The Deputy is correct that staffing is a key issue but I also think engagement with parents and how the relationship between the HSE and parents is managed is an issue. In far too many areas, whether in Wexford or Dublin 15, there is an intensely confrontational environment. Parents have become frustrated because they have been let down. We need to change that. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I have been working on this progressing disability services roadmap. We recognise that CDNTs are in place and th…

A commitment was made in the programme for Government to replace the current system of accommodation for international protection applicants with a new model based on a not-for-profit approach. As the Deputy knows, I published a White Paper on Ending Direct Provision in February last year. This White Paper outlines the new model of accommodation, particularly the supports that will be offered to applicants for international protection. It was the result of an extensive engagement process across Government and State…

The Deputy indicated that many of the properties would fail standards. Let us see how these inspections proceed because, as I said, HIQA will be supporting the properties it engages with in terms of setting out what the standards. There is going to be a supportive process to ensure that properties we are providing meet the standards HIQA is monitoring. The Deputy is correct that everyone in tented accommodation will be moved out of it in the next few weeks. That is something everyone will welcome. Some 310 people h…

That is why it is important that the Department has the capacity to proactively undertake inspections in respect of international protection accommodation and accommodation for people from Ukraine and to be able to react where a complaint is raised in order that we can go out and respond to it. That is why, as well as bringing in HIQA, I am also looking to further extend our inspection capacity. That can provide a degree of reassurance to everybody. As the Deputy says, we have very significant reliance on the priva…

I am cognisant of the potential impact on the tourism industry arising from the number of contracts my Department has entered into to meet our responsibility to provide accommodation to beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive and international protection. Regular meetings take place between my officials and the relevant Department and Fáilte Ireland to share learnings and discuss ideas as we continue to respond to the challenge of procuring enough accommodation to meet demand. My Department is grateful …

The Deputy referred to 76% of hotel beds being used, but only 22% or 23% of hotel beds are being used for Ukrainians at the moment.

Those are the figures we get from Tourism Ireland. It is 22% or 23%, not 76%.

That is not accurate.

I thank Senators for bringing attention to this important issue both today, in the context of the motion the Leader has brought forward with support across the House, and since I first took up this role. I refer, in particular, to the engagement from Senator Ruane. I am very glad that Mick Finnegan can join us today. We would not be here but for his bravery. I want to put that on the record. The Charities Regulator, which is under the aegis of the Department of Rural and Community Development, is Ireland's statutor…

The Deputy is right that it is good for us to be clear on these things. I accept that there is a challenge for the tourism industry here. I absolutely understand it. We are looking to diversify where we are accommodating displaced persons from Ukraine. That is why we are bringing modular accommodation, vacant homes and the refurbishment of homes into play. That will operate to support diversification and a move away from the reliance on hotel accommodation. Work in this regard is ongoing. It is important to remembe…

I thank the Deputy. It is indicative of the real fears which Ukrainians have that they will make this journey here irrespective of the uncertainty of the accommodation situation they will have when they arrive here. It is indicative of their fears for themselves and for their families that they do so because they are in a wartime situation. There are missiles falling on civilian targets all over Ukraine and that is why people come here, even if they end up in tented accommodation in Gormanston or sometimes sleeping…

I thank the Deputy for this question. The operational challenges in responding to conflict are very significant and all Departments and agencies contribute to meeting the welfare needs and integration of Ukrainian displaced persons into communities. As a country, we have responded well in assisting those and we will continue to work across Government to do that. As the Deputy will know, the Department of the Taoiseach chairs a senior officials group, SOG, who meet weekly to consider all issues to do with the accomm…

I will follow up on the specific issue of the PPS numbers. I have always recognised that the scale of the challenge and increase in international protection, IP, numbers is putting pressure on the system. One cannot have that number of people arrive in a country in a crisis situation without pressures. There will be times when the system will not work as quickly as it should. I understand that and it causes frustration both for those Ukrainian and international protection applicants who are not receiving services a…

There is nothing that the Deputy has said there that I can disagree with. I am happy to look into that and to see what we can do to expedite the process in that particular situation. Following up on this issue, and I do not need to tell the Deputy this, but the reason we are under pressure is because of the scale of the war and of its ongoing nature. Many of us in this House thought that our response would be a short-term one over a number of weeks. That is not the case and even when we see Ukrainian forces in the …

I understand that the Deputy is not. I will follow up on the specific point of the PPS numbers raised by the Deputy.

Together for better is the new funding model that supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good. It was recommended by an expert group, adopted by the Government, and has been widely welcomed by representative groups advocating for parents, children, the workforce and providers. To date, 93% of providers - well over 4,100 - have signed up. Of those, 984 are in the Dublin area. While the large majority of representative groups and individual providers have embraced core funding, I am disa…

We are up to 85% take-up of core funding now in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. That is continuing to grow, which is very positive. I know that is still slightly below the national level, but it is still a very significant level of take-up. The Deputy spoke to the disruption to parents and to children's learning from these closures. Again, I just do not believe they are necessary. I am always open to working with people. I have engaged extensively throughout Covid. My Department was extremely reactive in respect of Covid, …

It is a diverse sector and we want to continue that diversity. That is why we are looking to put the ECCE programme on a statutory basis. That way there will continue to be a strong role for ECCE-only providers because that is what some parents want. In respect of the slightly lower sign-up rate in the Deputy's area, and indeed in my area, ultimately, many of the providers remain in the private sector and they make a determination as to whether they contract with us. We are not going with a takeover model. We are a…

It is indeed a good follow-up. In budget 2023, I introduced major reforms to the national childcare scheme, NCS, which will substantially improve the affordability of early learning and childcare for families. I secured additional funding of €121 million to be allocated to the NCS from 1 January of next year in order that all families accessing registered early learning and childcare will receive a minimum hourly subsidy of €1.40 off the cost of early learning and childcare. The increase in the minimum hourly subsi…

That is a fair question. They will feel it in January. That is when the NCS changes will come in. There was some discussion on whether we should phase them in and go from 50 cent to €1 in January and a bit more later on, but the whole thing is coming in from January. That is good for parents in that they will get the immediate benefit of what is on average a cut of 25% from January 2023. It is also good for providers, because when we increase the NCS subsidy, it causes additional work for providers. They have to ch…