Written answers

Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child Care Services Provision

Photo of Joe HigginsJoe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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73. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will guarantee that a child care service (details supplied) in Dublin will remain open and fully funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27989/14]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I have provided the House with regular updates on issues regarding the services delivered by Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service Ltd.

It is a matter of record that this Centre has been experiencing cash flow difficulties. The Centre incurred expenditure of €2.022m in 2013 and received funding amounting to €1.96m, resulting in a deficit of €62,000. Projections by the Centre show that income of approximately €1.8m is anticipated during 2014. With such a level of financial support available it should be possible to work constructively to continue services and avoid the closure scenario that has previously been outlined by the Centre.

Senior representatives from the Child and Family Agency, Pobal, Dublin City Childcare Committee and representatives from the board and management of the Centre have met on a number of occasions to explore options available to allow the service operate on a sustainable basis within the allocated funding. A number of options were considered and to assist in this process, Dublin City Childcare Committee engaged the services of an external mentor to undertake an independent detailed analysis of the matter.

I understand that the external mentor will complete their report by mid July, 2014. The objective is to ensure the development of a sustainable model of service delivery into the future.

In parallel, a wider examination will be undertaken of the level and range of early years services supported by the State in the Darndale/Belcamp/Moatview area generally.

The Child and Family Agency, as one of a number of State funders of the Centre, agreed and has made additional pre-payments to the end of August. This is in addition to previous pre-payments advanced for May and June.

I very much welcome the process of engagement which is in place and I hope that a satisfactory outcome will be arrived at which will ensure the continued operation of the Centre within the significant funding levels available.

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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74. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 580 of 21 January 2014, if he will provide a progress update report on the plans to increase special care provision in Ireland to 34 beds by 2016; and the budget allocation for the capital development programme to increase special care provision in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. [27946/14]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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There are three Special Care Units in the country which are operated by the Agency under a single national governance arrangement. They are Ballydowd in Dublin for girls and boys, Gleann Alainn in Cork which is for girls only and Coovagh House in Limerick for boys only. These Units are inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority, who reported positively on the level of care being provided in the three Special Care Units in the most recent inspections undertaken in 2013.

At any one time approximately 0.3% of all children in care are detained in the three Special Care Units.

As part of the Child and Family Agency's commitment to develop a comprehensive continuum of care services to meet the divergent and complex needs of all children in care, Crannóg Nua High Support Unit, Portrane is to be redesignated to function as a Special Care Unit. An upgrade of current buildings, with an additional new build residential unit, will be required to provide secure care. In excess of €1m has been allocated to progress national special care development projects for 2014 and discussions are underway regarding further significant amounts required in 2015 and future years.

The Agency has advised that eight additional special care beds will be provided at Crannóg Nua by the end of June 2015 and a further four beds will be provided there by the end of October 2015. Refurbishment work at Gleann Alainn Special Care Unit, due to be completed by May 2016, will bring the total special care capacity to 34 beds. These timescales refer to the current indicated Building Programme and may be subject to change.

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