Results 4,241-4,260 of 11,893 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have answered on a number of occasions. I accept that Senators do not agree with my answers but I have answered their questions in quite considerable detail at this point.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Senator is entitled to his view.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The amendments are out of order so I am not allowed to respond.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: No.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: First, it is important to note that section 9(3) clearly states the independence of the executive office. That is clearly stated within the legislation. Second, I said very clearly in the Dáil - I may not have stated it on Second Stage in this House - that the staff within the executive office, who are independent in making their determinations, will receive trauma-informed training in...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Having a recruitment process that is entirely specialised for this office would create an amount of administration that would severely hamper the effective delivery of the scheme. The key element is the ability of the office to make determinations in an independent manner on the thousands of applications that will come into it.That is the key element. The appointment of staff will be done...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I indicated in my previous reply our position and that the work on this has started already. As stated, we will be providing for specific trauma-informed training for officials working in the executive office. I am not sure that legislation is the best place in terms of identifying a specific skill set, but I hear what Senator Higgins says about she or Senator Boyhan bringing forward an...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to the section. A substantial number of amendments in this section have been ruled out of order. I did not make that ruling; it was a decision of the Cathaoirleach. I dispute what Senator Gavan said. I spoke at length on section 2 and its various elements and set out the rationale behind the parameters, including the rationale for the period of six months. He may disagree...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am speaking to the section, recognising the fact that the amendments the Senator put down on this point were ruled out of order. Nevertheless, regarding the significance of these issues, I try to speak to them out of respect for them while recognising the same issues are coming up in amendments later on that have been held to be in order. The eligibility criteria for the enhanced medical...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Parental Leave Act 1998 (as amended), an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks’ unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very conscious of the need for improvement in pay and working conditions for practitioners in early learning and childcare services. The level of pay they receive does not reflect the value of the work they do for children, for families and for the wider society and economy. As the State does not employ staff in ELC and school-age childcare (SAC) services, I cannot set wage levels or...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: In December 2021, I published "Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028". Nurturing Skills aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC). Early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners and childminders play a key role in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (16 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 81,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, of which 60,000 have sought accommodation from this Department. Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those...

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...