Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's statement and the measures he has announced in recent weeks. I welcome the announcement of youth funding of €67 million for 2021. In particular, I welcome the announcement of €968,490 for the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board. However, this allocation seems low compared with allocations in other areas. Will the Minister clarify the rationale for the difference in allocations to various education and training boards? I welcome the announcement of €12 million for national youth organisations and €2.25 million for the local youth club grant scheme. Although I welcome these announcements, it is my strong belief that the funds will not go far enough. In fact, the sums mentioned are inadequate.

As the Minister knows, I have constantly spoken out about mental health issues, in particular those facing our younger generation. Today's world places significant pressure on the younger generation and they need support now more than ever. The Covid pandemic has put them under further pressure. They have effectively been cooped up for the past 12 months and it is clear that this has caused serious mental health issues. As chairman of the GAA's Louth County Board, I know from first-hand experience the issues being faced by the younger generation in these times. Organisations like the GAA and others can only do so much. Will the Minister examine the funding announcements he has made in recent weeks to determine whether more can be done? These organisations need more support in terms of funding. This is a matter that the Minister needs to re-examine.

Childcare is an issue for many parents, particularly with the country in another lockdown. I know from dealing with matters in my constituency that parents are at breaking point. They feel let down by the Government. In many cases, they are being forced to work from home while also looking after their children. It is not feasible for many. Childcare is available to essential workers, but thousands of people are being forced to work from home with no childcare supports at all because they are not deemed essential. I appreciate that there is no easy answer, but the Government needs to do more for these workers. I know from speaking to special needs assistants that their childcare needs are forgotten about. When schools were to reopen in January, they had difficulty accessing childcare. School staff are now being advised to take parental leave or unpaid leave should they be unable to secure suitable childcare when schools reopen. That is wrong. School staff should be treated as essential workers when schools reopen. Will the Minister reconsider this matter? A simple solution would be to classify school staff as essential workers and give them the same supports as those already classified as such.

Another suggestion I would like to make is that all special education needs staff should get vaccinated as a matter of urgency. They often deal with children on a one-to-one basis.

Unfortunately, in many cases, they lack proper personal protective equipment. Will the Minister confirm whether this has been discussed at Cabinet? If not, will he give a commitment that he will bring it to his Cabinet colleagues? As I have stated, I have on numerous occasions spoken in the House about the mental health challenges faced by the younger generation. The lockdown has compounded the problem. If we look at what has happened, schools, community services, primary care, early year settings and even the homes of extended family and friends are no longer accessible to the younger generation. Can the Minister just imagine the effect this is having on them? They are without normal day-to-day interaction with their extended families. Their social gatherings are all but gone and unavailable, whether it be the local GAA club, soccer club or youth club. I fear what the long-term effects of this will be. I understand completely that we are living in unprecedented times but, at the same time, is the right thing to do to shut off the support chain completely for this generation?

Another aspect of the lockdown is the very worrying fact that Tusla has reported a significant drop in the number of children being referred while schools are closed. In the second week of January, the number of referrals dipped to 990 from the average of 1,500 a week. I am deeply concerned about this. I do not believe for one minute the actual number who need referral has reduced but that we are, in fact, missing upwards of 600 referrals a week. These are for the most part very vulnerable children who need support now. We need more action to address this. I know additional funding has been allocated to Tusla but it is obviously not enough. Is it simply the case that with schools being closed we will miss 600 weekly referrals to Tusla? This is not acceptable and we must address it now. I would like to hear the views of the Minister on this and what proposals he intends to introduce to address this serious and immediate problem.

I welcome the recent announcement of additional funding by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, but I also want to make the point that it is not enough in these difficult times. I would also like to ask the Minister for support to classify school staff as essential workers so they can access childcare. Will the Minister also clarify the rationale in the allocation of funds to the education and training boards? Will the Minister support me in calling for additional support for parents who are now forced to work from home while, at the same time, having to provide childcare in the home? Will the Minister support me in my request that all school staff get the Covid vaccination before schools are reopened? Will the Minister comment on the fact that referrals to Tusla have dropped dramatically from 1,500 to 990 per week since schools were forced to close due to the lockdown?

See this speech in context