Results 11,641-11,660 of 11,817 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department operates a number of funding programmes, for which all Tusla registered childcare services are eligible to apply, including those that are community based or hold a charitable status. These programmes are summarised below: Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a free pre-school programme available to all children...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 853 and 868 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Meetings (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides funding to Scouting Ireland on a national basis under the Youth Services Grant Scheme. In 2020 Scouting Ireland was provided with a grant of €1,135,930. My Department cannot deal directly with individual scout groups, or indeed with local groups from any of the national youth organisations, as this would be unmanageable from an administrative and governance...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Schools Data (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this is an operational matter I have asked Tusla, the Child and Family Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: State Pension (Contributory) (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Pension contributions are governed by the employer and employee relationship and contractual arrangements. Similarly, where employment ceases any associated impact on pension rights may be communicated with regard to this framework. The determination of what constitutes employment for the purposes of calculating contributions for the State pension(s) is a matter for the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Functions (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The responsibility for youth affairs remains with my Department. While I am aware of some concerns, I can assure the Deputy that, despite 'Youth Affairs' not appearing in the title of the Department, it very much remains central to the remit of my Department. Funding to the youth sector has been protected through the current period of financial challenge and I will strive to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Early learning and care services who were reopening after the Covid closure were not obliged to notify my Department on the day that they reopened. Information on service reopening is being compiled by way of local surveys being carried out by the County Childcare Committees through returns made to Pobal, who administer funded schemes on behalf of my Department. Pobal have indicated...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 10 June 2020, a major funding package was announced to facilitate the reopening of Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare services. Included in this reopening package are: - 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Functions (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Detailed discussions between officials at my Department and at the Department of Justice are ongoing with regard to the transfer of functions between both Departments. Functions relating to Equality, Disability, Domestic Violence and Direct Provision are transferring to my Department under the Programme for Government. These are very significant policy and operational areas and I want to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 10 June 2020, I announced a major funding package to facilitate the reopening of Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare services. Included in this reopening package are: - 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department will shortly arrange for publication of the brief, as compiled by the Department of Children Youth Affairs, that was provided to me on my appointment. It is my understanding that the Department of Health will publish any briefing that has been provided to the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 863 and 864 together. On 10 June 2020, my predecessor announced a major funding package to facilitate the reopening of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services. In accordance with the Government Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, and guided by the expert advice of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC), ELC...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department recently announced a €75 million package of funding for reopening services over the summer months. This substantial investment recognises the important role that the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) sector plays in the societal and economic infrastructure of the country. The new funding package contains a number of significant elements...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Detailed discussions between my Department and the Department of Health are ongoing with regard to the transfer of functions between both Departments. The Minister of State with Responsibility for Disability is currently working directly with Department of Health officials in order ensure a fuller understanding of the issues prior to its transfer to my Department. This is a significant...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is aware of the case mentioned and have previously been in contact with both Pobal and the service concerned regarding the circumstances of this case. In a letter to the service concerned from my Department on the 27th November 2019, it was clarified that Pobal initially issued correspondence to the service on 26th October 2018 querying an error surrounding the submission of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) programme is a free universal two-year pre-school programme which is available to all children within the eligible age range. The programme is available to all children who have turned 2 years and 8 months of age before September 1st of the year they will be starting ECCE. With regard to the child referred to by the Deputy, he does not...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has not received an application for an additional year of ECCE for the child referred to by the Deputy. If the parents or the service provider wish to make an application they should forward it to my Department by email to eyqueries@dcya.gov.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Guardians Ad Litem (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019 is an important piece of legislation which seeks to provide for much-needed reform of guardian ad litem (GAL) arrangements. Its objective is to regulate the existing system of GAL appointments and to extend the system so that GALs can be made available to a larger number of children on a more equitable basis. It provides a statutory basis for a nationally...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy will be aware that I cannot comment on an individual case. Tusla receives children into care when it is necessary to ensure their safety, welfare and development In the event of a child or an unborn child requiring safe care which is assessed as not being available from within the family, Tusla is obliged to consider, together with the parents and sometimes the Court, how...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Functions (14 Jul 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Power to transfer functions from one Minister/Department to another and to rename Departments is vested in the Government under section 6 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939. Preparatory work for the transfer of functions and progressing the legislative requirements is ongoing. A revised organisational chart will be made available as soon as the required legal and...