Results 2,861-2,880 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There have been three meetings between representatives of the sector and representatives of my Department through the early years forum over the last week. I spoke to some of the sector representatives and the provider representatives leaving it yesterday. I spoke to my officials. There was a sense that there had been a really good meeting yesterday. My officials notified me last night...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will begin the response to this and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, will come in after. That family does approach me in my own constituency and no doubt approaches the Minister of State also. On a daily basis, canvassing, I meet that family. I say to them that we recognise the huge challenges in the area of disability and that we are looking to make change. This is why we moved...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I meant CAO, as in CAO courses.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes. I did not answer your questions on the underspend on early years education.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Just to say that in this Estimate, there is a small underspend on the early years side. It is primarily because unfortunately, we do not have a new employment regulation order, ERO, agreed for year two of core funding. Some of the money that was put aside to remove the three-year waiting requirement before staff got their graduate premium had to be given back because we have not got that...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Tuam agency has now been established and we have appointed Mr. Daniel MacSweeney as the director. Significant work is under way to prepare the agency to be in a position to begin excavations but the excavations themselves have not yet begun. That will probably be the most costly element. It is important to say that Mr. MacSweeney has been very clear that he wants all of the scientific,...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy made a number of points there. Of course we want to protect foster care and foster carers and recognise the vital work they do. A full 90% of children in care in Ireland are in foster care and it still compares very favourably internationally. The first step we are taking is a double payment of the foster care payment. That will be paid on 8 December in recognition of the...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question and for his comments on the progress that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I have made in significantly increasing the budget across wide parts of this Department. It is my policy and that of this Department to welcome a variety of providers in the early years area from the large full-day services to part-time services and smaller ECCE-only...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Some €69 million has been allocated over the period 2023-2025 to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars:Building Blocks - Improvement Grant;Building Blocks - Capacity Grant; andBuilding Blocks - Innovation Grant.Under the Building...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are currently eight personnel in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whose roles have a significant focus on matters of integration. Two of those staff are working on the development of a new Migrant Integration Strategy, which is open for public consultation at present; those staff are at Assistant Principal and Administrative Officer grades. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. Together for Better brings together three major programmes, the Early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Investment in early learning and childcare is at unprecedented levels with public funding for the first time reaching more than €1 billion in 2023 for early learning and childcare – a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector. Core Funding is in operation since 15 September 2022 and has achieved very significant success in terms of the high levels of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Investment in early learning and childcare is at unprecedented levels, a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector. In 2024, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s (DCEDIY) funding for the early learning and childcare sector will be €1.109 billion, an €83 million (8%) increase on last year’s funding. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am advised by my officials that the relevant team is engaging directly with a representative of the provider of the property to which the Deputy refers. Delays were experienced as a result of compliance issues identified which have now been considered and a decision has been made to resume our assessment of this offer. The relevant Case Worker will be in contact with the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to action on autism. The development of a new national strategy, the Autism Innovation Strategy, is currently underway. This is an important priority for me as Minister of State. Costs related to the Strategy have to date been modest and have largely fallen within the realm of consultation and engagement costs and costs related to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Functions (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to better meeting the needs of autistic people in the State. Action on autism, as with action on disability more broadly, is advanced on a mainstream first basis, and on the basis of meeting the needs of an individual rather than around a particular diagnosis or impairment. Following the completion of the transfer of disability services functions to my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since February 2022, as part of the Whole of Government response the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has worked extensively to support over 100,500 people who have sought temporary protection in Ireland in fleeing the war in Ukraine, over 80%...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: CARI offers an important and vital service to Children who have experienced sexual abuse , and the support offered by the service to the parents of those children . The Minister, and the Department understand the vital role CARI play in providing therapy to those who have experienced sexual abuse and it is acknowledged how vital this service is for children and their families through an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Freedom of Information (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have outlined the table below the number of Freedom of Information requests received by this Department in 2022 and to date in 2023 and indicated the number of which that were rejected in their entirety. Year Number of FOI requests received Number of FOI requests refused 2022 259 63 2023 (to date) 361 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am acutely aware of the urgency to open the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme as soon as possible and this is an absolute priority for me and my Department. I am very conscious that many potential applicants to the Scheme are very elderly, and in that regard I made provision in the underpinning legislation for the Scheme that priority may be given to an application depending on...