Results 4,341-4,360 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Consultation with survivors and relative groups was an important part of development of the Institutional Burials Act 2022. After taking Office I visited the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co. Galway, and met with survivors and relatives of those who died while resident there. I carefully considered the issues raised by them in the development of the Act, which...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, I can confirm that there are no delays in payment to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) providers who provide accommodation to international protection applicants/asylum seekers. My Department has no information to suggest that any provider is removing the provision of their accommodation due to a failure to enure prompt payment. In relation to payments to...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides some €73 million in current funding to support a range of youth services and opportunities which are delivered by youth organisations and carried out by both paid youth workers and volunteers. My Department has no role in the setting of pay scales or other matters that belong properly to the individual employer. The youth workers involved are employed directly by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Birth Certificates (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Birth Information and Tracing Act was signed into law on 30 June 2022, all services established under the Act are open to applications since 03 October. As of Monday 27 March a total of 7,526 applications for information have been received by he Child and Family Agency, Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI), with over half of that total being received within two weeks of...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The Children First Act 2015, which was fully commenced in December 2017, provides for a number of key child protection measures, including raising awareness of child abuse and neglect, providing for mandated reporting of child protection concerns and improving child protection arrangements in organisations providing services to children. The Act places specific obligations on particular...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department successfully secured €70 million under the revised National Development Plan allocation for the Building Blocks Capital Programme. The Building Blocks Capital Programme includes three Pillars: - An Improvement Grant to improve energy efficiency standards, while also supporting the continuous improvement of the physical environment of services. The closing date for this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme which provides funding support to 121 FRCs across the country. My Department allocates core funding for the FRC Programme and, since 2019, an additional €1.5m has been provided in funding, which has meant that yearly funding has amounted to €18m for this programme rising to over...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (30 Mar 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, the new funding model comprised of the Early...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 commits to develop new, childminder-specific, regulations that are proportionate and appropriate to the home environment and the family setting in which childminders work. This is a necessary step in enabling non-relative childminders to register with Tusla and take part in the National Childcare Scheme, thus allowing parents who use...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 commits to extending regulation and supports to paid, non-relative childminders who work in their own homes over the coming years. The National Action Plan sets out a phased approach with a preparatory phase followed by an extended transition phase, to allow childminders a lead-in time for any requirements. This supportive, phased transition...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Children who are with their families in emergency homeless accommodation are in the care of their parents or guardians, who have the primary responsibility for their protection. Homelessness as part of a family group is not, of itself, a basis for making a report to Tusla. Some children who are homeless as part of a family group may be referred to Tusla due to other child protection or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Trafficking (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The International Protection Office, An Garda Síochána or the Border Management Unit contact Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, when separated children seeking international protection or unaccompanied minors arrive at an Irish port,...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department successfully secured €70 million under the revised National Development Plan (NDP) allocation for the Building Blocks Capital Programme, designed to meet current and long-term Early Learning and Childcare infrastructure needs. The Building Blocks Capital Programme includes three Pillars: - An Improvement Grant to improve energy efficiency standards, while also supporting...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As of the end of 2022 approximately 89% of children in care were being cared for by foster carers. While this record compares favorably internationally, I am aware that there is an ongoing difficulty in maintaining the number of foster carers in Ireland in line with demand for these placements. I am aware that while the overall number of children in care has decreased by 621, or by 9.7%...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: At the end of February 2023, there were 5,060 people with status (PWS) living in accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS). International Protection applicants (IPAs) who have been granted an international protection status or a permission to remain have the same access to housing supports and services as Irish and EEA nationals. There are a...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I firmly believe the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. The State is not the employer and therefore does not set the pay or conditions for employees in either early learning and care (ELC) or school-age childcare (SAC) services. However, there is now,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Last October the Government made an Order, under the Institutional Burials Act 2022, to direct the establishment of an independent Office to lead an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam, Co. Galway. The making of the Order followed on from Resolutions in the Dáil and Seanad in September approving the draft Order that was agreed by Government in July....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for her question and I am pleased to report progress on the development of the national Barnahus model of service for children who have experienced sexual abuse and their families. The Icelandic Barnahus model is a child-friendly, interdisciplinary and multiagency model of service that brings child protection, policing, medical, therapeutic and forensic services...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Measures (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Child Care Act 1991 is the primary piece of legislation regulating child care (alternative care) and child protection policy in Ireland. The 1991 Act is a wide-ranging piece of legislation, which, at its core, seeks to promote the welfare of children who may not be receiving adequate care and protection. The Act covers the following main areas: 1. Promotion of the welfare of children...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (30 Mar 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. Enhanced and additional allowances...