Results 9,921-9,940 of 11,819 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of a new equality ground, based on disadvantaged socio-economic status, is being considered as part of my Department's wider review of the Equal Status Acts 2000 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998 (the Equality Acts). This follows a Programme for Government commitment to examine the introduction of such a ground. It is intended that legislative proposals arising from the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Please note that the Department does not hold contracts with security providers who provide security services at IPAS accommodation centres. Security arrangements at IP centres is the responsibility of the centre manager and it is a commercial decision for the provider as to which security company they choose to contract in meeting this obligation. The International Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The ECCE programme is available to all children within the eligible age range. A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the 1st September start date. The minimum eligibility age for the ECCE programme was revised in September 2018 when it was reduced from 3 years to 2 years and 8 months. The revised...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. My Department monitors early learning and childcare capacity on an ongoing basis, with a particular focus on responding to the unmet early learning and childcare needs of families. Data from the 2022/23 Annual Early Years Sector Profile estimated that there were 4,293 children enrolled in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 565 to 567, inclusive, together. Better Start was established in 2014 by my Department, in association with the Department of Education, to deliver quality-related supports to early learning and care services and to support a cohesive approach to State-funded supports for quality across the early learning and care sector. Better Start is hosted by Pobal on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core Funding supports Partner Services with their financial sustainability while enhancing the quality, affordability and accessibility of their services. In accordance with Partnership for the Public Good, (DCEDIY 2021) the Core Funding model commits to drive high quality service provision. To support this, Core Funding requires all early learning and care (ELC), school-age childcare (SAC)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I acknowledge that many early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services report staffing challenges in relation to recruitment and retention. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover. I am very conscious of the need for improvement in pay and working conditions for early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: International Protection Procurement Services (IPPS) contract for the provision of services to accommodation International Protection (IP) applicants. Part of that service provision includes the requirement for the accommodation to be adequately staffed 24/7 to maintain the privacy and security of residents. This is determined on a case by case basis by the provider. The Department does not...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the State’s humanitarian response to the Ukrainian crisis, the Government has developed a Rapid Build Housing Programme to provide accommodation for families fleeing the war in Ukraine who request it. The programme aims to provide short-term accommodation for up to 2,800 Ukrainians at several sites across Ireland. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is leading the development...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the 27th March 2024 Government agreed a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for International Protection applicants. The strategy seeks to address the current accommodation shortfall, while reforming the system over the longer term to ensure the State will always be able to meet its international commitments. Accommodation in the new strategy will be delivered through the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments for early learning and childcare, including reforming the system to create one that brings together the best of community and private provision and the development of a new funding model for affordable, accessible, sustainable and high quality early learning and childcare. An Expert Group was established in September 2019 to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: All centres are subject to inspection by department officials or contracted representatives of the department. There was a Request for Tender in relation to inspections of centres in late 2023. The successful bidder was EOBA Ltd. The previous contract holder of such inspections was QTS Ltd. There have been no failed inspections in 2023/2024. In 2024 to date, there were two centres...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (24 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. The ARP is paid at the rate of €800 per month per property with a unique Eircode (vacant or shared). The scheme is provided for under Part 2...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (24 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Young Ireland: National Policy Framework for Children and Young People recognises the important role of youth work services in supporting young people to thrive and fully develop their potential. It acknowledges the important ongoing reform programme and further commits to the development of a new Youth Services Action Plan to provide a strategic direction for the delivery of youth...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (24 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 159 together. My Department does not directly employ youth workers. Rather, funding is allocated on a 'provision of service' basis to meet the needs of the youth population in an area. The recruitment and employment of staff including youth workers is a matter for the youth organisations and services in receipt of funding.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (24 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department supports the provision of both volunteer-led and youth worker led youth clubs and services throughout the country. In respect of volunteer-led youth clubs specifically, €14.072 million is being provided through the Youth Service Grant Scheme, which includes provision for 30 national organisations to support their network of volunteer-led clubs at local level. Provision...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (24 Apr 2024)

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: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (24 Apr 2024)

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: Youth Work Supports (24 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Young Ireland: National Policy Framework for Children and Young People recognises the important role of youth work services in supporting young people to thrive and fully develop their potential. In keeping with this, I have continued to invest significantly in youth services throughout the country so that every young person is given the opportunity to achieve their full potential. From...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (24 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. The ARP is paid at the rate of €800 per month per property with a unique Eircode (vacant or shared). The scheme is provided for under Part 2...