Results 301-320 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: After-School Support Services (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: There is significant demand for school-age childcare services. I just did some calculations and I believe the vacancy rate in Cork city is about 4% which is obviously very tight. That is a clear indication of the need to provide more places. The Deputy spoke about the ad hocdevelopment of these services, which is right to a degree. The previous Minister introduced the action plan to get a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: After-School Support Services (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Where it is safe to do so, there is no reason for a school not to give permission for the use of their facilities for school-age childcare after school provided all public health guidelines are maintained. The availability of that childcare is really important. Over the summer we have been very successful in reopening childcare facilities and got to about 94% of what was normally open....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his kind words. I believe there is strong value in supporting the provision of services in the Irish language to children at an early age because, as the Deputy has said, they are able to pick up languages much more quickly at that age. Preschools and crèches can play a really important role in promoting Irish as a living language. I note that early learning and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My understanding is that the two points I listed from our overarching strategy for dealing with the early years sector, First 5, act on elements of the 20-year strategy. The overarching strategy for the Irish language is being enacted in our sector through these points in First 5. They are carrying on down. That is my understanding of the link. It is important to note that, acting on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I absolutely accept the Deputy's wider point on the learning of languages. I take on board his point regarding Irish language provision from the youngest ages. I am ten weeks in the job but I will endeavour to get a better sense of how these various elements interact because I accept its importance.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Daly. My officials and I met the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Helen McEntee, and her officials early in the process to prepare for the transfer of functions to my Department, including those relating to direct provision. We have maintained regular contact on the matter since then. In addition, I have made contact with some officials who will be transferring from...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. I want to recognise his engagement with me on Cahersiveen. On the very day I became a Minister, he tracked me down and had a word in my ear about it. He was instrumental in helping to get a good outcome there. Colleagues like the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Foley, were engaging with me significantly on the issue as well and we did get a good outcome...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I do not have a specific date but a matter of weeks is the timeframe which has been discussed with my officials. I very much hope that the transfer of function will have taken place by the end of this month. There is a need for a White Paper because it is an overarching issue and the solutions are across a wide range of issues. The programme for Government does not discuss the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the housing side of this issue, I have spoken to a number of housing NGOs. As it is not yet within my remit, I have not started engaging with the NGOs representing those within direct provision but I will do so as soon as I get those functions.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Each year a number of early learning and school-age childcare services close for a variety of reasons. Services intending to close must notify Tusla, the childcare regulator, of that fact. The most recent available data for the year to date show that 123 services, as the Deputy noted, have notified that they will not be reopening. A total of 39 new services have also notified Tusla that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is absolutely right about the need for that element of wider support. When she put down a motion on this in the last term, we had a good discussion about some of the key things that are happening in the Department around workforce planning, looking at building real careers for childcare professionals, as well as the operational model which I brought through Cabinet and in terms of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Like the Deputy herself, I do not initially see how the guidelines would impact on the after-school element more than any other element. They apply generally and I am not sure if it is the rules themselves or is it a financial concern about staffing to monitor that in and out process. Again, there are financial supports specifically provided in the context of the reopening grants and it is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Research the Department has undertaken on the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the risk of a particular impact on students from disadvantaged backgrounds and students with special educational needs. This is one of the reasons I have been very committed as part of the Government to the reopening of schools generally. As the Deputy knows, the Tusla Education Support Service, TESS, operates...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: In case there is any confusion about redeployment, the idea is that Tusla staff from other areas would be redeployed to support this particular project, particularly in September, to make sure young people come back to school. It is about resources coming in rather than resources going out. On the transfer of functions, we are talking about a number of weeks. I can get back to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My understanding is that in terms of breakfast clubs and the use of school facilities, there is no barrier to doing this so long as public health guidelines are fully followed. I might touch base with the Deputy on this again so I have a completely clear answer for him.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes. I did not quite get into too much detail on the sustainability fund in the previous reply, if the Deputy would like me to say a little bit more about it. It might be worthwhile for those listening to hear it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Covid-19 sustainability support grant will be available to early learning and childcare services where there is a demonstrated decline in occupancy or a verified increase in costs due to Covid-19 that is not addressed by the significant financial measures already put in place, which we have discussed. I have allocated €2 million for the scheme. This is in addition to resumed...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The €2 million is the overall sustainability fund. It is not a ring-fenced Covid element.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reports (8 Sep 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Crowe was commissioned by my Department to undertake an independent review of the cost of providing quality early learning and care and school-age childcare in Ireland. Planning is under way to launch the report and I intend that this will occur before the end of this month. Crowe's brief included analysing the current costs of providing early learning and care and school-age childcare...