Results 8,141-8,160 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As Deputy Connolly knows, in February 2021, the Department published the White Paper to end direct provision and it contained three core themes: accommodation, integration and supports. Since the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions, more than 15,000 people have come to Ireland seeking international protection, and at the same time more than 84,000 people have fled from Ukraine, the vast...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy Connolly is right. The vulnerability assessments are an EU obligation. They were not being carried out for many years, and that is why I identified them as a priority. They are being carried out now. They are revealing significant vulnerabilities, and that allows us to better plan the services we provide. In terms of the update on the White Paper, I have reviewed a draft in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Direct Provision System (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The money for the integration teams was secured by my Department in budget 2023, so it is available for this year. It is there. It has been given. There has been extensive negotiation with the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, and the County and City Management Association, CCMA, on the provision of this. That money is there. The Deputy is correct about what direct provision...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am committed to tackling disadvantage through high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible. In line with a commitment in First 5 and informed by recommendations in Partnership for the Public Good, officials in my Department are currently tailoring a policy response to progress the development of a new strand of funding, the equal participation model. Through...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to advance a significant number of issues in this year's budget. We have spoken about some of them already, such as cutting costs for all parents, bringing childminders into the scheme so that parents can benefit from the national childcare scheme, NCS, and extending AIM so that more children with a disability can access more hours in early learning and care. We have to see...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I will adopt Deputy Funchion's mantra of asking early and often in all our engagements with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in the next-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is right about childminders. I am conscious that thousands of parents rely on childminders and were not able to get the benefit of the significant cuts we were able to bring in to the cost of childcare for parents using centre-based childcare . I am also conscious that some childminders are concerned about the process because it will involve a degree of regulation. That has to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Children with complex needs access therapy services through the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). The Government and the HSE both acknowledge the challenges in meeting the demand for these crucial services and are acutely aware of how these challenges impact on children and their families. Waiting lists for services are being driven mainly by a shortage of suitably qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reports (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Cost of Disability in Ireland report was commissioned by the Minister for Social Protection and was prepared by Indecon International Research Economists. It was published in December 2021. It provides important evidence of the additional costs that people with a disability face. The Report has implications for many areas of public policy. As such, a whole-of-Government approach is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you Deputy for your question, this is an area of interest for me. I have attended many Family Resource Centre events, including their National Forum's recent anniversary celebration. I recognise and value the very positive impact of the work of the Family Resource Centres in supporting families and local communities. The centres provide a holistic service of child, family and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Children reported missing from care are recognised as being among the most vulnerable in society. Tusla along with An Garda Síochána work together on such cases through a Joint Protocol. This protocol sets out how social workers and social care workers should make a report of a missing child in care, when and how information about the child may be released to the public if the child...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very aware that more needs to be done to drive employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. The issue of employment supports for people with disabilities has been the dedicated focus of work within my department, and at a whole of government level, for some time. It was for this reason that government doubled the minimum percentage target for the employment of persons with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very proud of the achievements of the new funding model, Together for Better, in its first year of operation since last September. Core Funding, the new scheme worth €259 million in year 1 intentionally introduced Fee Management in a sustainable and considered manner. In return for providers receiving grants to support their operations, Fee Management means that fees are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Health Services Staff (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department recognises that many organisations are experiencing significant challenges in the recruitment and retention of staff. These challenges are mirrored in many of the caring and public facing health and social care professions across the State. The sustainability of the sector is a concern for both the Department and the Health Service Executive (HSE) and I recognise that the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority and my Department takes a number of steps to monitor supply and demand. The annual data captured by Pobal on behalf of my Department - through the Early Years Sector Profile Survey - is one important data source that allows us to monitor supply and demand. In...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The proposed standards for children’s social services must be approved by the Minister before being implemented. The approval should be done in conjunction with the Minister for Health. Under the Health Act, 2007, the Minister of Health approves standards developed by HIQA. The Act was written before the Department for Children was established and therefore the powers of the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very proud of the achievements of the new funding model, Together for Better, in its first year of operation since last September. Core Funding, the new scheme worth €259 million in year 1 intentionally introduced Fee Management in a sustainable and considered manner, guided by the recommendations of an Expert Group and approved by Government. In return for providers receiving...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In 2021, I announced that my Department would be conducting a Review of the Equal Status Acts 2000 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998 (The Equality Acts). The Review, which is ongoing, is examining the operation of the Equality Acts from the perspective of the person taking a claim under its redress mechanisms. It is further reviewing the degree to which those experiencing discrimination...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (4 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 29th March 2022, Government accepted the findings of an Independent Review of the Early Learning and Childcare Operating Model in Ireland that a dedicated state agency is the optimal operating model for the early learning and childcare sector for the years ahead. A dedicated state agency will assist in the development of a more streamlined structure to better support the delivery of...