Results 5,261-5,280 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Reviews (5 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In July 2021, I launched a public consultation process as part of the review of the Equality Acts (Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015) to examine the functioning of the Acts and their effectiveness in combatting discrimination and promoting equality. The purpose of the review is to examine the operation of the Acts with regard to the effectiveness of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (5 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (5 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine on February 24, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on meeting the immediate, temporary accommodation needs of those fleeing the conflict. DCEDIY is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (5 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Communities Integration Fund, which has been in place since 2017, provides small grants of up to €5,000 to community organisations for initiatives to promote integration at local level. The Communities Integration Fund 2022 will support 124 projects in communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants. Organisations eligible...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core funding is designed to support a range of objectives, including the drawing up of an employment regulation order, ERO, to determine minimum rates of pay for workers as well as supporting career pathways in graduate employment. Of the €221 million core funding budget, approximately two thirds is intended to contribute to improved pay rates across different categories of staff....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The ERO is the only game in town. It is the one mechanism available under the existing industrial relations mechanism that will ensure our fantastic childcare professionals receive the substantial additional funding the Government announced in the budget last year through better pay. The only way to guarantee that is through an ERO. No one in the sector, from either the employer or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My focus and that of the Department is on supporting the delivery of the ERO and I do not wish to second-guess that process. I genuinely do not know of a way that we can as effectively support better pay for staff without an ERO being in place. That is why all our focus has to be on that mechanism. I welcome the Deputy's support for the ERO. The Deputy is correct. Staff have felt...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. Since 2016, my Department has funded the access and inclusion model to ensure that children with disabilities can access the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme. Its goal is to empower preschool providers to deliver an inclusive preschool experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and reap the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Nothing is off the table in regard to broadening AIM. I know how good a programme it is. I have spoken to parents who have experienced the value for their children. I have spoken to services which have seen they have been able to do much more for children. My starting point is to expand access to AIM. I like to do things after the research is completed in order that I can understand what...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can get back to the Deputy with more detail on the process. It started in 2021 so it has been quite a lengthy and detailed process. I imagine it has engaged with providers that have undertaken this work. The real strength of AIM is its flexibility. The DEIS model used in primary and secondary school is "all or nothing" - you get DEIS status or you do not - whereas AIM has graduated...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As set out in A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service, my Department is currently working on implementing a new model of accommodation and supports for international protection applicants. Under the new model, an applicant for international protection will initially be accommodated in one of six new integration and reception...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy Cairns is aware of the major pressures on accommodation throughout the country right now. Our Department, like others, source accommodation where we can. Where we are able to facilitate families in terms of where they have integrated and made connections, we absolutely will seek to do that. Realistically I am not in a position to say I can guarantee that in every situation because...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Moving on to the accommodation of Ukrainians, as the Deputy says, we are accommodating 28,000 Ukrainians right now. We are also accommodating 12,000 people in the international protection process. We are accommodating 41,000 people in total right now. This time last year, we were accommodating 7,000 people. It is a substantial increase in a year and that has put real pressure on the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the publication of the White Paper to end direct provision, my Department has placed a significant focus on delivering the new model of accommodation and supports for international protection. This has included the recruitment of a team dedicated to drive the implementation of the new programme; the establishment of governance structures in the form of a programme board and an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: We have Ukrainians here under the temporary protection directive, we have international protection applicants and we have refugees accepted under the Irish refugee protection programme, IRPP. Sometimes these all get jumbled in. I will speak to the IRPP programme. We have taken, at this stage, 3,900 Syrians under IRPP 1 and 2. There is an ongoing commitment to receive more Syrians in,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Our response to Ukraine is set out under EU law. Our response to them is set out in the temporary protection directive and we are working under that. In terms of a discriminatory response, I visited Citywest the week before last. The treatment of Ukrainians as they arrive into the country is identical to the treatment of international protection applicants as they arrive into the country.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is. With all due respect, I was there. I saw what was happening on the ground.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In terms of what happens next, absolutely. However, that is not a determination of the Government. That is a determination of European law. With the greatest respect, it is what is set out in the temporary protection directive and we are operating to fulfil the temporary protection directive. That was a decision of European Union law but we continue to provide a full range of supports to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring financial stability of early learning and childcare services is a priority of Government, as demonstrated by State supports provided to the sector throughout the pandemic that were in excess of €1 billion. A transition fund is now in place to support providers between May and August 2022. This fund is designed to support the financial stability of services in the period...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: We had a useful visit to a number of providers in the Deputy's constituency. We were in King's Island and we saw the benefits of early learning and care for young children, in particular from vulnerable areas. We spoke about the additional supports that new funding like the core funding can provide to those services. We know this year that a number of services have registered with Tusla to...