Results 9,001-9,020 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey, which is administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department, has captured crucial data on the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare sector for the past 18 years, and forms a key input into policy development and reform in the Department. The data captured are published, alongside administrative data from Department of Children,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Communications (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm for the Deputy that I have not deleted text messages or emails relating to Government or official communications since I took office in June 2020. As Minister, I am fully aware of obligations under Freedom of Information legislation and at all times act in accordance with that legislation.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is a universal free two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. The minimum eligibility age for the ECCE programme was revised in September 2018 when it was reduced from 3 years to 2 years and 8 months. The revised minimum of 2 years and 8 months was chosen based on national experience and a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has had ongoing engagement with the organisations representing the childcare sector prior to, and since the launch of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). Following the publication of the Policy Paper on the Development of a new Single Affordable Childcare Schemein October 2016, my Department carried out a public consultation on the details of the scheme’s design. An...

Adoption (Information) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (16 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I welcome the opportunity to speak to the highly important issue raised in this Bill and I acknowledge Deputies Connolly, Pringle and Joan Collins for bringing it forward. Access to birth information has been to the forefront of my agenda since I became a Minister and bringing forward legislation on this and other matters is a priority for me as a Minister and for this Government. We are...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question. Throughout the pandemic, the State has offered significant supports to childcare services across the country, and rightly so. The childcare sector stepped up, particularly last January, and kept services open for the most vulnerable children. The Deputy is right. The expert group on the funding model will report in the coming months and set out how...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (16 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am advised by IPAS officials that every transfer request, including that to which the Deputy refers, and which is currently under consideration, is looked at on its own merits in the context of both the suitability of the current accommodation offering, and the availability of similarly suitable accommodation at the desired location.  However, the Deputy will appreciate that it is not...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: A key priority for me as Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is to improve affordability, accessibility and quality of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC). Historically, there have been low levels of investment in ELC in Ireland. Over the past five years however, investment has increased by some 141% and currently stands at €638 million per year. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In July I met with some of those involved in writing the report, and I welcome the report's findings and proposals. On working conditions and staffing, the report highlights the low wages of those who work in early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services. I firmly believe that their level of pay does not reflect the value of the work practitioners do for children,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (16 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The standard to which the Deputy refers, EN 14683, is a medical mask or surgical mask under the Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EEC – class I (for non-sterile medical masks) / Medical Devices Regulation (EU) 2017/745 - class I (for non-sterile medical masks). My Department currently makes disposable masks which conform to the standard E14683 available to DCEDIY staff members. Each...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (16 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am strongly committed to the improvement of childcare provision in Ireland under the National Childcare Scheme. This commitment to improvement is underpinned by the current review which gives specific attention to children whose parents are not working or in education or training. The basis for the design of the National Childcare Scheme is provided in the 2016 Policy Paper on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Pre-school services are governed by Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 and by the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016. The minimum adult: child ratios for services providing full day care, part-time care and sessional care are set out in the these Regulations. The minimum ratio for children availing of sessional pre-school services in the age category 2.5 years to 6...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputies. This sector, like many sectors of the economy, is coming out of an incredibly difficult time following Covid. It is a sector that certainly stepped up during the crisis, which both Deputies recognised, particularly last January when it did not shut but continued to provide early learning and care for the most vulnerable children and the children of essential workers....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. It is a key priority for me as the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to improve the affordability, accessibility and quality of early learning and care, ELC, and school age childcare, SAC. Historically, there have been low levels of investment in ELC and SAC in this country, although in the past five years we...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Expenditure (15 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In relation to my Department, I can confirm to the Deputy that it has utilised the services of Common Purpose Ireland details of which are listed in the table below. Year No of Staff Purpose of Engagement Cost 2021 1 Common Purpose Programme for Senior Leaders €3,000 2020 0 N/A ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (15 Sep 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: School-age childcare services are permitted to operate in line with the latest public health guidance for the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector. Before the onset of Covid-19, data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile Survey showed that the supply of SAC places was broadly meeting demand, with evidence of pockets of undersupply in certain areas....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: A single intake for the ECCE programme was introduced in September 2018, replacing the previous policy of two intakes per year the ECCE. When there were two intakes per year for the two year ECCE programme children would get between 61 and 88 weeks of ECCE, depending on their birthday, which was not equitable. The single entry point ensures that all children, regardless of their birthday,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department recruited a National Childminding Coordinator in 2019, who put in place a team of 6 Childminding Development Officers within City and County Childcare Committees around the country, with a regional remit. The Officers work with all 30 City and County Childcare Committees to prepare the childminding sector for the move towards wider regulation and support, and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age childcare (SAC) services are permitted to operate in line with the public health guidance for the sector. Sector-specific public health guidance for ELC and SAC services operating during the pandemic was published in May 2020 by the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and has been updated on a number of occasions since, with...