Results 3,481-3,500 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: CHO9 is a HSE designation and not used with regard to early learning and childcare. I understand on clarification that the PQ relates to North County Dublin area which most closely aligns with Fingal County Childcare Committee and this response relates to the area encompassed by that committee. The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) encompasses 7 levels of support, which include universal...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Budget 2024 continues to improve investment for early learning and childcare with funding increasing by 8% or €83 million in 2024, to €1.109 billion. €303.31m has been allocated for Core Funding in 2024, a 14% increase on the 2023 investment in the scheme. This substantial increase on the 2023 allocation will support continued implementation of the scheme for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Programme (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was enacted on 4 April 2023. Many of the provisions of the Act have now been commenced, including the introduction, as of 3 July 2023, of leave for medical care purposes for parents and carers and amendments to the Maternity Protection Acts to provide for the extension of breastfeeding breaks. An order amending regulations relating...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The First 5 Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families includes an action to agree a national approach to home visiting services, across a continuum of need, building on the current public health nurse home visitation programme and having regard to Irish evidence on the implementation of prevention and early intervention initiatives. Currently, a national review of Home...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (24 Oct 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 1 Building Blocks - Improvement Grant; 2. Building Blocks - Capacity Grant; and 3. Building Blocks - Innovation Grant. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: State Bodies (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have listed the dedicated Oireachtas email addresses for each of the relevant bodies under the aegis of my Department in the table below. Gaisce – the President’s Award does not have a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members. This organisation is not a State Body and the relevant protocol regarding the provision of information to members of the Oireachtas is not...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Priorities (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently in the final stages of completing the scoping exercise on kinship care, which will include a review of national and international literature and current best practices. Under Article 12 of the UNCRC, the child's views must be considered and taken into account in all matters affecting him or her. In order to ensure that the voice of the child is present from the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Local Government Reform (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There have been no functions under the remit of my Department that have been devolved in the context of the Local Government Reform Act 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I welcome the publication on 18 October by the Central Statistics Office of the results of the 2022 Structure of Earnings Survey (SES), which includes a calculation of the gender pay gap (GPG) for Ireland for 2022. The 9.6% figure for 2022 includes all firm sizes including those with 1-9 employees and in the Public Administration, Defence, and Compulsory Social Security economic sectors. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Budget 2024 (24 Oct 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: International Protection (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: This information will issue directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Public Sector Pay (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The sustainability and stability of health and social care sectors and the impact of industrial action on essential services is a concern for Government. Although the organisations are not within the public sector, my Department and the Department of Health are aware that staff working across these Section 39 and Section 56 organisations have been employed using a multiplicity of terms and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I firmly believe the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. The State is not the employer and therefore does not set the pay or conditions for employees in either early learning and care (ELC) or school-age childcare (SAC) services. However, there is now, through the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (19 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department oversees a case management process, through which local City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) and School Aged Children (SAC) services experiencing difficulties. Once a service engages with their local CCC they will be able to avail of supports through the case management process....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Budget 2024 (19 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It was a priority of mine to secure a meaningful increase to the foster care allowance in this year’s Budget in order to support the vital role being carried out by foster carers. As outlined in Budget 2024, from 1st January 2024 the rates of the foster care allowance will increase by €25 per week, up to €350 per week for children aged under 12 and €377 per...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Pension Provisions (19 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The foster care allowance is payable to foster carers on behalf of and to offset expenses in relation to the child in foster care. Foster carers are not employees and accordingly Tusla does not make pension contributions on their behalf. However, I am aware that eligibility in respect of the State Pension (Contributory) is an issue of genuine concern for foster carers. I have been advised...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (19 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As outlined in Budget 2024, from 1st January 2024 the rates of the foster care allowance will increase by €25 per week, up to €350 per week for children aged under 12 and €377 per week for those over 12. The foster care allowance will be further increased in November 2024, up to €400 per week for children aged under 12 and €425 per week for those over 12....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (19 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Foster care is the preferred model of care for children in care, who cannot live with their families of origin. In recognition of the importance of foster care in contributing to improved outcomes for children in care, it was a priority of mine to secure a meaningful increase to the foster care allowance in this year’s Budget in order to support the vital role being carried out by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the challenges that can face an Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) service if they unexpectedly lose their premises and have an effective response in place to support such circumstances. My Department oversees a case management process, through which local City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to ELC and SAC services...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (19 Oct 2023)

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