Results 4,841-4,860 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Feb 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: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 15th September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. Together for Better aims to transform the sector and my...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Qualifications (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core Funding is allocated to “Partner Services”, i.e. Early Learning and Care (ELC) and/or School Age Childcare (SAC) services which have entered into a Funding Agreement with the Minister for Core Funding and which are registered with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, as a prescribed early years service or school-age childcare service (excluding services which are registered...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, as requested see below the number of direct provision centres, emergency centres, reception centres and tented accommodation locations which were in use by the International Protection Accommodation Services as of 31 December 2019, 2020 and 2022; the occupancy of each of these centres and locations as of 31 December 2019, 2020 and 2022; the contracted capacity of each centre and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: New contracts, with existing or additional suppliers, are commercial decisions made on the basis of scale and suitability in the context of the number of refugees and applicants for international protection that we need to accommodate and the budget available. Demand for accommodation is strong at present and we are offering new contracts to many existing suppliers. It is not possible...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 70 together. Affordable, accessible, high-quality and sustainable early learning and childcare, ELC, is a key priority for the Government. I have taken numerous actions to support the sustainability of all services, including the introduction of supply-side funding through core funding, as well as the continued increase in investment in the sector,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Work on the advancement of the concept of a childcare agency is ongoing in my Department. As the Deputy will be aware, there was a Government decision in 2021 to proceed on that and consider the impact on various other settings in the sector. That is a big change and we are undertaking the groundwork with the various existing parts of the sector. A unit in my Department is focused on that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I take the point about the level of inspection to which this sector is subject. Given we are dealing with our most vulnerable and youngest citizens, it is appropriate our standards are high and inspected. Nevertheless, it is an issue I hear about in my constituency from childcare providers. In the context of the work we are doing to look at the overall architecture of the sector and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is correct. The protection of children is the primary obligation on Tusla. By and large, the removal of children from their families is a last resort and is undertaken in situations where the social worker or indeed An Garda Síochána feel there is a significant risk to the child and they have to intervene. Where that takes place, the response is as much as is possible...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is probably referring to specific cases of which he has direct experience. I know he has advocated on this issue. He understands that, as Minister, I am unable to involve myself directly in a case before the court due to the statutory independence of the Child and Family Agency. Regarding whether there is a category of cases or we are just dealing with one or two, the Deputy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputies. As I said in an earlier reply, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has put in place a statutory instrument which allows for the conversion of office and other buildings to international protection accommodation, recognising the particularly difficult challenges we face with accommodating Ukrainian and international protection applicants right now....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In response to Deputy Wynne's question, a statutory instrument has been put in place that creates a planning exemption for the use of facilities for international protection or Ukrainian accommodation. There are two separate planning exemptions, and that has been applied in this situation. It allows a change of use to take place in the building in Shannon. Other elements of the building...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy is aware, Tusla, Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. If I or my officials become aware of a situation in which a child is considered to be at risk, that concern is communicated to Tusla as a matter of urgency. The Children First Act 2015 places a number of statutory obligations on specific groups of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We will continue to use rest centres. They are an extremely important part of our response and part of the contribution local authorities have made. There may be a greater call on local authorities for the use of rest centres, especially as we enter the summer, depending, as the Deputy said, on the numbers that continue to arrive. Numbers have been lower since Christmas but last week, for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 102 together. The arrival of more than 70,000 people seeking accommodation in Ireland, displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine - the largest displacement of people in Europe since the Second World War - and those seeking international protection has placed severe pressure on the State to respond to this challenge. As of 29 January 2023,19,635...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: To answer Deputy Aindrias Moynihan's questions first, we have a significant number of contracts with hotel accommodation providers. We are looking to renew those through the new contract, which takes a bed-only approach to accommodation. To date, no provider has rejected the new contract and a significant number have signed up to it. This is positive in terms of our ability to maintain the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Undoubtedly, as I said in response to the previous questions, there are challenges here. This is a war-generated crisis and it places a challenge on Ireland and on other countries. As I said, there are a number of clear programmes to provide additional accommodation - modular, refurbishment and the new vacant home scheme - but I am aware of the risk in that regard, particularly in the early...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In terms of the Deputy's earlier comments, it is important to say that someone arriving in Ireland has a right to claim international protection and often people have to flee a country on fake documents because they are being chased or repressed by a particular regime. If one were looking to flee one's country, if one were an Iranian feminist dissident or something like that, it is unlikely...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 67 and 78 together. The response to the ongoing migration crisis has entered a difficult phase with limited accommodation for international protection applicants available in the short-to-medium term, particularly for single adults. I can assure the Deputies that every effort is being made by my Department to address the current shortfall in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In terms of education and the provision of school places at primary or secondary level, I am very grateful to the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, for acting rapidly to set up REALTs at education and training board, ETB, level. They are there to identify where there is spare capacity, where schools are under pressure and to match that to the needs of Ukrainian children initially, but...