Results 4,701-4,720 of 11,893 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Care Services (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: A number of Government Departments are engaged in supporting young carers. The Department of Social Protection provides funding to support Family Carers, which includes the following schemes to support young carers: - resources that include practical information designed to help in particular teachers and staff in educational settings to identify and support young carers, - creation of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Care Services (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides funding to Tulsa for family support services which includes community-based counselling services. These services support children and families by providing access to marriage/relationship counselling, bereavement counselling services for adults, and counselling and support for children in relation to bereavement and parental separation. Some services funded under the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Residential Institutions (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 provides guaranteed access to birth and early life information where it exists. Where a relevant body holds relevant records, those records will be released to the applicant. Unfortunately, due to the historic nature of the records, and the nature of activities involved, the records held in respect of a particular applicant may not be consistent...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Residential Institutions (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 928 and 929 together. The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 provides a clear and guaranteed right of access to birth, early life, care, and medical information to all persons who were adopted, boarded out or nursed out, subject to an illegal birth registration, or resided as a child in a mother and baby or county home institution. Where this information...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Little Library is an initiative under the First 5 Strategy. It is led by my Department, with the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and is funded under Dormant Accounts Funding. Under the Little Library Initiative 2021, 4,500 early learning and childcare services, including childminders, were offered an opportunity to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The term “early learning and care” was first used in First 5, the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families, 2019-2028. First 5 adopted the term early learning and care, or ELC, to define: “any regulated arrangement that provides education and care from birth to compulsory primary school age – regardless of the setting, funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: State Bodies (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022provides guaranteed access to birth and early life information where it exists, thereby addressing a decades-long historic injustice. In this context, there is an initial surge of demand for services under the Act and everyone is committed to responding to this demand as quickly as possible. As of Monday 13th March, a total of 2,992 applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very conscious of staffing pressures in the early learning and childcare (ELC) sector, and of the need for improvement in pay and working conditions for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners. As the State does not employ staff in ELC and school-age childcare (SAC) services, I cannot set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a suite of universal and targeted supports designed to ensure that children with a disability can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The key objective of AIM is to support early learning and care providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that children with a disability can meaningfully...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: A wide range of training programmes and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) resources are provided and made available free of charge to early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners and childminders by my Department and by the agencies and support organisations that it funds, including Better Start, the City / County Childcare Committees, and a number of National Voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, My Department has not been offered the property in question as a potential location for the accommodation of international protection applicants (IPAs) or Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) and, therefore, it has not been considered as such. A detailed assessment must take place before any property can be deemed suitable as accommodation for IPAs/BOTPs.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, My Department has not been offered the property in question as a potential location for the accommodation of international protection applicants (IPAs) or Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) and, therefore, it has not been considered as such. A detailed assessment must take place before any property can be deemed suitable as accommodation for IPAs/BOTPs.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, My Department has not been offered the building in question in County Kerry as a potential location for the accommodation of international protection applicants (IPAs) or Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) and, therefore, it has not been considered as such. A detailed assessment must take place before any property can be deemed suitable as accommodation for IPAs/BOTPs.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Last September, I was pleased to announce the Building Blocks – Improvement Grant, a Capital Grant for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The closing date for this scheme was 16thDecember last and applicants will be advised of the outcome in the coming weeks. The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are currently 9 providers of IPAS accommodation in County Wicklow, which has increased from three providers in January 2022. Please see a detailed breakdown of the type of premises and the number / type of residents for each accommodation centre in Wicklow from January 2022 to February 2023. January 2022 Hotel 85 Couples/Single Persons/Families ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Accommodation Recognition Payment, provided under the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022, is a tax-free monthly payment available to those providing accommodation to Ukrainians who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive since March 2022. The rate of payment doubled from €400 per property per month to €800 with effect from 1 December 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (21 Mar 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, with over 77,000 people arriving in Ireland, of which 57,000 have sought accommodation from this Department. Overseeing provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Reviews (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In 2021, my Department commenced a review of the Equal Status Acts 2000 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998 (the Equality Acts). The review, which is ongoing, is examining the operation of the Equality Acts from the perspective of the person taking a claim under its redress mechanisms. It is further examining the degree to which those experiencing discrimination are aware of the legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As a result of legal exemptions in section 58L of the Child Care Act 1991, many childminders are currently exempt from regulation and the requirement to register with Tusla. Those childminders who are currently required to register with Tusla are subject to the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 and/or the Child Care Act 1991 (Registration of School Age Services)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Bodies (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla receives funding from a number of budget subheads within my Department as well as from the Department of Education. For 2023, Tusla has a global budget allocation of €1.020 billion. This includes capital expenditure but excludes additional funding for its Ukraine response. Of this, €396.051 million (roughly 39%) is allocated to Pay and Pensions (€16 million for...