Results 8,821-8,840 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Child Protection (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165, 305 and 306 together. The Child and Family Agency (Tusla), is the dedicated State agency responsible for improving child welfare and protection outcomes for children. Tusla is committed to promoting safe practice in all areas of alternative care, including residential care and foster care. Safe practice is defined as the implementation of appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Data (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has, since 2015, administered an annual capital funding programme, under which early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) service providers are invited to apply for capital funding, to maintain and improve their services. In 2021 I secured €10.5 million in Capital Funding for ELC and SAC childcare services. The objective of the first round of grants...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Many children with disabilities, including autism, take part in mainstream early learning and care services. Participation of children with disabilities in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) universal pre-school programme in mainstream early learning and care services is supported by the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which is delivered by my Department. The key objective of AIM...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Youth Services (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The amount provided in 2020 and 2021 to youth capital projects; and the amount of the allocation that was drawn down for 2020 and 2021 (to date) is provided in the table below. Youth Capital 2020 2021 Allocation €1,950,000 €3,000,000 Draw down €2,379,650 €2,328,650 The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2018. This marked an important milestone in a process to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland that has gathered momentum since Ireland became a signatory to the Convention in 2007. The approach being taken to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I acknowledge that many early learning and childcare services are reporting staffing and recruitment difficulties, with increased pressures as a result of Covid-19. My Department is actively monitoring the issue and has sought data and evidence-based proposals from sectoral representatives. The primary data-source for the sector is the Annual Early Years Sector Profile. In the most recent...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: There has been a significant expansion in the provision of family leaves in recent years, with the introduction of paid parent's leave through the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 and its extension to five weeks this year with the Family Leaves and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021; as well as extensions to unpaid parental leave through the Parental Leave Amendment Act 2019 to 26 weeks per...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Paternity Leave (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 (as amended), an employee who is a relevant parent in relation to a child is entitled to 2 weeks paid paternity leave to be taken in the first 6 months after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. A relevant parent in relation to a child means a person, other than the mother, who is the father of the child, the partner (spouse, civil...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: First 5 was published in November 2018. The strategy focuses on the period of early childhood and takes a joined-up, cross-government approach to supporting babies, young children and their families during their early years. The Implementation Plan, published in May 2019, covers the first phase of the ten year plan and identifies key milestones for each action across 2019, 2020 and 2021....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Unemployment (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The issue of employment is a key consideration for both myself and my Government colleagues. Indeed, in the past few weeks I attended a round table discussion convened by the Tanaiste involving Ministers and officials from relevant Departments and the youth sector to consider this issue. I issued a joint press release on 24 September detailing this meeting which may be of interest to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Generally, three cohorts of children can be involved with the international protection process, those in the company of their parents or guardian, children who arrive unaccompanied by a guardian (separated children) to ports of entry and unaccompanied child refugees who come to Ireland under specific relocation projects under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). The processing of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is investing €638 million this year in the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare sector. State investment in ELC and SAC has increased by an unprecedented 141% since 2015. This funding has significantly extended the number of places available in the sector and the numbers of children benefiting from free or subsidised services. Government has committed to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy may be aware that my officials and I have met with Youth Work Ireland in relation to their business plan for the reinvigoration of the voluntary clubs network. We had an in-depth discussion on the implications of the report and the issue is under review by officials in the context of our consideration of the Estimates for 2022. As the Deputy will be aware, I provided an increase of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 301 and 303 together. The Deputy refers to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that Tusla reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very conscious of the need for significant improvement in pay and working conditions for practitioners in early learning and childcare services. The level of pay they receive does not reflect the value of the work they do for children, for families and for the wider society and economy. The State is not the employer and therefore cannot determine wages in the sector. However, I am...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy will be aware that my Department's responsibilities include a range of policy and service activity, direct and indirect, for children and young people, adults, families and communities and have a diverse range of cross-cutting impacts on other policy areas. My Department's expenditure is focussed on cross-cutting children’s initiatives including child welfare and protection,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I must advise the Deputy that it is not appropriate for me to comment on action taken or pending in respect of individual and/or particularly sensitive child protection matters or child care proceedings. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. If I, or my officials, become aware of a situation in which a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. Tusla has a dedicated Quality Assurance Team which produces monthly, quarterly and annual reports in respect of Tusla's functions, including detailed reporting on child safety and protection services. The reports are published on Tusla's website and are scrutinised by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (7 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 310, 315 and 319 together. While I have responsibility for monitoring the effectiveness of the equality legislation, the role of monitoring the prevalence of discrimination and prejudice in Irish society is undertaken by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) which is Ireland’s national human rights and equality institution and is an...