Results 2,421-2,440 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am committed to the ongoing success of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) which continues to benefit increasing numbers of families across Ireland. Uptake of NCS subsidies has grown yearly with 182,776 children benefitting from the Scheme in 2023. This represents an increase of 48% on 2022. I envisage further growth in 2024. This growth is driven, in part, by recent changes...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Pobal Annual Early Years Sector Profile (AEYSP) provides a detailed overview of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector in Ireland, including the numbers of children in receipt of state subsidies, information on ELC and SAC fees, staff wages, qualifications and turnover. In December 2023 the Department launched the Early Learning and Childcare Data website,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months. 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. Any change to the design features of the ECCE...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Care Services (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Child Care Act 1991 is the primary piece of legislation providing for alternative care and child protection policy in Ireland. The Act is a wide-ranging piece of legislation, which, at its core, seeks to promote the welfare of children who may not be receiving adequate care and protection. Consequently, the Act sets out a detailed statutory framework, which includes but is not...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Proposed Legislation (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Following consideration of the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee, arising from the pre-legislative scrutiny process, I asked my officials to reconsider Head 11 and the role of the proposed Committee. On foot of this process, I have approved, in principle, a strengthened role for the Advisory Committee, and my officials are liaising with OPC in relation to our updated policy...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Measures (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Heads and General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Child Care Act 1991 were published in April last year, and have gone through the pre-legislative scrutiny process. A considerable number of recommendations were received from the Joint Oireachtas Committee, and my Department has been giving consideration to both these recommendations and to feedback received from stakeholders. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Consular Services (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy will be aware my department is responsible for the provision of accommodation to persons in the International Protection process and I will provide a response in that regard. All other matters should be directed to Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. As part of the programme of work to deliver on commitments made in A White Paper to end Direct Provision and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of their contract with my Department, providers of accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection are required to submit a weekly register in relation to their contracted capacity. The registers provide occupancy and vacancy figures which are checked by a team in my Department to make sure the figures provided do not exceed the maximum capacity agreed with the provider in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: International Protection Accommodation Service The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) works at all times to ensure accommodation capacity is utilised in the most effective manner possible. Across IPAS’s 265 properties variances exist between maximum capacity and actual number international protection applicants in residence. The largest part of this differentials is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Census of Population (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is a matter for the CSO and Dept of Taoiseach.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I believe the Deputy means Question No. 1352 of January 2024. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will be the largest scheme of its type in the history of the State with an anticipated 34,000 people eligible for its benefits. Given its scale and significance the Scheme has been placed on a statutory footing and enabling legislation – the Mother and Baby Institutions...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Expenditure (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Department officials are currently working on both the Quarter 3 2023 and Quarter 4 2023 returns for Purchase Orders over €20,000. The Quarter 3 2023 return will be published on the Department's website by Friday, 26 February 2024, and the Quarter 4 2023 return will be published as soon as it is available. A return for all Purchase Orders over €20,000 in Quarter 1 2024 is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days. The Deputy may wish to be aware that the Community Engagement Team has been established within my Department which stands ready to respond to queries of this nature, and they may be contacted directly at community@equality.gov.ie

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (25 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days. The Deputy may wish to be aware that the Community Engagement Team has been established within my Department which stands ready to respond to queries of this nature, and they may be contacted directly at community@equality.gov.ie

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (24 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Currently, seven weeks Parent's Leave and Benefit is available to all eligible parents of children born or adopted from 1 November 2019. The leave and benefit must be availed of within the first two years of the child’s life or adoptive placement. In line with the EU Work-Life Balance Directive, Parent’s Leave and Benefit is required to increase by an additional two weeks to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Heritage Projects (24 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2022 Government approved high level proposals for the National Centre for Research and Remembrance to be located on the site of the former Magdalen Laundry in Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1 to comprise:a museum and exhibition space, the development of which will be led by the National Museum of Irelanda research centre and repository of records related to institutional trauma in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (24 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has implemented a Blended Working Policy which currently requires a minimum of two days attendance onsite as mandatory. This is pro-rated for staff on a reduced working pattern. Formal applications for blended working opened in my Department on 29 August 2022. The end of year breakdown of the staff availing of blended working for 2022 and 2023 is as follows: 2022 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (24 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that my officials have asked the respective aegis bodies under my Department to respond directly to you on these matters.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (24 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is involved in negotiations with a range of accommodation providers across Ireland, and has received an offer of accommodation from the provider to which the Deputy refers. This offer is being evaluated to determine if it meets my Department's requirements. Due to the commercial sensitivities involved, it is not possible to provide information on the negotiations with any...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Irish Sign Language (24 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The information requested is available publicly via my Department's social media accounts and the social media accounts of agencies under the remit of this Department.