110. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will bring forward the review into the mother and baby institutions payment scheme due to be completed next year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8179/25]
Sentiment score: 0.01
I ask the Minister about the mother and baby institutions payment scheme, the review due to take place by mid-2026 and the issues raised, particularly around those excluded from that scheme. Will the Minister bring forward that review?
Sentiment score: -0.20
I thank the Minister for that. There are a couple issues here I had raised with the Minister's predecessor in terms of the scheme. The number of applicants applying and the number of payments issued to date have been quite low. That is dependent on the number applying, so clearly more work needs to be done on that messaging and communication. I know that is being done abroad but it needs to be looked at again. Approximately 34,000 people are eligible to apply. To date, just over 6,100 people have applied to the scheme. Regarding those institutions that are excluded, I found that quite odd. The exclusion of the institutions has been based on a list that was investigated by the commission of investigation. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has stated this is flawed in terms of the institutions that are excluded. It is very hard to tell people that because they were not in a particular institution, they do not get the support. Those excluded institutions is what I would like looked at in particular.
Sentiment score: -0.08
I thank the Minister. On the figures, I chaired the committee meeting last year in which Revised Estimates were gone through and there was an underspend of €158 million. It was listed as a saving and it was money brought back in this scheme. In fairness, it was expected a lot more would apply in the first year and that was fair enough. If there is such an underspend of the €100 million that is there for 2025, I really would ask that it would be looked at. I appreciate the reviews are there and are laid down in legislation but in the case of the institutions excluded, these survivors are passing away. They are not getting the opportunity to get the justice they deserve and many of them are being excluded from the scheme. I have told this story here before of meeting Michael Grant last year. He was a resident in Temple Hill from when he was four weeks old until he was one year old and then he was adopted. That institution is excluded from the scheme because it is deemed to be a hospital yet his mother paid 5 shillings a week to keep him there and he was adopted out of it. Therefore, it was not a hospital. He and others like him cannot get any justice, any support or anything from the scheme. If there is an underspend again this year, that really should be looked at.
Sentiment score: 0.05
112. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of children on waiting lists for an assessment of needs; the average waiting time; the measures she intends to take to tackle these waiting lists for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8180/25]
Sentiment score: 0.03
Before asking this question, I wish the Minister of State well in her new role because I did not have an opportunity to do so earlier. This question is to ask the Minister of State about the number of children on waiting lists for assessments of needs, the average waiting time for the children on the waiting lists and, more importantly, I suppose, the measures she intends to take to tackle these very long and record-level waiting lists.
Sentiment score: 0.40
On the very high figure of more than 14,000 children and the demand increase, this is fine and part of it, of course, is related to population. I would not say, though, that part of it is parents exploring all options for their children, particularly if they can go through the CDNTs without an assessment of need. We must be really careful in terms of the things we say concerning this matter because, for those children who are on a waiting list, and their parents especially, waiting and waiting is extremely stressful and worrying. The parents know the situation all the time as long as the child is waiting and waiting. We must be mindful too that the waiting list for an assessment of need is only step one. It is then typically necessary to move on to another list for whatever therapy is needed and children may actually end up on a number of waiting lists. We must, therefore, be very careful in terms of how we speak about the increase and what it means. If the Minister of State does have the opportunity, I would like if she could expand on her final comment on the AON administration hubs and what this means.
Sentiment score: 0.13
I thank the Minister of State for the reply. Regarding those on the waiting lists, and this is an issue I have written to the Minister of State about, I take the opportunity to flag a communication issued by the HSE to parents with a child or children on the waiting lists for assessments of needs in the last couple of weeks. It told parents that if they did not respond to say their child still wanted the assessment of needs and to remain on the waiting list by a certain date, they would be taken off the waiting list. I raise this issue here because parents are already under enough pressure. I do not think it is right for the HSE to put it back on parents. I have seen the communication. It states this action must be undertaken to progress the application, which really does not make any sense at all at all. These children are on the waiting list for the assessments of need. Parents should not be told their children will be taken off the waiting list if they do not respond to the HSE and confirm they want their children to remain on it. I would be concerned that children would be removed if this is what the HSE is doing. I have seen the communication. I ask the Minister of State to please ensure no child is removed from the waiting list for assessments of needs because their parent did not respond to this request from the HSE.
Sentiment score: 0.14
114. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will outline in relation to core funding, for each programme year, the total value of core funding, the amount allocated towards improving pay, and her Department's estimate of the cost to employers of implementing the employment regulation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8181/25]
Sentiment score: 0.20
I want to ask the Minister about the total value of core funding and the amount of it allocated to improving pay. That is very important because we know the issues with capacity whereby some providers have the physical space but they have to close rooms because they do not have the early years educators. We have an issue with recruitment and retention. Pay is key for staff and we must make sure the early years educators are paid properly.
Sentiment score: 0.25
I thank the Minister. The review into core funding in the programme for Government commitments is very important. I am concerned that the money being earmarked for pay is not being reflected in the pay deals. I spoke previously about my concern regarding the pay talks and the JLC process that is in place because of the way in which it is designed in terms of pay increases for early years educators. The last pay increase for early years educators amounted to 65 cent. It took 14 months to negotiate that and it ended up in the Labour Court because agreement could not be reached. My concern is about the level of funding and the percentage of core funding that is supposed to be earmarked for wages and pay, and what is coming out of that process, because it does not add up given the previous pay increase of 65 cent. I am concerned about the inefficient use of the money that was announced in the budget and how it comes to pass in terms of these talks.
Sentiment score: 0.14
I make the point again that if we want a functioning early years service for parents, children and the professionals who work in it, we have to get pay right. The JLC and pay talks granted, the last time, 65 cent, which to me is insulting, to the early years educators in the sector. If we do not get that right, we will continue to have issues with recruitment and retention and capacity. We already have about 30,000 children on waiting lists for places. In many cases, they are on waiting lists for places that do not exist and will not exist. It is not good enough, given the crisis we have in the early years sector, especially with the educators, to leave it to the JLC when it comes up with 65 cent for the early years educators, based on the fact we need a functioning early years sector for parents, children and for the professionals.
Sentiment score: -0.20