Results 6,821-6,840 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the beginning of 2022, Ireland and many other European countries are experiencing a significant increase of new arrivals seeking international protection (IP). The State has a legal and moral obligation to assess the claims of those who seek refuge and to provide accommodation and supports in line with the Recast Reception Conditions Directive (SI 230 of 2018). Last year, over 15,000...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring high quality early learning and childcare is accessible and affordable is a key priority for me and there are a number of funding programmes available through my Department that seek to improve capacity. The new Core Funding scheme has a range of objectives that includes capacity growth. Though this scheme is only in place since 15 September 2022, initial analysis shows that there...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy will be aware, the State is currently accommodating 57,200 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who were forced to flee Ukraine because of the Russian invasion. In response to the crisis, the Government has sought to provide a range of accommodation solutions. As part of this considerable national effort, the Government has approved the construction of 700 rapid build...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Sports Facilities (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As Minister of State with Responsibility for Disability, I recognise that accessibility is a central prerequisite for the meaningful inclusion and integration of people with disabilities, including those with hidden disabilities. Accessibility must be considered in a broad sense to include not only physical accessibility, but also other accessibility considerations that are necessary to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ministerial Responsibilities (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: A Government Decision in December 2022 confirmed that the transfer of policy, functions and funding responsibility relating to specialist community-based disability services from the Minister for Health to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth would take place on March 1st 2023 and noted that necessary enabling work will be completed in advance of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since its formation, this Government has made it clear that tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a key priority. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 was included in the Government Legislative Programme for Autumn 2022 as priority legislation for drafting and publication in that session. Government approved the drafting of Committee Stage...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has worked consistently to improve living conditions for international protection applicants (IPAs) and Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) at the Citywest transit hub. The International Protection Accommodation Service has contracted the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to provide a support and information service to international protection...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 85 together. As the deputies will be aware, the Government made a commitment in the Programme for Government to end the current system of accommodation for International Protection applicants and replace it with a new model that is based on a not for profit approach. As part of this process, I published A White Paper to end Direct Provision and to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Due to the nationwide shortage of available accommodation for international protection applicants (IPAs), particularly single males, the Citywest transit hub has been providing emergency shelter while IPAs wait to be assigned to accommodation. On 24 January, the Citywest transit hub reached capacity and entry for new IPAs was paused on that date. As of 7 February the total number of people...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Minister of State with responsibility for Disability is committed to removing the barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing training and employment. My Department plays a significant coordination role in this regard through the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES). The CES is the primary disability employment policy initiative in Ireland....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Together for Better is the new funding model that supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good. This was recommended by an Expert Group, adopted by Government, and has been widely welcomed by representative groups advocating for parents, children, the workforce and providers. Together for Better brings together three major programmes, the Early Childhood Care...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Little Library is an initiative under the First 5 Strategy. It is led by my Department, with the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and is funded under Dormant Accounts Funding. Under the Little Library Initiative 2021, 4,500 early learning and childcare services, including childminders, were offered an opportunity to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that as of Friday 3rd January, 2023, there were 208 children being cared for by Tusla, both beneficiaries of temporary protection and international protection applicants. In relation to the number of separated children in residential care, I can confirm that the total number of children is 81. There are 46 in special emergency accommodation arrangements, which are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Special Rapporteur on Child Protection is a Government-appointed position, with a term of office of three years. The functions of the Rapporteur are to keep under review and to audit legal developments for the protection of children; to assess the impact, if any, litigation in national and international courts will have on child protection; to prepare a report annually and to examine,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Migrant Integration Strategy, which was launched in 2017 and concluded at the end of 2021, forms the central policy framework adopted by the Government to promote the integration of all migrants and their Irish-born children across ten areas of public policy. The Strategy aims to enhance diversity, inclusion and equity for migrants across all aspects of Irish society including the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of the Child (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As Minister with responsibility for Children, I am committed to upholding their best interests in all situations. Ireland held the presidency of the Council of Europe last year. One of the priorities chosen for the Irish Presidency was “Hear our Voices”, which had a particular focus on youth engagement. As part of this, I was delighted to host a conference in October focussing...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The issue of mobility supports for people with disabilities is a key priority for me as Minister of State with responsibility for Disability. Action 104 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, which concluded at the end of 2022, contained an important cross-Government action to review transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities and to advance proposals for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is now accommodating in excess of 70,000 people, including both those fleeing the war in Ukraine and those seeking International Protection. We have contracted in excess of 42,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 700 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Flexible Work Practices (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 was included in the Government Legislative Programme for Autumn 2022 as priority legislation for drafting and publication in that session. The Bill has since passed all stages in Dáil Éireann and is currently before the Seanad at Committee Stage. The Bill includes provisions to transpose Article 9 of the EU Work Life...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: First 5, the whole-of-Government strategy for babies, young children and their families, recognises that the workforce is at the heart of high-quality Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC). The evidence suggests children achieve better outcomes when staff are well qualified. In line with commitments in First 5, in December 2021, I launched Nurturing Skills: The...