Results 4,201-4,220 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the recent publication of the results of SIPTU's Early Years Staffing Survey. Many of the issues highlighted in the survey, in particular the level of pay among those working in early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) and the impact that has on staff recruitment and retention, are issues which I have been actively seeking to address. I am very conscious of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (25 Apr 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 (25 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Our Rural Future is the whole-of-Government policy for sustainable rural development in Ireland. It was published in March 2021 and contains more than 150 measure intended to support the post–Covid-19 recovery in the short-term, economic and social development in the longer terms as well as environmental and cultural well-being. The policy acknowledges the challenges facing those...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (25 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will set out the position in this reply rather than in a memo. As the Deputy is aware, the decision to utilise the building in question to accommodate single female international protection applicants has been made in an extraordinarily pressurised context. There are currently almost 570 people without accommodation in the State so the use of the property in question is desperately needed...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Meetings (25 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy may be aware, the Minister for Education has responsibility for matters relating to survivors of Residential Institutional abuse. However, given the seriousness of this situation, my officials are liaising with the Department of Education to offer any assistance that we can provide, to bring this situation to a satisfactory conclusion as a matter of urgency.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (20 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced an individual leave and benefit entitlement for parents of a child in their earliest years. This entitlement has been increased in recent years and is now seven weeks for each parent to be taken within the first two years of the child's life. This leave is in addition to Maternity Leave and Paternity Leave entitlements, which currently stand...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (20 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Please see the requested information below in relation to IPAS accommodation in Wexford from 2018 to 2023. There were no IPAS accommodation centres in Wexford in 2018. The information range provided is from 2019 to 2023. The amount paid to individual accommodation providers is deemed to be commercially sensitive information. The total annual amount paid to providers in Wexford for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (20 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Recast Reception Conditions Directive (SI 230 of 2018), the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is legally required to provide accommodation to international protection applicants who seek it while their claim for international protection is being determined by the International Protection Office which falls under the aegis of the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Consultations (20 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is preparing a response and will contact the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (20 Apr 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 to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge from the invasion of Ukraine, including 80,000 people, of which over 59,000 have sought accommodation. Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Care Services (20 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Foster carers are paid a weekly allowance, which is a payment to meet the needs of the child in their care. The foster care allowance is currently €325 per week for a child under 12 years of age and €352 per week for a child aged 12 years and over. The allowance is not considered as means for social welfare purposes, and is not subject to tax. The foster care allowance is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (20 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is prioritising maintaining a practice of more timely payments, including providing more resources to address any issues. Any delays in making payments are deeply regretted and my Department is according this issue very high priority. With regard to the service provider mentioned in the details supplied, my officials are engaging with the provider regarding these invoices...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Second Stage (19 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Today, I am bringing the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022 before this House. This Bill, when enacted, will allow the Government to deliver a statutory scheme that will provide financial payments and a form of enhanced medical card to thousands of mother and baby and county home institution survivors. I look forward to working with Senators to discuss the Bill further...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Second Stage (19 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senators for their detailed engagement with the debate and discussion today. I thank those who have joined us to listen both in the Chamber and online. We all recognise that this scheme is awaited by survivors. It is critical that we get the legislative framework in place as soon as possible. Any scheme brought forward by a Government cannot meet all expectations. I recognise...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (19 Apr 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 to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge from the invasion of Ukraine, including 80,000 people, of which over 59,000 have sought State-funded accommodation.  Overseeing provision of accommodation on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Passport Services (19 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The issue of passport application fees falls within the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs. In relation to children in foster care requiring passports, Section 18(4) of the Child Care Act 1991 states that “Any consent given by Tusla in accordance with this section shall be sufficient authority for the carrying out of a medical or psychiatric examination or assessment. The...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The programme for Government sets out an objective to ratify the optional protocol and it is something the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I are working to achieve. A key step towards that was achieved by the passing of the Assisted Decision-making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022. All the various elements of that are going to be commenced next week, including the operationalisation...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy McDonald. The Government agrees with the importance of ratifying the optional protocol and it is set out in the programme for Government. An important step towards achieving that was the passage earlier this year of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022. That Act will be enacted later this month and the various processes that flow from that enactment...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (18 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware that Forensic Science Ireland is acquiring new technology which can be used to support an identification programme in the context of an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam under the Institutional Burials Act. Last October the Government made an Order to direct an intervention at the site. The making of the Order followed on from...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Process (18 Apr 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 20 March 2018. The UNCRPD Optional Protocol creates important additional mechanisms through which Ireland's implementation of the UNCRPD can be monitored and evaluated. That is why I fully support ratification and why it is a clear commitment in the Programme for Government. The timeline...