Results 3,841-3,860 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: When we are accommodating 84,000 people, I do not believe that is an indication of failure. It is an indication of a Government and country stepping up to meet the needs of an exceptional humanitarian crisis. Modular accommodation is a brand-new form of housing. We did not have it before that announcement. No one had ever seen such a unit and none had even been built. We designed it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In respect of grants to youth services, I am not aware of any delays in funding managed by my Department. These grants are distributed in advance to funding intermediaries, in particular the education and training boards and Pobal. I understand that payments are currently on target for the year to date. If the Deputy has specific instances where that is not the case, I would appreciate it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Brady. Since the beginning of January 2022, more than 145 emergency accommodation locations have been brought into use throughout the country. All offers of accommodation have been considered. The Department is availing of hotels, guesthouses, repurposed office buildings, decommissioned Defence Force barracks and tents to try to address the shortfall it currently faces where...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is important that we do not mix up accommodation for Ukrainians with accommodation for international protection applicants in the context of our understanding of the crisis. We are able to provide accommodation for beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive. We are accommodating more than 64,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection. We accommodating a further 21,000...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seekers (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In the first instance, I condemn any actions designed to intimidate vulnerable international protection applicants, including children, who have fled war and persecution. These actions cause fear and distress for the applicants, but as some of these protests take place outside centres, they result in the intimidation of staff as well. I also condemn the attempts to stigmatise and demonise...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seekers (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In recent weeks and indeed recent days, we have opened a number of new international protection locations across the country, some of which were opened during protests. I recognise the support. We work on the advice of An Garda Síochána. The safety of international protection applicants we are moving to a new site is our priority, and we will take the operational advice of An...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seekers (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I disagree with the Deputy slightly. I recognise that, regarding the hundreds of locations for accommodation opened in the country in the past 13 months, there have been instances where my Department and Government could have done better in terms of communication. However, the Deputy must also recognise that a huge amount of work has been done. My Department has provided notification...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring high-quality early learning and childcare is accessible and affordable is a key priority for me and there are a number of funding programmes available through my Department that seek to improve capacity. The new core funding scheme, which we were just discussing, has a range of objectives, including capacity growth. Although this scheme has only been in place since last September,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There is a very strong uptake of core funding in counties Cavan and Monaghan. It is 98% in services in Monaghan and 97% in Cavan, which are among the best rates in the country. There are definitely capacity constraints in both of those counties but we do have vacancies in both. I think it is about an 8% vacancy rate in Monaghan and a 12% vacancy rate in Cavan. However, in particular areas...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is right in saying we need increased capacity. The building blocks grant will be very important. In July we hope to put out a call for applications for services to be able to apply for extensions or financial support to build new services with a view that that would be called down in 2024. There is real pressure on staff within the childcare system at the moment. One of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: More than 4,200 partner services currently participate in core funding, which represents 95% of all services in the State. These services must operate in line with the core funding partner service funding agreement. With regard to fees, partner services must uphold their contractual obligations with regard to fee management, as laid out in this agreement. In the first year - we are still...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: If the Deputy does not mind, I will not get too involved in the specific instance she has raised, because I do not know if it is in a fee-review process through Pobal. It may well be and may be one of the cases. I do not know. However, there are processes whereby parents can flag issues and there are significant consequences for the service, such as the withdrawal of the funding agreement,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is absolutely right to praise childcare professionals. I was delighted to secure, for the first time, a pay agreement for them in September 2022 where 73% of childcare professionals saw a salary increase. The issue here is that our State has historically not invested in this sector. When I entered office, investment in childcare was €638 million per year. This year, it...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Chair. I wish Senators a good afternoon. I thank Senator Black for her amendments. As a starting point, I absolutely agree on the urgency, and the urgency for many of the survivors and former residents. Without labouring the point, we also have an urgency to pass this legislation. If we do not get it passed by the end of this term, and if we do not get it completed in this...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I signal to the Seanad that I may bring forward amendments to this section on Report Stage to ensure that where it would assist the administration of the scheme, the chief deciding officer will have a lawful basis to enter into data-sharing arrangements with information sources. My officials are examining all the data protection provisions in the Bill in the context of ongoing work in...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I appreciate the Senator's clarification regarding who makes the call on whether amendments are in or out of order. As the amendments in this grouping have been ruled out of order, I do not want to get into a debate on their provisions, but I draw the Senator's attention to the existing definition under section 2(2), which provides that a person who "was born in, or admitted as a resident...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to accept the amendment as presented but that is not to say that I do not understand the intention behind it. That intention of acknowledgement lies behind the wider Government approach to mother and baby and county home institutions, as outlined in the steps we set out in the action plan. Central to that was the apology the Taoiseach made on behalf of the State. It...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I hear Senator Black’s frustration about the ruling of these amendments out of order. That decision was not made by me. The issue of the waiver has been raised by the Senator, her colleague and colleagues from Sinn Féin and across the House. I am to come back to the House in writing on it. I had a meeting with officials in the Office of the Attorney General today to discuss...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Shameless vote-buying by the Cathaoirleach there. I will make a point on what we are providing payments for. The Long Title of the legislation refers to “An Act to provide, in recognition of the circumstances experienced by certain persons while resident in certain institutions in the State ...” I respectfully disagree with Senator Higgins, who said the scheme was solely...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is to enable me to provide as comprehensive an answer as I can to the points Senator Higgins raised on the waiver and what it covers. I wanted to explore that with the Office of the Attorney General.