Results 2,101-2,120 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (26 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since 1 July 2020, and following a reform process, targeted youth funding is provided under the UBU Your Place Your Spacescheme. Before the launch of this scheme, targeted youth funding was provided under the Targeted Youth Funding Scheme (TYFS) and the Revised Youth Funding Scheme (RYFS). Due to the cross-border and inter-county work of a number of youth services, it is not possible to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (26 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth provider runs a number of schemes which are available to Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare services. The schemes are administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department. In 2021, some €638m has been allocated to such schemes. Since 2017 my department has secured additional €172m in funding...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Cybersecurity Policy (26 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: ICT services are provided to my Department by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). The provision of ICT security is part of that service. My ICT Staff are engaging closely with the OGCIO on this issue, who in turn are engaging with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to ensure that best practice is followed as it relates to all aspects of Cybersecurity. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Cybersecurity Policy (26 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: ICT services are provided to my Department by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). The provision of ICT security is part of that service. My ICT Staff are engaging closely with the OGCIO on this issue, who in turn are engaging with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to ensure that best practice is followed as it relates to all aspects of Cybersecurity. For...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (26 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of quality early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (26 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Access Inclusion Model (AIM), which is an inter-agency initiative led by my Department, supports the participation of pre-school children with disabilities in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme. The key objective of AIM is to support early learning and care providers to deliver an inclusive preschool experience, ensuring that children with a disability can fully...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Undefined (26 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment as responsibility for disability services has not yet transferred to my Department. These matters are more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleagues, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Education. Unfortunately, the recent cyber attack on the Department of Health has rendered them unable to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (26 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country. This includes the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme which provides out-of-school supports in local communities to marginalised, disadvantaged or vulnerable young people between the age of 10 and 24. Within youth organisations supported under this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the complaint and of the concerns raised. I am strongly committed to supporting all children to develop to their full potential, especially those who are most disadvantaged. There will always be some debate about how best to do this, but I do not believe that the national childcare scheme, NCS, discriminates in the way that is stated. The NCS represents the first ever...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is right. We discussed this matter previously and I put in place a number of short-term measures to deal with some of the some of the issues around the NCS, particularly the issue of sponsorship, which will come up later today. When I began as Minister there were perhaps 30 children sponsored across the country, now it is 1,900 so there has been a very significant increase in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy's point about school-age childcare is well made. I recognise that there is a specific issue there in how the NCS has operated in the context of existing provision of school-age childcare. There are two reviews. The first is the review of the first year of the implementation of the NCS. We expect that to be completed in the final quarter of this year and the information to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am concerned to hear about any individual provider proposing to increase charges to parents at a time when the Government continues to support early learning and childcare to a significant extent. In view of the amount of State support, increases of this nature are just not justified at this time. One of my key priorities is to achieve...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Affordable and high-quality childcare is an absolute priority for me and my Department. We have gone to great lengths throughout the pandemic to keep services open across the country. In the lockdown in January, we kept services open for the most vulnerable children and the children of essential workers. We also made it clear that we will be increasing the level of investment in childcare...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I absolutely accept that parents are struggling with the cost of childcare, and that is why my commitment is to ensure the additional State investment in childcare is tied to conditions, including reductions in fees. The Deputy spoke about the lack of regulation. She is correct about fees but it is important to state the quality of childcare is significantly regulated by Tusla. The system...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I cannot overstate the significance and value of the contributions made by volunteers to the community life of our country and to supporting our most vulnerable. In the youth sector, the work of some 40,000 volunteers was key to maintaining the ability of youth work organisations to function effectively prior to the pandemic. I provided an increase of €5 million in funding for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I assure Deputy Funchion that the extraordinary role of this sector does not go unnoticed by me or my Department. We feel passionately about supporting youth services. The Deputy is right. During the economic crisis, funding was cut back dramatically and this had a major impact. I know we are playing catch-up. This year, I was able to show my good faith and that of my Department by...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Youth Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: We did research with SpunOut.ielast year, which indicated that those young people who were engaging with youth services during the pandemic did better and their mental health and optimism were increased. I am aware of that and we have the research to prove the impact. For many of these groups, fundraising, fees and capitation have been badly impacted. Even though we have been putting in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: While my Department does not provide any specific funding for sensory rooms or SNA supports, a wide range of supports is available through the access and inclusion model, AIM, to support children with disabilities to access and fully participate in the universal preschool programme, ECCE. The allocation of targeted AIM supports is based on the needs of the child and the context of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I agree with the Deputy absolutely. My colleagues, the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, are very focused on schools and on addressing the issues the Deputy has raised. In particular, as Minister of State with special responsibility for special education, Deputy Madigan has placed a real focus on these issues. With regard to those wider...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy very much. I will be honest; I do not have the full information for him as I stand here. I know the Deputy has mentioned the importance of this centre for the wider community before. It sounds like a great project. I ask the Deputy to write to me. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I will commit to getting back to him and letting him know where we are with the...