Results 4,141-4,160 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (11 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The investigation of burial arrangements in Mother and Baby institutions, including Bessborough, was an important part of the work of the independent Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters. The Commission carried out cartographic and landscape assessments of possible unrecorded burial arrangements at the Bessborough site and also followed up with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (11 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was signed into law by the President on 4th April. The Act introduces important entitlements for workers, including leave for medical care purposes for parents of children under 12, and the right to request flexible working for parents and carers. The Act includes provisions to transpose Article 9 of the EU Work Life Balance...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (11 May 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

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Services (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy O'Reilly for raising this important issue. At the outset, I want to state that myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, recognise the very real impact that delays in receiving therapies or assessments have had for children and their families. Deputy O'Reilly has spoken powerfully about its impact on Alison, Mark and most importantly, on Ada. The progressing...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Services (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy again for highlighting this issue. She speaks of the parents she has met in her constituency. I am in a neighbouring constituency and have also met parents who are equally frustrated and angry and understandably so. The key way to address this is to get more staff. We need to retain the staff we have and recruit more. That is why we have been working very closely with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides grant funding to support a range of youth services which are delivered by voluntary youth organisations and carried out by both paid youth workers and volunteers. My Department has no role in the setting of pay scales or other matters that belong properly to the individual employer. The youth workers and other staff involved in youth services are employed directly...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will provide financial payments and health supports in the form of an enhanced medical card to eligible persons who spent time in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The Payment Scheme is designed to be non-adversarial and will not require applicants to bring forward evidence of abuse or harm suffered. It will consist of a general...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Residential Institutions (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 163 together. In November 2022, Government approved proposals for the appointment of a Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse. The Special Advocate will manage and facilitate consultation with survivors to identify and discuss issues of concern for them. Their primary role will be to represent the collective interests of those who...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this relates to Tusla operational matters, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 160 and 161 together. Thank you Deputy for your questions. This is an important topic and impacts many services being provided on behalf of the State. It is important to recognise, the work that the many and varied bodies you refer to provide, is vital to many families and vulnerable people. I greatly appreciate the work of these community NGOs, often...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mental Health Services (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: While youth mental health is the policy responsibility of the Minister for Health, the youth sector has an important role to play in fostering wellbeing and building resilience. Young people need a safe, supportive community environment in order to promote their wellbeing and to fulfil their potential. Funding for youth organisations does not provide for intensive or long term services...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Voluntary Sector (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In relation to youth services and young people, my Department maintains close contact with 30 national youth organisations which it funds under the Youth Service Grant Scheme. My officials and I meet formally with these organisations twice a year to share knowledge and information on developments or challenges in the youth sector. This provides a forum for organisations to give information on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are two types of subsidies available under the National Childcare Scheme:Universal Subsidies are available to all families with children under 15 years old. This subsidy is not means tested and provides €1.40 per hour towards the cost of a registered childcare place for a maximum of 45 hours per week.Income Assessed Subsidies are available to families with children aged between...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very conscious of the need for improvement in pay and working conditions for practitioners in early learning and childcare services. The level of pay they receive does not reflect the value of the work they do for children, for families and for the wider society and economy. As the State does not employ staff in ELC and school-age childcare (SAC) services, I cannot set wage levels or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative 2021 to 2022 was made available by my Department with the support of the Dormant Accounts Fund. The aim of the Initiative was to provide short-focused interventions to support young people to improve their confidence and encourage them to engage in a wide range of progressive routes to further education, training and employment. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Information and Communications Technology (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that officials from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) are not authorised to use the application (details supplied) to conduct business; DCEDIY has not had any official meetings to date regarding the use of the application by officials; DCEDIY has not assessed the risk of using the application by Department officials...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is prioritising maintaining a practice of more timely payments, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls. Any delays in making payments are deeply regretted and my Department is according this issue very high priority. With regard to the service provider...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is prioritising maintaining a practice of more timely payments, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls. Any delays in making payments are deeply regretted and my Department is according this issue very high priority. With regard to the service provider...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Parental Leave Act 1998 (as amended) provides parents with an entitlement of 26 weeks unpaid parental leave for each eligible child. The leave is available to a 'relevant parent' of a child, which is defined in the 1998 Act as a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco parentis’. There have been significant developments in the entitlements to family leaves...