Results 6,721-6,740 of 11,745 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to accept these amendments, which seek to add to the list of secondary information sources provided for within the legislation, because I do not believe they are required. It is important to note the list of secondary information sources already includes a person prescribed under section 43(2). That is something that can be done through statutory instrument. There...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to accept this amendment because it would introduce a broad and sweeping power to the Minister beyond the agreed policy intentions underpinning the Bill. When drafting this legislation, I wanted to ensure that it was as broad and encompassing as possible while ensuring that the definitions and parameters included in it were strong enough to be sound legislatively and...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendment No. 32 seeks to ensure that in a scenario where a person has applied to a relevant body for birth, early life care, or medical information, and no records exist, as well as informing the applicant of this fact - which was provided for already under the legislation - the relevant body will also advise the applicant of the right to make an application through the contact preference...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendments Nos. 29 to 31, inclusive, relate to the information session. Amendment No. 30 entirely removes or deletes it whereas amendments Nos. 29 and 31 seek to alter the mechanism. At this point we have debated this Bill for 30 hours across the two Houses and a very significant proportion of that time has been spent on discussing this issue. I recognise the very strong and deeply held...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (14 Jun 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: Ukraine War (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Please see below breakdown of persons admitted to Ireland as refugees including their country of origin from 2016 to 2021, in tabular form as requested by the Deputy: 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Iraq 63 23 5 19 7 Syria 531 771 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority. Since 2015, significant increases in State investment in early learning and childcare has given rise to a substantial growth in the numbers of children participating in these services. More than 100,000 children now participate on the universal pre-school programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: When first introduced, the ECCE Programme was delivered over 38 weeks in a given ECCE programme year and children were required to be between the ages of 3 years and 2 months and 4 years and 7 months in September in the year they enrolled. The entry age has since been decreased on two occasions, the first in 2016, when it was reduced from 3 years and 2 months to 3 years of age and the number...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-Agency issue. Under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV. Tusla is funded from my Department through Vote 40. The Taoiseach, Minister McEntee and myself have worked intensively...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1166 and 1198 together. As you are aware, provision has been made in Budget 2022 to increase the number of weeks of Parent’s Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents from five weeks to seven weeks from July 2022. This will be introduced by way of Regulation as provided for under the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (as amended). It has been...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1167, 1201 and 1202 together. I firmly believe that the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, for families, for society and the economy. The most recent available data indicates the average hourly wage for non-managerial staff in the sector in 2021 was €12.60,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputies will be aware, I published A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service on the 26th of February 2021. The report of the advisory group published in October 2020 (also known as the Catherine Day report) fed into the creation of the White Paper. In the fourteen months since its publication my department has placed a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) 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 the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of high quality...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In order for a child to access AIM supports, he or she must be within the eligible age range for the ECCE programme and be registered on the programme in a registered pre-school service. The ECCE programme is provided for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week over a 38 week programme year which runs between September and June. Operational weeks of the ECCE programme year are closely aligned with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) 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 the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of high quality...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Interest Rates (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to provide the following information to the Deputy regarding the interest charged for savings or other funds on deposit in Irish banks since negative interest rates were introduced. Bank Account 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Sum of Q1 2022 Total DCYA Current A/c - Bank of Ireland €4,462.93 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Interest Rates (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to provide the following information to the Deputy regarding the negative interest charged by financial institutions in 2021 and since negative interest rates were introduced. Agency Negative Interest Charged to State Agencies Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) Nil Gaisce - The President's Award Will respond...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ministerial Appointments (14 Jun 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: Departmental Staff (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm that there are no secondments in place for any former Secretary General from my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Special Educational Needs (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can inform the Deputy of the following supports provided my Department, specifically: The ECCE Programme, which was established in 2010 to provide children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school. When first introduced, the ECCE Programme was delivered over 38 weeks in a given ECCE Programme Year and children were required to be between the...