Results 3,361-3,380 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There were a lot of questions there. I will try to cover them. Some of the more operational ones I will probably leave for Ms Duggan and her team. The point about complexity is really important because Tusla is dealing with children in care who have a range of needs. Sometimes it is clear that with issues such as mental health and disability, the solutions are not all with Tusla but...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the question of other Departments playing a role, that is the element I was speaking to with my question to Senator Ruane. We can do better on the co-ordination piece and that is why I am looking at that committee provided for under the draft legislation. Its focus is very much just on the Child Care Act at the moment. Pretty much all the roles under the Child Care Act are just Tusla...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator very much. On the funding point, we have further information, following on from the discussion we had in the Seanad, which we might just send to the Chair and which could be circulated to Deputies and Senators, with regard to a better breakdown, particularly for 2018 and 2019, on the issue of funding. Just to mention again, there is no annual funding of that particular...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Cathaoirleach. A direct question was put. St. John Ambulance now has a fully up-to-date child safeguarding statement and that is important. It is a basic requirement. One of the points I made is the organisation is in the recruitment process for a national safeguarding lead. It is positive to see that happening and it is one of the steps it committed to following the Shannon...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes. On the specific question of a higher rate for social workers in Dublin, this is not a proposal that has come to me to date. Turning to the issue of alternative pathways towards a career in social work, one of the things being examined by ourselves and Tusla now is the possibility of having an apprenticeship model for qualification as a social worker. There is a bit to go in this...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Between us, we have provided support for Tusla staff, who are not social workers, to train as social workers. We have provided a bursary for them to do so. I imagine, therefore, that we would need to provide-----

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: -----a financial support for this model as well.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We must look at all routes to increase recruitment. Turning to the Senator's final point on the child poverty unit, we have been involved with its formation. A former principal officer from our Department, Ms Anna Visser, is now the head of this Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office. We engaged with the Department of the Taoiseach and the Taoiseach himself in respect of setting the...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The recruitment and retention of social workers and other grades is a major issue in Tusla. It is also a major issue in disability services. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I are focused on it. Before the recess, she and I met the Minister, Deputy Harris, to discuss the question of how to get more trained roles for the appropriate places. There are a number of ways of doing...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Child Protection: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I referenced earlier, there is a piece of academic research about to be commissioned to assist in that. I hope once that is completed, which will take some period of time, that it is important we get the benefit of reviews that have taken place elsewhere on similar issues to fully understand and to fully design responses.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Nursing Homes (20 Sep 2023)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is regrettable that a system error within the allocation system on the Early Years Platform, The Hive, has resulted in some Core Funding Partner Services being overpaid. Nine services in Mayo were among those overpaid. I can assure you that the issue has now been identified and fixed, and amendments made to the system such that it will not recur. While I am sympathetic to the Partner...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is regrettable that a system error within the allocation system on the Early Years Platform, The Hive, has resulted in some Core Funding Partner Services being overpaid. I can assure you that the issue has now been identified and fixed, and amendments made to the system such that it will not recur. While I am sympathetic to the Partner Services affected by this issue, I am sure you...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Care Services (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for sharing the correspondence you received in respect of the foster care system and the issues your correspondent has highlighted. In respect of the current rate of the foster care allowance, I am conscious that this payment was last increased in 2009 and I am aware of the disappointment among foster carers that no increase to the foster care allowance was secured in Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The State does not employ staff in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) services, and as a result, neither I nor my Department can set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector. However, there is now, through the independent Joint Labour Committee (JLC) process, a formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Together for Better, the new funding model, is about getting the most out of the three Early Learning and Childcare programmes, ECCE including AIM, NCS and Core Funding, working together and ensuring stability and sustainability in the sector. Together for Better is already delivering substantial benefits for children, parents, staff and providers and I am very proud of the significant...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme is designed to provide payments and other benefits to people who spent time in one or more of the Mother and Baby or County Home Institutions, that were identified by the Commission of Investigation as having a main function of providing sheltered and supervised ante and post-natal facilities to single mothers and their children. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Immigration Support Services (20 Sep 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, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has worked extensively to accommodate over 93,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, approximately 80% of whom have sought accommodation from my Department. Overseeing provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In respect of the current rate of the foster care allowance, I am conscious that this payment was last increased in 2009 and I am aware of the disappointment among foster carers that no increase to the foster care allowance was secured in Budget 2023. I can assure the Deputy that it is a priority of mine to seek to secure an increase to the foster care allowance in the upcoming budget. In...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Proposed Legislation (20 Sep 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 829 and 830 together. On 8 March 2023, the Taoiseach and I announced that a referendum will be held to amend the Constitution as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality and the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality. An Inter-Departmental Group (IDG), involving all Government Departments and chaired by the...