Results 4,301-4,320 of 11,893 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mental Health Services (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: While youth mental health is the policy responsibility of the Minister for Health, the youth sector has an important role to play in fostering wellbeing and building resilience. Young people need a safe, supportive community environment in order to promote their wellbeing and to fulfil their potential. Funding for youth organisations does not provide for intensive or long term services...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Voluntary Sector (10 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In relation to youth services and young people, my Department maintains close contact with 30 national youth organisations which it funds under the Youth Service Grant Scheme. My officials and I meet formally with these organisations twice a year to share knowledge and information on developments or challenges in the youth sector. This provides a forum for organisations to give information on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are two types of subsidies available under the National Childcare Scheme:Universal Subsidies are available to all families with children under 15 years old. This subsidy is not means tested and provides €1.40 per hour towards the cost of a registered childcare place for a maximum of 45 hours per week.Income Assessed Subsidies are available to families with children aged between...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 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: Youth Services (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Targeted Youth Employability Support Initiative 2021 to 2022 was made available by my Department with the support of the Dormant Accounts Fund. The aim of the Initiative was to provide short-focused interventions to support young people to improve their confidence and encourage them to engage in a wide range of progressive routes to further education, training and employment. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Information and Communications Technology (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that officials from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) are not authorised to use the application (details supplied) to conduct business; DCEDIY has not had any official meetings to date regarding the use of the application by officials; DCEDIY has not assessed the risk of using the application by Department officials...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (9 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: Emergency Accommodation (9 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: Parental Leave (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Parental Leave Act 1998 (as amended) provides parents with an entitlement of 26 weeks unpaid parental leave for each eligible child. The leave is available to a 'relevant parent' of a child, which is defined in the 1998 Act as a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco parentis’. There have been significant developments in the entitlements to family leaves...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 532 and 533 together. The public register of Core Funding Partner Services is available here: first5fundingmodel.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Core-Fu nding-List-verified-18.04.23.pdf. The Deputy might note references to the service she refers to in the Partner Service list. All Core Funding Partner Services must operate their early learning and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy is aware, last year, over 15,000 people arrived in Ireland seeking accommodation while their applications for international protection are processed by the International Protection Office (IPO). In the first seventeen weeks of 2023, almost 3,300 people have arrived seeking protection. In addition, the Department has had to re-accommodate over 2,500 people in situations...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Reviews (9 May 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: Departmental Contracts (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My official have engaged and continue to engage with the provider regarding the matter in question and in relation to other properties. The Department sought explanations for the actions that took place on the site and will address any issues with the provider as appropriate.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy is aware, last year, over 15,000 people arrived in Ireland seeking accommodation while their applications for international protection are processed by the International Protection Office (IPO). In the first seventeen weeks of 2023, almost 3,200 people have arrived seeking protection. In addition, the Department has had to re-accommodate over 2,500 people in situations...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My officials have had limited engagement with Kildare County Council on the matter in question. The planning matters at hand are being addressed between the Council and the accommodation provider directly and the Department will await the outcome of those proceedings.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Statutory Instrument in question is S.I. No. 582/2015 - Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Every effort is being made to pay businesses as promptly as possible in respect of Ukraine accommodation. The Deputy will be aware of the challenges involved given the scale of accommodation provision (now standing at 53,000 serviced and emergency accommodation beds provided). Payment of invoices by my Department is governed by the Prompt Payment of Accounts Act, 1997 as amended by the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: National Parks and Wildlife Service (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 542 and 543 together. The Department has not been in in contact or engaged with the National Parks and Wildlife Service or the Forestry Service in respect of the issue outlined. This property is privately owned and in that sense, the provider has advised that a report from a contracted arborist on the felling that has occured has been provided to a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (9 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 to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge following the invasion of Ukraine including 81,000 people arriving in Ireland, of which 60,000 have sought accommodation from this Department. Overseeing provision...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (9 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are 102 people currently being accommodated in tented accommodation in Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre. Due to the unprecedented numbers seeking accommodation assistance there has been a need for Ireland and for many administrations across Europe, to turn to movable structures such as tents and modular solutions to provide shelter and to prevent homelessness. Tented...