Results 561-580 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: ECCE provides two years of free pre-school. Children are eligible for ECCE if they are 2 years and 8 months old on or prior to 31 August of the year they start ECCE. In addition, a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the ECCE programme year, which runs from late August to the end of June. In exceptional circumstances, exemptions from the upper age limit may be...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (14 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you deputy for your question on this important matter. The issue of parental alienation is highly complex. While there is no specific legislative provision regarding parental alienation in Irish family law, section 246 of the Children Act 2001 provides for an offence of frightening, bullying or threatening a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (14 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: AWAITING REPLY FROM DEPARTMENT

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Work Supports (14 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: Early Years Sector (14 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am acutely aware that many services continue to report difficulties both recruiting and retaining qualified staff. The most recent data, from Pobal’s latest Early Years Sector Profile Report 2018/2019, indicates a staff turnover rate of 23% which, despite an improvement on the previous year, is unsustainably high. I have met with employee and employer representatives on a number of...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Second Stage (14 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland's history is sadly littered with a legacy of failings related to the care of our most vulnerable citizens in institutional settings. Previously, the State has ordered investigations into specific institutional settings and shone a light on the pain and anguish experienced by people who found themselves in these institutions through no fault of their own. In 2015, the Government...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Second Stage (14 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank all of the Senators for their detailed and heartfelt contributions today and in some of the earlier consultations they have had with my Department. The debate we have had demonstrates the complexities and sensitivities touched on by this Bill and the wider legacy issues arising from our past and the treatment of certain categories of people, particularly women, in that time. I have...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Second Stage (14 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is not solely a matter for history. We have spoken about this in a historical context but we must remember that there are existing issues of deep concern for many people who have lived through the experiences of the mother and baby homes and other industrial schools and the impact this has had on their relatives and descendants. I reassure the people who are watching this debate and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Costs (15 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the National Childcare Scheme, a parent’s “reckonable” income is assessed to determine their level of subsidy. Reckonable income includes family income, including DEASP payments, after tax, PRSI, USC, and any allowable items under the Scheme have been deducted. There are some exceptions to this where some Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (15 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to thank the Deputy for his question, and can confirm that I have referred the matter to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for their direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: City and County Child Care Committees (15 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) are one of the key support mechanisms of my Department, and I want to acknowledge the important role they play in providing vital support and guidance to the early learning and care (ELC) and school age childcare (SAC) sector and to parents. CCCs act as the local agent of my Department in the coordination and delivery of the national early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Guidance for Youth Organisations Resuming Full Services document to which the Deputy refers to is designed to provide guidance for youth organisations funded by my Department. This guidance was prepared in the broader context of the Government’s Resilience & Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, and the Return to Work Safely Protocoldocuments. It should be read...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Schemes (15 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department will review this case but first requires additional information from the person referred to by the Deputy. I would ask that the person referred to by the Deputy make contact with officials from my Department through the email address eyqueries@dcya.gov.ie so that the necessary information can be requested to process the review.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (15 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I acknowledge that many early learning and care and school-age childcare services are reporting staffing and recruitment difficulties, with increased pressures as a result of Covid-19. There is no official data on the extent of staff shortages. However, officials in my Department have been actively monitoring the issue and have sought data and evidence-based proposals from sectoral...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (15 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (known as the Istanbul Convention) sets out signatory obligations. The Convention does not set out the standard to which the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Regional Aid (15 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can advise the Deputy that my Department and agencies under its remit have not granted regional aid under the Regional Aid Guidelines in the last seven years.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senators for their contributions and their continued engagement on this legislation over the last weeks. When we last spoke in the House, earlier in the week, I noted that this is technical legislation. As was said by speakers earlier, I acknowledge that while the legislation we are looking at is technical, it reflects a long, grim period in our country's history. This...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senators for their engagement. As regards the treatment of these records by Tusla, when my Department has engaged with Tusla on this we have engaged with them on a technical level, and given them an indication how the database could be used, and how it will facilitate their existing functions under the existing, as we all accept, insufficient type of information and tracing that...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: No.

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank all Senators for their contributions. It is justifiable to recognise Senator Boyhan's contributions as he is someone who has experienced some of the matters about which we are talking today and brings that sense of personal experience to this debate. To reassure him, I have sought the advice of the Attorney General at all stages of this process. I would not do otherwise. After our...