Results 2,101-2,120 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Emergency Accommodation (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: When new accommodation is opened for Ukrainians or international protection applicants, the community engagement team, through my Department, engages with local representatives and statutory services. The Deputy mentioned education. When the war in Ukraine broke out, the Department of Education created regional education and language teams, REALT, throughout all of the education and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Emergency Accommodation (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My colleagues across the Government and I are acutely conscious of the pressures caused by our response to the war, but I would put it to the Deputy that it is at times of war, conflict and other pressures that countries have to dig deep. Irish people across our society have done that.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Emergency Accommodation (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Communities have rallied to support Ukrainians and international protection applicants. Having met Ukrainians, international protection applicants and the communities that support them, I am conscious of how aware those communities are of the importance of their role and of how unique the challenge we are facing is. It is the largest movement of people across the European Continent since...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is seeking information about companies that have been contracted by Tusla to provide emergency accommodation to children in care in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024. I understand that the information up to the first half of 2023 was released to the Deputy in response to Question No. 1362 of 11 September. The Deputy will be aware from that response that a total of 27...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I do not believe I have, but I can clarify that point for the Deputy and revert to him. The Deputy stated that I did not listen or engage. When he raised a question about this matter during my previous oral questions, I was prepared for it because of its importance, but the Deputy was not present. It is important that I put that point on the record. As to what we are doing about...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Minister of State has allowed me to come in on this. I reiterate our desire to get the optional protocol signed before the end of the Government's term. We recognise there are challenges. There is existing domestic legislation that is incompatible with the protocol and must be changed, just as we got the legislation on assisted decision-making changed. We have scoped out the matter...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Emergency Accommodation (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Between those fleeing Ukraine and international protection applicants, my Department is now providing accommodation for more than 100,000 people. As I have said before, this is the largest humanitarian response the State has ever undertaken. My Department is utilising a wide range of accommodation options to provide shelter for a record number of international protection applicants. More...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The care and welfare of children in care is a priority for the Government. I and my Department were very much aware of the issues the Deputy has raised and these continue to be the subject of focused and continuous engagement between my Department and Tusla at every level. As we know, Tusla is facing significant and ongoing challenges in sourcing appropriate placements for children in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is absolutely right about the importance of moving away from private sector reliance, which is significant. I made the investment in Tusla this year in order that it can grow its own stock of residential placements. We are also looking at supporting the community and voluntary sector. I met its representatives in January and discussed what the sector can do to provide additional...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy asked quite a few questions. In terms of engagement with the sector, I have met representatives of the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA, the representative body for foster carers, and also of Movement for Change, which is a new representative body, several times and discussed the increase in funding. I met both of those organisation after the budget as well. In terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Every effort has been made to carefully design Core Funding to achieve high levels of participation by providers. 95% of providers participated in year 1 of the scheme and to date, 94% or over 4,300 providers have signed up for Core Funding Year 2, with applications still open. 98% of all not for profit services and 93% of all for profit services have signed up. There are more...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Work Supports (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I was very pleased to secure an additional €1 million in the Budget to support the Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative, or TYESI, in 2024. The aim of this important scheme is to engage and support harder to reach young people, aged from 15 to 24, who are not in employment, education, or training. The focused interventions are intended to provide community-based...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently accommodating over 100,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants. This includes over 75,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State and over 27,000 IP applicants currently in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation. As at 27 February, 1,480 adult males have presented...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 110 and 128 together. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will open for applications on 20 March. A dedicated webpage is now live at www.gov.ie/paymentscheme, which contains information on how people will be able to apply to the Payment Scheme, and what information applicants will need. Once the Scheme opens, the Payment Scheme Office will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy will be aware, the Child and Family Agency, Tusla administers the Family Resource Centre programme, funding 121 Family Resource Centres (FRC). Where possible I make it a point to engage with FRC, they play a pivotal role for so many communities across the country providing a comprehensive range of services tailored to individual community needs. My Department allocates core...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am advised that a Department official attempted to make contact by phone with the Deputy unsuccessfully on Monday 19 February. The official followed up via email directly the same day, to which the Deputy responded providing additional information necessary to pursue the inquiry within the Department. Following several email exchanges, I am further advised that a Department official...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant progress has been made in advancing plans for a dedicated state agency for early learning childcare. It is envisaged that this dedicated agency will undertake the functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years (including Better Start), the 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCC), as well as operational functions currently undertaken by my Department. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Budget 2024 allocation for youth services is €77.95 million, an increase of 26% in youth service funding since 20220. This funding includes the following schemes which support the establishment of additional youth services: the Youth Service Grant Scheme (YSGS) provides funding to a range of national and regional universal youth services. The YSGS is being expanded in 2024 to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Section 3 of the Child Care Act 1991 places a statutory responsibility on Tusla to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Tusla carry out assessments on the information received regarding children and young people to determine any risk and assess the child and family’s situation, and provides appropriate social work intervention and family...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Health Strategies (29 Feb 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is a matter for my cabinet colleague the Minister for Health.