Results 7,241-7,260 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: After-School Support Services (23 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 15 September, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. Together for Better brings together three major programmes, the Early...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I share the Cathaoirleach's welcoming of Ms Gibbons back to the committee. I thank the Cathaoirleach and members of the committee for inviting me to discuss matters relating to foster care. I recognise and acknowledge the enormous work foster carers do in this country. They are at the core of the alternative care system in Ireland and they provide a safe and stable home for thousands of...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator for his question and his earlier comments. I appreciate them, as will officials across my Department. Some of the measures I have set out are directly within the remit of my Department and some within those of other Departments. Going into budget 2024 negotiations, I have identified a key priority as being to increase the weekly foster care allowance. The Senator knows...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: By providing the once-off payments, I wanted there to be a recognition in this regard, not just someone saying it but a tangible recognition of at least one additional payment. As the Senator will be aware, we made once-off payments in several social welfare schemes as part of the budgetary package. That was something I was able to secure in working closely with Tusla. Similarly, changes...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Sherlock. I was very clear around the budget in particular when I met with both organisations individually but also when I spoke at the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA, conference, which was a large gathering of foster parents. I recognised that there was real disappointment that there was not an increase to the weekly rate and that rests with me, as Minister. I was not...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As far as I know the rates are Civil Service rates but there is a high threshold for allowing a person actually to claim. That is why a person can do quite a lot of travelling and not actually be able to claim anything. It is abotu looking at where that is and recognising regional variations and so forth. As I said, I am sorry I cannot get into it in more detail today but we just received...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently considering the EPIC publication, looking in particular at children with a disability in the care system. It was a valuable contribution, as the contributions from EPIC usually are. We recognise the importance of making additional provision for children with a disability who are in the care system, particularly those in the fostering system. I spoke earlier to...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I agree with the Deputy on the importance of recognition and agree that that recognition can take many forms and that different foster carers prioritise different elements of it according to their particular situation. For some it may be the immediate payment; for some it may be the issue of pensions in the longer term; for some it may be the institutional supports Tusla provides; and for...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy Creed is absolutely right not only on the volume of cases that social workers have to see but also on the complexity of the cases they need to address. One case can now take much longer than it may have done in the past due to its complex nature, as well as the complex needs of a young person a social worker may be dealing with. Tusla has been innovative regarding the recruitment...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I had a useful meeting with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, in the context of the recommendation in the Report of the Commission on Pensions about care and the recognition of unpaid care. There is a strong recommendation there. My Department and I, as Minister, are advocating that foster care would be part of that consideration. We had a good engagement with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys,...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We do not have those figures but we can find them and will come back to the Deputy in writing on that issue.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is important in light of the fact that the number of foster carers has decreased. We want to arrest that decrease and preferably look at bringing the numbers up again. That is why I have taken a multi-strand approach to the allowance, to the once-off payment, to mileage, to the pension contribution, and to my engagement with Tusla about some of those organisational elements. We are...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We will look to see if Tusla has specific qualitative data on that. The Deputy is right that such information would be useful. On independent advocacy for parents, we are doing a pilot with the Children's Rights Alliance so that would be useful. I am sure most Deputies have spoken to parents whose children are in the care system and they know the trauma and upset they suffer. Having-----

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Foster Care Issues: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The committee can continue to ask me about that in our engagements. On the recruitment of minority foster carers, there is some good news. The Traveller programme, which was kicking off when I came into this role, was funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund and that is being mainstreamed. It has proven to be successful in getting parents in the Travelling community to act as foster carers...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Funding (29 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I welcome the opportunity to speak to the House on funding to LGBT+ groups. Ireland has become a proud, progressive and modern State that supports and cherishes all people equally. We have made great strides in recent decades to promote equality and respond to the changing needs of a diverse population. I am here today to discuss the funding provided to LGBT+ groups in 2021 and 2022. The...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Funding (29 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There were 25 other virements.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Funding (29 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Senator speaks of the importance of the virement process. It is great to see she has a good knowledge of its importance. Of the 26 virements my Department has undertaken in the past three years, the 26 times when we took money from one place where it was unspent and moved it to the others, why is this the only one she is asking me about?

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Funding (29 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Perhaps the Senator will do so but she and I both know the reason and it is the unspoken assertion that I have done something dodgy here and looked to channel money into LGBT+ groups. The Senator spoke very eloquently on International Women's Day about the fact she has a voice here to raise issues that maybe others do not want to hear spoken about. I, too, have a voice too and I will not...

Confidence in Government: Motion (29 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak about the work being done in my Department since this Government took office in 2020 and why I have confidence in this Government. We are making significant strides across all areas of the Department, responding to major challenges throughout. We are in the midst of the largest humanitarian crisis the State has ever faced and one year into the war it is easy to forget that....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (28 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm that I secured funding in the amount of €450,000 for the Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation 2023. Local Authorities were invited to make applications from February 2nd , 2023, with the application window closing on March 10th 2023. Local Authorities were invited to nominate a project for funding up to €18,000. The funding can be used to refurbish an...