Results 4,961-4,980 of 11,893 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I said earlier, this provision has always involved a right to request. I have certainly never advertised it as anything else. It is a significant change, and we should be cautious not to talk down what is going to be a significant advance in terms of the rights workers have. We must recognise that the provisions here have been strengthened throughout the process. Significant changes...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Senator Higgins. Section 15 of the Bill amends section 27 of the Parental Leave Act, which provides for the retention of records to be held by an employer in respect of forms of leave and entitlements under the Bill. Section 15 provides that those records related to leave for medical care purposes and the right to request a flexible working arrangement be held for three years only...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. I recognise what she is trying to do with the inclusivity of the language. As she is aware, we have designed the Bill so that the practical benefits are inclusive. In engagement with the drafting office, we have been told the legislation may be read in accordance with the provisions of the Interpretation Act and that as a result, this amendment is unnecessary because...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The tables below provides details of the amount of funding granted by my Department to the GAA, FAI and IRFU in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023. The funding has been provided under the youth services scheme UBU (Your Place Your Space). Organisation Area of Funding 2021 2022 2023 FAI Funding provided under UBU Your...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, as of 05 February 23, there are 19,741 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole, compared with 7,500 at this time last year. Of this total, 4,096 are children. Since the beginning of 2022, Ireland and many other European countries are experiencing a significant increase of new arrivals seeking international protection (IP)....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy will be aware my Department is responsible for the provision of accommodation to persons in the International Protection process. All other matters and obligations relating to the asylum process should be directed to Department of Justice. On 6 July 2018, Ireland adopted the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 231 of 2018) through it...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together. An Expert Group was established in September 2019 to develop a new funding model for the 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,...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, the response to the ongoing migration crisis has entered an extremely difficult phase, with no apparent accommodation for international protection applicants (IPAs) at scale available into the short term to medium term. I can assure you that every effort is being made to address the current shortfall in accommodation. Since 1 December 2022 to 30 January 2023 over 1,700 additional...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: On 29th March 2022 Government accepted the findings of the independent Review of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) Operating Model in Irelandthat a dedicated state agency is the optimal operating model for the sector for the years ahead. It is envisaged that this dedicated agency will undertake the functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years (including...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, which will open later this year, will provide financial payments and an enhanced medical card to defined groups in acknowledgement of suffering experienced while resident in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. As this scheme has not yet opened, no details can be provided regarding costs or number of claims.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (14 Feb 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, my Department temporarily re-assigned staff from other parts of the Department to the payments team in December, doubling the size of the payments unit. The enlarged...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is now accommodating in excess of 74,000 people, including both those fleeing the war in Ukraine and those seeking International Protection. We have contracted in excess of 43,500 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 700 settings nationwide including in hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Information and tracing services under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 opened to applications on 03 October 2022. As of Tuesday 07 February 3,971 applications for information have been received by Tusla, and 936 cases have been completed, with more people receiving their information every day. Tusla are actively engaging with those affected by delays and expects to clear the...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since 24 February 2022, my Department has worked to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge from the invasion of Ukraine, coming to over 74,000 people, of which over 54,000 have sought accommodation. Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (14 Feb 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, my Department temporarily re-assigned staff from other parts of the Department to the payments team in December, doubling the size of the payments unit. The enlarged...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you deputy for asking this question. You may be aware, the commissioning of Family Resource Centres is an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla’s Area Managers engage in the commissioning process and participate in meetings and discussions with community and voluntary bodies regularly. Tusla aims to utilise the total resources available in the most...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is now accommodating in excess of 74,000 people, including both those fleeing the war in Ukraine and those seeking International Protection. We have contracted in excess of 43,500 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 700 settings nationwide including in hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is not considering the development of a national strategy for supporting children affected by parental imprisonment at this time. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides family support services to children and families in a range of different circumstances. These services offer advice and support to families. This includes family support workers, social workers, youth...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring high quality early learning and childcare is accessible and affordable is a key priority for me and there are a number of funding programmes available through my Department that seek to improve capacity. Since 2015, significant increases in State investment in early learning and childcare have given rise to a substantial growth in the numbers of children participating in these...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: There is considerable uncertainty about the number of children cared for by childminders and the total number of childminders working in Ireland today. The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 brought together data from a range of data sources, including the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the Growing Up in Ireland survey, and a 2020 IPSOS-MRBI survey of parents conducted on...