Results 1,581-1,600 of 11,729 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DGSBV). With regard to the request for operational data in the Deputy's question, I have requested that Tusla responds to you directly on this matter. The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: There was no international protection accommodation centre in Donegal until 2019, when the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department first began to accommodate residents in Portsalon House. The below table provides the number of adults and children accommodated in Co. Donegal for each of the years 2019, 2020 and up to 14th February 2021. Year ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Section 6 of the Carer's Leave Act 2001 provides that employees with at least one year's continuous service are entitled to take up to 104 weeks of carer's leave to enable them to provide full-time care and attention to a person who is in need of such care. Carer's Leave is unpaid but an employee may also qualify for Carer's Benefit or Carer's Allowance, the payment of which is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As announced by An Taoiseach on 23 February 2021, ECCE services will reopen for all participating children on 8 March 2021, without any eligibility requirement related to whether their parents are essential workers.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Immigration Policy (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Integration Fund (NIF) is a key element of the Migrant Integration Strategy and was developed to help facilitate the effective integration of migrants, or persons of migrant origin, into communities all over Ireland on an equal basis with those of Irish heritage. Its primary objective is to ensure that barriers to full participation in Irish society are identified and addressed...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Of the 5 National Outcomes contained in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, Outcome 3 relates to ‘Safe and Protected from Harm’ and states that all children and young people have a secure stable and caring home environment and that they are safe from neglect and exploitation. All children and young people need safeguarding and the Government recognises that specific groups of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Maternity Protection Acts provide for up to 26 weeks paid maternity leave, and a further 16 weeks unpaid leave. Where a child is born prematurely, additional weeks may be available. There have been significant advances in the provision of family leaves in recent years. The Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019, for example, extended the parental leave entitlement by 8 weeks, on a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 615, 619 and 620 together. The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid Parents' Leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Under proposals approved by Government in December 2020, each parent will be given an additional three weeks of paid Parents' Leave, and the period...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The new accommodation centre in Letterkenny for International Protection applicants was procured through a tendering competition that was conducted through the Government’s Procurement Portal, www.etenders.gov.ie. The specifications for this tender included the provision of food and household items through a points system by way of an on-site foodhall whereby residents can obtain the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Trafficking (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The recently published report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation makes it clear that unmarried mothers and their children lived in a hostile and uncaring environment in the period the report examined. As a result, many mothers effectively had little to no choice other than to put their baby up for adoption. I am conscious that the Commission reviewed a major body of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Trafficking (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes has made clear recommendations in relation to redress on the basis of its extensive statutory investigations. Notably, the Commission recognises that redress can be financial or in the form of enhanced services. In the context of comparable previous redress arrangements, the Commission identifies a number of specific groups for whom...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 621, 634 to 639, inclusive, and 644 together. My officials are currently working through the large volume of requests received for hard copies of the final report. Due to its size, the report is being printed and distributed in batches through a commercial printing firm. In order to meet the demand and requests still on hand, further batches are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 622, 623 and 632 together. I am aware of the concerns that have been raised by the residents of Ashbourne House Accommodation Centre. The health and wellbeing of all residents is the highest priority for both myself and my officials in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS). My Department takes complaints from residents very...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The White Paper was submitted to Government for consideration at its meeting of 23 February. Subject to Government decision, it is my intention to publish it in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department currently has contracts in place for 48 accommodation centres, including management contracts for 7 State owned centres. The 48 centres comprise 45 accommodation centres for International Protection applicants including the National Reception Centre for International Protection applicants in Balseskin, Co. Dublin and 3 Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROC) for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am taking it that the Deputy's question relates to residential care facilities for children that are managed or funded by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have requested that Tusla respond to the Deputy directly on this issue.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Terms of Reference for the Commission provided for the list of 18 institutions which were under investigation. The Commission has previously indicated that, while its terms of reference were quite focused, they encompassed a huge span of time and breadth of information to investigate. The Commission was charged with examining the pathways in and out of the institutions for former...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Measures (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I know the absolute importance of access to birth certs and early life information for adoptees. Addressing this issue is a key part of the Government’s Action Plan in response to the Commission’s Report. It is a priority for myself, the Attorney and the Taoiseach. My Department and I are engaging intensively with the Attorney General to find a solution to the issue of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 6 January it was announced that, in order to reduce movement in the population, early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services can remain open on a restricted basis, to offer services to the children of essential workers and to vulnerable children only. These arrangements were subsequently extended until 5 March. An essential worker is someone who works in an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Detention Centres (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As of today 23 February 2021 there are 34 children (14 children on remand and 20 in detention) in Oberstown Children Detention Campus (Oberstown). Oberstown has advised me that each young person is assigned a keyworker on admission. There is also a Social Worker and Advocacy Officer on campus and all young people have access and meet with them on a regular basis. Where a young person has a...