use these services, and I continue to urge representative bodies to return to the negotiation process, to avoid industrial action and the negative impacts this will have on service users.
In the meantime the Government is working with the relevant agencies (Tusla/HSE) who are engaged in contingency planning with the employer organisations that will be affected by industrial action, so that any impact on those who depend on these essential services can be managed to the greatest extent possible.
417. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the value of core funding for 2022/2023 for each individual early learning and care and school age childcare service, in tabular form. [43583/23]
View answerIn September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. Together for Better 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 the new Core Funding scheme.
Core Funding, which began in September 2022, is the new funding stream to start this partnership for the public good between the State and providers. Its primary purpose 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 is designed specifically as a supply-side funding stream, paid directly to providers, related to the costs of delivery. Core Funding is based on operating hours, number of places offered by services, and the age group of children for whom the places are offered, given the staffing requirements determined by the regulatory ratios for different care categories, as well as allocations for graduate leaders in services.
Structuring Core Funding primarily based on capacity means that Partner Services have an allocation each year that does not fluctuate in line with children’s attendance. Core Funding contributes to services’ sustainability and significantly increases income for the overwhelming majority of services and provides greater funding stability. 95% of services signed up to Core Funding in the first programme year.
The move towards high levels of transparency and openness is an integral part of the new funding model. The publication of this list is in line with Expert Group report Partnership for the Public Good which called for greater transparency and accountability for public funds.
The Core Funding programme year is from September to August. My Department will publish a list of all Partner Services who participated in Core Funding during the first year of the scheme and their Core Funding allocation. Core Funding during its first programme year, (from September 2022 till August 2023) had a budget of €259 million.
This list will be published by the end of October when the final window to make changes has passed and all Core Funding allocations are finalised. This will be an annual list which will be published at the end of each programme year. A detailed explanation of what the list contains will be published alongside the list.
I and my Department are committed to working with Partner Services delivering early learning and childcare for the public good.
418. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if Tusla owns properties or sites which are vacant or derelict; if so, the number and addresses of such properties; if they are recorded on the vacancy or dereliction registers; and the reason for which they are vacant, in tabular form. [43595/23]
View answerThe issue to which the Deputy refers, is an operational matter for Tusla. As such I have referred this question to Tusla to reply directly to the Deputy.
419. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Adoption Authority of Ireland owns properties or sites which are vacant or derelict; if so, the number and addresses of such properties; if they are recorded on the vacancy or dereliction registers; and the reason for which they are vacant, in tabular form. [43598/23]
View answerAs the Deputy’s question is seeking specific details on the property owned by the Adoption Authority of Ireland I have referred the matter to the Authority for direct response to the Deputy.
420. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the return of essential therapists including a psychologist, an occupational therapist, a speech and language therapist, play/behaviour therapists and a social worker to a special school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43621/23]
View answer421. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason a special school (details supplied) is still without essential therapists, including a psychologist, an occupational therapist, a speech and language therapist, play/behaviour therapists and a social worker; the date they will start; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43622/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 421 together.
As this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
422. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide assistance with an accommodation matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43630/23]
View answerIreland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has worked extensively to accommodate over 96,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, approximately 83% have sought accommodation from this Department.
Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains immensely challenging. Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, the Department has contracted in excess of 49,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 800 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.
Maximising the use of contracted vacancies is a priority for my Department. A dedicated team were established in Q2 of this year to actively validate vacancies notified to us by accommodation providers to ensure these are within contract and meet our standards. There are a number of circumstances, however, under which vacancies cannot be used in the short term and must be paused. Where a provider is nearing the end of their contract, for example, or where an issue has been raised with my Department such that the provider’s offering is under review, vacancies notified by that accommodation provider will not be filled until these matters are resolved to ensure the safety and security of BOTPs.
Vacancies which are suitable for immediate use are made available by my officials to operational teams for allocation. Due to varying room configurations and geographical location, some vacancies may take longer to fill then others given they are utilised to meet the specific requirements of individuals and family groups of BOTPs. Accommodation providers can be assured that if they have notified my Department of their vacancies through the correct channel, my officials are aware of them, are actively working them, and they will be availed of provided they meet required standards.
Due to this unprecedented level of demand, DCEDIY will only consider the allocation of accommodation to newly arrived, immediate members of a family, wishing to reunite and remain in Ireland, who have been granted temporary protection. This allocation will only be possible where there is a vacant bed (s) in a room already occupied by the family members currently residing at the property.
In relation to the property to which the Deputy refers, my Department is working with the Local Authority and the property owners to resolve open issues. Once these issues have been resolved the vacancies can then be used.
423. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission owns properties or sites which are vacant or derelict; if so, the number and addresses of such properties; if they are recorded on the vacancy or dereliction registers; and the reason for which they are vacant or derelict, in tabular form. [43676/23]
View answerThis PQ requires a direct response from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. As an independent statutory body, established under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act, 2014, it has been accepted that the Minister would not answer questions on the Commission's behalf.
424. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of funding for an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43677/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
425. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the long-term costs of a nursing home are being paid by the State for people who were in mother and baby homes; what assistance is available for nursing home costs in such situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43682/23]
View answerThere is financial support available to help pay for the cost of care in a nursing home through the Nursing Homes Support Scheme, also known as the Fair Deal scheme. The Fair Deal scheme is managed by the Health Service Executive.
My Department does not offer specific support towards the long-terms costs of a nursing home for people who spent time in mother and baby homes. However, intensive work is underway in relation to the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, which will provide financial payments and health supports in the form of an enhanced medical card, to survivors and former residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions.
The legislation for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme was signed into law by the President on 11 July 2023 and, once the administrative infrastructure is in place, the Payment Scheme will open for applications.
426. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the protocols that are put in place when a serious incident takes place under the supervision of a care team (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43690/23]
View answerAs the query refers to an individual's case, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
427. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will advocate for a child benefit-type payment for IPATs as included in the Government White Paper to end Direct Provision. [43693/23]
View answerIn accordance with the commitments established in A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service, work continues in DCEDIY to look at options for the development of a policy to support the roll out of a payment for children in the International Protection system. Options for delivering this payment are currently under examination in light of the exponential growth in IP applicant arrivals in 2022 and 2023 and as part of the process to review the White Paper. A revised implementation approach for the White Paper will be brought to government for approval in the coming weeks.
428. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if IPAS owns properties or sites which are vacant or derelict; if so, the number and addresses of such properties; if they are recorded on the vacancy or dereliction registers; and the reason for which they are vacant or derelict, in tabular form. [43698/23]
View answerIn February 2021 Minister Roderic O’Gorman T.D. Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth published A White Paper to end Direct Provision and Establish a New International Protection Support Service. The White Paper contained three core themes – accommodation, integration and supports.
Since the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions there has been a substantial increase in the number of new International Protection arrivals with more than 22,000 people new arrivals since January 2022. These figures are notably in addition to the significant numbers coming to Ireland who have fled the war in Ukraine, the vast majority of whom have required accommodation from the State.
In this context, there is a recognition that the underlying assumptions on which the White Paper was based needed to be re-examined, as the assumptions underpinning it are based on 3500 new arrivals each year. This work is currently being undertaken by DCEDIY with input from the White Paper Programme Board and the External Advisory Group. In terms of next steps, a cabinet memo will be going to government in the coming week setting out a revised implementation approach. Following this, a paper setting out this approach will be published.
Notwithstanding the acute accommodation pressures faced by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) in accommodating International Protection applicants work has continued to deliver on the commitments made in the White Paper
In terms of accommodation, there has been a focus on increasing the state owned accommodation capacity including progressing the buying of pre-existing buildings. This has included the delivery of some accommodation in the community with thirty-seven properties purchased to date across the country. Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have been commissioned to operationalise the properties and will be prioritised to accommodate vulnerable IP applicants. Work to upgrade the houses is currently on going with applicants moving into the houses on a phased basis over the next number of months.
None of the 37 houses in question are recorded on the vacancy or dereliction registers. As the Deputy will understand it would not be possible to provide information on the exact whereabouts of the houses due to their future use. The properties are located across 12 counties (Clare 1, Cork 5, Dublin 10, Kerry 1, Limerick 2, Louth 3, Mayo 4, Meath 2, Offaly 1, Tipperary 2, Waterford 1, Wexford 5).
429. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if additional resources will be immediately provided to address the five-year waiting list for intervention for children who have been accepted by the Swords disability network team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43732/23]
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.
430. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the dedicated supports currently available to children and families impacted by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (details supplied); what dedicated supports, if any are currently available and the plans there are in child and family services to address the needs of children on the foetal alcohol spectrum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43734/23]
View answerFASD is not a matter that falls within the remit of specialist/complex disabilities. This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
431. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether Tusla has estimates for the number of children involved with social work services who may be on the foetal alcohol spectrum, given that foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is the leading known cause of preventable intellectual disability in the world; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43735/23]
View answerFASD is not a matter that falls within the remit of specialist/complex disabilities. This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
432. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if Tusla plans to quantify the number of children involved with social work services who may be on the foetal alcohol spectrum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43736/23]
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.
433. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will allocate therapists to a school (details supplied). [43737/23]
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.
434. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to examine a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43753/23]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that, over the past number of months, my Department has greatly improved processing times of invoices in respect of suppliers of accommodation for Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. My Department will continue to press on to eliminate any delay in payments while ensuring appropriate governance is in place to safeguard the proper spending of Exchequer funding. The Department is also working towards additional automation in the system which is expected to further streamline the process.
In respect of the particular case raised by the Deputy, I am advised by my officials that the Department is satisfied that the owner is entirely aware of the issues surrounding payments in respect of these properties. The Department will continue to liaise closely with the owner and the Revenue Commissioners as appropriate.
435. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the HSE will pay the costs of private psychology occupational therapy and speech and language therapy for a child in County Dublin (details supplied) who has been placed on a five-year waiting list for HSE child intervention services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43755/23]
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.
