Results 11,321-11,340 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Arising from Budget 2025, €84.9m will be allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Over the period from 2021 to 2025, the level of current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes will have increased by over 34%. The additional funding secured in Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. One of the key objectives of Core Funding is to support the sector as a whole with the introduction of direct supply-side funding, in addition to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. One of the key objectives of Core Funding is to support the sector as a whole with the introduction of direct supply-side funding, in addition to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. Data available to my Department demonstrates that, overall, early learning and childcare provision is expanding in terms of number of services opening, the number of places and hours of provision that services are offering, the numbers of staff employed and the numbers of parents...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (7 Nov 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: While I try to be helpful at all times in the parliamentary process, the Deputy will be aware that I cannot be involved in individual cases and cannot comment on same. The legislation underpinning the Payment Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - specifically provides for the explicit independence of the Chief Deciding Officer in administering the application...

Taoiseach a Ainmniú - Nomination of Taoiseach (18 Dec 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I am delighted to have the opportunity to address her here from my new perch on the backbenches. I am at the very edge of the Government side right now, clinging on for a few more weeks, but I am very aware that a cold wind will soon blow, pluck me up and deposit me on the Opposition side of the House. However, I am pleased to be here and the Green Party is...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Departmental Policies (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for this question and I understand that my colleague, the Minister for Finance, will provide an answer on the first part of this question relating to the supports available to individuals who require wheelchair-modified vehicles for personal use, under the Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme that is operated by his department. In relation to the second part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Housing Schemes (22 Jan 2025)

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: Ukraine War (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Accommodation Recognition Payment is a tax-free monthly payment available to those providing accommodation to people who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive since March 2022. The scheme is provided for under Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of my Department. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Foreign Conflicts (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: At this time, there are no plans to establish an agreement for intercountry adoptions from Palestine. Intercountry adoption should not be considered in the first instance as a solution/humanitarian response to emergency situations such as war, civil unrest, natural disasters or the displacement of people due to these events. Ireland is a signatory to the 1993 Hague Convention on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department’s cold weather response plan came into effect on Friday 15 November 2024, amid significant adverse weather conditions forecast. This response plan focuses on international protection applicants who are in our tented accommodation sites, and applicants who are unaccommodated. This plan is also active this week, as we see further cold weather and extremely low...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The numbers of civil servants on career break from my Department are shown in the tables below by year, month and grade. There was one civil servant on a career break longer than 5 years (less than 6 years) in 2023 and in January 2024. The Civil Service agencies under the aegis of the Department have responded directly to the Deputy in respect of their own organisations. 2024: ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The table below shows the number of vacancies by grade in the Department in 2023 and 2024. The agencies under the aegis of the Department will reply directly to the Deputy in respect of their own organisations. Month - Year Jun-23 Sep-23 Dec-23 Mar-24 Jun-24 Sep-24 Dec-24 SO (Service Officer) 2...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am advised by my colleagues in HR that no Department staff have had their career break extended beyond 5 years by the Department. All staff returning from career break have been assigned to appropriate vacancies and it has not been necessary to place any staff on a redeployment panel or consider facilitating them on a supernumerary basis. The Civil Service agencies under the aegis of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department employs a range of approaches to identify and address shortages of early learning and childcare places, bearing in mind the wide range of types of early learning and childcare provision offered by services and required by families. Last year, I established a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Division of my Department. A key part...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Juvenile Offenders (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The maximum number of children that can be detained in Oberstown Children Detention Campus at any time is set by the Minister by way of a Certificate issued under sections 195 and 196 of the Children Act 2001. In accordance with section 195 of the Children Act 2001, the maximum number of children who may be detained in Oberstown Children Detention Campus shall be 46 to include a maximum of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: As of 5th January 2025, there are 990 people who are International Protection applicants residing in properties in County Clare, and of these, 291 are children with their families. The Department's responsibility to protect the right to confidentiality of each international protection (IP) applicant is set out in the International Protection Act 2015. Since 2024, the International...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Accommodation Recognition Payment is a tax-free monthly payment available to those providing accommodation to people who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive since March 2022. The scheme is provided for under Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of my Department. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: Officials in my Department are currently developing an annual workforce plan for 2025. Details on numbers of vacancies in the Department will not be available until the plan has been developed and received Management Board approval.