Results 3,561-3,580 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for recognising the excellence across the early years professional sector. That excellence is always demonstrated, but was particularly apparent during the Covid pandemic. She rightly identified that far too many early years professionals are seeking to leave the sector and that is primarily due to the issue of pay. There have already been three or four questions today...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for her question on what will be a landmark piece of research and data project. I was delighted to announce the project last week after receiving the support of the Government for its commencement. The project comprises a suite of research and data activities that will strengthen our understanding of the lives of children in care and adults who have been in care. This...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Undoubtedly, the research should have been commenced before now. I could give the Deputy a range of bureaucratic reasons why that did not happen. What is happening, however, is that I have recognised this as an outstanding piece of work and I have prioritised it. I note the welcome that Empowering People in Care, EPIC, and similar groups have given to the announcement by the Government, an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I said, the project will be led by my Department. There will be a unit within my Department leading out on this work. Tusla will be a key partner. Our first piece of work is to engage in consultation with the stakeholders on the design of the various elements. The next piece of work will be to undertake the research on the group who are ten years out of care. Work will then begin on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As of 30 January, there were 8,582 people accommodated in the direct provision system as a whole. This includes 5,828 persons in international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centres, 1,065 in emergency accommodation centres, 396 in the national reception centre in Balseskin, 323 in quarantine facilities and 970 in pre-reception facilities. Within direct provision centres and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: That is a lot to get through in one minute. The Deputy is correct, in that there has been a significant increase in the number of people coming to Ireland seeking international protection, particularly since the October-November period. That increase is reflected in the figures that I set out. I will ask my Department to send the Deputy the specific figure for how many people have been...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes. The Minister's scheme is primarily for people who are undocumented but it has a secondary stream for people who have been in direct provision for a long time. They will be able to apply for regularisation. Obviously, 2,800 is approximately a quarter of 8,500 or thereabouts, but the scheme will address the needs of a significant number of people who, as the Deputy identified, have been...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for highlighting the importance of the community sponsorship scheme. To clarify, it is available to people who have already been identified as refugees under the Irish refugee protection programme, not people coming in through direct provision. Over the past seven months, the scheme has been particularly important to Ireland's rapid response to the situation in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV. Tusla is funded from my Department's Vote 40. At the end of 2021, Tusla funded 155 DSGBV-related accommodation units. These consisted of 137 refuge units and 18 safe houses. There were also six other available accommodation units. Tusla has previously advised...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I fully agree with the Deputy. As she knows, responsibility is moving out of my Department and will be fully a matter for the Minister for Justice in the coming months. With regard to the ongoing focus, we need to increase the number of refugee places. There is no doubt that a refuge is vital in addressing emergency needs when a woman or family is fleeing a life-or-death situation....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The additional €2 million, bringing the budget from €28 million to €30 million, will be distributed across the services. That will allow the services to invest in more resources. A lot of flexibility is given to services in determining what they need in their area. I hope that will allow for additional resources for therapies such as play therapy, which I agree are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. National disability policy transferred to our Department in October 2020 from the Department of Justice and Equality, and this includes co-ordinating two national disability strategies, namely, the national disability inclusion strategy and the comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities. My...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: With the help of Deputy Funchion and her committee, the assisted decision-making legislation is being subjected to pre-legislative scrutiny. I have no doubt that it will be scrutinised swiftly, after which we can bring it through the House. We need it for June of this year. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I are committed to that. Working with the committee, we seek to do that....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: That integrated approach, involving looking at persons with a disability not through a medical lens but through a whole-of-services lens, is exactly what the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I are hoping to achieve. Responsibility for mental health services will not be transferred. Child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and the like will remain with the Department of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes, happily.

European Union Regulation: Motion (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. To respond to Deputy Connolly on the breakdown, under the 2014-2020 scheme, Ireland had €55.5 million allocated. I have to hand a copy of the percentages for each of the areas. A total of 30% of the national allocation was spent on asylum, 32% on integration, 22% on return, 5.8% on solidarity and 10% on technical assistance. Under...

European Union Regulation: Motion (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to accept the following measure: Regulation (EU) 2021/1147 of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 195 together. Under the new model set out in the White Paper to End Direct Provision, all accommodation in reception and integration centres will be own-door for families and own-room for single people. In addition, applicants for international protection will move to accommodation in the community after four months where single persons will be in own...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The issue of childcare fees for parents is one that I and the Government are committed to tackling. Significant Government support provided to the Early Years sector throughout the pandemic has, in addition to providing essential stability and sustainability, has also helped ensure that fee increases have been kept to near zero over this period. The most recent data available shows that on...