Dear colleagues

Early Years Republic of Ireland e-briefing – w/c 8 August 2016 'Valuing Staff, Members and their Commitment'

Dáil Éireann is adjourned until Tuesday 27 September 2016 and Seanad Éireann Adjourned until Wednesday 28 September 2016. The following Summer briefing outlines key issues or developments of relevance to our members and the organisation in the Republic of Ireland.

1. Questions to the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality 1.1 Traveller Community Deputy Mick Wallace (Independents 4 Change – Wexford) asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the Government will formally recognise Traveller ethnicity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22572/16] Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (Deputy David Stanton): The issue of Traveller ethnicity is being considered within the context of discussions on the new National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. The final phase of a three phase consultative process in terms of the development of that Inclusion Strategy is currently underway at a cross-Departmental level under the coordination of my officials. There will be a further round of public consultations with interested parties, as part of that process, in September 2016. It is important that the discussion on this issue be an inclusive one, including members of broader Irish society, so that we can develop a greater understanding within society in general of the issue. I have initiated discussion with Traveller organisations as to how the involvement of mainstream Irish society in the discussion can be taken forward in the context of the finalisation of the new Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. 1.2 Maternity Leave Deputy Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fáil – Galway East) asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to increase statutory maternity leave entitlement; if she will provide estimates of the cost of increasing maternity leave from 26 weeks to 30 weeks and from 26 weeks to 34 weeks; her views on whether these cost estimates take into account the effect of the cost impact of increased maternity leave on the public sector wage bill due to entitlements to full additional salary in the public sector. [23978/16] Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): As the Deputy will be aware, legislation which creates an entitlement to two weeks' Paternity Leave and Benefit has just passed in the Seanad and will be enacted as quickly as possible. This legislation in addition to the existing payment of maternity benefit means that the State now offers a total of 28 weeks of paid support to parents upon the birth of their child. It is my intention that this Government will be in a position to extend the provision of paid leave further in the years ahead subject to the resources becoming available. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware of the Programme for a Partnership Government commitment to significantly increase parental leave in the first year of a child’s life over the next five years. The Government has also approved the Family Leave Bill, which will address all existing family leave legislation such as parental leave, carer's leave, maternity leave, and adoptive leave and consolidate this legislation into one Act.

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If the duration of Maternity Leave was extended for 4 weeks and Maternity Benefit was payable for those additional weeks, the cost to the Social Insurance Fund in a full year would be in the region of €40 million per annum. If the duration of Maternity Leave was extended for 8 weeks and Maternity Benefit was payable for those additional weeks, the cost to the Social Insurance Fund in a full year would be in the region of €80 million per annum. This figure does not include any additional costs to the Exchequer incurred by augmenting public servant salaries for the additional periods.

2. Questions to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs 2.1 Early Childhood Care and Education Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Sinn Féin – Cork South – Central) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the full year cost of extending the early childhood care and education scheme to 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 weeks. [23149/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): It is estimated that the cost of extending the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme to the number of weeks specified by the Deputy, assuming 60% of children will attend higher rate services and 40% of children will attend standard rate services, would be as follows: No of Weeks Estimated Cost 40 Weeks €17,520,704 41 weeks €26,987,295 42 weeks €35,041,408 43 weeks €43,801,760 44 weeks €52,562,112 The expansion of the ECCE programme into a second year, from September 2016, will see the number of children benefitting from the Programme rise from around 67,000 to around 127,000 in a given programme year. For the 2016/17 programme year, it is estimated that 89,500 children will be eligible to enrol in the Programme from September 2016, an additional 22,000 from January 2017 and a further 15,500 from April 2017. From September 2016, the standard weekly capitation rate for each eligible child will be €64.50, and the higher weekly capitation rate will be €75. 2.2 Area Based Childhood Programme Deputy John Curran (Fianna Fáil – Dublin Mid West) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs considering the success of the preparing for life early intervention programme initiative operated by Northside Partnership in north Dublin, her plans to provide funding for this programme to continue and what are her proposals for rolling this programme out to other disadvantaged areas across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23228/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a joint prevention and early intervention initiative led by my Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies. It is a time bound co- funding arrangement with resources of €29.7m from 2013 to 2017. The aim of the ABC Programme is to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches to improve outcomes for children and families living in poverty in 13 areas of disadvantage. The ABC Programme was preceded by the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme (PEIP) (2007-2013) in which three sites participated: Preparing for Life Programme, Darndale, Youngballymun and the Childhood Development Initiative Tallaght. Preparing for Life received €6m as a participant in the Prevention and Early 2

Intervention programme. The total funding for Preparing for Life under the ABC programme is €3.34m bringing the total funding received by Preparing for Life under both programmes to €9.34m. I want to acknowledge the excellent research undertaken by Preparing for Life in recent years including in respect of its home visiting programme which is showing promising results. I should emphasise that many of the ABC sites are engaged in research and evaluation of their programmes, approaches and interventions. A number of sites who were previously funded under PEIP, or other philanthropic- funded programmes have produced detailed high quality evaluations with many promising results being identified across the sites and individual programmes. My Department is working to ensure that we take full account of the learning from all the interventions across the 13 ABC sites including Preparing for Life. This will offer a clear illustration of the interventions that work best, and will inform our plans to embed prevention and early intervention in services for children. The current contract for Preparing for Life was due to conclude in August 2016. My Department worked with Preparing for Life in April to agree the extension of this contract together with that of the two other PEIP sites to end July 2017. This will bring them in line with the other 10 ABC sites. To ensure continued provision, my Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies have sanctioned an additional €400k to Preparing for Life. Preparing for Life welcomed the additional funding and have indicated that it allows them to embed their work in mainstream services and contribute to the learning and evaluation of the ABC Programme. I look forward to the continued engagement of the 13 ABC sites with my Department as we work towards the implementation of quality prevention and early intervention initiatives in order to achieve our shared goal of improving the lives of children and families throughout the country. 2.3 Early Years Strategy Implementation Deputy Kathleen Funchion (Sinn Féin – Carlow – Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for early years in detail and timeline for the implementation of the early years strategy on a yearly basis. [23035/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): The new Early Years Strategy is due to be finalised by the end of 2016 and work in developing this is at an advanced stage. My first priority in relation to Early Years is to secure the expansion of schemes announced by my predecessor, in Budget 2016. The expansion of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) free pre-school year is my immediate priority, as is the roll out of the 'Access and Inclusion Model' for Early Childhood Care and Education. The report of the Inter-Departmental Group on future investment in childcare recommended that a number of schemes operated by my Department be integrated into a new Single Affordable Childcare Scheme. Work on this is progressing rapidly, and I intend for this to be rolled out by September 2017. Alongside this, I am working to improve capacity in the sector. The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced a significant increase in capital funding available this year to the early years sector, from €4m to €6.5m. I will be seeking additional capital in Budget 2017. In planning for the longer term, I will be seeking to develop capacity, quality and affordability in relation to the care of children under the age of three. I have also established an inter-departmental working group on after-school childcare, and I am working with my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills to advance proposals in relation to school-age childcare. I am also continuing to advance the Early Years quality agenda. The new Childcare Regulations came into effect on 30 June 2016. From 31 December 2016, all staff working in formal childcare settings will be required to hold a relevant childcare

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qualification at Level 5, and staff members must hold a level 6 qualification to be permitted to work as ECCE room leaders under the ECCE contract. To support staff to meet the new qualification requirements, my Department established the Learner Fund which has already allocated €3.5 million to over 3,000 staff for the purpose of upskilling. My Department is continuing to support up-skilling in the sector and is working with community childcare facilities to ensure their financial viability. 2.4 Child Care Services Deputy Kathleen Funchion (Sinn Féin – Carlow – Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for the reinstatement of the child minding advisory service. [23036/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): In 2002, the Health Service Executive (HSE) agreed to fund a Child minding Advisory Officer post in each county, who would work with the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) funded under the Childcare Programme, implemented by the then Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The role included notifying child minders of training opportunities, providing networking opportunities and supporting the CCCs with their work with child minders. In recent years, HSE funding for the Child minding Advisory Officer posts has gradually decreased, and is no longer in place in the majority of areas. The funding of the 30 CCCs was also reduced as part of expenditure reviews in recent years. However, the CCCs continue to provide valuable services at local level and supporting the child minding sector is an integral part of their work. As a result, child minders continue to have access to some level of support, training and advice. My Department provides annual funding to each CCC to enable them to support and advise all childcare providers at local level. In 2016, the total amount allocated to the CCCs was €10.4m. In addition, in 2016 my Department provided €250,000 to the CCCs for Child minding Development Grants. My Department also provides annual funding, totalling €2.44m in 2016, to seven National Voluntary Childcare Organisations to provide support at a local level to their members. This included €340,000 for Child minding Ireland (CMI), the representative body for child minders. This national association supports quality development in family based care for children. It supports parents with childcare choices and concerns and also child minders. My Department will soon commence work with Child minding Ireland through a consultative group to inform policy on a programme of supports and reforms for the Child minding Sector. Decisions on how best to regulate and support the child minding sector will continue to form part of the ongoing work and considerations of officials working on the Early Years Strategy which is due to be finalised by the end of 2016. 2.5 UN Committees Deputy Thomas P. Broughan (Independents 4 Change – Dublin Bay North) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress she is making with the recommendations in the UN committee's report on the rights of the child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22969/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): My Department coordinates reporting of the actions of all Government Departments in relation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and it liaises with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. In that capacity, my Department has circulated the UNCRC Concluding Observations, published in February 2016, to all Government Departments for attention regarding recommendations appropriate for consideration and action. These observations include a number of recommendations which engage the areas of responsibility of various Departments.

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Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020), which was launched by the Government in April 2014, is solidly rooted in the principles and values of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Framework contains 163 commitments, from across all policy domains relevant to children and young people, and there are further commitments in allied constituent strategies subsequently brought forward by my Department; such as the National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making (2015-2020). As one might expect, there is a significant degree of commonality between these commitments and the recommendations of the UN Committee in its Concluding Observations. Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures provides for a robust infrastructure to oversee implementation, which is led by my Department. The Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium is the keystone of the implementation framework, and is responsible for having oversight of cross-government implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures and its constituent strategies. Since my appointment as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I have been chairing the Consortium personally. The Consortium is the primary forum for whole of government working in respect of children and young people, and with the other elements of the implementation infrastructure, will drive the progression of the UN Committee’s recommendations. Membership of the Consortium comprises high level representation at Assistant Secretary level from all Government Departments whose policies have an impact on children and young people. It also includes senior representatives from the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána, the City and County Managers Association, the Chair of the Children and Young People’s Services Committees National Steering Group, as well as the Chair and three rotating members of the Advisory Council, established under Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. The membership of the Advisory Council, which has an independent chairperson, is drawn from pillars representing the Early Years and Children and Youth sectors and also independent experts. My Department’s first Child Summit will have its inaugural event in September 2016. This event, which is being hosted by the Children’s Rights Alliance in partnership with my Department, will focus on the Concluding Observations on Ireland under the UNCRC. The purpose of this high-level conference is to examine from various stakeholder perspectives how the recommendations of the UNCRC may be progressed through existing structures and frameworks, in particular through Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures and other departmental strategies. Attendees at the event will include a broad range of stakeholders including representatives of Government departments and non-governmental organisations. In addition to the arrangements set out above, my Department in exercising its coordination role going forward will consult relevant Departments on a periodic basis regarding plans and actions relating to the Committee’s recommendations. 2.6 Child Care Services Deputy Danny Healy-Rae (Independent – Kerry) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will change the situation where grandparents are disallowed from caring for their grandchildren if they are 40 years older than the grandchildren given that this does not make sense as there are many parents who are over 40 years or more older than their children. [18702/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): I do not have a role in relation to the private family arrangements that may be made for the care of children by their grandparents . Where a child is in the statutory care of the State, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Wherever

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possible, Tusla will consider a suitable relative, including a grandparent, to provide care for the child. The age of the carers is never the sole reason for deciding on the suitability of a placement for a child in State care. A key consideration for Tusla when placing a child in foster care is to consult with the child, family members, foster carers and other people involved with the child to ensure that the child's needs are being met and that the care being provided is what is best for the child in the long term. The guidance to Foster Care Committees on recruiting foster carers is being reviewed. I have been advised that the CEO of Tusla has asked the current guidance around age to be examined with a view to modifying it or removing it altogether. 2.7 Child Care Services Provision Deputy Brendan Smith (Fianna Fáil – Cavan – Monaghan) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to assist in the provision of additional child care places and-or the upgrading of existing facilities for community and private providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22938/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): I was delighted to announce recently that more than €6.5m in capital funding has been allocated through my Department to 1,006 pre-school providers nationwide. This represents an increase of over €2.5m on the amount of €4m announced for this programme in February 2016. This grant has been made available for early years pre-school services, both private and not-for-profit/community, that are intending to expand their service to provide for more capacity in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Grants of up to €10,000 per provider are being provided. The extension of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) pre- school scheme so that every child will be able to access free pre-school from the age of three until they start school (entering pre-school in the September, January or April after they turn three) is a welcome development for children, parents and Early Years providers. It will see more than 60,000 additional children enrolled in the programme by April 2017. Children will now benefit from an average of 61 weeks of the scheme, up from 38 weeks. In order to ensure that there is sufficient capacity in the sector to provide for these children, this is one of a number of measures my Department has developed to assist services to expand. My Department is consulting closely with the County Childcare Committees (CCCs), the Early Years Sector representatives and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in order to ensure the readiness of preschools to accommodate the additional children enrolling in ECCE from this coming September. My Department made data available to the 30 CCCs earlier this year detailing the number of children that will be eligible for ECCE in September 2016, January 2017 and April 2017 per Electoral Division. This greatly assisted CCCs and service providers to determine the capacity for business expansion. My Department has altered ECCE’s rules to allow for higher capitation to be payable to services on a room by room basis. This would allow services with two rooms, but only one graduate, to still receive higher capitation for one of the rooms. This assists services in expanding capacity and incrementally increasing the number of graduates in their employment. My Department has worked closely with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to consider planning issues for services wishing to expand their service. Earlier this year the DOECLG issued a circular to all Local Authorities asking them to assist early years providers with the their planning queries and the pre-planning consultation phase in so far as possible.

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2.8 Child Care Services Provision Deputy Joan Collins (Independents 4 Change – Dublin South-Central) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the need for more quality affordable child care, and on maintaining community-based not-for-profit child care facilities for example (details supplied); if she will ensure that they will retain their ethos and not be forced into commercially run childcare facilities with threatened cuts to community employment workers in these facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23033/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): When the Early Years Quality Agenda was introduced in 2013, in order to further improve quality in pre-school services, one of the items to be progressed was the introduction of a requirement that all staff working with children in early years services should hold a qualification in early childhood care and education at a minimum of Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or equivalent. Under new Childcare Regulations, the level 5 requirement came into effect as of 30 June 2016 for newly- registering services and will come into effect for existing services on 31 December 2016. At present, Community Employment (CE) scheme workers form part of the adult:child ratios in some, but not all, community childcare facilities. The new qualification requirement will mean that such workers will no longer be permitted to count towards the required adult:child ratio unless they hold the required minimum qualification. While I understand that these new regulations may cause initial difficulties in some community childcare services; I am committed to ensuring that all childcare is of an appropriately high quality, and this involves ensuring that every child is cared for by a suitably qualified person, whether a facility is provided on a community-not-for profit basis or not. To support staff to meet the new qualification requirements, my Department established the Learner Fund which has already allocated €3.5 million to over 3,000 staff for the purpose of upskilling. My Department is continuing to support upskilling in the sector and is working with community childcare facilities to ensure their financial viability. At the request of my Department, the City and County Childcare Committees have established a project to examine the impact of these changes on the sustainability of community childcare services that are currently dependent on CE workers to meet the ratio requirements. My Department has advised childcare providers who consider that the sustainability of their service is at risk as a result of this measure to contact their local City or County Childcare Committee immediately to discuss this matter. I am committed to making high quality childcare more accessible and affordable to more families. I also greatly value the service provided by Community-Not-for-Profit Childcare facilities. 2.9 Community Childcare Subvention Programme Deputy Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fáil – Galway East) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to address concerns that the planned expansion of the community childcare subvention scheme is not taking place due to the low level of subsidy given to private child care providers to take up the scheme. [23059/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): My Department has been monitoring the take-up of both the Childcare Subvention programme (CCS) and the Childcare Subvention Programme (Private)(CCSP) places and will be instituting a number of initiatives to increase public awareness of the CCS Programme overall. These initiatives include advertisements on social media sites, local and national newspapers and within community settings and support services. It is hoped that as a result of this campaign, additional families will avail of this programme. Demand for CCS has reduced in 2015 and 2016, possibly partly due to the economic recovery. 7

The number of applications under the CCSP Programme should increase when the school year starts in September 2016 as services have indicated to my Department that they did not wish to implement the programme mid year. The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to childcare services to enable them to provide quality childcare, including after-school care, at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents. Parents qualify as disadvantaged or low income on the basis of means-tested entitlements. In the case of full day care, parents qualifying for the higher rate of subvention under the CCS programme can have up to €95 per week deducted from the overall charge for childcare in the participating childcare facility. At the end of 2015, using savings from that year, my Department lifted the cap on the number of CCS places available through community services and encouraged these services to provide additional CCS places. Since this time, 1,380 additional places have been provided under CCS by Community services and this number is expected to continue to rise. Budget 2016 provided €16m to create an additional 3,200 (full-time equivalent) Community Childcare Subvention ( CCS) childcare places, or approximately 8,000 places based on average uptake. Traditionally, CCS has only been available through community (not for profit) childcare services of which there are approximately 900 across the country. Eligible families who did not live in an area with a community service could not traditionally access the programme, hence my Department extended the terms of the CCS Programme so that it could be provided by private childcare providers across the country. The Community Childcare Subvention Private (CCSP) Programme launched in March of this year. 1,227 individual children have been approved for funding under CCSP and this number is expected to continue to rise. 2.10 Child Care Services Funding Deputy Brendan Smith (Fianna Fáil – Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the capital funding available in 2016 towards the provision of child care places and-or the upgrading of existing facilities for community and private providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22937/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): I was delighted to announce recently that more than €6.5m in capital funding has been allocated through my Department to 1,006 pre-school providers nationwide. This represents an increase of over €2.5m on the amount of €4m announced for this programme in February 2016. This grant has been made available for early years pre-school services, both private and not-for-profit/community, that are intending to expand their service to provide for more capacity in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Grants of up to €10,000 per provider are being provided. The extension of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) pre- school scheme so that every child will be able to access free pre-school from the age of three until they start school (entering pre-school in the September, January or April after they turn three) is a welcome development for children, parents and Early Years providers. It will see more than 60,000 additional children enrolled in the programme by April 2017. Children will now benefit from an average of 61 weeks of the scheme, up from 38 weeks. In order to ensure that there is sufficient capacity in the sector to provide for these children, this is one of a number of measures my Department has developed to assist services to expand. The award of funding was based partially on evidence of current need and/or projected future demand for additional ECCE places in 2016/2017 in the catchment area of each applying service. The relevant City/County Childcare Committee assisted Pobal with demand versus supply data. Value for money was also an

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awarding criteria and the costs/grant requested relative to the number of ECCE places being created was taken into account when evaluating grant applications. I am delighted that so many high quality applications were received under this scheme, and that the majority of applications were approved for drawdown of funding. I look forward to working with the sector to deliver further improvements in childcare quality, availability and affordability over the coming year. It is hoped that it will be possible to make a similar capital fund available next year. This is something that will be addressed in the context of the estimates process and Budget 2017. 2.11 Early Childhood Care and Education Deputy Jan O'Sullivan (Labour Party – Limerick City) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if measures are being taken to ensure that all children, irrespective of their date of birth, can avail of the early childhood care and education scheme programme for two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23042/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): In Budget 2016, my Department announced a significant expansion to preschool provision under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. This measure, which will be introduced from September 2016, means that children will be eligible to start free pr-school when they reach the age of 3, and continue to avail of free preschool until they start primary school (once the child is not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the pre-school year i.e. end June). Following the introduction of the expanded programme there will be three opportunities each year - in September, January and April - for eligible children to enrol for the free pre-school provision. This will ensure that children aged 3 or over have the opportunity to enrol as soon as possible after their third birthday. The maximum number of free pre- school weeks to which a child is entitled will depend on their date of birth, and the age at which they start primary school. As the Deputy will appreciate, the fact that the school year starts in September means that not all children will necessarily be able to avail of two full years after turning three, and prior to starting school; but on average, from September 2016, children will benefit from 61 weeks, up from the current provision of 38 weeks. The extension of ECCE on this basis was a recommendation of "right from the Start", the Expert Advisory Groups on the Early Years Strategy 2017. The expansion of the ECCE programme is a major development that will see the number of children benefitting from the Programme rise from around 67,000 to around 127,000 in a given programme year. For the 2016/17 programme year, it is estimated that 89,500 children will be eligible to enrol in the Programme from September 2016, an additional 22,000 from January 2017 and a further 15,500 from April 2017. The upper age limit for participation in free pre-school was set by the Interdepartmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare on foot of advice received from the Department of Education and Skills. As the Deputy will be aware, limiting the diversity in age ranges in primary school is considered to be generally in the best interest of children, in relation to peer interaction in junior infants, as well as other educational considerations. This does mean that different children will spend different lengths of time in free pre-school, but my Department's focus throughout in considering these issues has been on how to achieve the best outcomes for children. 2.12 Child Care Services Provision Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (Fine Gael – Kildare North) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department has been in a position to strategically examine and assess any specific deficiencies in respect of child care, youth support and-or development services with particular reference to

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identification of any problems arising at the earliest stage; if she is in a position to establish adequate supports to assist children or teenagers who might be vulnerable; the extent to which she and her Department continue to liaise with specific groups in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22940/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): It is recognised that particular groups of children and young people can face more challenges in achieving the five national outcomes set out in Better Outcomes Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020), and numerous specific commitments of the Framework reflect this. My Department identified prevention and early intervention as a key cross-sectoral priority for 2015-16. This is being addressed through the Area-Based Childhood programme, the development of a Quality and Capacity Building initiative, and supporting relevant priorities of other Government departments. As part of this, the Advisory Council for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, which brings together members of the community and voluntary sector as well as independent experts, has worked on a number of priority areas including homelessness and child poverty. Members of the Council and officials from my Department recently met with representatives from Focus Ireland and St. Vincent de Paul to progress these issues. They have also met with young people working with the Migrants Rights Centre Ireland to discuss issues facing undocumented young people. My Department commissions, conducts and consults a wide variety of analysis of the requirements of children in their early years, and this is central to policy development. Evidence from the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study informed the recent introduction of new childcare regulations, and the July 2015 report of the Inter- Departmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare was also based on a wide consultation. In relation to youth services, my Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of services to young people throughout the country. Targeted programmes support the provision of youth services for young people who are at risk of drugs and/or alcohol misuse, early school-leaving, homelessness or who are living in disadvantaged communities. Overall, the funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2016, funding of €51 million has been secured by my Department for these schemes. I and officials of my Department continue to meet regularly with many voluntary organisations and groups providing services to children and young people, to see how we can work together to bring about the best possible outcomes. 2.13 Child Care Services Provision Deputy Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fáil – Galway East) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to address concerns over private residential care homes, specifically that many such homes provide less quality care to children in their care than voluntary and State care homes; the reason Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, relies so heavily on private residential homes rather than State-provided care homes. [23058/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): I reject the characterisation put forward by the Deputy regarding the quality of provision across the range of residential services provided by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. In the case of private residential centres, Tusla carries out a robust process of registration, monitoring and inspection. This process ensures that the quality of provision is put in place from the start and maintained as part of the service

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agreement with the provider. The inspection reports are published on the Tusla website. A child is placed in a residential setting only where they have an identified need that can be met by this service. This is often where an alternative arrangement, such as a fostering placement, is not considered suitable. Approximately 5% of children in care across the country use residential services. The availability of these services need to be responsive and flexible enough to meet existing demand as well as specialist needs of children, availability in emergency cases, or areas where there is an emerging demand for residential services. Whether operated by Tusla, managed by voluntary groups or run by private companies, the mix of different types of provision provides Tusla with the operational flexibility to meet demand for residential services as it arises. 2.14 Early Childhood Care and Education Deputy Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fáil – Dublin Fingal) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the notice period in advance of the closure of a child care facility which operates the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme that must be given by the child care provider to parents whose children are in the facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23830/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): Each childcare provider who operates the ECCE programme must have a Service Agreement with my Department. One of the terms of this Agreement is that the Agreement may be terminated by either party by serving 3 months written notice to the other party. It follows that the childcare provider should inform the parents as soon as is practicable after serving notice to my Department. Closure of facilities is a normal factor of the administration of the ECCE programme. Childcare providers find it necessary to close or relocate for many reasons. My Department funds 30 City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) to assist both parents and childcare providers in matters relating to childcare such as closures and relocation of facilities. Ordinarily, when notice has been given of a closure, a CCC immediately carries out an assessment of local availability of childcare places in other services in the proximity of the affected services and works with parents to assist them in making alternative childcare arrangements. It is a priority of my Department that all children registered in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) free pre-school year receive their full entitlement during their period of entitlement. My Department is working with the childcare sector to prepare for the significant expansion to pre-school provision under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme announced in Budget 2016, commencing September 2016. The Department is in the process of rolling out a number of measures to increase the supply of ECCE places across Ireland from that time. This expansion will see the number of children benefitting from the Programme rise from around 67,000 to around 127,000 in a given programme year. From September 2016 both the standard and higher rates of capitation for the ECCE programme will increase by €2 per child, per week; and the rules relating to higher capitation rates will also be reformed to enable more services to benefit from the higher rate. My Department made detailed information available to the CCCs at the beginning of this year indicating the number of children, by every electoral division across the country, who would be eligible for an ECCE place in September 2016, January 2017 and April 2017. The Department is working closely with the CCCs to match this data against reported capacity in the sector to meet the increase in demand, and to develop action plans for areas where a shortfall in supply may be identified.

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2.15 Child Poverty Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (Fine Gael – Kildare North) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which she has evaluated and identified incidents of child poverty with a view to achieving satisfactory support and intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24044/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): In recognition of the higher risks and life-long consequences of child poverty, the Government set a child-specific poverty target in Better Outcomes, Better Future: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People to reduce consistent child poverty by at least two-thirds by 2020. This figure currently represents 100,000 children. In order to understand and improve the lives of our children, my Department commissioned the Growing Up in Ireland study. The study examines the lives of Irish children from a wide range of perspectives including economic vulnerability. My department is also developing a national indicator set to track progress against the five national outcomes in Better Outcomes, Brighter Future including Outcome 4: Economic security and opportunity, which covers the issue of child poverty. The Government acknowledges the challenge in successfully achieving the child poverty target, but remains committed to meeting it. I believe that having an ambitious target and actively monitoring this will provide a roadmap towards which we can develop and implement a strong multi-dimensional policy response. The Department of Social Protection has the lead role in coordinating government strategies on child poverty. It also has lead responsibility for the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion and has identified child poverty as a key cross-sectoral priority to be addressed. Officials in my Department are working very closely with the Department of Social Protection in informing the plan for this cross-sectoral priority. As part of its role in implementing Better Outcomes Brighter Futures, my Department has identified prevention and early intervention as a key cross-sectoral priority to be addressed in conjunction with a sub-group of the Advisory Council. My Department addresses this priority through three levels. Firstly, it co-finances, with The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme (2013-2017) to the combined value of €29.7m. The ABC Programme is designed to prevent inter-generational poverty through area based programmes with a strong prevention and early intervention focus. The ABC Programme has a strong evaluation component allowing us to identify the programmes, initiatives and approaches which impact positively on children's outcomes. Secondly, it is developing the Quality and Capacity Building Initiative that aims to mainstream existing and emerging learning from initiatives such as ABC Programme and secure a system-wide change in children and young people services. Thirdly, it also supports the implementation of priorities by other Departments such as homelessness and child poverty that are relevant in the context of preventing and reversing poor outcomes among children. There are also a number of areas of focus that support our response to child poverty within my Department. These include:  €345 million invested annually on early childhood care and education and after-school support programmes which provide care to 100,000 children;  €51m allocated to support the provision of youth services by the voluntary youth sector for 2016; In addition, Tusla delivers a range of services focusing on the welfare, protection and support for children, young people and their families which are key to supporting outcomes which assist in reducing the impact of child poverty.

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2.16 Bullying of Children Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (Fine Gael – Kildare North) asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which her Department continues to monitor incidents of psychological intimidation of minors by way of electronic means or otherwise; the action taken or to be taken to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24045/16] Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Katherine Zappone): "Psychological intimidation" is a term that would need to be clearly defined for the purpose of understanding its effect on young people. Under Growing Up in Ireland, the National Longitudinal Study of children's lives, my Department collects information about the extent of bullying reported by children and their parents. Based on the responses of mothers for the 9-year-old cohort, 24% of children had been victims of bullying in the previous year, but 40% of children themselves reported that they had been bullied. The difference between the two figures may reflect under-reporting of incidents by children to their parents, or a differing perspective of what constitutes bullying. The Deputy will be aware that there is an Action Plan on Bullying published by the Minister for Education and Skills which recognises the need to tackle bullying - and cyberbullying as one aspect of it - in a wide social context. In relation to cyberbullying, the Office of Internet Safety, under the Department of Justice and Equality, takes lead responsibility for internet safety in Ireland, particularly as it relates to children. The most important step in addressing bullying, including cyberbullying, is for parents to talk to children about their experiences. The Action Plan published by the Minister for Education and Skills sets out twelve actions to help prevent and tackle all forms of bullying in school. The actions focus on support, teacher training, research and awareness training.

3. Questions to the Minister for Education and Skills 3.1 Special Educational Needs Service Provision Deputy Carol Nolan (Sinn Féin – Offaly) asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to publish the focused policy assessment of the special needs assistants scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22420/16] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): Recent years have seen very significant increases in the number of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) which are being provided to school to support children with special educational care needs. The number of SNA posts available for allocation to schools has increased from 10,575 posts in 2011, to 12,040 to June 2016. In the same period the number of children accessing SNA support has grown from approximately 22,000 to some 30,000 by the end of 2015. The increase in SNA numbers has also been supported by a very significant increase in the Budget for SNAs, rising from €332 million in 2011 to €402 million by the end of 2015. This has provided for a higher level of SNA support than ever before, which ensures that children with special educational needs can continue to participate in education and be supported in a manner appropriate to their needs. However, it is also incumbent upon us to continue to review the scheme in order to ensure that the scheme is meeting its objectives to support children with special needs in schools, in the intended manner. A further review of the scheme was undertaken, which took the form of a Focussed Policy Assessment (FPA). This FPA forms part of the Department of Education and Skills (DES) commitment to the Public Spending Code (PSC) and evidence informed policy making. Throughout 13

this process, the priority is what the best form of additional investment is for children with special educational needs and how to provide the best possible outcomes for those children. The Report of the FPA will be published shortly and next steps will be considered. 3.2 North-South Ministerial Council Deputy Brendan Smith (Fianna Fáil – Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date for the next meeting with the Northern Ireland Minister for Education in sectorial format, as provided for in the North-South Ministerial Council; the issues to be discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22860/16] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): An NSMC Education meeting is being arranged to take place in late September 2016 in Armagh. While an agenda for the meeting is not yet to hand it is expected to cover EU-related matters; educational underachievement; teacher qualifications; and school youth and teacher exchanges. The NSMC Secretariat will shortly chair a joint working group meeting comprising officials of the Education Departments North and South at which the agenda and arrangements for the September meeting will be finalised. 3.3 Early Childhood Care and Education Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Sinn Féin – Cork South-Central) asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full year cost of implementing the early childhood care and education access and inclusion model in primary schools nationwide. [23151/16] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): The new Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) programme of supports was announced on 15th June 2016 by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. AIM is a child-centred model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted, depending on the needs of the child and the pre- school. The supports include: A new Inclusion Charter for the Early Years sector, alongside updated and strengthened Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Guidelines for Early Childhood Care and Education. A new higher education programme for early years practitioners (LINC) which will commence from September 2016. A new national specialist service which is based in the Better Start National Early Years Quality Development Service will provide expert advice, mentoring and support to pre-school providers from a team of 50 specialists in early years care and education for children with disabilities. A new national scheme will provide specialised equipment, appliances and minor alterations which are necessary to support a child's participation in the ECCE programme. A new national scheme will also provide additional capitation to pre-school providers where this is critical to fund extra support in the classroom and enable a child's participation in pre-school. It is estimated that only 1 to 1.5% of children in pre- school will require, and therefore be eligible for, this scheme of additional capitation. Details of the supports which will be available under AIM can be found at www.preschoolaccess.ie which contains comprehensive information on the access and inclusion model and on how to apply for the new schemes and supports.

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Questions relating to provision of such services in pre-school settings should be addressed my colleague, the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs. When children transition to primary school they can access supports, including additional resource and learning support teaching, access to special needs assistance and assistive technology where the needs are indicated in professional reports. These resources are allocated annually to schools by the National Council for Special Education which provides these resources in line with my Department's policies. At present there are no plans to replace this model of support by introducing the AIM model in primary schools and accordingly it is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of the introduction of this model in primary schools. 3.4 Pupil-Teacher Ratio Deputy Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fáil – Meath East) asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of implementing one-point reductions in average class size at primary level; and his estimates for reducing the average class size to 23 pupils for the 2017-18 school year. [23186/16] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): The Programme for Government has a commitment to reduce class sizes at primary level. Budget 2016 provides for a one point adjustment to the staffing allocation to primary schools, which will be implemented for the 2016/17 school year. This will see the primary staffing schedule operate on the basis of a general average of 1 classroom teacher for every 27 pupils. Lower thresholds apply for DEIS Band 1 schools, ranging from 20:1 to 24:1 depending on the type of school. Each 1 point adjustment to the staffing schedule is estimated to cost between 250- 300 additional posts, at a cost of circa. €15m-€18m. 3.5 Capitation Grants Deputy Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fáil – Meath East) asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of restoring pre-2010 capitation levels to primary schools; the estimated cost of a 10% increase in the capitation grant to primary schools. [23189/16] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): In the period 2011 to 2015 the capitation and related grants for primary schools were reduced by just over 11% in aggregate. The estimated cost of restoring capitation and related grants to primary schools to pre -2011 levels would be circa €21m. Each 1% increase in capitation and related grants for primary schools would cost approx. €1.9m. and therefore a 10% increase would cost approx. €19m. In relation to capitation levels for future years, the recently published Programme for a Partnership Government commits to investing an extra €500m in education by 2021 through various measures including annual increases in primary and secondary capitation rates. It also provides for additional capitation funding linked to the availability of afterschool care options, where demand exists and the setting out of capitation rates to schools on a rolling 3-year basis. The commitments in the Programme, including to increase capitation funding, will be considered in the context of the budgetary process. 3.6 Traveller Education Deputy Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fáil – Meath East) asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on restoring the visiting teacher service for Travellers; and the cost of restoring this programme to primary and post-primary schools. [23205/16]

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Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): My Department's policy in relation to Traveller Education is informed by the Report and Recommendations for a Traveller Education Strategy which was launched in 2006, following wide ranging consultation with Traveller representative groups and other relevant stakeholders. The principle of inclusion is at the core of the Strategy. The focus of both current and future provision is on the development of an inclusive school environment through the whole school planning process, teaching practice, admissions policies, codes of behaviour and whole school evaluation. In keeping with this principle, additional resources provided in the education system for children are allocated on the basis of identified individual educational need. This includes Traveller children who require additional resources based on need and not on their identity as Travellers. Segregated Traveller specific programmes such as the Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers were phased out in line with the principle of inclusion. I don't intend to restore a programme based on a child's identify and not their educational needs. 3.7 School Guidelines on Obesity Deputy Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fáil – Meath East) asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied with the guidelines on healthy, tasty and nutritious foods in primary schools; and if he will consider issuing a circular banning vending machines stocking sugary drinks, crisps and chocolate from vending machines in schools. [23208/16] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): In the 2012 Lifeskills Survey, 99.7% of respondent primary schools reported that they do not facilitate the sale of fizzy drinks, sweets and crisps in school, either through vending machines or a school shop. The 2015 Lifeskills survey is currently being analysed, and the results will be available shortly. It is not my intention to legislate on the issue of vending machines. As Minister for Education and Skills I do not have the authority to dictate to schools in this manner. Schools are generally privately managed institutions which, although largely funded by the State, are relatively autonomous. Circular 0013/2016 on healthy lifestyles was developed in consultation with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. It aims to support and strengthen primary schools efforts in developing in young people the skills and attitudes needed to make informed decisions about their health. All of the proactive work done in schools complements the Government's Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013 - 2025 - Healthy Ireland. Schools can do so much but it is through working together, across Government departments, through families and communities that we can create an environment in which our young people have the knowledge, skills and resilience to choose to lead a healthy life. 3.8 Irish Language Deputy Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fáil – Meath East) asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of non-Gaelscoileanna schools that offer access to Irish language partial immersion programmes, where 50% of subjects are taught through the Irish language; and if his Department offers any support or funding to schools to increase access to such programmes. [23210/16] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): There are 3262 primary schools, including special schools, in the country. Of these 2847 are English medium schools, 248 are Irish medium schools and 29 teach partially through Irish. At post primary there are 735 schools in total. Of these 665 are English medium schools 48 are Irish medium schools. There are 13 schools where some pupils are

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taught all subjects through Irish and 9 schools where some pupils are taught some subject through Irish. The Department is not is a position to give the precise percentage of time devoted to teaching through Irish. A new more mainstreamed approach, to that set out in the 20 Year Strategy on the Irish language, is being adopted by the Department in relation to language teaching and the embedding of language skills in our primary schools. In fact, a new language curriculum has been prepared by the NCCA for junior infants to second classes. It includes both English and Irish. It will be introduced to these primary pupils from next September. There is a curriculum prepared for English medium schools where English is the main language of instruction and Irish is the second language. There is also a curriculum for Irish medium schools where Irish is the main language of instruction and English is the second language. The role of immersion education is being considered in the context of the new Policy on Gaeltacht Education that is currently being finalised. Guidance on the use of CLIL (content and language integrated learning) is included in the materials developed by the NCCA to support the implementation of the new Primary language curriculum for infants to second classes. This will be introduced to primary schools from September 2016. A comprehensive continuing professional development programme is in place to support the implementation of the new primary language curriculum. Teachers are, as part of this professional development, receiving advice on the use of different methodologies to teach Irish and to use Irish as the medium of instruction, whether they are in English medium or Irish medium schools. 3.9 Living Wage 218. Deputy Niall Collins (Fianna Fáil – Limerick County) asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of implementing a living wage of €11.50 for all employees directly employed or in agencies funded by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24159/16] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): The data requested by the Deputy are not collected or collated by my Department. There are over 3,700 individual employers in the education and training sector. 3.10 Living Wage Deputy Niall Collins (Fianna Fáil – Limerick County) asked the Minister for Education and Skills the discussions his Department has had with suppliers or service contractors to his Department or to agencies of his Department to ensure that employees of such suppliers and contractors are paid the living wage of €11.50 per hour; the cost of implementing this wage for these employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24174/16] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): For the Deputy's information, the Living Wage is a voluntary societal initiative centred on the social, business and economic case to ensure that, wherever it can be afforded, employers will pay a rate of pay that provides an income that is sufficient to meet an individual's basic needs, such as housing, food, clothing, transport and healthcare. The Living Wage is voluntary and has no legislative basis and is therefore not a statutory entitlement. Consequently this condition is not imposed on suppliers or contractors and contract discussions are not held on this specific issue. It differs from the National Minimum Wage which is a statutory entitlement and has a legislative basis. The Low Pay Commission was established to annually assess the appropriate level of the National Minimum Wage. The national minimum hourly rate

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of pay increased on 1 January 2016 following Government acceptance of the Low Pay Commission recommendation of July 2015. Separately, wage rates and other conditions of employment are provided for in Employment Regulation Orders for the Contract Cleaning and Security sectors.

4. Questions to the Minister for Health 4.1 Obesity Strategy Deputy Niamh Smyth (Fianna Fáil – Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Health his plans to tackle obesity within school children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23559/16] Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy): Childhood obesity is a major public health issue. In Ireland one in four children is currently either overweight or obese. Overweight and obesity are conditions which develop over a number of years and obesity tends to track into adulthood. Overweight and obesity are not just about the shape or size of the individual. These conditions are associated strongly with chronic diseases such as Type II Diabetes, certain cancers, chronic heart and circulation diseases, musculoskeletal problems and mental health problems. The causes, risk factors and determinants of overweight and obesity are multiple and it is not simply over eating or/and lack of exercise. These risk factors include access and availability of affordable healthy food, safe exercise and leisure activity and facilities, cultural and social norms, education and skills, genetic and biological factors as well as individual lifestyle choices. The Department of Health has finalised ‘A Healthy Weight for Ireland - Obesity Policy and Action Plan, 2016-2025’ which sets an ambitious but realistic target of reversing the current trends of childhood overweight and obesity. The principles of the Policy are based on the Healthy Ireland Framework. It takes a whole of Government and a whole of society approach where every sector is making a valuable contribution to prevent and reduce the current levels. It is based on best available evidence and benefited greatly from an extensive process of consultation with children and young people. The Policy will be launched later in the year. 4.2 Traveller Community Deputy Billy Kelleher (Fianna Fáil – Cork North-Central) asked the Minister for Health if each Traveller health unit has developed a three to five year action plan based on identified priorities within their respective catchment. [24096/16] Deputy Billy Kelleher (Fianna Fáil – Cork North-Central) asked the Minister for Health for details of the HSE review of arrangements in respect of addressing Traveller and Roma health needs in line with new community healthcare organisation, CHO, structures and processes; the findings of the review; the recommendations of same; and the timeframe for implementation. [24097/16] Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Catherine Byrne): I propose to take Questions Nos. 668 and 669 together. As these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

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5. Questions to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government 5.1 Traveller Accommodation Deputy Jonathan O'Brien (Sinn Féin – Cork North-Central) asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to outline the report of the fire authority on health and safety at Traveller accommodation sites; if all local authorities completed and returned their reports on same; the conclusions drawn from these reports and any impact on the Traveller accommodation budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22385/16] Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Simon Coveney): A Report on the Programme to Review and Enhance Fire Safety in local authority provided Traveller Accommodation is in the final stages of preparation by my Department’s Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management. The programme was initiated in the aftermath of the fire tragedy in Carrickmines, Dublin on 10 October, 2015. All local authorities completed and returned their individual reports, which will be collated in the National Report. From the outset of the project, a collaborative approach, which incorporated the concerns, views, advice and knowledge of Travellers and Traveller Organisations was adopted, working together in a National Steering Group with fire safety professionals in the local authority fire service and staff in local authority housing departments. The report will provide relevant back ground information and describe the methodology adopted for the task of auditing local authority provided Traveller accommodation against appropriate fire safety benchmarks which were set out in the Guide to Fire Safety in Existing Traveller Accommodation. This review process has focussed on the fire safety measures which are perceived to be the most effective in protecting life safety among the Traveller community. Three specific issues were identified from an early stage: - The absence of smoke alarms which would alert sleeping families to the dangers of fire at an early stage and enable them to evacuate quickly; - The danger posed in multi-unit accommodation by the layout of units where a fire in one could prevent people from another unit escaping to safety; - The dangers of fire (and electrocution) posed by inappropriate extension of electrical connections between units. The report will describe the extent to which the process has seen improvement works carried out to address the above key issues and a range of other fire safety factors. In addition to the physical works, the report will describe a parallel programme of “community fire safety” which has been undertaken incorporating training for key workers and engagement with community groups on fire safety awareness. Fire services have also carried out “Pre-Incident Planning” visits to ensure familiarity with the location of Traveller accommodation and to deal with access and water supply issues in case of response to future fire incidents. It is expected that, when the National Steering Group has reviewed the draft report, it will include a number of conclusions and recommendations to clarify recommended approaches and to ensure the issue of fire safety in Traveller accommodation is embedded into future work programmes.

6. Questions to the Minister for Social Protection 6.1 Qualified Child Increase Payments Deputy Willie O'Dea (Fianna Fáil – Limerick City) asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost in 2017 of increasing the qualified child increase by €2, €3 and €5, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22357/16] 19

Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Leo Varadkar): The estimated full year cost in 2017 of increasing the qualified child increase by €2.00, €3.00, and €5.00 per week is €39.5 million, €59.3 million and €98.8 million respectively. These costings include the cost of increasing the back to work family dividend (BtWFD) by the same respective weekly increase. The rates of the BtWFD payment are currently equivalent to the full and half rates of the qualified child increase. These costs are on a full year basis and assume that, where relevant, each increase is implemented from the beginning of January. It should be noted that these costings relate to 2017 and are subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2017. 6.2 Maternity Benefit Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Sinn Féin – Cork South-Central) asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full combined cost of increasing maternity benefit by €20, €30, €40, and €50 per week; while extending maternity benefit by two, three, four and five weeks in tabular form [23153/16] Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Leo Varadkar): Maternity Benefit is a payment made for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed pregnant women who satisfy certain pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions in order to avoid the need for them to work pre and post-delivery of their baby. The original scheme was introduced in 1970 and was extended to include self-employed mothers with effect from June 1997. It is currently estimated that next year my Department will spend approximately €252 million on Maternity Benefit in respect of an average of 20,500 recipients per week. The table below estimates the additional cost, over and above the current estimated expenditure on Maternity Benefit in 2017. The additional costs include increasing the weekly rate of Maternity Benefit above the current weekly rate of €230 and simultaneously increasing the duration of Maternity Benefit above its current 26 week duration. Increase the Additional 1 Additional 2 Additional 3 Additional 4 Additional weekly rate 5 of Maternity week in 2017 weeks in weeks in weeks in weeks in Benefit from 2017 2017 2017 2017 €230 to: €m €m €m €m €m €240.00 21 31 41 51 61 €250.00 32 42 53 63 74 €260.00 43 54 65 76 87 €270.00 54 65 77 88 99 €280.00 65 77 88 100 112 Any changes to the rate or duration of Maternity Benefit could also have implications for Adoptive Benefit, Health and Safety Benefit and Paternity Benefit. Revised figures for these schemes are not included in the costings above. These estimated costings are on a full year basis and assume that the increase is implemented from the beginning of January 2017. It should be noted that these costings relate to 2017 and are subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2017.

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7. Questions to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation 7.1 Action Plan for Jobs Deputy Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fáil – Sligo-Leitrim) asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans in place to tackle unemployment in rural Ireland in view of the delay in awarding of contracts under the national broadband plan. [22536/16] Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor): The Regional Action Plans for Jobs developed by my Department place a strong emphasis on the importance of access to high speed broadband. Broadband communications is an essential underpinning for entrepreneurship, for trade and for attracting investment in the digital economy. The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the delivery of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) so that every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland has access to high speed services. The Government has moved quickly on the procurement process. The current schedule envisages contract(s) award in June 2017. My Department, agencies and the Local Enterprise Offices will continue to work with other Departments and stakeholders to ensure that the full potential of high speed broadband can be realised for job creation in all parts of the country. Through the LEOs we will continue to support entrepreneurship and business growth in all areas of the country. We will also continue to promote the On-line Vouchers which are available to businesses to develop their ICT and ecommerce capabilities. My Department is also working with the Department of Education and Skills on a review of the ICT Skills Action Plan. The ICT Action Plan has placed a strong focus on providing training for the unemployed to take advantage of job openings in ICT related areas throughout the country. 7.2 Low Pay Deputy Maurice Quinlivan (Sinn Féin – Limerick City) asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the assertion on page 3 of the Summer Economic Statement that the Government will improve the take home pay of families on low incomes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22824/16] Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Pat Breen): This Government is committed to a ensuring that the fruits of economic recovery will be used to reduce inequality and poverty, to a just and fair society and a more inclusive prosperity. The amount a worker is paid will go a long way towards achieving this. In that regard the Low Pay Commission has been tasked with, on an annual basis, examining and making recommendations on the national minimum wage. The national minimum hourly rate of pay increased to €9.15 per hour on January 1 this year following Government acceptance of the Low Pay Commission recommendation of July 2015 to increase the rate from €8.65 per hour. The Commission’s second report on the national minimum wage was submitted to Government yesterday and the recommendation made by the Commission that the national minimum hourly rate be increased by 10 cents to €9.25 will be considered by Government in the context of Budget 2017. The Programme for Partnership Government contains a commitment to develop a new Working Family Payment targeted at low-income families. I am informed that over the course of the next six months, my colleague the Minister for Social Protection will develop proposals for this new payment. I am also informed that in doing so, the Minister will be guided by two principles. Firstly, that the payment should ensure that work pays and that no family is better off on welfare than at work, and secondly, and of equal importance, that the payment has a positive effect on child poverty.

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As the deputy will appreciate, changes to the tax system can also have a significant impact on take home pay but these are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance. 7.3 Living Wage Deputy Gino Kenny (Anti-Austerity Alliance – People Before Profit – Dublin Mid West) asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to introduce a living wage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18801/16] Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Pat Breen): The Living Wage concept is grounded in the idea that a person’s wage should be sufficient to maintain a safe, decent standard of living. At an individual level the resources required to achieve a minimum essential standard of living is very dependent on family circumstances and thus the interaction of individual earnings with household income and State-provided supports such as Child Benefit, Family Income Supplement as well as supports available in relation to housing, education and health all contribute to an individual’s standard of living. It is important that Ireland’s statutory National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage concept are not conflated. The Living Wage is a voluntary societal initiative centred on the social, business and economic case to ensure that, wherever it can be afforded, employers will pay a rate of pay that provides an income that is sufficient to meet an individual’s basic needs, such as housing, food, clothing, transport and healthcare. The Living Wage is voluntary and has no legislative basis and is therefore not a statutory entitlement. It is different to the National Minimum Wage which is a statutory entitlement and has a legislative basis. The Low Pay Commission was established last year and its primary function is to, on an annual basis, examine and make recommendations on the national minimum wage, with a view to securing that the national minimum wage, where adjusted, is adjusted incrementally over time having had regard to changes in earnings, productivity, overall competitiveness and the likely impact any adjustment will have on employment and unemployment levels. The Commission presented its first report in July 2015 in which it recommended an increase of 50 cents per hour to the minimum hourly rate bringing it to €9.15. That increase, which was accepted by Government, came into effect on 1st January last. The Commission presented its second report before the statutory deadline of 19th July 2016, which, in line with the practice established last year, is provided to Government and published immediately thereafter. 7.4 UK Referendum on EU Membership Deputy James Lawless (Fianna Fáil – Kildare North) asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures and contingency plans both her Department and the enterprise agencies under her remit have to deal with the future changing trading relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom; her Department and enterprise agencies' plans to keep all international business stakeholders and investors here fully informed of the commitment to the European Union; the timescale for these plans and measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22771/16] Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor): Government has a clear plan in place to respond to the referendum outcome and has a Contingency Framework which maps the key issues that will be most important to Ireland in the coming weeks, months and years, including the future changing trading relationship between the UK and Ireland. A summary of the key actions that will be taken to address the contingencies arising from the UK’s decision has been published.

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As outlined previously, my own Department has been, and will continue to be, fully engaged in the risk analysis and contingency planning work that is being undertaken at cross-Government level, led by the Department of the Taoiseach. Since the announcement of the UK referendum result on 24 June, as part of my contingency plans, I have established a Coordination Group within my Department consisting of relevant enterprise, single market, and trade officials, together with the Chief Executive Officers of IDA and Enterprise Ireland, to oversee the management of our immediate response, including the messaging to businesses both at home and overseas. I chair this Group, and I will continue to do so as part of my Department’s ongoing response as developments unfold at EU level and bilaterally with the UK. Also on that day, I met with representative business organisations, including IBEC, ISME, the SFA, and the Irish Exporters Association, to provide an update on immediate responses to reassure business in the aftermath of the result. Since then, I have had meetings with a range of other representative organisations, including American Chamber of Commerce Ireland (AmCham), Dublin Chamber of Commerce, and the Irish Farmers Association. I have also written to my newly-appointed counterparts in the new UK Government – Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for International Trade, and Greg Clark, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – to confirm my intention to work together with them as the upcoming negotiations develop, and to request an early opportunity to discuss our priorities. In addition, the enterprise agencies under my remit will continue to deliver on their commitment to supporting business and jobs in this period of heightened uncertainty. In this regard, on the day after the referendum result, the CEO of IDA Ireland, wrote to the 1,200 Foreign Direct Investment companies who have operations in this country. That contact was designed to reassure those companies regarding Ireland’s ongoing commitment to the EU and on our commitment to FDI. He reassured those companies that the IDA will work with them to help sustain their existing business in Ireland and to grow additional business opportunities here. Engagements by the IDA both with their existing client companies and with new prospective investors, on issues arising as a result of the UK Referendum will, of course, continue on an ongoing basis. Ireland’s commitment to our membership of the European Union, which provides for full access to that market for businesses located in this country, and our specific advantages for inward investment, will be highlighted by my Department and by the IDA at every opportunity. Earlier this month, Enterprise Ireland reported that its client companies saw an increase of 10% in exports in 2015 amounting to an all-time high of €20.6bn. The export figure is now almost double what it was 10 years ago (€10.73bn in 2005). As regards the UK vote to leave the European Union, and the importance of the UK market, EI client exports to the UK increased by 12% last year to reach €7.5bn. Significantly however, in the context of Brexit, UK exports, as a share of total exports, have reduced from 45% to 37% over the period 2005 to 2015 as EI clients have diversified their export base. High Growth Markets (e.g. China, Brazil, etc.) have continued to increase in importance over the past 10 years and now account for 12% of total exports compared to 7% in 2005. Despite the continued diversification of the Enterprise Ireland client export base, the UK’s vote to leave the EU will present significant new challenges for Irish companies exporting to the UK. In response, Enterprise Ireland has begun its plans to support clients exporting to the UK, including: 1. Information and Guidance: Enterprise Ireland will run an information campaign including: practical guides, online information and webinars, an updated UK market access guide and regional

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seminars in Ireland and the UK. Further details are available at www.enterprise- ireland.com/brexit. 2. UK Market Support: Enterprise Ireland's UK team will support clients to identify key business opportunities in the short and medium terms. They will also provide advice and support on responding to the implications of Brexit such as improving competitiveness and reducing supply chain costs. 3. Competitiveness and Market Development Supports: Enterprise Ireland will intensify its work with clients, to improve their competitiveness in the market, through its management capability and development programmes. 4. Market Diversification Support: Enterprise Ireland will intensify its strategy of supporting clients to diversify into new markets. As part of this strategy, Enterprise Ireland will intensify its International Trade & Investment events schedule for the rest of 2016 to include trade missions and events to Northern Europe, USA, China, India and other high growth markets. 5. International Sector Clustering Strategy: Enterprise Ireland will expand its focus on promoting Irish sectoral cluster capabilities in key sectors to international buyers in growth markets including Northern Europe, USA and Asia Pacific. Regarding specific North South Enterprise development issues, my Department co- funds InterTrade Ireland the Cross Border body which operates a range of programmes to develop businesses on a cross border basis.. The cross-border market on the island is a particularly important for small firms with nearly two thirds of NI small firm exports going South and one sixth of Ireland’s small firm exports going North. Already the Body has published a factsheet for companies providing helpful information on this issue. In the short term InterTrade Ireland is planning to make information available to SMEs on any changes that could affect cross-border trade. It will also keep abreast of business needs and challenges through its Business Monitor survey process so that it is in a position to respond quickly to business concerns. Ireland will be working closely with the UK and other EU member States to ensure that any potential disruption to trade and investment is minimised. We will continue to support the EU in creating open markets and will endeavour to ensure that our interests are to the fore in future negotiations with the UK. We will also continue to make the most effective use of the framework of bilateral trade agreements and multi-sectoral trade agreements that the EU already has in place under the World Trade Organisation, and to support the opening of new markets through the EU.

8. News releases and articles

Department of Children and Youth Affairs First National LGBT Strategy for Young People Children & Youth Affairs Minister Katherine Zappone has announced that her Department is to lead the development of Ireland first national Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Strategy for young people http://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/News- Room/News/First_National_LGBT_Strategy_for_Young_People.html

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Publication of Reports of Education-focused Inspection in Early-Years Settings participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme The first reports of education-focused inspections in pre-schools participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme implemented by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs were published by the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills. These inspections examine the quality of pre-schools’ provision for children’s learning and report on the standards of young children’s learning in the early years’ settings. They provide information to parents about how well pre-schools are providing suitable learning experiences for young children and how well children’s needs are being met by pre-school staff. The clear, easy-to-read reports are available on the DES website, www.education.ie and on the DCYA website, www.dcya.ie The full press release can be accessed via the following link: http://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?Docid=3813&CatID=11&mn=&StartDate=1 +January+2016 €6.5m investment for major childcare expansion 60,000 extra children to avail of free services starting in September Statement by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone, TD Dr Katherine Zappone, TD has announced that more than €6.5m in capital funding has been allocated through the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to 1,006 pre-school providers nationwide. This represents an increase of over 2.5m on the amount of €4m announced for this programme in February 2016. Grants of up to €10,000 per provider are being provided. The funding being made available today is specifically for pre-school providers – both community/not-for-profit and private providers – who want to expand their services to cater for more children from September 2016. The grants that are being awarded may be used to cover the following:  Build / fit out / refurbishment of an additional room /extension;  Minor building alterations; and  Costs for additional play equipment (to a maximum of €5,000) to facilitate an increase in childcare places. This Department of Children and Youth Affairs, with the assistance of Pobal, invited applications from all services contracted to deliver its various childcare programmes. All submitted applications were considered in order to find those that most closely and completely met the criteria and objectives of the programme. http://www.dcya.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?Docid=3819&CatID=11&mn=&StartDate=1+Jan uary+2016

Department of Education and Skills New law to make school admissions easier for children and parents – Bruton Education Minister Richard Bruton has announced approval for the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016. http://merrionstreet.ie/en/News- Room/News/New_law_to_make_school_admissions_easier_for_children_parents_– _Bruton.html

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Minister Bruton welcomes the report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education Education Minister Richard Bruton has welcomed the Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education. http://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/News- Room/News/Minister_Bruton_welcomes_the_report_of_the_Expert_Group_on_Futur e_Funding_for_Higher_Education.html Public Private Partnership to deliver over 4,500 school places Education Minister Richard Bruton has announced the signing of the contracts for the commencement of building works in respect of Bundle 5 of the Government’s Public Private Partnership Programme. This programme, announced as part of the Government’s Stimulus Package measures of July 2012, provides for the construction of four new post-primary school projects and one new primary school project. http://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/News- Room/News/Public_Private_Partnership_to_deliver_over_4_500_school_places.html Bruton commences Fitness to Teach Education Minister Richard Bruton has commenced the Fitness to Teach provisions of the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015. This means that for the first time, any person, including a member of the public, an employer or a teacher will be able to make a complaint to the Teaching Council about a registered teacher. Complaints will be possible under a number of headings, including professional misconduct or poor professional performance. http://merrionstreet.ie/en/News- Room/News/Bruton_commences_Fitness_to_Teach_.html

Department of Health Minister McEntee establishes a community-led taskforce to take action to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Ireland http://health.gov.ie/blog/press-release/minister-mcentee-establishes-a-community- led-taskforce-to-take-action-to-improve-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-of-children- and-young-people-in-ireland/

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Low Pay Commission recommends increase in national minimum wage The Low Pay Commission is recommending an increase in the national minimum wage of 10 cents per hour. In its second report a majority of the members of the Commission recommend that the appropriate rate of the national minimum wage should rise to €9.25 per hour. The current rate of the minimum wage is €9.15. The minimum wage was last increased on 1st January 2016, following Government acceptance of the Low Pay Commission’s first recommendation, made in July 2015, that the rate increase by 50 cents an hour from €8.65. http://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/News- Room/News/Low_Pay_Commission_recommends_increase_in_national_minimum_ wage_.html

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Department of Social Protection Campaign launched to encourage parents to sign up for Paternity Benefit A national awareness campaign urging prospective parents to register for Paternity Benefit and explaining how to apply has been launched by Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar. The campaign kicks off on social media this week in advance of Paternity Benefit becoming available on September 1st. Paternity Benefit will be paid at a rate of €230 a week for two weeks, to both employees and the self-employed. More information on the scheme is available at www.welfare.ie/paternitybenefit or by calling 1890 66 22 44. - See more at: http://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/News The awareness campaign informs prospective parents that they require a Public Service Card in order to apply for Paternity Benefit. And if they are an employee, they need to give four weeks’ notice to their employer to qualify for the accompanying Paternity Leave. http://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/News- Room/News/Campaign_launched_to_encourage_prospective_parents_to_sign_up_f or_Paternity_Benefit.html

Please also feel free to share this briefing with colleagues, staff, members and parents/carers. For any further information, comments or suggestions in relation to any of the above items please feel free to contact: Noel McAllister (noelm@early- years.org).

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