Results 2,321-2,340 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The ongoing management of the organisation referred to by the Deputy is a matter for their Board, including the challenges being presented due to the Covid-19 restrictions. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: United Nations (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department made a comprehensive submission to the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 seeking confirmation as to whether Ireland was in a position to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The advice received from the AGO stated that while Ireland is largely compliant with the terms of the Protocol, there are some outstanding issues that...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The HSE is one of five Sponsor Bodies with an agreement with my Department to make sponsored referrals under the National Childcare Scheme. The HSE can sponsor a child under the NCS to enable participation in a childcare service where there is an identified need for childcare as an additional support to the home environment to meet child development needs for a child who is under the age of 4...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The HSE is one of five Sponsor Bodies with an agreement with my Department to make sponsored referrals under the National Childcare Scheme. The HSE can sponsor a child under the NCS to enable participation in a childcare service where there is an identified need for childcare as an additional support to the home environment to meet child development needs for a child who is under the age of 4...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Sponsorship arrangement available within the NCS offers additional supports for families with complex needs. The need for a sponsored referral is a determination for the relevant Sponsor Body and one they make based on the particular need of the child in line with their defined criteria as set out in the Childcare Support Act 2018. The Deputy has asked separate questions about HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme represents the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare in Ireland. To date, over 56,000 children have benefitted from subsidies under the NCS. Table 1 supplies data on the number of children with a universal or income assessed subsidy application who have claimed against their award for the week ending 31 May 2021. To note that there...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The numbers of children qualified for the CCS and CCSP schemes under band A, band AJ, band B and band D by age in each of the years 2015 to 2020 is provided in an attached spreadsheet supplied by Pobal who are the administrators of the scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department operates a number of early learning and school-age childcare funding schemes, which are administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department. These include capital grants schemes for providers. The COVID-19 Capital grant consisted of a once-off capital grant for childcare services and childminders registered with Tusla, or notified to their City or County Childcare Committee. This...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Qualifications (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Figures from the current Pobal Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2018/2019 suggest that in mid-2019 there were 26,882 staff working directly with children in early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services, of whom 26.8% held a relevant Level 5 major award. On that basis, to support all staff with a Level 5 award to progress to a Level 6 major award would involve...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Qualifications (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Figures from the Pobal Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2018/2019 suggest that in mid-2019 there were 26,882 staff working directly with children in early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services, of whom 41.8% held a relevant Level 6 major award. On that basis, to support 50% of staff with a Level 6 award to progress to at least a Level 7 degree-level qualification...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Aistear, the national curriculum framework for early childhood, was developed by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NCCA). Since its development 12 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. Aistear is relevant to all settings for children from birth...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding, published in April this year, commits to develop bespoke resources to support the quality of childminding provision. Phase 1 of the National Action Plan, which commences in 2021 and is expected to last 2-3 years, will include development of a bespoke Foundation Training Programme for childminders, and development of a Quality Development Programme....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) was a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. The NCS is designed to be flexible and highly inclusive, and aims to meet the needs of those families who need it the most. The Scheme is based on the principle of progressive universalism and has regard to the best...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1003 and 1022 together. I am conscious of the need for significant improvement in pay and working conditions for practitioners in early learning and childcare services. The level of pay they receive does not reflect the value of the work they do for children, for families and for the wider society and economy. As the State does not employ early learning...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The 2021 allocated budget for the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is €48.33 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, €29.5 million, is for Level 7 Additional Assistance. This Level 7 funding is intended to facilitate either the recruitment of additional...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department runs a number of Early Learning and Care schemes. The schemes are administered by Pobal on behalf of the DCEDIY. €289.3m euro has been allocated to the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme in 2021. The ECCE programme runs for 38 weeks each programme year. The standard capitation rate paid to providers is €69 per child, per week, and the higher...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) was a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. The objectives of the NCS are to improve outcomes for children, reduce poverty, have a positive impact on gender equality in relation to labour market participation, tangibly reduce the cost of childcare for thousands of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Jun 2021)

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 voluntary notification...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As set out in the Revised Estimate for Public Services 2021, budgetary estimates for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth broken down by programme and subhead into current and capital allocations are set out in the tables below. Programme A - Children and Family Support Programme 2021 REV Estimate Current Capital ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As set out in the Revised Estimate for Public Services 2021, budgetary estimates for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth broken down for Programme B by subhead into current and capital allocations are set out in the tables below.