Results 4,801-4,820 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: New contracts, with existing or additional suppliers, are commercial decisions made on the basis of scale and suitability in the context of the number of refugees and applicants for international protection that we need to accommodate and the budget available. Demand for accommodation is strong at present and we are offering new contracts to many existing suppliers. It is not possible...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 70 together. Affordable, accessible, high-quality and sustainable early learning and childcare, ELC, is a key priority for the Government. I have taken numerous actions to support the sustainability of all services, including the introduction of supply-side funding through core funding, as well as the continued increase in investment in the sector,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Work on the advancement of the concept of a childcare agency is ongoing in my Department. As the Deputy will be aware, there was a Government decision in 2021 to proceed on that and consider the impact on various other settings in the sector. That is a big change and we are undertaking the groundwork with the various existing parts of the sector. A unit in my Department is focused on that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I take the point about the level of inspection to which this sector is subject. Given we are dealing with our most vulnerable and youngest citizens, it is appropriate our standards are high and inspected. Nevertheless, it is an issue I hear about in my constituency from childcare providers. In the context of the work we are doing to look at the overall architecture of the sector and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is correct. The protection of children is the primary obligation on Tusla. By and large, the removal of children from their families is a last resort and is undertaken in situations where the social worker or indeed An Garda Síochána feel there is a significant risk to the child and they have to intervene. Where that takes place, the response is as much as is possible...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is probably referring to specific cases of which he has direct experience. I know he has advocated on this issue. He understands that, as Minister, I am unable to involve myself directly in a case before the court due to the statutory independence of the Child and Family Agency. Regarding whether there is a category of cases or we are just dealing with one or two, the Deputy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputies. As I said in an earlier reply, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has put in place a statutory instrument which allows for the conversion of office and other buildings to international protection accommodation, recognising the particularly difficult challenges we face with accommodating Ukrainian and international protection applicants right now....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In response to Deputy Wynne's question, a statutory instrument has been put in place that creates a planning exemption for the use of facilities for international protection or Ukrainian accommodation. There are two separate planning exemptions, and that has been applied in this situation. It allows a change of use to take place in the building in Shannon. Other elements of the building...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy is aware, Tusla, Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. If I or my officials become aware of a situation in which a child is considered to be at risk, that concern is communicated to Tusla as a matter of urgency. The Children First Act 2015 places a number of statutory obligations on specific groups of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We will continue to use rest centres. They are an extremely important part of our response and part of the contribution local authorities have made. There may be a greater call on local authorities for the use of rest centres, especially as we enter the summer, depending, as the Deputy said, on the numbers that continue to arrive. Numbers have been lower since Christmas but last week, for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 102 together. The arrival of more than 70,000 people seeking accommodation in Ireland, displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine - the largest displacement of people in Europe since the Second World War - and those seeking international protection has placed severe pressure on the State to respond to this challenge. As of 29 January 2023,19,635...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: To answer Deputy Aindrias Moynihan's questions first, we have a significant number of contracts with hotel accommodation providers. We are looking to renew those through the new contract, which takes a bed-only approach to accommodation. To date, no provider has rejected the new contract and a significant number have signed up to it. This is positive in terms of our ability to maintain the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Undoubtedly, as I said in response to the previous questions, there are challenges here. This is a war-generated crisis and it places a challenge on Ireland and on other countries. As I said, there are a number of clear programmes to provide additional accommodation - modular, refurbishment and the new vacant home scheme - but I am aware of the risk in that regard, particularly in the early...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In terms of the Deputy's earlier comments, it is important to say that someone arriving in Ireland has a right to claim international protection and often people have to flee a country on fake documents because they are being chased or repressed by a particular regime. If one were looking to flee one's country, if one were an Iranian feminist dissident or something like that, it is unlikely...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 67 and 78 together. The response to the ongoing migration crisis has entered a difficult phase with limited accommodation for international protection applicants available in the short-to-medium term, particularly for single adults. I can assure the Deputies that every effort is being made by my Department to address the current shortfall in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In terms of education and the provision of school places at primary or secondary level, I am very grateful to the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, for acting rapidly to set up REALTs at education and training board, ETB, level. They are there to identify where there is spare capacity, where schools are under pressure and to match that to the needs of Ukrainian children initially, but...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I absolutely agree. I have always been upfront in terms of the challenge that the dual crises of Ukrainian and wider migration poses. It is a challenge for the State. Indeed, it is a challenge for all states right now because it puts extra pressure on resources. The Deputy spoke about family resource centres and Tusla, through my Department, has been given an additional allocation to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Ukraine War (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I also wish to offer my sympathies to both Deputies on the death of their uncle. My Department is accommodating over 55,000 people from Ukraine, having contracted 42,000 beds in over 700 settings, including in serviced accommodation and other repurposed settings. In County Kerry, communities have welcomed over 6,000 Ukrainians, with almost 1,700 in the Killarney town area. I know that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I had a good meeting with Childminding Ireland three weeks ago, and earlier this week I wrote to it on foot of that meeting. Not only did I write to it but I also asked it to distribute a letter from me across childminders in its network setting out what we are doing with the childminding action plan and what the next steps are. I know, even from a couple of emails I got when the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. A Government decision in December 2022 confirmed that the transfer of policy, functions and funding responsibility relating to specialist community-based disability services from the Minister for Health to me, as Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, would take place on 1 March of...