Results 3,641-3,660 of 11,903 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together. The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is currently accommodating almost 5,400 people that have been granted status (Refugee/Subsidiary Protection/Leave to Remain). As those with status have had their application for International Protection determined, they are no longer considered international protection applicants...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disabilities Assessments (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this 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: International Protection (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department is considering accommodation offers in County Cavan in the same way as other counties, taking into account existing numbers and available service provision. The Department is conscious of the need to ensure quality in all accommodation contracted, while also providing shelter and safety urgently to those who need it. In considering offers, the Department takes into account...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In 2022 and 2023 to date, the Department commissioned a number of outside/third-party reports of a technical nature or qualitative and quantitative nature. Please find details of the amounts and payees below. The Ombudsman for Children's Office and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission will respond directly to the Deputy. Payee and Year Sum of Amount ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Providers of accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) are contractually required to deliver services according to the agreed contract once in place. BOTPs do not have a right to see individual contracts between accommodation providers and my Department due to commercial sensitivities, however specific standards and guidelines, as provided in the offers portal, outline...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (12 Jul 2023)

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 childcare needs of families. The annual data captured by Pobal on behalf of my Department - through the Early Years Sector Profile Survey - is one...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (12 Jul 2023)

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 childcare needs of families. The annual data captured by Pobal on behalf of my Department - through the Early Years Sector Profile Survey - is one...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland is now accommodating over 85,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection applicants. This compares with 8,300 in February 2022. This includes over 64,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State. In the context of this crisis, the State is availing of all offers of accommodation made in order to address the urgent accommodation need....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I want to thank the Deputy for his interest in this matter and indeed to thank all those who have offered accommodation to Ukrainians fleeing the war. All offers of commercial accommodation must now be made by the updated form published on Gov.ie under point 4.1 of the “Offers of Commercial Accommodation of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) from Ukraine –...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Measures (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Maternity Protection Act 1994 and the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Act 2004 provide a pregnant employee with six months of paid maternity leave and an additional 16 weeks of unpaid leave, alongside other entitlements such as breastfeeding breaks which will be extended to two years following the birth of the child through the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Programmes (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Please see below a table outlining the programmes run by my Department with ESF funding, a description of their purpose and whether they will continue in 2024. A second table is also included below outlining additional programmes which will include ESF funding in 2024. I trust this information is helpful. Name of ESF funded programme Purpose of programme Will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (12 Jul 2023)

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. Tusla has advised that while it collates and publishes a wide range of data sets, the specific data requested by the Deputy is not currently collated at a national level.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: This Government has in 2023, for the first time, allocated more than €1 billion to early learning and childcare – a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector. Over the past eight budgets, investment in early learning and childcare has risen from €260 million in 2015 to € 1.025 billion in 2023, reaching the First 5 investment target 5 years...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core Funding, which began in September 2022, is the new funding scheme under Together for Better the new funding model for early learning and childcare. The primary purpose of Core Funding is to improve pay and conditions in the sector as a whole and improve affordability for parents as well as ensuring a stable income to providers. Core Funding offers greater stability and sustainability for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Action 2.4 of the Strategy provides for the development of a Civil and Public Service wide LGBT+ Employee and Ally Network. In advance of establishing the Civil and Public Service wide LGBT+ Employee and Ally Network, my Department established an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Network for staff of the Department in March 2023. Its remit is to review the current DCEDIY Equality,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, as you may be aware, unfortunately I am unable to comment on individual accommodation allocations within International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres. I can advise that any requests for accommodation or re-accommodation for a person awaiting a decision on their application for international protection should be made by the individual applicant, in writing,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (12 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, as you may be aware, unfortunately I am unable to comment on individual accommodation allocations within International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres. I can advise that in arranging moves, IPAS takes in to account the personal circumstances of the applicant and the accommodation that is available at the time, including the location where the international protection...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Kenny. We have about 21,000 people living in international protection accommodation. About 5,000 of them have status and they have status for different lengths of time. I know the Deputy is aware of the pressures our Department is under in terms of opening new accommodation for the significant number of people who have arrived. It is important we use the accommodation we...

Appointment of Members of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission: Motion (11 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move: That Dáil Éireann, noting that the Government, on 4th July, 2023, agreed to nominate Andrew Forde, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, Colin Harvey, Eoin Ronayne, Noeline Blackwell and Dr Salome Mbugua for appointment by the President as members of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, recommends, pursuant to section 13(1)(b) of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is right that it impacts disability services. It also impacts section 56 services providing services to Tusla. The Government has recognised that the pay differential. We have committed to engaging in a process through the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, to resolve that. That process is ongoing at the moment. My Department, the Department of Health, the HSE and Tusla have...