Results 501-520 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The reopening of the early learning and care and school-age childcare sector and the resumption of services has been positive to date. By 5 October 4, 473 (99% of all services) has signed a funding agreement with my Department to operate a childcare funding scheme, and scheme and child registrations for ECCE, NCS, CCS and TEC are higher than the same period last year. The HSPC...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department has engaged a third-party company, Kantar Media, in each of the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020 to provide the Department with a service that monitors both traditional and online media outlets. This takes the form of the provision of press cuttings from both print and online media. We do not have a contract with a third party company to conduct social media monitoring or...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As requested, please find details in the table below of the number of staff in my Department on sick leave between March and September by month in 2019 and to date 2020 and the number of sick days accounted for by my Department over the period. MONTH YEAR No of Staff on Sick Leave No of Sick Leave Days March 2019 31 ...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Chair for her kind words and congratulate her on her appointment as Chair of this committee. I look forward to working with her and all members of the select committee and joint committee on both the financial matters in my Department and on the busy legislative schedule that we will have over, hopefully, the next years. I look forward to the committee's input and working closely...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The point on the transfer of functions is important. The functions will come over in two phases. The first is the transfer from the Department of Justice and Equality. I had hoped the delegation would be before today's Cabinet meeting but I expect it at next week's Cabinet meeting, with an official date of the transfer of function the following week. I am aware I have said that for two...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The number of social workers leaving the profession or retiring has eclipsed the number of new recruits in many individual years. This is a major issue, but it was not the case during 2020. I should single out an initiative taken by Tusla under its chief executive, Mr. Bernard Gloster, to convert agency staff to full-time staff. That has been extremely successful and has provided 140...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Costello. A draft retention framework is being trialled in a number of Tusla regions where the issue of retention is very significant. There are other areas where the issue is not as significant. The turnover in social workers is approximately 7.3% across the organisations, but there are variations. Some regions are regarded as tougher and may have built up issues, case...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am glad to hear the Deputy raise the issue of domestic violence because it is something that I feel particularly passionate about. Tusla funds most of the domestic violence refuges and €750,000 was provided during the Covid crisis to support Tusla in taking the basic measures around ensuring they had additional personal protective equipment, PPE, within the services. Many refuges...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: -----and it has one in Blanchardstown as well which is not far from me. A refuge was also opened in Galway so we are seeing a gradual expansion of the number of refuges but more needs to be done, particularly now that we have signed up to the Istanbul Convention, which places further obligations on us. On mental health, I have met with Jigsaw since I have been elected. It has done great...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy noted, €64 million is a very small amount in the grand scheme of things but the value the State gets from that investment is absolutely huge. The value we get from youth work is incredible. The sector never shut down during Covid but just went online. I have met various groups over the last number of weeks, including Foróige, the National Youth Council of Ireland...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am happy to respond in writing to that point once I get that correspondence from the Deputy. With regard to schools, I absolutely take the point. As the Deputy knows, schools and childcare facilities remain open all the way up to level five, and that is because of their importance from an educational point of view but also from a socialising point of view for children and young people....

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. On an initial point, the Revised Estimate we are looking at today relates to decisions taken at Budget 2020, therefore last year. When I come back to the committee next year, I will be dealing with a full year of decisions that l will have made as Minister. The position of youth services is as of what was allocated in last year's budget. As I stated earlier in response...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (7 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The allocations under Budget 2021 are being considered by Government in the context of the annual Estimates process for 2021. As this process is ongoing, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this stage. While I recognise and acknowledge that youth sector funding saw deep cuts during the preceding decade, in recent years, funding for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (7 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The allocations under Budget 2021 are being considered by Government in the context of the annual Estimates process for 2021. As this process is ongoing, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this stage. While I recognise and acknowledge that youth sector funding saw deep cuts during the preceding decade, in recent years, funding for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (7 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department maintains close contact with the 30 national youth organisations we fund, including NYCI, and I, and officials from my Department, meet formally with these organisations twice a year to share knowledge and information on developments in the youth sector. Officials from my Department also meet with youth organisations on an individual basis when the need arises. In recent...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (7 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Expert guidance on the safe reopening of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic was published by the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on 29 May, and updated on 31 July. In addition to the expert guidance from the HPSC, my Department has provided a range of online resources and guidance to support service providers,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Costs (7 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme incorporates two kinds of subsidy towards the cost of quality of childcare. The universal subsidy is available to all parents of children aged between 24 weeks and 36 months (or until the child qualifies for the Early Childhood Care and Education programme if later). The universal subsidy is set at a rate of €0.50 per hour and is available for up to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Costs (7 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The level of subsidy available under the National Childcare Scheme is dependent on the age of the child in respect of whom the subsidy is paid. Children availing of a universal award receive a flat rate of €0.50 an hour. For income assessed awards, subsidies range from a maximum of €5.10 per hour for babies, €4.35 for 1 and 2 year olds, €3.95 for 3, 4 or 5 year...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Costs (7 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme incorporates two kinds of subsidy towards the cost of quality of childcare. The universal subsidy is available to all parents of children aged between 24 weeks and 36 months (or until the child qualifies for the Early Childhood Care and Education programme if later). The universal subsidy is set at a rate of €0.50 per hour and is available for up to 45...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Costs (7 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which launched in June 2016, is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and reap...