Results 521-540 of 11,893 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Projects (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Institutional Burials Act 2022 provides a legislative basis for an intervention whereby the remains of those who died in residential institutions, and who were buried in a manifestly inappropriate manner, may be recovered and re-interred in a respectful and appropriate way. Section 7 of the 2022 Act requires that Government must be satisfied that burials have taken place and must have...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: Each year Pobal compiles data on behalf of my Department from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile Survey (EYSP). The most recently published data from the 2022/23 programme year is available at . Data collection for the 2023/24 survey took place between 07 May and 07 June 2024. In total, 4,022 services completed...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to thank the Deputy for raising the question regarding the publishing of the Parent Statements for Partner Services. Parents can access Parent Statements for the current programme year through the Childcare Search on the NCS website. Early Learning and Childcare providers provide parents with a copy of their Parents Statement as part of the child registration process....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core Funding is a payment to Partner Services designed to support quality, sustainability, and enhanced public management, with associated conditions in relation to fee control and cost transparency, incorporating funding for administration and to support the employment of graduate staff. Partner Services must uphold their contractual obligations regarding their fees charged to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 1217, 1225, 1231, 1232, 1233 and 1234 together. Due to the cold weather warnings earlier in the month, as the Deputies are aware, the Department activated its cold weather response plan to enhance safety measures for people seeking international protection. The Department’s cold weather response plan focuses on international protection (IP)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department initially commenced use of the Citywest Conference Centre in March 2022. The Citywest Transit Hub (CWTH) has two separate functions: it acts as a cross-Governmental, single administrative processing point for those fleeing the war in Ukraine; and it provides emergency accommodation international protection applicants on arrival into the State. At no time during the years...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: An independent review of the ECCE Programme has recently been completed. The findings from the review are being considered by my Department and will inform any potential changes to the Programme in the future. The current ECCE eligibility criteria were set based on a number of considerations. Firstly, the ECCE programme is a preschool programme based on the National Practice Frameworks -...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: While I try to be helpful at all times in the parliamentary process, the Deputy will be aware that I cannot be involved in individual cases and cannot comment on same. The legislation underpinning the Payment Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - specifically provides for the explicit independence of the Chief Deciding Officer in administering the application...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Housing Provision (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) cannot comment on individual cases. I can reassure the Deputy that IPAS officials are aware of the specific case and the identified needs. However, I wish to reassure the Deputy that the teams in IPAS have a number of protocols and procedures in place for considering applications for transfer in cases of medical priority, where...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your question, Deputy. While the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) cannot comment on individual cases, my Department provides a dedicated helpdesk for applicants to ask questions or raise concerns. This can be accessed at any time by email to . At this time, there are approximately 3,200 people seeking international protection who have not been offered...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department was notified on 3 January 2025, of a fire outside this service which resulted in significant damage to the premises. Subsequently, Pobal, the local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) and Tusla, have been providing support to this service with the intention to getting the service operating as soon and as safely as possible. Furthermore, 19 children attending the service...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. Considerable investment has taken place in recent years to improve the resourcing, quality and availability of early learning and childcare. The First 5 Strategy aims to support parents to be at home with their children for the whole of their first year. Research suggests that children benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1243 and 1244 together. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme recognises time spent in a Mother and Baby Institution and, in this way, the associated harsh conditions endured over a period of time. Among the eligibility criteria for the Scheme is the requirement for children to have spent at least 180 days in a relevant institution and this is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Magdalen Laundries (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would advise the Deputy that my Department is responsible for the administration of the Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme and that it collects and retains information in the context of processing individual cases submitted under the terms of the scheme. However, my Department does not collect information on the number of former Magdalen laundry residents who are still resident...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1251, 1252 and 1253 together. Thank you Deputy for your question relating to procurement processes by Tusla. I have made contact with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and Tusla has informed me that they have procedures in place to ensure compliance with current procurement rules and guidelines. The services provided by Tusla to meet increasingly complex...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: While I try to be helpful at all times in the parliamentary process, the Deputy will be aware that I cannot be involved in individual cases and cannot comment on same. The legislation underpinning the Payment Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - specifically provides for the explicit independence of the Chief Deciding Officer in administering the application...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Regulations (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: School age childcare (SAC) services are required to operate within regulatory minimum adult-to-child ratios as set out in the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Registration of School Age Services) Regulations 2018. The ratio sets the minimum number of adults required to supervise, care for and work directly with the children in the service. The introduction of SAC Regulations in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Protected Disclosures (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this investigative process is currently on going, I am not in a position to comment at this stage. Tusla has provided assurances to my Department that this company is not being used currently, and Tusla will not consider re engaging with this company until the investigative process has been concluded. Following the recent inadvertent engagement of the company for services in September...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The NCS is designed to substantially reduce costs to families using eligible early learning and childcare. It is designed to be flexible, recognising that early learning and childcare needs are different for each family. The underpinning rationale of the Scheme, including the hours-based aspect, was set out in the 2016 "Policy Paper on the Development of a new Single Affordable Childcare...