Results 3,541-3,560 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: State Bodies (5 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (5 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In 2023, the Government has for the first time allocated more than €1 billion to early learning and childcare – a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector. Over the past eight budgets, investment in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) has risen from €260 million in 2015 to € 1.025 billion in 2023, reaching the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Equipment (5 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has no record of any instances in which this Department used unlicensed software and/or lapsed licenced software and that no payments have been made by this Department to remedy unlicensed software and/or lapsed licenced software.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The money for the integration teams was secured by my Department in budget 2023, so it is available for this year. It is there. It has been given. There has been extensive negotiation with the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, and the County and City Management Association, CCMA, on the provision of this. That money is there. The Deputy is correct about what direct provision...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am committed to tackling disadvantage through high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible. In line with a commitment in First 5 and informed by recommendations in Partnership for the Public Good, officials in my Department are currently tailoring a policy response to progress the development of a new strand of funding, the equal participation model. Through...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to advance a significant number of issues in this year's budget. We have spoken about some of them already, such as cutting costs for all parents, bringing childminders into the scheme so that parents can benefit from the national childcare scheme, NCS, and extending AIM so that more children with a disability can access more hours in early learning and care. We have to see...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I will adopt Deputy Funchion's mantra of asking early and often in all our engagements with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in the next-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is right about childminders. I am conscious that thousands of parents rely on childminders and were not able to get the benefit of the significant cuts we were able to bring in to the cost of childcare for parents using centre-based childcare . I am also conscious that some childminders are concerned about the process because it will involve a degree of regulation. That has to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As Deputy Connolly knows, in February 2021, the Department published the White Paper to end direct provision and it contained three core themes: accommodation, integration and supports. Since the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions, more than 15,000 people have come to Ireland seeking international protection, and at the same time more than 84,000 people have fled from Ukraine, the vast...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy Connolly is right. The vulnerability assessments are an EU obligation. They were not being carried out for many years, and that is why I identified them as a priority. They are being carried out now. They are revealing significant vulnerabilities, and that allows us to better plan the services we provide. In terms of the update on the White Paper, I have reviewed a draft in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. Regarding the pillars I announced there, I think the Deputy is going to be particularly interested in pillar 2, which is a capacity grant. This will allow existing services to expand and build brand new services. I hope that later on in the summer, we will be in a position to make the announcement on how people can apply this year to draw down funds for the capacity...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I acknowledge this is an area the Deputy knows particularly well. As I said, we have brought in these allocations under the NDP. They will be able to be drawn down next year and the following year. I would like it if the envelope were a bit bigger. We will always be pushing to grow the capital as well as the current side we spoke about earlier. We will continue to work to grow that. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I want to promote the direct engagement by Tusla of foster carers. It is important we recognise Tusla's changed approach to this issue. It is in the process right now of appointing a national lead for foster care. I was surprised that was not in place but I know it is something Bernard Gloster wanted to implement and it is something Kate Duggan has implemented now. That gives a much...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme is a universal two-year preschool programme. Children within the eligible age range can access this programme for three hours per day, five days per week. The delivery of the ECCE programme aligns with the school year and operates over 38 weeks per year from September to June. All hours of early learning and childcare accessed outside...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The measures I have sought to introduce are to make provision for providers, make provision for childcare professionals and make provision for parents. It is important that all three are provided for in the measures the Government brings forward because, ultimately, looking after all those will ensure they can better look after our children. The Deputy is absolutely right about the pressure...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: For the second year of core funding, which kicks in in September, I was delighted to be able to secure an additional €28 million. That is an 11% growth year on year to support providers, which is very significant. The Deputy is right. In this year's budget we have many goals we want to achieve. We want to keep core funding growing. We really want to cut fees for parents again. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is an issue the Deputy has brought to me regularly. It touches on what Deputy Dillon spoke about earlier regarding capacity. Some €69 million has been allocated between 2023 and 2025 to the early learning and childcare sectors under the revised national development plan. This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy has rightly summarised the significance of Enable Ireland. They are present in nearly every CHO area. They lead 20 of our community disability network teams in doing such important work with children. They are an example of the real importance the community and voluntary has in terms of the work that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I are doing on disability with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The issue of staff retention is so important, especially there are significant numbers of vacancies on some of our community disability network teams and in other areas in the section 56 organisations. Pay differentials have a role in this regard. This is why it is important we act within the powers we have, again recognising that neither we as the Government or the HSE are the direct...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Foster carers play a vital role in the care of our most vulnerable children. The placement of a child in foster care is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their family of origin. It enables children in State care to live in a safe, secure, and stable home environment. The Deputy may be aware that approximately 90% of children in care are cared for by foster carers,...