Results 7,721-7,740 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There is a very strong uptake of core funding in counties Cavan and Monaghan. It is 98% in services in Monaghan and 97% in Cavan, which are among the best rates in the country. There are definitely capacity constraints in both of those counties but we do have vacancies in both. I think it is about an 8% vacancy rate in Monaghan and a 12% vacancy rate in Cavan. However, in particular areas...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is right in saying we need increased capacity. The building blocks grant will be very important. In July we hope to put out a call for applications for services to be able to apply for extensions or financial support to build new services with a view that that would be called down in 2024. There is real pressure on staff within the childcare system at the moment. One of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seekers (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In the first instance, I condemn any actions designed to intimidate vulnerable international protection applicants, including children, who have fled war and persecution. These actions cause fear and distress for the applicants, but as some of these protests take place outside centres, they result in the intimidation of staff as well. I also condemn the attempts to stigmatise and demonise...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seekers (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In recent weeks and indeed recent days, we have opened a number of new international protection locations across the country, some of which were opened during protests. I recognise the support. We work on the advice of An Garda Síochána. The safety of international protection applicants we are moving to a new site is our priority, and we will take the operational advice of An...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seekers (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I disagree with the Deputy slightly. I recognise that, regarding the hundreds of locations for accommodation opened in the country in the past 13 months, there have been instances where my Department and Government could have done better in terms of communication. However, the Deputy must also recognise that a huge amount of work has been done. My Department has provided notification...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Brady. Since the beginning of January 2022, more than 145 emergency accommodation locations have been brought into use throughout the country. All offers of accommodation have been considered. The Department is availing of hotels, guesthouses, repurposed office buildings, decommissioned Defence Force barracks and tents to try to address the shortfall it currently faces where...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is important that we do not mix up accommodation for Ukrainians with accommodation for international protection applicants in the context of our understanding of the crisis. We are able to provide accommodation for beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive. We are accommodating more than 64,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection. We accommodating a further 21,000...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: When we are accommodating 84,000 people, I do not believe that is an indication of failure. It is an indication of a Government and country stepping up to meet the needs of an exceptional humanitarian crisis. Modular accommodation is a brand-new form of housing. We did not have it before that announcement. No one had ever seen such a unit and none had even been built. We designed it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In respect of grants to youth services, I am not aware of any delays in funding managed by my Department. These grants are distributed in advance to funding intermediaries, in particular the education and training boards and Pobal. I understand that payments are currently on target for the year to date. If the Deputy has specific instances where that is not the case, I would appreciate it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: With respect, the budget has not stayed stagnant for many years. When I started it was €61 million and I have raised it to €73 million, which is an 18% increase across that period. That said, we always want to do more and the youth sector is so important in terms of what it provides in the form of both targeted and universal services. As we know, the community and voluntary...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I met members of the group in question with Deputy Murnane O'Connor and they gave an extremely impressive presentation. As the Deputy knows, I provide €128,000 to the group in terms of current spending through Tusla. We will continue to engage with that particular organisation. In response to Deputy Brady, I absolutely agree that we need to continue to grow the youth budget...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cost of Living Issues (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 47 together. I have seen the report referred to by Deputy Smith which highlights the difficulties currently being faced by children and families. There must be a cross-government response to this. My Department has recognised child poverty as a significant issue to be given a focus in the next national policy framework for children and young...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cost of Living Issues (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I said, this is an all-of-government approach. I focused in my reply on the things I am doing within my Department. I make no apologies for having a long-term strategy as to how to tackle these issues. The work we are doing now in respect of the NCS, core funding, the expansion of AIM - all those really good programmes - came about after a little long-term thought. I am very proud that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cost of Living Issues (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The fact that the Government has now created a unit dedicated to tackling child poverty for the first time ever in the history of the State is very clear evidence of the fact that the Government is committed to addressing the needs of these children and families and doing so in a way that is not once-off but systemic and looks to tackle the causes of child poverty at its roots, be they issues...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy will be aware, since the start of last year the State has responded to the largest humanitarian crisis it has ever faced. In spite of the unprecedented pressures for accommodation, more than 100,000 people arriving in Ireland in that time have found shelter and safety here. Approximately 85,000 of those have been provided with accommodation through my Department and, of those,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I believe that the point about Baggot Street hospital has been addressed on many occasions. Baggot Street Hospital is not fit for human habitation right now. A very major and a very long-term piece of work has to be done in order to make it fit for habitation. That may well happen - I would love to see it happen - but it will not deliver accommodation in the short term. My focus has had...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator for putting forward the amendment. I want to take a step back. The amendment proposes the deletion an existing part of section 50 and its replacement with new text proposed by Sinn Féin Senators. When the Bill was first brought before the Dáil, it referred solely to the institutions listed in the Schedule and they were the only available institutions....

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Again, respectfully, this is a policy decision. The role of the chief deciding officer is to oversee the implementation of the scheme and oversee, in an independent way, the adjudication of each individual application and make sure that is done in an appropriate way. A decision on the addition of a new institution could have the consequence of significantly broadening the scheme. If the...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We have included this section to recognise that there may be circumstances where our understanding of other institutions changes as we find out more about them. They may have replicated the functions of the institutions that are contained within this legislation and if so, the legislation makes space for them to be included, if they meet the requirements set out here.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to signal to Seanad Éireann that I may bring amendments to the Bill on Report Stage to address an issue relating to institutions covered in the scheme and their continued operation in other capacities. This issue is complex in nature and particularly relates to county home institutions. It is currently being considered by my officials in consultation with the Attorney General's...