Results 5,561-5,580 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 29th March this year, Government accepted the findings of the independent Review of the Early Learning and Childcare Operating Model that a dedicated State agency is the optimal operating model for the sector for the years ahead. This aligns with the commitment in the Programme for Government to establish an agency to assist in the expansion of high-quality early learning and childcare,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I firmly believe that the level of pay in the sector should reflect the value of the work that early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners do for children, for families, for society and the economy. As the State does not employ early years educators or school-age childcare practitioners, I cannot set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The ECCE programme is delivered over 3 hours per day, 15 hours per week and 38 weeks of the year. There is no charge to parents for the ECCE programme. ECCE capitation of €69 is paid to providers in respect of each eligible child enrolled. There is no plan to increase the ECCE capitation rate as the introduction of Core Funding offers enhancements to ECCE funding. In 2010, when the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 116 together. On 15th September, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Services (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Information and tracing services under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 opened to applications on 3rd October 2022. As of 14th November 2022, a total of 5,351 applications for information have been received by Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland. Tusla have received 3,131 and the Adoption Authority of Ireland have received 2,220. In addition, a total of 2,324...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Refugee Resettlement Programme (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy will be aware, Community Sponsorship Ireland (CSI) was established in 2018 as a complementary integration and resettlement stream to the traditional state-centred model. The unique feature of the programme is that it enables a local community directly to support a refugee family. To date, 116 persons have been settled with Community Sponsorship Groups (CSGs) across Ireland,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: With effect from the 15th of September this year, two new Employment Regulation Orders for Early Years Services came into effect which provide for minimum hourly rates of pay and other conditions of employment for various roles both in early learning and care services and in school-age childcare services. The ability of service providers to meet the additional costs resulting from the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Services (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 112 together. Information and tracing services under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 opened to applications on 3rd October 2022. As of 14th November 2022, a total of 5,351 applications for information have been received by Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland. In addition, a total of 2,324 applications for tracing have been made. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 111 together. Together for Better is the new funding model that supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good. This was recommended by an Expert Group, adopted by Government, and has been widely welcomed by representative groups advocating for parents, children, the workforce and providers. I am delighted that to date,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Residential Institutions (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since taking Office I have visited the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam and met with survivors and relatives of those who died while resident in the institution. I carefully considered the issues raised by them in the development of the Institutional Burials Act 2022, which was passed by the Oireachtas and signed into law last July. On 4 October, the Government made...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: During 2021, my Department has been allocated €70m in the National Development Plan allocation. This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars: Building Blocks - Improvement Grant, Building Blocks - Capacity Grant and a Building Blocks - Innovation Grant. My Department has allocated €9m for The Building Blocks -...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Social Welfare Benefits (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Social Protection.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to delivering a humanitarian response to welcome people seeking protection in Ireland as part of the European Union’s overall response. The scale of the response to this crisis has been unprecedented and Irish people have displayed a commendable level of generosity in their support, in their welcome for beneficiaries into their communities, and in pledges of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, firstly I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm that every official in my Department is subject to Garda vetting and training on an ongoing basis. I would also like to reiterate that IPAS are fully compliant with vetting of staff working in IPAS accommodation centres. The following training was delivered to Centre Managers in the past two years and will be scheduled again...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Gender Equality (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 introduced the legislative basis for gender pay gap reporting in Ireland. The Act was commenced on 31 May 2022. Regulations have been made under the Act which enable reporting in 2022. The Regulations require organisations with over 250 employees to report on their gender pay gap in 2022. This obligation will extend in 2024 to employers with over 150...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Planning Issues (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: You may be aware that my Department is currently working on the development of the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028. The cross departmental work undertaken in this context will consider general provision for play and recreation facilities in built environments, such as the ones you highlight. My department will continue to administer the Capital Grant...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 115 together. The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes made significant findings in relation to the failings of the State and Religious Congregations, who together ran Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The Government believes that all relevant parties have a shared moral and ethical obligation to support appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy is aware, the Government established an independent Anti-Racism Committee to strengthen the Government’s approach to combatting individual and institutional racism. The Committee was tasked with building on the anti-racism actions included in the Migrant Integration Strategy and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. Following an extensive public...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Priorities (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2021, following publication of the Independent Review into Illegal Birth Registration, I asked Professor Conor O’Mahony, the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, to consider the significant complexities and challenges which arise in relation to the issue of illegal birth registrations, and to provide a report proposing an appropriate course of action. On 14th March 2022 I...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I acknowledge that many early learning and childcare services report difficulties in relation to recruitment and retention of early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover. Recruitment and retention difficulties are undoubtedly linked...