Results 741-760 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Maternity Leave (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: To support paretns of children born during the strict lockdown measures, the Government intends to extend parent's leave from two weeks to five weeks for each parent of all children born or adopted on or after 1 Nov 2019. The Government also intends to extend the period in which parent's leave can be taken up until that child turns two or, in the case of an adoption, two years after the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Maternity Leave (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 provides for two weeks of parent’s leave and benefit for all new parents in employment or self-employment in respect of children born or placed for adoption on or after 1 November 2019. This is to facilitate parents to spend more time with their children in their critical first year of life. The Minister for Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Victim Support Services (3 Nov 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). In 2020, I am providing core funding of €25.3m to Tusla to support the DSGBV sector, including 16 rape crisis centres throughout the country. In addition to core funding, an additional €1.2 million has been reserved for...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS), the pathway to quality, accessible, affordable Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare went live in November 2019. It is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. Through this entitlement, the NCS aims to improve children's outcomes, support lifelong learning, reduce child poverty and tangibly reduce the cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Qualifications (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is a regulatory requirement for an early learning and care service to have a person trained in first aid for children immediately available, at all times, to the children attending the service. In the Quality and Regulatory Framework published in 2018, Tusla, the independent statutory regulator, recognised the First Aid Responder (FAR) education and training standard established by the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am pleased to confirm that I secured an additional €5 million in current funding for youth services nationally as part of Budget 2021. My officials are currently working on the apportionment of these funds in the context of the publication of the Revised Estimates Volume later this year. As such, I am not in a position as yet to provide a detailed breakdown of these allocations. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Sector (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has introduced a number of measures to support the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector during these unprecedented times. The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) was introduced on 1 August 2020. EWSS is an economy-wide enterprise support for eligible businesses in respect of eligible employees. It provides a flat-rate subsidy to qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Financial Services Sector (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in receipt of this report. My officials will certainly review if if the Deputy can provide me with a copy for examination.I agree as to the clear importance of protecting vulnerable people from financial abuse.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I have previously advised, a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) has been conducted by my Department pursuant to Article 6(4) of the General Data Protection Guidelines, in relation to the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Act 2020. A DPIA is considered best practice, and has been carried out by my Department in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Meetings (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Collaborative Forum process, established by my predecessor as a representative advisory body on these matters, was unfortunately interrupted by the general election and subsequent change in Government. In addition, it was necessary to put its meetings on hold in the context of the restrictions introduced in an effort to reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19. A number of members travel...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Programme (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I recognise the importance to adopted people and others impacted by birth family separation of having access to information related to their original identity and family history, including medical history. I am absolutely committed to addressing the wider matter of providing a new architecture surrounding access to birth information and tracing. This will require extensive consultation with a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department does not have a direct funding relationship with St John Ambulance. St John Ambulance does not receive targeted funding for youth services from my Department nor does it receive funding as a national youth organisation under my Department’s Youth Services Grant Scheme. However, there have been occasions when St John Ambulance youth groups have received funding from...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The PQ referred to in the Deputy's question was part answered by my department, the other part being answered by my colleague the Minister for Health, Parliamentary Question No. 424 of 13 October 2020. Having consulted with the Deputy's office, I believe the focus of the question relates to the part transferred and would be more appropriate to be answered by the Minister for Health.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Reviews (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy will be aware that it is not appropriate for me to comment on individual cases. I am also not in a position to interfere with the professional judgement or social work decision making in a case. I can confirm that I have referred your questions to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for direct reply to you. Tusla works in partnership with families and their networks to develop...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: After-School Support Services (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme supports families not in work or study with access to childcare for hours known to be needed by children for their development, but not any additional hours. As the Scheme promotes both child development and labour market activation, a balanced approach to eligibility for subsidies was incorporated into the Scheme to recognise both elements. It looks to support...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: From the available information compiled to date by my Department there are seven contracts in 2019 and four contracts to date in 2020 that were approved without competitive tender which are outlined in the table below. We are continuing to liaise with the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation regarding their contracts. The list does not include contracts approved by the former...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The investigation of burial arrangements of persons who died while resident in what were termed Mother and Baby Homes was a key focus of the terms of reference for the statutory Commission of Investigation. We already know from the Commission's interim reports that it dedicated significant time and effort to advancing its investigations into these matters. In the Fifth Interim Report,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Data (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill, 2016 dealt with access to birth certificates and birth information for adoptees and others seeking to know their origins. The Bill lapsed with the dissolution of the Dáil and I am currently committed to advancing fresh proposals in this area which will achieve the policy aim of allowing access to information for adoptees and others. Decisions...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Public Services Card (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Parents do not need to hold a Public Services Card in order to benefit from subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme. The Scheme has always been designed so that applications are accepted both online and by post. A Public Services Card and verified MyGovID account are required to apply online only. At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: EU Funding (3 Nov 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: While my Department does not provide direct funding to local authorities for engaging in social inclusion initiatives with migrant communities and asylum seekers, my officials work closely with Local Authorities in resettling refugees arriving in the country under Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). The Government avails of two sources of EU funding to support migrant integration...