Results 3,421-3,440 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I announced a programme of further support in the form of the December 2021 Covid Response Programme for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC). €10 million was secured to support services improve indoor ventilation and provide mobile HEPA air filtration systems. The objective of the grant programme is to support services to improve natural and mechanical...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I can confirm that the matter has been referred to Tusla, for direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware that many Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) services continue to report staffing shortages as a result of Covid-19 and difficulties in securing short-term replacement staff, exacerbated by the current high rate of Covid-19 in the community. My Department is actively monitoring the issue and has sought data and evidence-based proposals from sectoral...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The ECCE programme is available to all children within the eligible age range. The minimum eligibility age of 2 years and 8 months for the ECCE programme was chosen based on national and international best practice.    From September 2018, all children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months became eligible for a full two programme years on the ECCE...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla Child and Family Agency, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.  Additionally, as the Deputy will be aware, the Birth Information and Tracing Bill was published on the 12th of January 2022. This Bill will now start the journey through the Houses of the Oireachtas and, if enacted,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your question Deputy. As you may be aware, my Department does not comment on individual cases publicly but I can confirm that this case is currently under consideration.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reports (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Cost of Disability in Ireland report, commissioned by the Department of Social Protection and prepared by Indecon International Research Economists, was published in December 2021. It provides important evidence of the additional costs that people with a disability face in their day-to-day lives. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to use research into...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (19 Jan 2022)

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: Children in Care (19 Jan 2022)

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 Budgets (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) provides a framework for action on Traveller and Roma issues.  It represents a whole of Government approach and brings Government Departments and Agencies together with representatives of Traveller and Roma communities to bring a focus to the issues which affect them most in a structured way. Funding is provided across a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your question Deputy Daly. As part of the budget process I was delighted that my department was allocated €28m in 2022 for implementation of the new model of accommodation for international protection applicants. This breaks down as €12.5m in capital expenditure and €15.6m in current expenditure. The implementation of the White Paper is a large and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your question Deputy. As you may be aware, my Department does not comment on individual cases publicly but I can confirm that this case is currently under consideration.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 17 December, I agreed to settle eight judicial review cases in relation to the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes in light of the evidence given by the applicants in the two lead cases to the Court on the procedural matter of being identifiable. As part of this settlement, I published an acknowledgement alongside the Final Report...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government-approved proposals for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme were developed taking a range of important matters into consideration including the feedback from a public consultation process. When tasking an Interdepartmental Group with developing proposals for a Scheme, the Government agreed that these proposals should take account...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 17 December, I agreed to settle eight judicial review cases in relation to the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes in light of the evidence given by the applicants in the two lead cases to the Court on the procedural matter of being identifiable. As part of this settlement, I published an acknowledgement alongside the Final Report...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Programme (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The report of the Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill was received from the Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in mid-December 2021. My officials and I have carefully considered the recommendations set out within. Having had the opportunity to partake in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Early learning and childcare providers have been provided with guidance from the HSE and my Department in relation to operating throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific sectoral Infection Prevention and Control guidance was published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and most recently updated on 14th January 2022.  The exclusion of children and staff members...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (19 Jan 2022)

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: Family Resource Centres (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme which provides funding to 121 Centres across the country. My Department allocates core funding for the FRC Programme and since 2019, I have provided an additional €1.5m to these important services. Overall funding for this Programme last year amounted to some €18m. I appreciate the work of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (19 Jan 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1086, 1087 and 1088 together. Tusla’s statutory obligations in relation to children and families stem primarily from the Child Care Act 1991.  Tusla is responsible for promoting the welfare of children not receiving adequate care and protection.  In doing so, the best interests of the child are paramount, but Tusla also seeks to have regard to...