Results 2,501-2,520 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy touched on an important point in that the success of the Government's White Paper is predicated on the ability to process claims for international protection in a far more speedy manner than is currently the case. There is a commitment in this regard by the Department of Justice in terms of its response to the report of Dr. Catherine Day. It is a matter on which I have engaged...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his support for the process. In respect of the White Paper, we are currently setting out the transition team and the programme board. They will set out a clear set of goals as to what we expect to achieve in 2022, 2023 and by the end of 2024. A procurement process is about to be commenced right now in order that we can move away from those 24 emergency direct...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Protection (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges to maintaining the health and safety of residents living in accommodation within the International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, as it did for the country as a whole. In order to safeguard our residents, specific measures were put in place by IPAS in close collaboration with the HSE from the outset of the pandemic. These...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Protection (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. I am not saying that they are not the responsibility of my Department. They continue to be IPAS applicants and their IPAS space within the direct provision centre is reserved. What I am saying is that in order to take up this particular scheme, it is the HSE which supplies and oversees it and in particular, the HSE oversees the accommodation that is provided. If the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Data Protection (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to thank the Deputy for his concerns about the safety and welfare of Tusla's service users, particularly children and young people, following the recent cyber attack on HSE and Tusla systems. The safety and welfare of children and young people has always been Tusla's highest priority. Early in the pandemic, Tusla identified three core services to be prioritised: Child...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The grounds of the former mother and baby institution at Bessborough extended originally to around 200 acres. In its Fifth Interim Report, the Commission of Investigation noted that 'About 100 acres were sold in 1973 for the building of the N25 and for social housing. The Commission understands that there are about 60 acres of ground around the building now.' It is my understanding that...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and am aware she has engaged with my office on this issue on many occasions. I know the Deputy is deeply committed to establishing an emergency domestic violence refuge in the Cavan-Monaghan area. Some supports for victims are available through the services of Tearmann including outreach services in Counties Cavan and Monaghan. However, women...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government commits to ending the system of Direct Provision. We have pledged to replace it with a new International Protection Support Service (IPSS), which will be centred on a not-for profit approach. As part of this process, I published A White Paper to end Direct Provision and to Establish a new International Protection Support Serviceon 26 February 2021. We have begun...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Administrative data on schemes is collected by Pobal, on behalf of my Department. Owing to the nature of the system, scheme-level data on school-age childcare is not captured as a discrete category. However, scheme-level data is available by the age of children. The data I am giving today relates to children aged six years and over. However, since children under the age of six may be in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question as it affords me the opportunity to comment on how Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has carried out its essential work throughout this unprecedented period in our history. Tusla has continued to provide essential services to children and families throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Tusla's focus has been on ensuring continuity of critical supports to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: State Bodies (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government commits to establishing a dedicated agency, Childcare Ireland, “to assist in expanding high quality early learning and childcare, best practice and innovation, and professional development in community and private settings, along with developing career paths for early learning and childcare staff, and for expansion of the early years curriculum,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government, along with the Mid-Term Review of the NDIS, commits to establishing a UNCRPD Implementation Plan. This Plan will coordinate and monitor progress on implementing the UNCRPD across Government departments. DCEDIY will play a lead role in coordinating the Implementation Plan with individual Departments also having responsibility for drafting their own individual...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 377, 378, 388, 389 and 408 together. I am aware of a report in the Irish Examiner on 29 June 2021 which provides the details of four persons alleged to have been accommodated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department. Firstly, it is important to point out that it is an offence under Section 26 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Traveller Community (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has ongoing engagement with Travellers and their representative organisations. The Traveller and Roma Policy Unit of my Department engage with Traveller and Roma groups on a continuous basis with regard to projects funded and developments under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS). The NTRIS Steering Committee which I Chair, meets every quarter and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Preparatory work has commenced for the delivery of Action 3D. My Department is developing an internal equality data group with a view to assessing and improving the data collected across all the current equality strategies. In addition, the National Disability Authority (NDA) has begun a disability data audit. The data audit is intended to cover all available disability data resources...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue with overall policy coordinated by the Department of Justice. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV. The Programme for Government recognises the need for additional refuge spaces and has committed to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My colleague, Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte T.D., recently announced her intention to establish a Working Group to develop an Autism Innovation Strategy. The focus of the strategy in the short term will be to deliver real and tangible solutions to the challenges, needs and experiences of people with autism. The Autism Innovation Strategy will be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department operates a scheme, the Play and Recreation Capital grant scheme, which provides funding, via Local Authorities, to support the development of new recreation facilities for children and young people, and for the refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities and incorporation of natural play elements. There was strong demand for funding under this scheme in 2021; with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding (NAPC) sets out a pathway to be developed over the next eight years towards regulation, support and subsidies for all paid, non-relative childminders. The National Action Plan will involve change and will bring significant benefits for childminders, children and the families using their services. While the organisation in question, which...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, The Child and Family Agency, has responsibility to provide alternative care services for children who are in need of care and protection. Where a child needs emergency or long term care Tusla’s first priority is to find a family placement and 91% of children in care are in foster care placements. The majority of emergency placements are also provided by specialist foster carers....