Results 8,161-8,180 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (3 Feb 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 (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Transport Working Group established under Action 104 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) met at the end of January this year and was chaired by my colleague Minister Anne Rabbitte. The Transport Working Group was established in 2020 to drive Action 104 of the Strategy but its work was paused to prioritise initial responses to the pandemic, while the work of the main NDIS...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142, 160, 172 and 176 together. This Government is committed to ending Direct Provision and replacing it with a new International Protection Support Service that has respect for human rights at its core. Almost one year ago, I published a White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Servicesetting out how we...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 155 together. The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment that the Government will develop and implement a new National Strategy for Women and Girls, which provides a whole-of-Government framework through which women’s empowerment continues to be advanced. The National Strategy for Women and Girls...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Joint Labour Committees (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The establishment of a Joint Labour Committee for Early Years Services in late 2021 is a significant and welcome development. As the Deputy is aware, its establishment follows a process of engagement with relevant stakeholders that I began in December 2020. I know that the move to establish the Committee has been welcomed by both union and employer representatives. In line with the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (3 Feb 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 150 together. The works eligible for capital funding are determined by my Department on an annual basis, having regard to the needs of children, families and providers, and to Departmental priorities. During the 2021 budgetary process, an initial €8.3m was provided for capital funding. A further €2.2m was secured in capital...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The City and County Childcare Committees (CCC) were assigned by the National Childcare Strategy (2000) as the key local component in the development of a co-ordinated approach to supporting the delivery of high-quality early learning and childcare. There are 30 CCC, located nationwide, who are funded by my Department to provide support and guidance to local early learning and childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I informed the Deputy in December 2021 that Tusla’s review to which she refers is completed. I had intended that it would have been published in January. I intend to submit a joint Memorandum for the Information of the Government with my colleague Minister Mc Entee on the matter shortly, at which time Tusla will publish the Review. Tusla’s Accommodation Review has examined...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 28 February 2021, with the dissolution of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, my Department became the data controller for all the personal data contained in the records and databases that transferred from the Commission. My Department is responsible for fulfilling data subject rights, including the right of access to personal data. I am very mindful of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Children First Act 2015 places a number of statutory obligations on specific groups of professionals and on particular organisations providing services to children. Children’s First Guidance 2017 includes information on the statutory obligations for those individuals and organisations under the Act. It also sets out the best practice procedures that should be in place for all...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Support is available to services with sustainability concerns through a Case Management process. My Department oversees this process through which local City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and Pobal work together to assess early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services experiencing difficulties and provide support as necessary. Pobal co-ordinate the overall case...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Poverty (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 162 together. The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Social Protection leads on the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 – 2025, aimed at reducing poverty and improving social inclusion. Under the Roadmap, a new child poverty target is being agreed. Relevant Officials are in contact with regard to a new target for child poverty under...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 196 together. An Expert Group to develop a new funding model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) was established in 2019. It was independently chaired and comprised of national and international experts across multiple fields. It met 21 times and has now completed its work. The report of the Expert Group, Partnership for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 186 together. Thank you Deputies for your parliamentary questions pertaining to the actions taken by my Department to ensure a fair and equitable recovery for children and young people from the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the negative impact that Covid-19 has had on all our people both young and old. Secondly,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I informed the Deputy in December 2021 that Tusla’s review to which she refers is completed. I had intended that it would have been published in January. I intend to submit a joint Memorandum for the Information of the Government with my colleague Minister Mc Entee on the matter shortly, at which time Tusla will publish the Review. Tusla’s Accommodation Review has examined...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: 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. The additional two weeks’ leave and benefit will apply to parents of children who are under the age of 2 in July 2022, or in the case of adoption, children who have been placed with their parents for less than...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Local Authorities (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: There is no statutory requirement for a disability officer in public bodies, but there is a statutory requirement to authorise an access officer. To support persons who may have particular needs, section 26 of the Disability Act 2005 requires the authorisation of at least one officer of a public body to provide or arrange for and co-ordinate the provision of assistance and guidance to persons...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a dedicated social work team for Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP). Over the past 20 years the SCSIP Team has developed expertise through Ireland’s participation in International Refugee Protection Programmes and by caring for the greater number of separated children seeking international protection who arrive...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can inform the Deputy that the review by Tusla to which she refers is completed. I had intended that it would have been published in January. I intend to submit a joint Memorandum for the Information of the Government with my colleague Minister Mc Entee on the matter shortly, at which time Tusla will publish the Review. Tusla’s Accommodation Review has examined the current...