Results 5,121-5,140 of 11,893 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The health and wellbeing of all people who avail of accommodation provided by my Department is of the highest priority to me and my officials. There is no discrimination by the Department between the supports offered to international protection applicants (IPAs) and Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) from Ukraine. There are material differences between the rights and entitlements...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (8 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is now accommodating in excess of 70,000 people, including both those fleeing the war in Ukraine and those seeking International Protection. We have contracted in excess of 42,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 700 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (8 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has not provided funding to the organisation named. As the organisation is an independent group I am unable to offer insight into the number of stays utilised by survivors of institutional abuse.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is now accommodating approximately 73,000 persons between those fleeing the war in Ukraine and those seeking international protection (IPAs). While efforts are made to notify public representatives and State agencies in advance of utilising a building for accommodation of IPAs, the emergency nature of the response required means that advance communications are not always as...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Abuse (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The statutory bodies with primary responsibility for child welfare and protection are Tusla and An Garda Síochána. Both have distinct functions, powers and methods of working. Tusla has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. In doing so, it relies heavily on individuals reporting concerns...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Abuse (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that I wrote to St John Ambulance to seek information about the publication of the report on 12th December 2022. St John Ambulance replied on 23rd December and confirmed that they had received a completed report from Dr Shannon. The Commissioner of St John Ambulance stated that the organisation was committed to publishing the full report immediately after the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Abuse (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Any person who has been impacted by child abuse, whether neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse, including retrospective cases of abuse should contact their local Tusla social work office. Child abuse is a crime, and should also be reported to An Garda Síochána. Contact details for all Tusla social work offices are listed on Tusla's website, tusla.ie.  Statutory and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: School Staff (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department funds a national network of County Childcare Committees (CCC) who can provide support to services, both private and community, where they are at risk of losing their premises and can provide assistance to identify alternative premises. In the event that no alternative premises are found, then the CCC can work with the provider and parents to secure alternative placements...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Expenditure (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has engaged over 700 properties to provide accommodation for Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection.  In line with my Department’s commitment to substantially clear the backlog at the end of 2022, the 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation or other routes is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, which operates under the aegis of the Department of Justice. I am informed that applications for citizenship are made and processed in line with the criteria as set out under that Act.  Consequently, any queries in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (2 Feb 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: School Transport (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, my officials will require more time to receive information from the referred service provider in order to answer this school bus transport related query. My officials will contact the Deputy with the details as soon as it is possible. Deputy, I trust this information clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Housing Provision (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the 28 June 2022, the Government approved the construction of 500 rapid build accommodation units with the potential to house up to 2,000 individuals in four person family units to address the need to develop capacity for accommodating Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTP) displaced by the war in Ukraine. A further government decision on the 28 October 2022 expanded the programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (2 Feb 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: Domestic Violence (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department conducted a scoping exercise in 2019 following the publication of the Barnardos/ One Family Pilot Child Contact Centre Report.  As the Deputy is aware the Covid-19 pandemic significantly affected the manner and type of services provided by many public bodies. Due to this disruption information in the scoping review is now significantly out of date.  My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Special Educational Needs (2 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Education.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I outlined during Committee Stage proceedings, I am not able to accept amendment No. 27 or amendment No. 28. This scheme we are creating will be the largest of its kind established by the State. It is important that we are realistic about the timeframes within which the applications under it can be processed. Every intention will be taken to process the applications as speedily as...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to the amendments in the order in which they were tabled by the Deputies. As I outlined on Committee Stage, I am not in a position to accept amendment No. 26. In that context, I am of the view that the provision in section 15 has perhaps been misinterpreted. I will explain its intention. The section provides for a person to make a further application to the scheme in...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move amendment No. 10: In page 9, line 26, to delete “section 20” and substitute “section 25,”.