Results 321-340 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: An independent review of the ECCE Programme has recently been completed. The findings from the review are being considered by my Department and will inform any potential changes to the Programme in the future. The current ECCE eligibility criteria were set based on a number of considerations. Firstly, the ECCE programme is a preschool programme based on the National Practice Frameworks -...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: While I try to be helpful at all times in the parliamentary process, the Deputy will be aware that I cannot be involved in individual cases and cannot comment on same. The legislation underpinning the Payment Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - specifically provides for the explicit independence of the Chief Deciding Officer in administering the application...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Housing Provision (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) cannot comment on individual cases. I can reassure the Deputy that IPAS officials are aware of the specific case and the identified needs. However, I wish to reassure the Deputy that the teams in IPAS have a number of protocols and procedures in place for considering applications for transfer in cases of medical priority, where...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your question, Deputy. While the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) cannot comment on individual cases, my Department provides a dedicated helpdesk for applicants to ask questions or raise concerns. This can be accessed at any time by email to . At this time, there are approximately 3,200 people seeking international protection who have not been offered...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department was notified on 3 January 2025, of a fire outside this service which resulted in significant damage to the premises. Subsequently, Pobal, the local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) and Tusla, have been providing support to this service with the intention to getting the service operating as soon and as safely as possible. Furthermore, 19 children attending the service...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. Considerable investment has taken place in recent years to improve the resourcing, quality and availability of early learning and childcare. The First 5 Strategy aims to support parents to be at home with their children for the whole of their first year. Research suggests that children benefit...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1243 and 1244 together. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme recognises time spent in a Mother and Baby Institution and, in this way, the associated harsh conditions endured over a period of time. Among the eligibility criteria for the Scheme is the requirement for children to have spent at least 180 days in a relevant institution and this is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Magdalen Laundries (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would advise the Deputy that my Department is responsible for the administration of the Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme and that it collects and retains information in the context of processing individual cases submitted under the terms of the scheme. However, my Department does not collect information on the number of former Magdalen laundry residents who are still resident...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1251, 1252 and 1253 together. Thank you Deputy for your question relating to procurement processes by Tusla. I have made contact with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency and Tusla has informed me that they have procedures in place to ensure compliance with current procurement rules and guidelines. The services provided by Tusla to meet increasingly complex...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: While I try to be helpful at all times in the parliamentary process, the Deputy will be aware that I cannot be involved in individual cases and cannot comment on same. The legislation underpinning the Payment Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - specifically provides for the explicit independence of the Chief Deciding Officer in administering the application...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Regulations (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: School age childcare (SAC) services are required to operate within regulatory minimum adult-to-child ratios as set out in the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Registration of School Age Services) Regulations 2018. The ratio sets the minimum number of adults required to supervise, care for and work directly with the children in the service. The introduction of SAC Regulations in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Protected Disclosures (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this investigative process is currently on going, I am not in a position to comment at this stage. Tusla has provided assurances to my Department that this company is not being used currently, and Tusla will not consider re engaging with this company until the investigative process has been concluded. Following the recent inadvertent engagement of the company for services in September...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The NCS is designed to substantially reduce costs to families using eligible early learning and childcare. It is designed to be flexible, recognising that early learning and childcare needs are different for each family. The underpinning rationale of the Scheme, including the hours-based aspect, was set out in the 2016 "Policy Paper on the Development of a new Single Affordable Childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 30 September 2024 I commenced relevant sections of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024, including the removal of the exemption from registration for childminders, and the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Childminding Regulations) 2024. This allowed for the registration of childminders with Tusla. This was a milestone in the implementation of the National Action Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Artificial Intelligence (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is guided by the Interim Guidelines for Use of AI in the Public Service published by the Public Service Transformation Delivery Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and by the National Cyber Security Centre on ICT policy and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1261 and 1262 together. While I try to be helpful at all times in the parliamentary process, the Deputy will be aware that I cannot be involved in individual cases and cannot comment on same. The legislation underpinning the Payment Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - specifically provides for the explicit independence of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1263 and 1264 together. The Deputy has sought some statistics pertaining to the operation of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme which I provide here up to 31 December 2024. Applications received Decisions Awaiting decision Reviews Review decision pending Average review time Total Payments...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: My appointment of Patricia Carey as Special Advocate for Survivors took effect on 25 March 2024. The role of the Special Advocate is to promote the collective interests of survivors, as expressed by them, and to amplify their voices as a central, essential input to Government deliberations on matters which affect them. Patricia's remit encompasses Mother and Baby Institutions, County...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (22 Jan 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this relates to data collated by Tusla, the question has been forwarded to Tusla for direct reply to the Deputy.