Results 9,381-9,400 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Expenditure (17 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has had no expenditure on public relations consultancy in 2021. I have requested agencies under my Department's remit to respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Climate Action Plan (17 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Action 228a of the Interim Climate action Plan requires the Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth to establish a Youth Climate Council as part of the new National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) engagement model and annual Climate Action Plan consultations, to help support future dialogue with young people. Steps are being taken to establish the Youth Climate...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (17 Jun 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. As the Deputy is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (17 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (17 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department supports a range of initiatives that work towards enabling access to employment from persons from minority groups. The Migrant Integration Strategyis a whole-of-Government Strategy to support the integration of migrants. The Strategy includes a range of actions to support employment and pathways to work for migrants. The Strategy has been extended until the end of 2021 to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (16 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DGSBV). The response to DSGBV is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue with policy coordinated by the Department of Justice. Tusla supports some 60 front line DSGBV services around the country, and the Department has increased its funding...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (16 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 189 together. Thank you Deputy for highlighting this issue. All children in care are involved in developing their aftercare plan in the years and months coming up to their 18th birthday when, as legal adults, they are no longer in the statutory care of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The specialist team working with these children and...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is not planning to reviewing the capitation levels paid to the providers of ECCE services for the forthcoming 2021/22 ECCE programme year. The capitation levels for the 2021-22 ECCE programme year were published by Pobal on 27 May 2021, and are set at €69 per child per 15 hours of ECCE per week, with a higher capitation rate of €80.25 per child per week where...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very concerned to hear of any individual provider proposing to increase charges to parents at a time when the Government continues to support early learning and childcare providers very significantly. In view of the extent of State support, increases are not justified at this time. One of my key priorities in Government is to achieve affordability of early learning and care and...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: One of my key priorities as Minister is to achieve affordability of quality early learning and care (ELC) and school age childcare (SAC) for families. With regard to the question of the cost of childcare,the Programme for Government commits to substantially reducing fees to parents while supporting quality service provision. My Department has established an Expert Group which is currently...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The issue raised by the Deputy is a matter for Tusla - the Children and Family Agency and the question has been forwarded to them for direct response to the Deputy.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that this is an operational matter for Tusla and my officials have asked the Agency to respond directly to you on this matter.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: While the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is an initiative of my Department, a Scheme Administrator has been engaged to manage the operation of the Scheme on my Department’s behalf. Pobal acts in this capacity as Scheme Administrator, and it is their role to follow up on individual cases. We would ask that Parents using the NCS be advised to direct queries in relation to applications...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (16 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Former residents of Mother and Baby Homes can make a Subject Access Request (SAR) to my Department for access to their record. My Department is cognisant of its obligations as a data controller when responding to SARs and is responding on a case by case basis to individuals within the timeframes required by the GDPR. GDPR provides that the one month period for SARs may be extended by a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (16 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy will be aware that, as part of its response to the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes (and Certain Related Matters), the Government committed to establishing a Restorative Recognition Scheme for survivors of Mother and Baby and County Home institutions. This scheme will include a restorative recognition payment and a form of enhanced medical...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (16 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. Capital funding for approved housing bodies, including services that provide refuge accommodation, is...

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

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Children in Care (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Regarding alternative care and the wider care system, as the Deputy knows, there has been a long-running review of the Child Care Act 1991. We hope to make proposals for a significant amendment of that legislation in the near future. I look forward to working with Deputy Costello and other Members on the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. There is a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Children in Care (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I want to express my appreciation to Deputy Costello. The Deputy posed this Topical Issue matter a while ago and he facilitated me by moving it to today. I thank the Deputy for that. The issue the Deputy has brought to our attention is a very important one. There are approximately 6,000 children in care in the State. Of those, a very large proportion, 93%, are in foster care and a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine the introduction of a new ground of discrimination, based on socioeconomic disadvantaged status to the Employment Equality and Equal Status Acts. In addition, a broader review of the Equality Acts is also planned shortly. I hope to undertake a public consultation on potentially amending the Equality Acts to include a socioeconomic...