Results 4,081-4,100 of 11,893 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

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

Roderic O'Gorman: On 29th March 2022, Government accepted the findings of the independent Review of the Early Learning and Childcare Operating Model in Ireland that a dedicated state agency is the optimal operating model for the early learning and childcare sector for the years ahead. It is envisaged that this dedicated national agency will undertake the functions currently carried out by Pobal Early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 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 for the taxpayer with respect to other accommodation providers and locations.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the beginning of 2022, Ireland and many other European countries are experiencing a significant increase of new arrivals seeking international protection (IP). As at 21 May The State is accommodating 20,645 international protection applicants (IPAs), compared with 5,928 IPA's accommodated in 2018. In the first twenty weeks of 2023, there has been 3,638 arrivals seeking accommodation...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Children Act 2001, and in line with Ireland's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the detention of children should be regarded as a last resort. In recent years, developments in youth justice, including considerable investment in alternatives to detention as well as diversion programmes, have seen the numbers of children detained significantly reduce from...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: While the social and economic challenges facing young people today require cross Government responses and cannot be addressed by one Department alone, an important development will be the publication of the next national policy framework for children and young people, which is expected to be published in the coming months. This new framework will cover the period 2023-2028. Last year, the...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Affordable, accessible, high-quality and sustainable early learning and childcare is a key priority for Government. In September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model will support delivery of ELC and SAC for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families. Together for Better...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: In September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. Together for Better brings together three major programmes, the Early...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) are currently utilising six locations in the County Clare region. They are: Clare Lodge Hostel in Ennis, King Thomond Hotel Lisdoonvarna, Knockalisheen accommodation centre, Unit 1 Quin Road Business Park Ennis, Kiltanon Court in Tulla and Magowna House in Inch. There are a total of 614 international protection applicants (IPAs)...

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 my Department. Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 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 design of both the...

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.