Results 3,901-3,920 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla’s capital expenditure is divided between Estates and ICT programmes. Tusla is a maturing organisation with considerable development needs and has developed Estates and ICT strategies Strategic capital investment in Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, will help Tusla to continue to develop as an independent body. Investments in ICT infrastructure will support effective service...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is investing significantly in the early learning and childcare sector and there is an ambitious new funding model being introduced to improve stability and sustainability for providers. There are supports, financial and otherwise, available to services who need them. In September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is prioritising making more timely payments of valid invoices, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls. With regard to the service provider referred to, I am advised by my officials that one of the invoices mentioned in the Details Supplied has been paid and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is prioritising making more timely payments of valid invoices, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls. With regard to the service provider referred to, I am advised by my officials that the documents referred to in the Details Supplied are in process, with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 May 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 83,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, of which 61,000 have sought accommodation from this Department. Overseeing provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 May 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, my Department has worked extensively to accommodate over 83,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, of which 61,000 have sought accommodation from my Department. Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Diagnoses (30 May 2023)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is prioritising making more timely payments of valid invoices, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls. With regard to the service provider referred to, I am advised by my officials that one payment was made to this provider on 11 May. Two remaining invoices...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As of mid-morning on 29 May, the number of Ireland Against Racism Fund applications received by my Department were as follows. For Scheme A, four complete applications had been received, with a further 26 draft applications. For Scheme B, 24 complete applications had been received, with a further 25 draft applications. In my Department's experience, a significant number of applications...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department has received a number of offers of ‘floating accommodation’ in recent times. Consideration of such proposals comes in the wake of an unprecedented accommodation crisis. Following detailed investigation and analysis of its use, and in consultation with various stakeholders including the Maritime Unit in the Department of Transport, my Department is expected to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department does not assist with the provision of childcare or crèche facilities for staff of the Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (30 May 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The State has a legal and moral obligation to assess the claims of those who seek refuge and to provide accommodation and supports in line with the Recast Reception Conditions Directive (SI 230 of 2018). The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) does not make a decision to not provide accommodation to an international protection applicant (IPA), it is in the absence of an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since publishing A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to establish a New International Protection Support Service, my department has placed a significant focus and drive on delivering these reforms. Implementation of the White Paper began with the appointment of dedicated staff – a ‘Transition Team’ –in this department to lead the transition to the new...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 May 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, my Department has worked extensively as part of the whole of Government response to assist over 83,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, of which 61,000 have sought accommodation from this Department. Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (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. NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. The particular...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: All children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for two full programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The ECCE programme is offered for 3 hours per day, up to 5 days per week. ECCE is not a mandatory programme and it is parental choice whether a child attends full time, part time or not at all. A parent/guardian may...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Expenditure (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The information being sought by the Deputy is currently being collated and the response will issue as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services are private businesses, comprising a mix of private for-profit and community not-for-profit services. The State does not employ early years educators. As a result, my Department cannot set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector. Additionally, as ELC and SAC services are private businesses, their...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: At present, all IPAS permanent accommodation centres are subject to three unannounced inspections per year. In 2022, inspections were carried out in each centre by an independent inspections company (QTS Ltd) and one by officials of the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS). The third round of inspections were delayed as the usual mid-year round of inspections had been...