Results 4,401-4,420 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Last October the Government made an Order, under the Institutional Burials Act 2022, to direct the establishment of an independent Office to lead an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co. Galway. The making of the Order followed on from Resolutions in the Dáil and Seanad in September approving the draft Order that was agreed by Government in July....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for her question and I am pleased to report progress on the development of the national Barnahus model of service for children who have experienced sexual abuse and their families. The Icelandic Barnahus model is a child-friendly, interdisciplinary and multiagency model of service that brings child protection, policing, medical, therapeutic and forensic services...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Measures (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Child Care Act 1991 is the primary piece of legislation regulating child care (alternative care) and child protection policy in Ireland. The 1991 Act is a wide-ranging piece of legislation, which, at its core, seeks to promote the welfare of children who may not be receiving adequate care and protection. The Act covers the following main areas: 1. Promotion of the welfare of children...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Foster carers are paid a weekly allowance, which is a payment to meet the needs of the child in their care. The foster care allowance is currently €325 per week for a child under 12 years of age and €352 per week for a child aged 12 years and over. The allowance is not considered as means for social welfare purposes, and is not subject to tax. Enhanced and additional allowances...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this relates to data collected by Tusla, 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 (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: A comprehensive public consultation on the review of the Regulations governing early learning and care took place between March and October 2022. This review primarily focused on enforcement powers of the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate, the independent statutory regulator for the sector. However, the Department also took the opportunity to undertake a wider but limited examination of lessons...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Gender Equality (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 8 March 2023 the Government announced the intention to hold a referendum on gender equality as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly and the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality. The decision to hold one or more referendums on this issue is in line with the Programme for Government commitment to respond to each recommendation of the Citizens’ Assembly on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The safety and protection of children remains the first priority of Government in early learning and childcare. Central to achieving this is enforcement of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 ("the ELC Regulations") and the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Registration of School Age Services) Regulations 2018 ("the SAC Regulations"), which have children...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The new policy framework for children and young people (0-24), covering the period 2023-2028, is expected to be published by the middle of this year. Last year, my Department published a Blueprint of the framework, setting out the approach which will focus on realising children and young people's rights, strongly aligned to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In October, my...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 29th March 2022 Government accepted the findings of the independent Review of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) Operating Model in Ireland that a dedicated state agency is the optimal operating model for the sector for the years ahead. A dedicated state agency will assist in the development of a more streamlined structure to better support the delivery of ELC...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Gender Equality (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department leads on cross-government policy to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2021 has provided us with a whole-of-Government framework through which women’s empowerment continues to be advanced. While initially due to conclude in 2020, the Strategy was extended in recognition of the impact of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Birth Information and Tracing Act was signed into law on 30 June 2022, and all services established under the Act are open to applications since 03 October 2022. The Act provides for the release of birth, early life, care, and medical information to persons who were adopted, boarded out or nursed out, subject to an illegal birth registration, or resided in a mother and baby home or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mental Health Services (30 Mar 2023)

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: Departmental Strategies (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Migrant Integration Strategy was launched by my Department in 2017 and concluded at the end of 2021. The Strategy forms the central policy framework adopted by the Government to promote the integration of all migrants and their Irish-born children across ten areas of public policy. The Strategy aimed to enhance diversity, inclusion and equity for migrants across all aspects of Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There has been an unprecedented increase in State investment in early learning and childcare since 2015, albeit from a low base. Over the period 2015-2018, investment increased by 84 per cent – rising from €265 million per annum to €485 million per annum. This increased investment provided for a doubling of State-funded pre-school under the ECCE Programme –...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (30 Mar 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. As Minister, I am not in a position to intervene in individual cases as Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is required by law to be independent in its work as set out in Section 8(11) of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 that "the Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Poverty (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: While the Department of Social Protection has lead responsibility on the issue of child poverty, my Department has taken steps to contribute to the addressing child poverty and related issues. My Department is preparing a new policy framework for children and young people (0-24), covering the period 2023-2028 for publication later this year. This framework is adopting a rights-based...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013. Supports are generally provided through funded NGO service providers. In the course of its work, Tusla will also become aware of instances of DSGBV through the provision of its other...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Projects (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department successfully secured €70 million under the revised National Development Plan (NDP) allocation for the Building Blocks Capital Programme, designed to meet current and long-term Early Learning and Childcare infrastructure needs. The Building Blocks Capital Programme includes three Pillars: - An Improvement Grant to improve energy efficiency standards, while also supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: At the end of 2022, which is the latest data published by Tusla, there were 5,759 children in the care of the State. Of these, 89% (5,112) of children in care were in foster care (general and relative) and 7.6% (439) were in a residential (general and special care) placement. Both Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and my Department are committed to promoting safe and high quality...