Results 1,001-1,020 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (2 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters submitted its final report to me on the 30th October 2020. I had signalled previously that there would be a short time interval between receipt of the report and the separate arrangements for its publication. The necessary considerations are being expedited to enable this to happen as soon as possible. It...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Childcare Scheme (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Initially, it is important to state that stay-at-home parents are not excluded from the national childcare scheme. More than 44,000 children have benefited from that scheme to date and included in that are many children of stay-at-home parents. The NCS universal subsidy is up to €1,170 per year and is available to all families, including stay-at-home parents. An income-related...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Childcare Scheme (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I take seriously the points raised by the Deputy on this issue. That is one of the reasons we are taking this new initiative to make parents aware of the wide range of courses they can take. If they take courses, many of which are level 1, for two hours per week, they get the full 45 hours of childcare, which will resolve that particular issue. That was probably not well known. That is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Childcare Scheme (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I appreciate the Deputy's recognition of what we have been doing to increase knowledge about the sponsorship, both for parents and for some of the major organisations. We have to do more with Tusla to ensure that it understands, from the top of the organisation down. Tusla is a huge organisation. I will talk about the matter with the chief executive when I meet him and the chairperson for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Years Sector (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I share the Deputy's commitment to ensuring that we have a well-paid workforce of childcare professionals. Improving access to high-quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a priority for me as Minister. I have spoken to both the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform about this on a number of occasions and our officials are engaging...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Years Sector (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: There is sustained engagement between officials in my Department and representatives of SIPTU and of the new body, Childhood Services Ireland, which has been set up under the auspices of IBEC. I cannot give the Deputy a specific date today, although I would love to be in the position to do so. Nevertheless, there is sustained engagement and I hope that in a short number of months, we will...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Years Sector (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I fully agree with the Deputy and am very aware of the pressures that childcare professionals are under, from the raw data we get from work such as the report the Deputy mentioned and from my engagement at a constituency level. I have talked to childcare professionals and heard how they feel that having gone through significant training and education to take up the role, they are not...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Following its five-year statutory inquiry, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters delivered its final report to me on 30 October. I signalled previously that there would be a short time interval between receipt of the report and the separate arrangements for its publication. It is essential that publication is done in the right way with former...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Like the Deputy, I have been in touch with a significant number of survivors over the past number of weeks and I have heard the various views. There are various views out there. Talking to more and more of them as we get closer to Christmas - it has been a hard year for everybody - there is a real sense that this Christmas will be a difficult and unusual one. With the significance of this...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy raises two important and separate issues there. On Bessborough, I am aware of the planning application. I have engaged with one of the leading survivor groups for survivors from Cork. I was looking at the planning application this morning. I am concerned about that planning application. I will not say more about it now but I am aware of what is happening there. As regards...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I stated in response to the previous question, the commission of investigation delivered its final report to me on 30 October. I had said that there would be a short time interval between its receipt by my Department and its publication. I have now outlined the plans for publication. One of the matters undertaken was to refer the report of almost 3,000 pages to the Attorney General...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The next question, submitted by Deputy Pringle, is specifically on the issue of the collaborative forum. If Deputy Whitmore does not mind, I will address her last question in my reply to Deputy Pringle, in which I will set out my past and future engagements with the forum. I have written separately today to all members of the forum indicating my intention to convene a meeting of it once the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Absolutely. In respect of today's announcement about the publication date, we put survivors first by notifying them even before we notified the Dáil. That was the appropriate thing to do. When the report is published, it will be presented to the survivor groups and individuals concerned before it goes out to the general public. I have said a number of times that we will provide the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question. I am committed to strong and ongoing engagement with former residents of mother and baby institutions and their advocates. The process of engagement with the collaborative forum, which was established by my predecessor, Katherine Zappone, as a representative advisory body on issues of priority for former residents, their families and supporters, was...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: There is work to do and I started that work by reaching out to, and having lengthy and detailed conversations with, many of the forum members. Some of them were very forthright in their views on the issues, as is absolutely appropriate. It was an important first step to rebuilding trust. I made the commitment that we would convene subsequent to the publication of the report. A number of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the Attorney General and I took office, I have found him incredibly supportive in the work that I have done. My engagement with him resulted in GDPR now applying to the archive, a significant step. Everyone has recognised it as such. That should be noted. Obviously the Attorney General is the legal adviser to the Government. I recognise that, in the context of the debate on the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. This year my Department is providing €25.3 million to Tusla in core funding for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services. I am also providing an additional resource of €2 million to deal with specific once-off Covid issues. Tusla is aware that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I agree that getting that information out is important. On Monday, I had the privilege to be present at the launch of an information booklet by the CYPSC, Children and Young People's Services Committees, for Fingal and Dublin north city, giving specific and invaluable information - I think is based on one from Roscommon - on domestic violence services in those particular areas. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the matter of extra funding from my Department, as I said earlier, we made Covid contingency funding available. An extra €2 million has been put in this year specifically for Covid-related demands. The final tranche of that is being released at the moment. Tusla held it back for the Christmas period knowing the need for demand. A further €2 million Covid contingency will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I appreciate this is a deeply personal and sensitive issue for the former residents of Sean Ross mother and baby home, their family members and supporters. The Deputy has raised this issue with me on several occasions and I am happy to continue to liaise with him on it. The investigation of burial arrangements of persons who died while resident in mother and baby homes was a key focus in...