Results 3,741-3,760 of 11,925 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

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,...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. That issue of travel expenses has been highlighted with me. There is a paper going between ourselves and Tusla for a proposal to provide some relief there. He is correct about the pensions issue. I have discussed this directly with Minister for Social Protection and we will come back to it, especially in respect of the significant reforms she is bringing through...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department acknowledges the important role Enable Ireland and other section 39 organisations and, in particular, their workers play in our health and social care services. This work is essential in providing services to many families and vulnerable people in society. Voluntary service provider agencies provide the majority of services in partnership with and on behalf of the Health...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. I am pleased to be able to say there has been an increase in the level of foster carers. It has gone up by 1%, from 89% to 90%, so it is going in the right direction. That is really important. When comparing Ireland with other countries, the number of children who are in care, including foster care, is extremely high. We want to continue to support foster carers. In...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. At the end of April 2023, 75% of cases, some 17,083, had an allocated social worker and 25%, some 5,785, were awaiting allocation of a social worker. My Department has established a joint working group with Tusla to examine issues around social work supply and review initiatives around it. This group includes senior officials from both my Department and Tusla, including...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. I take on board her point about the data. I will raise it with Tusla the next time I meet with it. I meet Tusla quarterly. I assure the Deputy that workforce planning and retention are central in all my engagements with the board. These are a source of real concern for the board too. It is important to say that the number of allocated cases has come down...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I completely agree with the Deputy's point about consistency. One of the things that has arisen during my time in this office is that a significant number of social workers and social care workers are care-experienced themselves. Knowing the benefit they got from it, they want to give something back. Not everyone is entirely suited to a purely academic route. Looking at developing that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 57 together. I thank the Deputy for raising the question. Children in the care of the State are some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and my Department are committed to promoting safe and high-quality practice in all areas of alternative care. Tusla has a statutory obligation to notify An...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputies. I am actually dealing with a question later in terms of children who go missing from care. Obviously, any child missing from care for any period is a real concern, but it is really important to say that the vast majority are returned to care safely. However, that is not to say that even one child continuously missing from care is not a matter of real concern. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Children with complex needs access therapy services through the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). The Government and the HSE both acknowledge the challenges in meeting the demand for these crucial services and are acutely aware of how these challenges impact on children and their families. Waiting lists for services are being driven mainly by a shortage of suitably qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reports (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Cost of Disability in Ireland report was commissioned by the Minister for Social Protection and was prepared by Indecon International Research Economists. It was published in December 2021. It provides important evidence of the additional costs that people with a disability face. The Report has implications for many areas of public policy. As such, a whole-of-Government approach is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you Deputy for your question, this is an area of interest for me. I have attended many Family Resource Centre events, including their National Forum's recent anniversary celebration. I recognise and value the very positive impact of the work of the Family Resource Centres in supporting families and local communities. The centres provide a holistic service of child, family and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Children reported missing from care are recognised as being among the most vulnerable in society. Tusla along with An Garda Síochána work together on such cases through a Joint Protocol. This protocol sets out how social workers and social care workers should make a report of a missing child in care, when and how information about the child may be released to the public if the child...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very aware that more needs to be done to drive employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. The issue of employment supports for people with disabilities has been the dedicated focus of work within my department, and at a whole of government level, for some time. It was for this reason that government doubled the minimum percentage target for the employment of persons with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very proud of the achievements of the new funding model, Together for Better, in its first year of operation since last September. Core Funding, the new scheme worth €259 million in year 1 intentionally introduced Fee Management in a sustainable and considered manner. In return for providers receiving grants to support their operations, Fee Management means that fees are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Health Services Staff (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department recognises that many organisations are experiencing significant challenges in the recruitment and retention of staff. These challenges are mirrored in many of the caring and public facing health and social care professions across the State. The sustainability of the sector is a concern for both the Department and the Health Service Executive (HSE) and I recognise that the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority and my Department takes a number of steps to monitor supply and demand. The annual data captured by Pobal on behalf of my Department - through the Early Years Sector Profile Survey - is one important data source that allows us to monitor supply and demand. In...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (4 Jul 2023)

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: Children in Care (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The proposed standards for children’s social services must be approved by the Minister before being implemented. The approval should be done in conjunction with the Minister for Health. Under the Health Act, 2007, the Minister of Health approves standards developed by HIQA. The Act was written before the Department for Children was established and therefore the powers of the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very proud of the achievements of the new funding model, Together for Better, in its first year of operation since last September. Core Funding, the new scheme worth €259 million in year 1 intentionally introduced Fee Management in a sustainable and considered manner, guided by the recommendations of an Expert Group and approved by Government. In return for providers receiving...