Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom mo fháilte a ghabháil as an seans páirt a ghlacadh sa díospóireacht thábhachtach anocht, díospóireacht fadúda na daoine óga atá faoi bhrú, na tuismitheoirí uilig atá faoi bhrú agus na teaghlaigh éagsúla atá faoi bhrú fosta. Is léir go bhfuil míbhuntáistí agus deacrachtaí ann agus táim tiomanta chuig an gcothromas a bheith ag achan duine ag iarraidh cuidiú agus deiseanna fáchoinne na daoine óga go háirithe. Chomh maith leis sin, is é mo bharúil ná go mbeidh níos mó obair de dhíth leis an gcomhoibriú agus leis an gcomhpháirtíocht trasna na Ranna Rialtais. Sa Teach seo, tá dualgas orainn uilig agus tá freagracht orainn uilig as an réiteach a fháil. Tiocfaimid le chéile agus sin an fáth gur ghlac mé leis an motion seo.

I thank Fianna Fáil for tabling this important and complex motion. The Government has decided it will accept it but I will clarify some of the issues raised within it. I accept it on the basis that this is a complex issue and much more work is needed on the co-ordination between Departments. While some of the work has already started, we must remain vigilant in this regard. We owe that to the young people and to their families struggling with this problem because education is what is left when everything else is forgotten.

Under the Government's Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, a significant number of initiatives continue to be implemented to address the range of complex issues in the housing sector arising from the economic downturn. Tackling homelessness remains a key priority for the Government. As the delivery and supply of much needed homes continues to ramp up, further emergency accommodation has been added to the system, including additional emergency beds and family hubs. The focus is on preventing as many families and individuals as possible from becoming homeless, while exiting those experiencing homelessness from emergency accommodation as quickly as possible.

Budget 2019 contained an allocation of €146 million for the provision of homeless accommodation and related services by local authorities. This is an increase of over 25% on the 2018 allocation. This funding will ensure that local authorities can provide the best possible supports to those individuals and families experiencing homelessness until they can be supported to move into homes.

The Government fully recognises the importance of an inclusive education system for all, a system which embraces all children equally, equips them with the skills necessary to live the best life possible, to contribute to society and to reach their full potential. I am aware that homelessness among families with schoolgoing children can impact on school attendance, participation and retention. I am committed to providing an education system which breaks down barriers for children to allow them to participate fully in education. I am also committed to a system which gives them every opportunity not only to attend school but to have every opportunity to nurture their talents and bring out the very best in them. I tried to capture this with an Irish word we used in our three-year action plan, "cumasú", access and full potential through empowerment. I fully recognise the constitutional right of every child to attend school. I acknowledge the teachers and principals in the schools dealing with this every day.

The Private Members’ motion contains several accurate statements about the effects of homelessness on children in the education context, particularly the fact the school can be the constant in their lives which can offer a place of security, friendship, support and familiarity, while, equally importantly, allowing them to continue their education. I acknowledge the research carried out by the Children’s Rights Alliance, CRA, in this regard. However, I also have several issues with the motion. It suggests that the Government has no policy to cater for the educational needs of children who are homeless or living in emergency accommodation. It also suggests that neither the Action Plan for Education nor my Department’s statement of strategy 2019 to 2021 deal with this issue. This is not correct. The statement of strategy specifically references that my Department works with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to support a co-ordinated approach to homelessness as part of the homeless inter-agency group. One of the goals of the statement of strategy is to advance the progress of learners at risk of educational disadvantage to support them to achieve their potential. This includes all children at risk of educational disadvantage, including those experiencing homelessness without labelling children unnecessarily.

The action plan for education 2019 sets out that innovative approaches to improving the outcomes for learners at greatest risk of educational disadvantage will be explored. Again, this includes all children.

I mentioned co-ordination. There is co-ordination but we can do more and do better. We can look at new ways of doing things. We are open to suggestion. The Private Members' motion also proposes that the homelessness inter-agency group should be expanded to include representatives from my Department. Late last year, my Department was invited to participate on this group and is now represented there. As part of this group, and in other settings, my officials have been working with officials from other Departments and agencies to address the challenges.

The motion also proposes ring-fenced funding for schools in order to provide for the needs of children experiencing homelessness through the academic year. The needs of children experiencing homelessness are many which is why the Government’s response to the current situation involves a co-ordinated approach across all Departments and agencies. A significant amount of supports are provided across a range of Departments and agencies.

Delivering Equality of Opportunities in Schools, DEIS, provides additional supports. The approach is premised on the rationale that additional the resources and supports allocated to schools are based on the level of concentrated disadvantage. I fully recognise that some children experiencing homelessness may not attend DEIS schools. However, the support services provided by the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, and supports from Tusla educational welfare officers are available to all schools. The motion calls on the Government to develop appropriate professional development training for teachers. NEPS psychologists are available to provide advice and guidance to principals and teachers in relation to individual students’ needs. My Department has introduced programmes for initial teacher education.

The motion also calls on the Government to explore whether the July education programme might be expanded. The July provision scheme was specifically introduced to provide for students with autism spectrum disorders. We are reviewing the programme to see if it can be expanded. I will keep the House updated on that. Summer programmes are available to children who are homeless through school completion and other mechanisms. I am also happy to explore new ways of doing this.

All Tusla educational welfare services are aware of the challenges faced by families experiencing homelessness. The educational welfare services work with schools to put supports in place to assist these families. Educational welfare officers also assist homeless families to access school places close to their temporary accommodation if the family request this.

The school meals programme operated by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefiting 250,000 children at a total cost of €57.6 million in 2019. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them.

I am sure that the House recognises the considerable suite of supports in place to support children experiencing homelessness in an educational context. That does not, in any way, diminish the very significant challenges faced by families and children who find themselves homeless. We know that emergency accommodation is simply that and can never be a substitute for a permanent home. As a Government, we are doing everything we can to improve housing supply while providing immediate-term supports for families.

I thank the Members for raising these issues. Their doing so has provided me with an opportunity to outline to the House the Government’s commitment to ensuring that children faced with educational disadvantage, including those children who are experiencing homelessness, are provided with every opportunity to participate in and flourish within the education system. We must continue to keep this matter live on the agenda. I thank Deputy Thomas Byrne and his colleagues for raising it this evening.

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