Results 9,241-9,260 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue with overall policy coordinated by the Department of Justice. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV. The Programme for Government recognises the need for additional refuge spaces and has committed to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My colleague, Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte T.D., recently announced her intention to establish a Working Group to develop an Autism Innovation Strategy. The focus of the strategy in the short term will be to deliver real and tangible solutions to the challenges, needs and experiences of people with autism. The Autism Innovation Strategy will be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department operates a scheme, the Play and Recreation Capital grant scheme, which provides funding, via Local Authorities, to support the development of new recreation facilities for children and young people, and for the refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities and incorporation of natural play elements. There was strong demand for funding under this scheme in 2021; with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding (NAPC) sets out a pathway to be developed over the next eight years towards regulation, support and subsidies for all paid, non-relative childminders. The National Action Plan will involve change and will bring significant benefits for childminders, children and the families using their services. While the organisation in question, which...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, The Child and Family Agency, has responsibility to provide alternative care services for children who are in need of care and protection. Where a child needs emergency or long term care Tusla’s first priority is to find a family placement and 91% of children in care are in foster care placements. The majority of emergency placements are also provided by specialist foster carers....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reports (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue with overall policy coordinated by the Department of Justice. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV. The Programme for Government recognises the need for additional refuge spaces and has committed to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to make a statement or commitment at this time, regarding funding for the FRC or other individual programme areas, but this will be given full consideration in the upcoming Estimates process. Tusla administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme which provides funding support to 121 FRCs across the country. My Department allocates core funding for the FRC...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government reiterates the commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol after the first reporting cycle. That timeline remains the objective. This position has been based on the assumption that Ireland's initial State Report would be examined by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. If it emerges that there are delays in the scheduling of Ireland's...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department does not offer a scheme similar to that referred to by the Deputy. Additionally, my Department does not have policy responsibility for summer activities that may be organised by local communities or are provided through the private sector. Funding from the Department's Youth Affairs Unit is to youth groups and clubs around the country, some of which will operate in the summer...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has had ongoing engagement with the childcare sector including with community childcare providers prior to, and since the launch of the National Childcare Scheme. Over the last 7 months my Department has conducted a number of stakeholder consultations to gain further insights into their experience of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). The stakeholder consultations were...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The statutory Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was established and operated in accordance with the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004. While a range of views have been expressed in reaction to the Commission’s Final Report, it is important to emphasise that the Commission was entirely independent in the performance of its functions and this independence was...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: A Vulnerability Assessment process, as provided for under Regulation 8 of the European Union (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, is currently being piloted by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department. The pilot commenced in December 2020 and was extended to all new applicants for international protection from the beginning of February. The pilot will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently responding to subject access requests from individuals whose personal data is contained in the archive. The policy of my Department is to release to individuals who request their personal information as much information as legally possible from the Commission’s archives, consistent with the approach required under the GDPR. Under 1989 Regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Programmes (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The incident in Ballon was wholly unacceptable. I recently raised the Pride flag in Waterford following a similar incident. I felt really privileged to witness the response of the community there, as they came together to stand with the LGBTI+ community, and showed that local communities really do not tolerate acts like this. Indeed, over Pride, I live-streamed the Live Out Loud:...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In line with emerging best practice to support the integration and independence of children with a disability, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) provides additional funding to pre-schools who have a child requiring extra support. Providers can use this funding either to reduce the child-to-adult ratio in the pre-school room or to fund an extra staff member. This staff member works...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since its formation, this Government has made clear that tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a key priority. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to investigate the provision of paid leave and social protection provision to victims of domestic violence with a view to establishing a statutory entitlement to paid domestic violence leave. The issue of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, thank you for this very important question. The Child and Family Agency, Tusla, is the dedicated State agency responsible for improving child welfare and protection outcomes for children. As the Deputy may be aware, I secured an additional €61M for the Agency in 2021. This brings the total budget of the Agency to €878M. Tusla’s Child Protection and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As stated in the Programme for Government, the Government is committed to ending the system of Direct Provision and has pledged to replace it with a new International Protection Support Service (IPSS), which will be centred on a not-for profit approach. As part of this process, I published A White Paper to end Direct Provision and to Establish a new International Protection Support Serviceon...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme which provides funding support to 121 FRCs across the country. My Department allocates core funding for the FRC Programme and, since 2019, an additional €1.5m has been provided in funding, which has meant that yearly funding has amounted to €18m for this programme. Organisations that wish to join the Programme are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Gender Balance (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Greater female representation in politics is one of the aims pursued under High-Level Objective Four of the National Strategy for Women and Girls, to advance women in leadership at all levels. My Department has coordinating responsibility for the Strategy, which provides a whole-of-government framework through which women's empowerment can continue to be advanced across Irish society. The...