Results 2,861-2,880 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: After-School Support Services (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. My Department monitors early learning and childcare capacity on an ongoing basis, with a particular focus on responding to the unmet early learning and school age childcare needs of families. In September 2022, the upper age eligibility for the NCS universal subsidy was extended from 3 years to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it. To date, over 100,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) have...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland is currently accommodating over 101,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants. This includes nearly 75,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State and over 26,000 IP applicants currently in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation. The Programme for Government committed to developing and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is not possible to comment on a specific individual's potential eligibility for benefits under the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. It may be helpful to note that the Scheme will be straightforward and non-adversarial, and will provide benefits to applicants based on time spent in an institution without any requirement to bring forward evidence of abuse or harm. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents to meet the cost of childcare and allow children to access Early Learning and School Age Childcare. The medical card operates on a means assessed basis. The NCS operates on a universal basis with enhanced provision for those lower incomes through an income assessment. As both operate on a needs basis, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The funding the Deputy is referring to relates to a grant agreement between the organisation and the Irish Refugee Protection Programme which expired in December 2021. In relation to Building Block grants, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1335 and 1355 together. I thank the Deputy for her question. This information will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Quality assurance of early learning and care (ELC) settings currently includes inspections carried out by both the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate and the Department of Education Inspectorate, while inspection of school-age childcare (SAC) settings is undertaken by the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate. The Tusla Early Years Inspectorate is the independent statutory regulator for the early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Early learning and childcare providers are required to submit a ‘Weekly Return’ under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) in order to be included in that week’s payment run. These weekly returns can be made from the last day (Sunday) of the reporting week and must be completed no later than 23:59 on the following Tuesday on the Early Years Hive, which is the payment...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core Funding is in operation since 15 September 2022 and has achieved very significant success in terms of the high levels of participation. With 95% participation of eligible services in year 1 and to date, 94% or over 4,300 providers have signed up for Core Funding Year 2, with applications still open. There are officially more services contracted for Core Funding year 2 than there were at...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Investment in early learning and childcare is at unprecedented levels with public funding exceeding €1.1 billion in 2024 for early learning and childcare – a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector. Core Funding makes a significant additional contribution to services’ income, allowing them to better absorb increased costs including energy costs. In...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1340 and 1413 together. My Department does not publicly detail the locations of accommodation centres in the interest of the privacy and security of residents and providers. For the same reason, my Department also does not publicly detail the occupancy, contracted capacity and location of each centre. I can inform the Deputy that, at the end of 2023, there...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question. The information requested is being collated and a response will be provided to the Deputy in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department shares personal data with the Department of Education in a number of situations. Since the introduction of the GDPR, it is the policy of my Department that in instances of sharing personal data that appropriate governance arrangements are in place including data sharing agreements. The personal data sets shared by my Department with the Department of Education are varied in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Pension Provisions (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: It was a priority of mine to secure a meaningful increase to the foster care allowance in Budget 2024 in order to support the vital role being carried out by foster carers. The Foster Care Allowance rates are being increased on a phased basis. The first increase was payable from 1st January 2024, with a further increase to be payable from 1st November 2024. As and from 1st January 2024,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland is now accommodating over 101,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants. This includes almost 75,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State and over 26,000 IPAs currently in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation. The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking refuge in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I take it the Deputy is referring to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. This 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 was signed into law last July. A comprehensive body of work has been...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: 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 was signed into law last July. A comprehensive body of work has been underway to develop the substantial...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Correspondence (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Providers that had an active Core Funding Contract during the 2022/2023 Programme Year must provide validated Financial Returns as per their Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement. At my request, officials from my Department have engaged with the Early Learning and Childcare Stakeholder Forum (ELCSF) on issues raised by providers on these financial reporting requirements under...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (17 Jan 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.