Results 4,761-4,780 of 11,893 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: International Women's Day: Statements (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am happy if, in order to facilitate Senator-----

Seanad: International Women's Day: Statements (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: That is not a problem. I thank the Acting Chair and the Members for their contributions and for reflecting the progress that has been made, the challenges that remain and the frustration about those challenges. I recognise there is frustration regarding the slow pace of reform in certain areas. I share that same level of frustration too. I had the privilege to represent Ireland at the UN...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has engaged over 700 properties to provide accommodation for Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. In line with the Department’s commitment to substantially clear the backlog at the end of 2022, I temporarily re-assigned staff from other parts of the Department in December, doubling the size of the payments unit. The enlarged team approved more than...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is now accommodating in excess of 76,000 people, including both those fleeing the war in Ukraine and those seeking International Protection. We have contracted in excess of 43,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 720 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, My Department is currently providing accommodation to almost 20,000 international protection applicants (IPAs) and almost 60,000 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protections (BOTPs) who are fleeing the war in Ukraine. In relation to the number of hotel beds currently contracted to My Department, there are 19,900 hotel beds contracted to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department is responding rapidly to service requirements in emergency accommodation centres that are being brought into use. At end of February 2023, my Department has contractual arrangements in place with 126 emergency accommodation centres and 47 permanent IPAS accommodation centres. These providers engage their own in-house catering or subcontracted services. In addition, my...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 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 brings together three major programmes, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, including the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) and Core Funding , with a fourth programme under development - Tackling...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: An Expert Group was established in September 2019 to develop a new funding model for the Early Learning and Childcare sector. Under their terms of reference, the Expert Group was not asked to propose changes to the current model of delivery (i.e. privately-operated provision), rather that the Group should seek to further achieve policy objectives of quality, affordability, accessibility and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (7 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has engaged over 700 properties to provide accommodation for Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. In line with the Department’s commitment to substantially clear the backlog at the end of 2022, I temporarily re-assigned staff from other parts of the Department in December, doubling the size of the payments unit. The enlarged team approved more than 100...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (7 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, the Department Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has worked to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge from the invasion of Ukraine, coming to over 75,000 people, of which over 55,000 have sought accommodation. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Support Services (7 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides family support services, through internal Tusla family support provision and the commissioning of services through its community and voluntary sector partners. Under the Prevention, Partnership and Family Support (PPFS) Programme, 121 Child and Family Support Networks (CFSNs) are operational across the country. A further 22 are in the planning...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (7 Mar 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 parentis’....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Meetings (7 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department’s collaboration with the Office of Public Works (OPW) to use a State owned property in Shannon (Unit 153 Shannon Free Zone) for International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation is ongoing. My officials have advised OPW that it is satisfied with the proposed layout for the centre. The OPW has now moved into a detailed design phase and has submitted a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (7 Mar 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 parentis’....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (7 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 Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (7 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The commissioning of FRCs is an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy. You may be interested to know, Tusla administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme which provides funding support to 121 FRCs across the country. Tusla’s Area Managers...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (7 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has engaged over 700 properties to provide accommodation for Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. In line with the Department’s commitment to substantially clear the backlog at the end of 2022, I temporarily re-assigned staff from other parts of the Department in December, doubling the size of the payments unit. The enlarged team approved more than 100...