Results 9,301-9,320 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In the first instance, the Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to comment on any individual case. As regards the broader issues raised by this case, my Department worked with the governing Board of this organisation to progress a number of important actions in response to findings of poor safeguarding policies and practice in the organisation. These actions included:...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Proofing of Policies (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The focus of my Department is on the development of an integrated equality proofing process that covers all nine equality grounds plus poverty rather than on separate impact assessments. My Department is co-lead, with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, on the Equality Budgeting Expert Advisory Group (EBEAG). In March 2021, the Government agreed to establish an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (1 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: Direct Provision System (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As of Sunday 27 June 2020 there were 6465 persons being accommodated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department. Of this number 70.6% (4564) are being accommodated in centres that provide independent living facilities that include cooking facilities and 33.38% (2158) have own-door access to their accommodation. As the Deputy will be aware, I have now...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges to maintaining the health and safety of residents living within International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) as it did for the country as a whole. In order to safeguard our residents, specific measures were put in place by IPAS in close collaboration with the HSE from the outset of the pandemic. These measures were first...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding, which was published in April 2021, aims to improve access, through childminding, to high quality and affordable childcare. The Action Plan sets out a pathway over the next 8 years towards regulation, support and subsidies for all paid, non-relative childminders. The Action Plan will involve change and will bring significant benefits for childminders,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: HIQA's proposed Draft National Standards for Children’s Social Services encompass foster care, residential care, special care, and child protection and welfare services. The current National Standards for Foster Care have been in place since 2003. It is important that standards are reviewed from time to time in order that they remain fit for purpose. It is also important that all...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Supply of, and demand for, early learning and care and school-age childcare places is currently monitored annually through the Early Years Sector Profile report. This survey is conducted by Pobal on behalf of the Department. Owing to the impact of COVID-19 on services, capacity figures are not available for 2019/2020. However, figures from previous years would suggest, overall, that supply...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Proofing of Policies (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, I am conscious of the importance of language when discussing disability, when implementing policy and when drafting and reviewing legislation. Government will need to examine the implications of any changes to terminology in legislation. On the 22ndJune I announced my intention to conduct a review of the Employment...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (30 Jun 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. My Department is providing Tusla with funding of €30m in 2021 for the provision of DSGBV...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The particular case referred to by the Deputy did not arise from any issue with NCS system or with Pobal (the NCS Scheme Administrator). NCS subsidies are paid once a valid CHICK is registered by a childcare provider and the parent confirms on the system that all details are correct. This is a key financial governance control to safeguard public funds and ensure that the investment is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The emergency centre to which the Deputy refers is currently being used to provide quarantine facilities for residents who left their allocated accommodation to live temporarily with family or friends and who now wish to re-enter International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation. IPAS adopted this policy last year following consultations with public health officials in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The centre to which the Deputy refers is currently being used to provide quarantine facilities for residents who left their allocated accommodation to live temporarily with family or friends and who now wish to re-enter International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation. IPAS adopted this policy last year following consultations with public health officials in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Employment Support Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015-2024 (CES) is the primary disability employment policy initiative in Ireland. It is a cross-government approach, bringing together actions by Government Departments and Agencies to address the barriers and challenges to employment of persons with disabilities. The CES’s strategic priorities are to build skills,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In 2015, the then Department of Justice and Equality, published a Roadmap to Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). In 2018, Ireland ratified the UNCRPD. Our approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of progressive realisation, each year moving forward on key reforms, with the obligations arising from the Convention...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The vision set out in First 5, the ambition of the Programme for Government, and the commitments made during the pandemic, signal the importance of the early learning and care and school-age childcare sector and the scale of the reforms underway. First 5(published November 2018) sets out an ambitious programme of work across Government Departments to improve the experiences and outcomes of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The tables below set out the number of ECCE only services and the funding they received in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and the number of services not providing ECCE and the funding they received in 2018-19 and 2019-20 The numbers of ECCE only providers given is the number of providers who have entered into a funding agreement for ECCE and not for any other programmes funded by my Department, such...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 381, 382 and 383 together. I am 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. As the State does not employ early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department developed a National Action Plan for Childminding which was published in April 2021. The Action Plan aims to improve access, through childminding, to high quality and affordable childcare. The Action Plan sets out a pathway over the next 8 years towards regulation, support and subsidies for all paid, non-relative childminders. The Action Plan will involve change and will bring...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am assuming that this question is referring to the supporting documentation required as part of the re-registration process for early years services by the Early Years Inspectorate of Tusla, the independent and statutory regulator of this sector. Services were required to provide Fire Safety Certificates as part of the re-registration process which was due to take place at the end of 2019....