Results 6,421-6,440 of 11,745 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The new Core Funding Scheme announced in Budget 2022 amounts to €221 million in full year costs, €173 million of which is new investment. This quantum of funding, in addition to the design of the allocation methodology, will substantially contribute to services’ sustainability. Core Funding will significantly increase income for the overwhelming majority of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to thank the Deputy for this question regarding supporting the development of fostering services. There are currently approximately 5,826children and young people in the care of the State, with 90% being cared for by foster carers, enabling them to live in a safe, secure, and stable home environment. The Deputy will be aware that foster carers are paid a weekly allowance, which...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department operates the Play and Recreation Capital grant scheme, which provides funding, via Local Authorities, to support the development of new recreation facilities for children and young people. The scheme also funds the refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities and the incorporation of natural play elements. The criteria for the scheme were developed in partnership...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Official Engagements (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I opened the first day of the Council of Europe Child and Youth Participation for Europe conference in May, in Cork. The conference was the first conference event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of Europe. It was also the mid-term event of the CP4Europe project. This project promotes children’s right to participation at national and pan-European levels, aiming to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Education Schemes (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you Deputy Lahart for your question. This year DCEDIY and Tusla secured €750,000 in Dormant Accounts Funding for the continuation of educational supports for care experienced children and young people. This is the second year of a two year programme funded by Dormant Accounts. The purpose of the funding is to support and assist care experienced young people achieve their full...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Proposed Legislation (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 149 together. Conscious of the risk of poverty those fleeing Domestic Violence face, the Programme for Government contains a commitment to investigate the provision of paid leave and social protection provision to victims of domestic violence. The issue of domestic violence leave has been researched by my officials and has included consideration...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am committed to developing a new operational policy better to support LGBTI+ international protection applicants living in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation centres. The operational policy will be developed in partnership with current and former residents of IPAS accommodation. It will include the development of policies to ensure that the needs of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (7 Jul 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 14 March 2022, I...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Education Policy (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The purpose of the European Year of Youth, announced by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last November, is to strengthen efforts to celebrate, support and engage with young people across the EU, in recognition of the particular impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the opportunities of young people. In recognition of its existing role in promoting European...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant investment is being made by my Department to support parents with the costs of paying for early learning and childcare and to support providers with the costs of delivering early learning and childcare. The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is currently supporting thousands of families to offset their costs. A recent review of the NCS showed that: - 38% families had more...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to thank the deputy for this question regarding the numbers of children in state care. As this data is collated by Tusla, I have sought and received an input from them on this matter. I have been informed by Tusla that at the end of April 2022 there were 5,869 children and young people in the care of the State. Approximately 90% are cared for by foster carers. The detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105, 111, 128, 130 and 137 together. In December 2021, Government adopted the 25 recommendations contained in an Expert Group report, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC). The new funding model will support the delivery of ELC and SAC for the public good, for quality and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Proposed Legislation (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 21 April the Government gave its approval for the drafting of a Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill. The General Scheme of the proposed Bill is published on my Department's website. The main purpose of the proposed legislation is to transpose elements of the EU Work Life Balance Directive and provide new rights to parents and carers in order to support a better work life...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I acknowledge that many early learning and care and school-age childcare services are reporting staffing difficulties in relation to recruitment and retention. My Department continues to monitor the issue. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover, and recruitment and staff retention...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 121 together. As the deputies will be aware the Government made a commitment in the Programme for Government to end the current system of accommodation for International Protection applicants and replace it with a new model that is based on a not for profit approach. As part of this process I published A White Paper to end Direct Provision and to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. The Children First Act 2015 provides for a number of key child protection measures, including raising awareness of child abuse and neglect, providing for mandated reporting of child protection concerns and improving child protection arrangements in organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 138 together. Inspections of Tusla's child protection and welfare services, foster care services and children's residential centres are carried out by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and inspections of non statutory Children's Residential Centres and foster care agencies are undertaken by Tusla's Alternative Care Inspection and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving early learning and childcare affordability for parents is a key priority. Significant investment is being made by my Department to support parents with the costs of paying for early learning and childcare and to support providers with the costs of delivering early learning and childcare. The major programmes funded by my Department that contribute to affordability for parents...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 146 together. This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.