Results 2,161-2,180 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Rights (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland ratified the UNCRPD in 2018. Advancing the implementation of the UNCRPD is an ongoing priority. Our approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of progressive realisation, each year moving forward on key reforms. The obligations arising from the Convention will be met over time, with initial priority given to meeting legislative commitments. For example, my...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has, since 2015, administered an annual capital funding programme, under which early learning and childcare services that are registered with Tulsa can access capital funding. The works eligible for capital funding are determined by my Department on an annual basis, having regard to the needs of children, families and service providers, and to Departmental priorities. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 59 together. I would like to thank the Deputies for these important questions. HIQA's new Draft National Standards for Children’s Social Services are intended to replace four current sets of standards that cover child protection and welfare services, children's residential care, special care and to replace the 2003 foster care standards HIQA...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Cybersecurity Policy (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy will be aware that last Friday, I arranged a briefing for relevant spokespersons from political parties with the CEO of Tusla where a full overview of the known issues, impact on operations, and a range of mitigating actions were outlined. I understand that the CEO provided a briefing on the 18th May to the Deputy as Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am deeply cognisant of the difficulties faced by young people at this time, particularly with regard to their mental health. Tusla, the Child and Family provides significant funding to third parties, generally in the community and voluntary sector, for the provision of commissioned services. Decisions regarding individual funding allocations are operational matters for Tusla. I have...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: While the provision of mental health services is a matter for the Minister for Health, I can confirm to the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides funding to counselling services (some €6.7m in 2020), through a network of community-based counselling service providers and Family Resource Centres that offer a range of counselling/psychotherapy and supports. This funding...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Health Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment; matters relating to the mental and physical health of children are more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health. The recent cyber attack on the Department of Health has rendered them unable to access their IT systems.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (27 May 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 (DSGBV). I understand that the figures in your question were supplied by Tusla in response to your previous question 19107/21,and reflect the number of contacts made, rather than the number of individuals concerned. Tusla has clarified that a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides substantial funding to this organisation, which plays an important role in providing young people with opportunities for developmental experiences and informal learning. All of the youth funding provided by my Department has been maintained fully throughout the ongoing period of restrictions. In addition, I secured an increase in 2021 for youth services, including an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 74 and 89 together. I am committed to ongoing engagement with former residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions and their advocates. I have personally engaged with survivors and advocacy groups since my appointment and will continue to engage with those most centrally involved with these matters. Most recently, I have hosted virtual...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In responding to the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation, the Government approved the development of a Strategic Action Plan encompassing a suite of 22 specific measures. The Action Plan centres on distinct themes including: access to personal information; archiving and databases; education and research; memorialisation; dignified burial, and restorative recognition. These themes...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Process (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: We are working towards a date of June 2022 for full commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act). The delays in commencement of the 2015 Act arise from two principal factors. The Decision Support Service, which is the organisation that will operate the progressive provisions of the 2015 Act, has to become operational and to be able to respond to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Rights (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 57 together. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Ireland ratified in 1992, states in Article 3 that:“In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: United Nations (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international treaty that establishes two procedures aimed at strengthening the implementation and monitoring of the Convention. The first is an individual communications procedure allowing individuals to bring petitions to the Committee claiming breaches of their rights; the second is an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the onset of Covid-19, my Department has put in place a range of supports for Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare (ELC/SAC) services. The objective of these supports have been to: - support providers’ sustainability to enable services return to normal once restrictions were lifted; - support providers to retain their staff; - ensure that ELC/SAC could reopen and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department's overarching objectives for school-age childcare (SAC) are, like its objectives for early learning and care (ELC), to strengthen the quality, affordability and accessibility of provision. Specific commitments are included in the Action Plan on SAC (published in 2017), which sets a strategic direction for SAC, and in First 5(which covers the period 2019-2028). Two of the central...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy CAMHS services and assessment of needs as it relates to the disability act 2005 fall under the remit of the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health. In the normal course of events we would seek a transfer to that Dept. to provide as full an answer to your question as possible, at this time the ongoing fall out from the cyber-attack has greatly impacted those organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The potential vulnerability of LGBTI+ persons in the International Protection process is recognised by my Department. Where a protection applicant discloses information in relation to their gender identity or sexual orientation, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department makes every effort to ensure that appropriate accommodation is provided. The newly...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Anti-Racism Measures (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Anti-Racism Committee is an independent Committee established by Government in 2020. The work of the Committee will help to strengthen the Government’s approach to combatting individual and institutional racism and will build on the anti-racism actions included in the Migrant Integration Strategy (MIS) and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS). The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I regret that so many children missed out on part of the ECCE programme last year over the last year, due to COVID-19 related closures. ECCE is a free two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. ECCE is a play based learning programme. The programme runs from September to June each year, aligned with the primary school calendar. ECCE is not...