Results 3,521-3,540 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Budget 2022 announced a series of measures to increase investment in the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector to €716 million this year. One of those measures is a Transition Fund which will be available to ELC and SAC services from May to August inclusive, during the period between the phasing out of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) in April and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 set out the requirements for service providers in relation to First Aid training. Regulation 25 (1) states that - “A registered provider shall ensure that a person trained in first aid for children is, at all times, immediately available to the children attending the pre-school service.” The Tusla Early Years...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Programme (1 Feb 2022)

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. This include measures such as the role to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (1 Feb 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: Special Educational Needs (1 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Many children with disabilities, including autism, take part in mainstream early learning and care services. Participation of children with disabilities in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) universal pre-school programme in mainstream early learning and care services is supported by the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which is delivered by my Department. The key objective of AIM...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (1 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Tusla and I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy. Please be aware Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, was established on the 1st January 2014, prior to that the Health Service Executive (HSE) provided funding to domestic violence services.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (1 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Process (1 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The following list sets out legislative provisions that are within my Department's remit and which have not yet been commenced. Title of Act Sections not commenced Reason Proposed timeline for commencement Assisted Decision Making Capacity Act 2015 (No. 64 of 2015) Sections 3-4, 7(2), 8-81, 82 (part commenced), 83-90, 91 (part...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (1 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla's Business Plan development is underpinned by a specific legislative process. The annual Business Plan outlines proposed activities for the year and the proposed allocation of the Agency's financial resources. I issued my Performance Statement 2022 to Tusla on the 18th November 2021 in accordance with section 44 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. Subsequently, the Chairperson...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (1 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond to you directly on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (1 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, receives separated children seeking international protection into care via two routes: those who have been relocated under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme and those who present independently at ports and other points of entry to Ireland. I can advise the Deputy that in 2020, Tusla received 40 referrals of children seeking international...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (2 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla’s Review of the Provision of Accommodation for Victims of Domestic Violence assesses the current and requisite distribution of safe emergency accommodation. It has examined the current level of refuge provision, evidence of demand for services and unmet need, and analysis of proximity to refuge by local communities. The Review has been completed and is expected to publish the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (2 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla’s Review of the Provision of Accommodation for Victims of Domestic Violence assesses the current and requisite distribution of safe emergency accommodation. It has examined the current level of refuge provision, evidence of demand for services and unmet need, and analysis of proximity to refuge by local communities. The Review has been completed and is expected to publish the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (2 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028, which I published in April 2021, sets out a phased, incremental approach to extending supports and regulation to all non-relative childminders. It aims to improve access to high quality and affordable early learning and care and school-age childcare through childminding. During Phase 1 of the Plan, which began in 2021 and is expected to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Measures (2 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am acutely conscious of the urgent need to pass legislation in order to allow the excavation to begin at the site of the former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam. The General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill was developed to provide the required legal basis for intervention at the Tuam site and at other locations should similar circumstances come to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (2 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am committed to ongoing engagement with survivors and their advocates in the context of implementing the wide-ranging actions approved by Government in responding to the findings of the Commission. These actions, which take account of the Collaborative Forum’s recommendations, are intended to respond to the priority needs and concerns of former residents and their families. I...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Protected Disclosures (2 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has received 3 Protected Disclosures since 2014. All 3 related to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The 1st of these Protected Disclosures was received in December 2016. The details of this disclosure were referred to Tusla for examination and a final report is awaited. The Department received a second Protected Disclosure in February 2017.The Department responded to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very much aware of the National Advisory Council for Children and Young People's position paper on child poverty, which I published on my Department's website last week, along with the final Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures annual report and updated indicator set. I had excellent engagement with the advisory council on the issue, and I met with them in December specifically on the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is always very important that we would address the issue of child poverty in this House. With regard to the specific elements of food poverty, the Deputy will be aware that in last year's budget and this year's, the free school meals programme was broadened. This is probably the most practical step we can take to provide immediate sustenance to young children and to support their...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The joined-up element is very important. The successor strategy to the Better Outcomes, Better Futures will have a significant child poverty focus within it. As a subset of this we will also have the EU child guarantee, which is guidance, support and some financial support coming from the European Union. The child guarantee and the actions we will take there will sit within the wider...