Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

That is very good. I am glad it has been seen to deliver in Carlow.

In terms of the targeted stream for the disadvantaged, that is something my Department is very clear it wants to advance. That is not provided for in this year's Estimate so it is something we will look to bring forward in budget 2024. There is a piece of work being undertaken by my Department to ascertain how exactly it will operate, what will it look like, and how we assess and support disadvantage in all areas. There can be a childcare facility in area of affluence but it may have a number of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are also looking at the AIM. This model currently supports children in accessing the ECCE programme, which offers two years of free preschool, but it does not support them in accessing childcare outside of that. We are looking at how we can broaden AIM in order that more children with a disability can avail of larger amounts of early learning supports and care. Again, we hope to be in a position to bring some proposals forward in next year's budget in terms of broadening that.

One of the most direct ways my Department supports trans citizens is through the LGBTI+ funding it provides. It supports organisations like the Transgender Equality Network Ireland, TENI, which support the trans community. Healthcare is obviously the most crucial area there. I chair the LGBTI+ strategy committee, the members of which have been very focused on the issue of a trans healthcare both for those under and over 18 years of age. I have met with representatives of the Healthy Living Centre, HLC, on this on a number of occasions. There is work taking place to develop our own under-18 services here. That is really important. It comes back to a recruitment issue. It is hard to get the right specialists, particularly a lead psychiatric consultant in this field who would have the requisite skills to be able to lead a service. The HSE has now gone abroad and is looking to recruit there as well.

In terms of the White Paper, obviously we are looking at the three main elements, which are accommodation, supports and integration. The focus now in accommodation is on the delivery of the phase 1 reception and integration centres. We badly need to increase the amount of State-owned accommodation. My Department is far too reliant on the private sector in terms of international protection accommodation and I say that very clearly. It is going to have to build or purchase such accommodation. We are focusing on design in phase 1 of these reception and integration centres in order to have much better control over the quality and the standards within the accommodation. We are also working on the two other elements as well. Regarding the integration element, my Department will be funding two integration officers in local authorities around the country this year. I think they will work with both Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection and international protection applicants. We have an integration fund of over €1 million that is supporting approximately 67 different projects around the country. In terms of supports, HIQA will be undertaking inspection and monitoring of direct provision centres. Again, we are getting a State-recognised organisation to look at the standards being implemented there.

I will conclude by speaking about the engagement between my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is doing a piece of work to establish how large residential buildings that need a significant amount of refurbishment work can be assessed to see if there is value for money in bringing them forward and how that work can actually be undertaken. My Department does not have the skills and expertise to undertake refurbishments on buildings. By and large, we have taken buildings that were ready to occupy. That work is being led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I know that in recent months, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has brought in Conn Murray, who is a former chief executive of Limerick County and City Council, to assist in that work.