Results 11,581-11,600 of 11,817 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 8 July, Pobal were contacted by Louth CCC regarding this service due to concerns that the service was to close. From this date, the circumstances have been monitored by Pobal in conjunction with Louth CCC. On 13 July, Louth CCC wrote to the service to offer supports to explore preventative measures to avoid closure and look at restructuring the service in order to continue to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The estimated full year additional cost of this measure would be €81m, in a full year. The National Childcare Scheme subsidy payments are paid weekly and are calculated by taking the hourly subsidy awarded to a child and multiplying it by the number of hours they attend a service or the maximum number of hours awarded to them per week (whichever is fewer). The National Childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the State is not the employer, my Department does not determine the wages of staff working in early learning and care or school-age childcare settings. According to the Living Wage Technical Group, the "living wage" in Ireland in 2019 was €12.30 per hour. On that basis, the data below is presented with reference to a wage of €12.30 per hour, rather than €11.90 per...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The 2020 allocated budget for the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is €43 million. This funding covers the cost of the seven levels of AIM, which encompass a range of both universal and targeted measures. The majority of this funding, €26 million, is for Level 7 Additional Assistance. This Level 7 funding is intended to facilitate either the recruitment of additional staff...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: €297m euro has been allocated to the Early Childhood Care and Education programme in 2020; the proposed increases in the Deputy’s question have been built upon this year’s allocation. The Early Childhood Care and Education programme runs for 38 weeks each programme year. The standard capitation rate paid to providers is €69 per child, per week. The higher...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The table summarises the estimated ascending costs within the scenario described where the universal minimum subsidy is increased in 50 cent intervals up to €5.00 across the National Childcare Scheme, assuming the minimum targeted subsidy is increased so as never to be below the universal subsidy. September to December 2020 and January to December 2021 costs are provided. The cost...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 712 and 729 together. In January 2014 Tusla, the Child and Family Agency was established and as part of the remit of the Agency, it took on the functions of the former National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB): chiefly the Education and Welfare Services (EWS). The EWS comprises the statutory functions relating to Educational Welfare Officers; the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childminding Initiative, which began in 2002, contained a number of strands to support childminders. One of the strands was the appointment of Childminding Advisory Officers, some of whom were employed by the HSE and some by City and County Childcare Committees. Their roles included offering information, support and training to childminders; maintaining the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 714 and 715 together. As per Pobal's Annual Early Years Sector Profile Report for 2018/2019, there were estimated to be (following extrapolation of survey data) 26,882 staff working directly with children in early learning and care and school-age childcare services. Of these, it is estimated that 26.8% (7,204) held a level 5 major award as their highest...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Support Payments (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Baby boxes for newborns are to be piloted under First 5: A Whole-of -Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028. Piloting Baby Boxes is just one initiative which is part of a wide ranging strategy addressing various aspects of the lives of children from birth to age five including supports for parents to balance working and caring, developments in early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Aistear, the national curriculum framework for early childhood, was developed by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NCCA). Since its development 10 years ago it has been used as a tool to support quality on many levels across the range of services that support the learning and care of children from birth to 6 years old. Its roll-out, which is supported by the Aistear-Síolta...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Aistear, the national curriculum framework for early childhood, was developed by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NCCA). Since its development 10 years ago it has been used as a tool to support quality on many levels across the range of services that support the learning and care of children from birth to 6 years old. Its roll-out, which is supported by the Aistear-Síolta...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The goal of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE universal pre-school programme and reap the benefits of quality early learning and care. AIM is a child-centred model, involving seven levels of progressive support, moving from the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 25 July, I announced a package of measures to support the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare sector as remaining services reopen in late August/early September. Access to the Revenue Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) within the July Stimulus will bring total funding provided by Government to the sector between 24 August and 31 December to just under...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: In order to support the sustainability of the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare Sector my Department launched the Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS). The TWSCS was layered on top of the Revenue TWSS and provided additional funding towards childcare staff wages to ensure that they could be retained by their employer.  The TWSCS operated from 6 April...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Reopening Funding Package (RSP) for July/August is an exceptional arrangement devised to support early learning and care and school aged childcare services in meeting the reopening guidelines after the COVID-19 closures. As of 24 July there were 2,672 applications approved for the RSP with a total value of €9.6 million.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Childminding Re-opening Grant applications are being processed by the regional Childminding Development Officers who work in City/County Childcare Committees, and payments are being issued by their 6 respective host City/County Childcare Committees. The amount spent to date on the Childminding Re-opening Grant is €186,000as on 24 July 2020. There are currently an additional 41...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy will be aware the recently announced €75 million funding package to support childcare services re-opening from June 29 contains four significant elements: - A once-off reopening support payment for DCYA-funded providers opening between 29 June and early September. - A once-off COVID-19 capital grant for DCYA-funded providers opening between 29 June and early September. -...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (28 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The estimated additional cost of this measure would be €26m. The National Childcare Scheme subsidy payments are paid weekly and are calculated by taking the hourly subsidy awarded to a child and multiplying it by the number of hours they attend a service or the maximum number of hours awarded to them per week (whichever is fewer). The National Childcare Scheme's existing universal...