Results 3,061-3,080 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality: Statements (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I welcome the input from Deputies across the House during the debate. As has been generally identified, gender equality is a major challenge in our society. It continues to be a challenge within our society despite the progress that has undoubtedly been made in recent years. The recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality give us a significant number of proposals,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department cannot find any correspondence or reference to meetings held with Kinzen Limited, previously Neva Labs. The Department does not have a record of any contracts or spend with the company.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has been allocated additional funding of €183 million in Budget 2022. This will bring the total investment provided to this Department to just over €2.1 billion for 2022. I was also pleased to announce in Budget 2022 that Tusla will be allocated €899m for 2022, which is an increase of €41m over the amount allocated in Budget 2021. The specific...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has been allocated additional funding of €183 million in Budget 2022. This will bring the total investment provided to this Department to just over €2.1 billion for 2022. I was pleased to announce in Budget 2022 that Tusla will be allocated €899m for 2022, which is an increase of €41m over the amount allocated in Budget 2021. The specific...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2022 I have secured an additional €78m in early learning and care and school age childcare funding, bringing the total investment in the sector to €716m next year. Some €37m has been made available for Transition Fund for providers in the sector between the end of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme and the introduction of the new Core Funding stream, May to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Freedom of Information (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The interpretation and operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2014, and responses to individual requests, are the responsibility of each independent Government body. It is an operational matter for Tusla to deal directly with the persons concerned. I have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to this matter. If the individual is not satisfied with the decision of...

Child and Family Agency (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank all Deputies for their contributions today and yesterday and for the detail in which they have looked at the Bill. Some of the contributions have focused very much on the legislation. Some of them have been on broader issues that are relevant to the work of the Department, other Departments and the work of State agencies. I acknowledge the case that Deputy Boyd Barrett brought...

Child and Family Agency (Amendment) Bill 2021: Referral to Select Committee (21 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)(a) and 181(1).

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: School Accommodation (21 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Education Guidelines on the use of School Buildings Outside of School Hours, see assets.gov.ie/24484/ca5b1787db1b47f98de31f57e977dad0.pdf, relate to the use of school facilities mainly for outside of school hours but which includes pre-schools.  In line with these guidelines, the issue is a matter for the property owners taking into consideration the needs of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (21 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that it would be inappropriate for me as Minister to comment on individual cases. The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (21 Oct 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 under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. Separately, the Department of Housing, Local Government and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (21 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to thank the Deputy for her question. €28m has been allocated to DCEDIY in 2022 for implementation of the new model of accommodation and supports for international protection applicants which was outlined in A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service. This breaks down as €12.5m in capital expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Public Sector Pay (21 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under section 56 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla may enter arrangements with organisations to provide child and family services or services associated with the care and protection of victims of DSGBV. Section 59 of the Act provides for similar arrangements through a grant or contribution in kind to non-profit organisations for services supplemental to those provided by the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy may be aware, Refugee Resettlement is carried out under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and involves the selection and transfer of refugees from a State in which they have sought protection to a third State that has agreed to admit them as refugees with permanent residence status. Resettlement is also an international...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2022, I secured an additional €5 million in current funding for youth services. The additional funding will assist in the further development of youth services during 2022. More precise allocations across the youth subheads are currently being considered by my Department and details will be shared as soon as possible. In recent years, funding for the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman:  As the Deputy knows, on 26 February of this year I published A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service. This document outlines the future system of accommodation and supports that will be offered to applicants for International Protection (also known as asylum-seekers) and will replace the current system (commonly known as...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) is a very important piece of legislation that changes the existing law on capacity from the status approach of the wardship system to a flexible functional approach, whereby capacity is assessed on an issue- and time-specific basis.  It will abolish the wards of court system for adults by repealing the Lunacy Regulation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government intends that the accommodation centres operated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), which is part of my Department, will be independently monitored by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) for compliance with the National Standards for accommodation offered to people in the protection process.  These standards were adopted by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: All accommodation centres are required to provide free WiFi facilities for residents. In March 2020, the centre concerned put in place a programme to assist residents with all educational requirements, school liaison support, printing, photocopying, equipment distribution e.g., laptops/Tablets and access to Wi-Fi in specified areas. The accommodation centre to which the Deputy refers,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: EU Programmes (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The text of the Recommendation for a European Child Guarantee was adopted by the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) on 14 June 2021. Ireland played an active role in the drafting of the text and related discussions. The European Child Guarantee aims to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion across generations. The Guarantee seeks to prevent...