Results 6,441-6,460 of 11,745 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

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

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy may be aware the Government Decision on the 22nd of December 2020 confirmed the transfer of policy, functions and funding responsibility relating to specialist community-based disability services (SCBDS) from the Department of Health to my Department. This is a very significant transfer of functions, both from the point of view of improving services for persons with a...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The referred to company currently provides management and catering services in three state-owned International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres. I am not in a position to provide any details in relation to the contract details as this is commercially sensitive information.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Government has provided significant investment in early learning and childcare in recent years and I intend to continue this towards reaching the First 5 commitment of investing of at least €1 billion in the sector by 2028. From August 2020, early learning and childcare services had been able to access the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) without having to demonstrate a...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the First 5 My Little Library Initiative – a collaboration between the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Local Government Management Agency – every child starting primary school this September is invited to collect a free book bag from their local library full of storybooks and...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your question Deputy Tóibín. I was delighted to launch the commencement of this research and data project in January, which will examine the lives of children in care and adults who were in care as children. The project is comprised of a suite of research and data activities that will strengthen our understanding of the lives of children in care, and adults...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to assure you, Deputy, that providing accommodation to all people who avail of the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) of this Department is of the highest priority for me and for my Department. My officials have been working tirelessly to source accommodation in the context of the increasing accommodation pressures. Since the lifting of international...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Every year it is normal for some Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services to close while other new services open. Services close for a wide variety of reasons including retirement of owners or other personal circumstances. Tusla is the independent statutory regulator for the sector. Services intending to close must notify Tusla within 28 days of closure. The...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to achieving its vision of a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland where people are supported to flourish and to live inclusive, healthy and fulfilling lives, whatever their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics. Ireland’s first National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019-2022, published in November 2019, is the primary policy...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures – The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, 2014-2020 concluded at the end of 2020. A final Annual Report for 2020 was published on 20 January 2022, along with updates to the policy framework indicator set. Recently, my Department concluded a public consultation on the policy framework which invited children and young people,...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Officials in my Department have recently engaged with the City and County Childcare Committee and they have identified the vacant rates and places in their catchment area. The profile nationally of capacity shows the majority of enrolled and vacant places in Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare services is for pre-schoolers followed by school-age children and toddlers and...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I am happy to report that Ireland's National Action Plan for the EU Child Guarantee was approved by Government on 31 May 2022. The Plan was subsequently submitted to the European Commission and published on both www.gov.ie and ec.europa.eu. The National Action Plan sets out the responses to barriers identified by Departments, and informed by consultations with stakeholders, in the...

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. The Deputy may be aware that the Child Care (Placement of Children in Foster Care) Regulations 1995, and the Child Care (Placement of Children in Relative Foster Care) Regulations 1995, stipulate that the allowance payable to foster carers should not be less than an amount specified by the Minister. The current rates were set in 2009. The...

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-government 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: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring financial stability of early learning and childcare services is a priority of Government. The Government has been strongly supportive of the sector, particularly since the onset of Covid-19. The Transition Fund is in place to support providers between May and August 2022. The Transition Fund is designed to support the financial stability of services in the period between the...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department funds the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which was launched in June 2016 and is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Anti-Racism Measures (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government commits to publishing a National Action Plan Against Racism. As the Deputy is aware, the independent Anti-Racism Committee was established by Government in 2020 to provide a draft anti-racism strategy, containing a clear action plan, supported in their work by officials from my Department. I received on 27 June 2022, a National Action Plan Against Racism,...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department published the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures Annual Report 2020 on 20 January 2022. This is the final Annual Report under Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (0-24), since the framework expired on 31 December 2020. The Annual Report demonstrates that good progress was made under Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures....

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The Communities Integration Fund provides small grant funding (€1,000 - €5,000 per project) to local community-based projects to support the integration of migrant and host communities. The purpose of the 2022 Fund is to support communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants. This funding can be used for both once-off initiatives...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: It is open to any member of the Oireachtas to send a representation through the Minister’s office on matters relating to international protection. Such queries will be handled promptly. The IPAS helpdesk is also available as part of the dedicated customer service unit in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) which responds to correspondence or queries from IPAS...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme represents the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for early learning and childcare. The scheme is designed so that those on the lowest incomes receive the greatest support. Where parents are not engaged in work or study, the NCS subsidises up to 20 hours per week. Where parents are engaged in work or study, the NCS subsidises up to 45 hours...