Results 41-60 of 7,557 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: When new accommodation centres open, IPAS engages with centre management in respect of Child Safeguarding, which includes the provision of advice and support in developing the Child Safeguarding Statement and in relation to the requirements of the TUSLA Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit (CSSCU). The CSSCU is the dedicated unit within TUSLA set up to ensure that all...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality Early Learning and Care (ELC) is a key Government priority. My Department monitors ELC capacity on an ongoing basis, with a particular focus on responding to the unmet ELC needs of families. My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), which provide support and assist families and providers with ELC matters. The network of 30...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Inquiries (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2023, an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) was established to support the development of referendum proposals on family and care. The group comprised representatives from every Government Department, as well as the Office of the Attorney General. It met 16 times over the course of its work in a period spanning March to November 2023. My Department published the redacted minutes of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is a subsidy provided to help parents to meet the cost of childcare and allow children to access Early Learning and School Age Childcare. The subsidy is progressive and depends on a number of factors including the age of the child, the income of the household and the number of children in the family. Those with the lowest incomes receive the highest...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is a subsidy provided to help parents to meet the cost of childcare and allow children to access Early Learning and School Age Childcare. The subsidy is progressive and depends on a number of factors including the age of the child, the income of the household and the number of children in the family. Those with the lowest incomes receive the highest...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Based on the data used in response to Parliamentary Question No. 238 of 1 May 2024, the estimated cost to employers of raising the current ERO minimum pay rates by 1 cent per hour is approximately €350,000 per year, inclusive of employer-related costs (PRSI, etc). The estimated cost breakdown by role is approximately; Educator, €175,000 Lead Educator, €55,000 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring high-quality early learning and childcare is affordable and accessible is a policy priority for my Department. This is reflected in a range of national policies and strategies. Project Ireland 2040 and the National Development Plan 2021-2030 recognise early learning and childcare and school age childcare as a critical part of the nation’s infrastructure, both as a core...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the 27th March 2024 Government agreed a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for International Protection applicants. The strategy seeks to address the current accommodation shortfall, while reforming the system over the longer term to ensure the State will always be able to meet its international commitments. Accommodation in the new strategy will be delivered through the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As of 12 May, there are over 30,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole (of whom 7,356 are children) compared with approximately 8,700 people at the end of February 2022. Together with Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection displaced by the war in Ukraine, this means that Ireland is now accommodating over 102,000 people in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 541 and 542 together. As of 12 May, there are over 30,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole (of whom 7,356 are children) compared with approximately 8,700 people at the end of February 2022. Together with Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection displaced by the war in Ukraine, this means that...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parliamentary Questions (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm that on 16 May 2024 a response issued for PQ 18610/24 from my office.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (21 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 544 to 546, inclusive, together. The Community Engagement Team (CET) engages directly with elected representatives, relevant Local Authorities, Local Development Companies, and other entities and individuals to ensure a good flow of information regarding the opening of accommodation centres and related issues. The purpose of the team is to improve the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Sponsorship arrangement available under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) makes special provision for vulnerable children. The NCS Sponsorship arrangement allows designated bodies to refer children to the Scheme where early learning and care is needed on child welfare, protection, family support or other specified grounds. Where a referral is made by a Sponsor body, the family will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Sponsorship arrangement available under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) makes special provision for vulnerable children. The NCS Sponsorship arrangement allows designated bodies to refer children to the Scheme where early learning and care is needed on child welfare, protection, family support or other specified grounds. Where a referral is made by a Sponsor body, the family will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Every year Pobal compiles data on behalf of my Department from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Annual Early Years Sector Profile Survey (AEYSP). In December 2023, my Department launched the Early Learning and Childcare Data website. The website provides a new and innovative way of displaying administrative data as well as survey data...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department does not gather data on parental fee income to early learning and childcare services other than occasional research studies, e.g. the independent review of costs. The independent review of costs undertaken by Crowe in 2018 on behalf of the Department found that approximately 40% of the total income to the sector in 2017 came from parental fees at a time when annual state...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (15 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) cannot comment on individual cases. The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is always available to deal with any complaints from residents and residents are encouraged to engage with IPAS if they are unhappy with any aspect of their accommodation. Where a complaint is significant in nature or a resident is not...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 commits to the introduction of regulations that are proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting, to respect the unique way in which childminders work. It also commits to providing supports to childminders to help them meet regulatory requirements. The main route through which parents are subsidised for their early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (15 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth does not have any current or prior contracts with BAM Ireland.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 May 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I launched the public consultation on the draft childminding regulations on 8 February and the consultation remained open until 2 May. The consultation process allowed childminders, parents and other interested parties to contribute in a variety of ways including an online survey and written submission, as well as through focus groups and a consultation event for national stakeholder...