Results 981-1,000 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Defective Building Materials (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My understanding in the case of north Cork is that there is engagement between Pobal and the childcare committee on a resolution. In terms of the services Deputy Doherty raised, I will inquire with my Department on the engagement with the childcare committee. It is important to recognise the need to have flexibility and that has been recognised in the terms of the use of our capital...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes, I got a selfie with your mother-in-law.

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "welcomes that: — the present Government has implemented the most significant reform agenda to early learning and childcare in the history of the State; — total Government investment in early learning and childcare has almost doubled since 2020, rising to €1.1...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Refugee Resettlement Programme (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, my Department continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it, in line with Government policy. This supports them to make longer term independent arrangements if they decide to remain in Ireland for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The individual case raised by the Deputy has been referred to Tusla for the attention of the appropriate staff. I am aware that eligibility for the State Pension (Contributory) is an area of genuine concern for foster carers. Last year, my Government colleague, the Minister for Social Protection oversaw the implementation of a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system as...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Artificial Intelligence (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is guided by the Interim Guidelines for Use of AI in the Public Service published by the Public Service Transformation Delivery Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and by the National Cyber Security Centre on ICT policy and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Artificial Intelligence (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise that officials in this Department, or any agency under its auspices, are not authorised to use Artificial Intelligence software in the preparation of responses to Parliamentary Questions, or in responses to any correspondence from outside the organisation. This is in line with advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) released in June 2023.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 596, 597, 598 and 599 together. My Department is committed to supporting all those seeking international protection (IP) in Ireland and work is ongoing across the country to bring available accommodation into use to support our residents. As part of a whole of Government approach, the Department's International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019, an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks’ unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare (which includes school aged childcare) is a key Government priority. Considerable investment has taken place in recent years to improve the resourcing, quality and availability of early learning and childcare. In September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare (ELC). This new...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the issues facing Northside Community Enterprises, and of the funding that they require to support the re-opening of the Before 5 Family Centre in Churchfield, Co. Cork. The Before 5 Family Centre is in an area of undersupply and of high need, so the ambition of Northside Community Enterprises to reopen this Centre, with an extended offer of full time, full year places for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Please see below the number of children with an ECCE registration in Cork City for programme calls 2020/2021 and 2023/2024. Please note there was a change of boundaries that resulted in 47 services with children registered for ECCE 2020/21 changing from Cork County to Cork City. For that reason, the numbers below are based on the boundaries at the time and the number based on the current...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are currently running an online survey as part of the public consultation to inform the successor strategy to the National Strategy for Women and Girls. IPSOS B&A have been contracted to carry out the consultation for the Department and have helped design the online survey, which seeks to gather opinions and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I apologise for the delay in responding to the deferred PQs 19884/24, PQ 19857/24, PQ 19858/24 and PQ 19859/24. I can confirm that a response to these PQs has now been issued to the Deputy, as of 11 September 2024.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the State’s humanitarian response to the Ukrainian crisis, the Government has developed a Rapid Build Housing Programme to provide accommodation for families fleeing the war in Ukraine who request it. The programme aims to provide short-term accommodation for up to 2,800 Ukrainians at several sites across Ireland. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is leading the development...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has in place a range of supports and funding schemes to support the delivery of early learning and childcare places but services are independently operated, either by community not-for-profit or by private for-profit providers, and decisions about whether and when to open a service rest with individual service providers, subject to them registering with Tusla's Early Years...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In January 2023, my Department received a proposal in relation to the former Equestrian and Conference Centre, Wallslough, Co. Kilkenny, R95 T9FE for the provision of temporary accommodation for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine (Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, also know as BOTPs). As the proposal involved a property requiring significant conversion and refurbishment works, it...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is working with communities all over Ireland to source and provide accommodation for people applying for international protection. This is part of Irish and EU law, and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their home country. My Department’s Community Engagement Team (CET) liaises directly with elected...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy has sought some statistics pertaining to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme which I provide here as at 16 September. Estimated number of persons eligible for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme 34,000 Number of applications received to date 5,104 Number of applications awaiting outstanding...