Results 3,381-3,400 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Review of Traveller Inclusion Policy, Education and Health: Discussion (18 Nov 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I completely agree with the wider points the Deputy made on things not happening fast enough. We are seeing high-level changes in policy, such as recognition of Traveller ethnicity. We are seeing changes in that NTRIS is being introduced and adopted as an all-of-Government strategy, but we are not seeing enough substantive changes on sites and in people's lives throughout the country. One...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Review of Traveller Inclusion Policy, Education and Health: Discussion (18 Nov 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. I recognise the significant work he did in this area during his term of office. On the 149 actions under the NTRIS, only two have not been started. Therefore, there have been significant advances. All the others have been commenced. I just do not have the figure for how many are fully concluded but I will write to the committee after this meeting to give a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Review of Traveller Inclusion Policy, Education and Health: Discussion (18 Nov 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy has rightly highlighted that accommodation is central to resolving this issue and is one of the most pressing issues. Accommodation, health, particularly mental health, and education are the probably the issues that come up most regularly and most strongly within NTRIS, with NTRIS committee meetings and with my own engagement with individual groups as well. Deputy Ellis spoke...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Review of Traveller Inclusion Policy, Education and Health: Discussion (18 Nov 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The review I spoke about that will be completed in June 2022 is a review of the effectiveness of three of our current equality strategies - NTRIS, the national strategy for women and girls and the migrant integration strategy. It is to look at where they have been successful, what parts of them have not succeeded and the issues of intersectionality and how the three equality strategies can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Review of Traveller Inclusion Policy, Education and Health: Discussion (18 Nov 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is absolutely essential that we measure from the ground up. I and, more important, the groups representing the Traveller and Roma communities, believe that the approach adopted has been too focused on inputs, as the Deputy said. There have been many inputs to Traveller and Roma policy in recent years. That represents an amount of progress from a time when this entire area was completely...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Review of Traveller Inclusion Policy, Education and Health: Discussion (18 Nov 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Chair and members for their engagement. Deputies Joan Collins and Ellis made a point about the importance of accommodation when addressing stability and security for Traveller families all over the country, living in low quality accommodation, whether social or private housing. It creates significant instability for them and their children and impacts on all other elements of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As requested by the deputy, the expenditure incurred by my Department in the last 5 years and to date in 2021 on electricity costs is shown below in tabular form. Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 To date in 2021 Total spend for all years 2016 - 2021 Electricity €94,390.13 €86,492.25 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: An Garda Síochána (9 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment on these matters which are more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Justice.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: School Facilities (9 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: School Facilities (9 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Buildings that are intended for the purpose of Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare must meet all regulatory compliance requirements, including fire and planning requirements. Fire safety is, of course, of critical importance and services must take steps to address any immediate and significant risk to the health and safety of children due to fire. Compliance with these fire...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently working with the HSE to finalise an antigen testing programme for early learning and childcare services. My Department will announce more details on this before Christmas. The antigen testing programme for early learning and childcare services will be similar to the antigen testing programme that has recently been rolled out in primary schools. Antigen tests will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Tests (14 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently working with the HSE to finalise an antigen testing programme for early learning and childcare services. The antigen testing programme for early learning and childcare services will be similar to the antigen testing programme that has recently been rolled out in primary schools. Antigen tests will be provided free to children and childcare workers who are in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Updated Interim Guidance on the use of Face Coverings in Childcare and Educational Settings was published by the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on 30 November 2021. In line with this guidance, a notice was issued by my Department on 1 December to the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector, including childminders. The notice confirms that at...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (14 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in March 2018 but has yet to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention. The Optional Protocol 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Process (14 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 lapsed with the dissolution of the last Dáil. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill is being used to advance a number of legislative provisions required by the UNCRPD that were previously included in the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016. These include measures to double the percentage of people with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (14 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can inform the Deputy that the number of adults and children remaining in direct provision centres after their leave to remain has been granted is 1,640 persons as of the end of November.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (14 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: 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 Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will include financial payments and a form of enhanced medical card. Payments will be provided to eligible applicants based on residency in one of the institutions for a defined period of time. While the residency details in respect of application to the Scheme will have to be looked at individually, it is anticipated that relevant dates to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Weather Events (14 Dec 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Early learning and childcare services located in counties with red and orange weather warnings were advised by my Department to close on 7 and 8 December. On 6 December Met Eireann issued a red alert warning relating to severe wind for counties Clare, Kerry and Cork. A status orange warning issued for counties Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Mayo, Wexford, Dublin, Louth, Wicklow, Meath. ...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: When first introduced, the ECCE Programme was delivered over 38 weeks in a given ECCE Programme Year and children were required to be between the ages of 3 years and 2 months and 4 years and 7 months in September in the year they enrolled. The entry age has since been decreased on two occasions, the first in 2016, when it was reduced 3 years and 2 months to 3 years of age and the number...