Results 1,981-2,000 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the State’s humanitarian response to the Ukrainian crisis, the government has developed a rapid build housing programme to provide accommodation for families fleeing the war in Ukraine. The programme aims to provide short-term accommodation up to 2,800 Ukrainians at several sites across Ireland. While rapid build units will initially be used to temporarily house people...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Official Engagements (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: During the St Patrick's Day Programme in Japan, I met with my counterpart Minister Ayuko Kato at her office on Friday 15th March last. Ms Kato is the Minister for Child Policy, Youth Empowerment, Declining Birthrate and Gender Equality. During the meeting, we discussed the similar wide ranging reforms to Early Education and Childcare which our respective Governments are pursuing, in which...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Referendum Campaigns (20 Mar 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. Now that the referendums have been held, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will open for applications on 20 March. A dedicated webpage is now live at www.gov.ie/paymentscheme, which contains information on how people will be able to apply to the Payment Scheme, and what information applicants will need. The Scheme will be promoted through a substantive public awareness campaign that will be delivered both in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disabilities Assessments (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can advise the Deputy that a large number of organisations funded by my Department may be classified as non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In the absence of a formal definition of NGO, my officials are preparing a response which takes account of community-based / voluntary bodies with charitable tax status funded by this Department between 2021 and 2023. Information sought by the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Meetings (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The organisation in question is an important stakeholder and is both impacted by and provides input into a number of policy and service areas under my Department's remit. I am advised that it attended a total of 41 engagements with me and/or officials of the Department and bodies under the aegis of the Department in this capacity since 1 January 2019,

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The total number of unique children availing of my Department's funded early learning and care ECCE, NCS and CCSP Saver Programmes in the calendar year 2024 are outlined in the table below. Programme Number of unique children NCS 154,959 ECCE 104,979 CCSP Saver Programme 1,894 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) sponsorship arrangement allows designated sponsor bodies to refer children to the Scheme on child welfare, protection, family support or other specified grounds. Where a child is referred to the Scheme, the full cost of the childcare place is paid without cost to the family. The number of unique children benefitting from a successful Sponsorship claim so...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Referendum Campaigns (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is a matter for the Department of the Taoiseach.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department does not release data with respect to potential IPAS accommodation offers for security reasons and as a matter of operational policy. The International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) carefully appraises each property that is offered for use as accommodation for International Protection (IP) applicants before contracts are issued. The Department can only confirm use...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is designed to substantially reduce costs to families using eligible early learning and childcare. It is intended to be flexible, recognising that childcare needs are different for each family. For this reason subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. Where parents are engaged...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department received an offer of accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) at Wallslough Village, Wallslough, Co. Kilkenny R95 T9FE. The property is currently being assessed as part of the Emergency Refurbishment (Ukraine) Project which is overseen by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with the assistance of Local Authorities. This...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Last month, I was pleased to announce an €18 million capital grant scheme for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The Building Blocks Capacity Expansion Grant Scheme is part of the wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for this sector under the National Development Plan. The primary focus of the Scheme is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In setting regulatory requirements, the primary consideration must be children’s health, safety and well-being. The adult-to-child ratios for Early Learning and Care (ELC) services are set out in Schedule 6 of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016. School age childcare (SAC) services' adult-to-child ratios are set out in Regulation 9 of the Child Care Act 1991...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for this question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days. The Deputy may wish to be aware that the Community Engagement Team has been established within my Department which stands ready to respond to queries of this nature, and they may be contacted directly at community@equality.gov.ie

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The property to which the Deputy refers was appraised by the Technical Working group in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, set up for the purpose of prioritising buildings to be refurbished for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. The criteria for assessment included Location, Capacity, Delivery Time Lines and Value for Money among others. The Technical Working Group...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (20 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: There have been significant developments in the entitlements to family leaves for working families in recent years. The Government committed in the Programme for Government to supporting parents, including by extending paid leave for parents to allow them to spend more time with their baby during the first year in the form of seven weeks Parent's Leave for each parent, to be taken within a...