Results 4,061-4,080 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Communities Integration Fund provides small grant funding to local community-based projects to support the integration of migrant and host communities. An annual funding call provides grants up to €5,000 which support local organisations in playing a role in welcoming and integrating migrants into Ireland. Please see a breakdown by year, county, and successful or unsuccessful...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Family Resource Centres are funded by Tusla, from the allocation secured for Tusla by my Department in the annual budget and estimates process. Potential changes in funding are considered and explored through the annual budgetary process. Tusla administers the Family Resource Centre Programme which provides funding support to 121 FRCs across the country. My Department allocates core...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Medical Cards (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and I am focused on delivering the Scheme as soon as possible. The legislation for the Payment Scheme was passed by Dáil Éireann in February and has recently completed second stage in the Seanad. The other important element to allow for the opening of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is prioritising maintaining a practice of more timely payments, 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. Any delays in making payments are deeply regretted and my Department is according this issue very high priority. With regard to the service provider...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is a free universal two-year preschool programme available to all children within the eligible age range. It provides children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year and the programme year runs...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Payment details for IPAS accommodation centres are deemed confidential and commercially sensitive. It would not serve the public interest to divulge payment rates to contractors for services as it could prejudice the Department's negotiating position to deliver value for money with respect to other accommodation providers and locations. Details of the amounts paid to the contractors for 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Paternity Leave (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016, a relevant parent can avail of 2 weeks leave within 26 weeks of the child’s birth, or in the case of adoption, their child’s placement. The parent may also qualify for Paternity Benefit. The entitlement applies to the father of the child; the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the mother of the child; the parent of a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The main route through which parents are subsidised for their early learning and childcare costs is the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and I am focused on delivering it as soon as possible. The Payment Scheme Bill was passed by Dáil Éireann in February and has recently completed second stage in the Seanad. I do not intend to bring forward amendments to broaden the eligibility criteria for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There has been engagement between the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and IPAS in relation to facilities which could be used for accommodation purposes. A facility offered by Dublin City Council began use as emergency accommodation for international protection applicants last Friday. There has been engagement between the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and IPAS in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and I am focused on delivering it as soon as possible. The Payment Scheme Bill was passed by Dáil Éireann in February and I hope to conclude Committee Stage in the Seanad shortly. It is my intention to complete the passage of the Bill through both Houses of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Some €69 million was allocated to the Early Learning and Childcare sector in the revised National Development Plan (NDP) allocation. 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. The €9 million...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland is currently accommodating over 84,300 people between those fleeing the crisis in Ukraine and International Protection Applicants (IPAs). This compares with the State accommodating over 8,570 people at the end of February 2022. The figure of almost 85,000 people equates to a population the size of Galway City being accommodated by this Department in little over a year. Access to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. The 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: Workplace Relations Services (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 was signed into law by the President on 4th April. It is hoped that the Act will support employees to achieve a better balance between their home lives and work lives. The Act introduces 5 days leave for medical care purposes for parents of children under 12, and carers; it provides for a right to request flexible working for parents...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Public Sector Pay (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have referred the PQ to Tusla Child and Family Agency for direct response as the Chief Social Worker salary scale is more applicable to that organisation, however the HSE website contains relevant information and circulars on pay scales at this website: www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-006- 2023-application-of-pay-adjustments-for-1-march-2023.html Social Work...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (16 May 2023)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (16 May 2023)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (16 May 2023)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (16 May 2023)

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