Results 501-520 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 24 together. As of 21 October, almost 5,300 applications have been received, of which over 4,700 are completed applications which can be processed. In the case of incomplete applications, applicants are being supported by the Payment Scheme Office in order to provide outstanding information so that their application can move forward. This could be, for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. This year, I established a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Division of my Department. A key part of the Supply Management Unit’s remit is to develop capacity for monitoring, analysing and forecasting of supply and demand in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. My Department employs a range of approaches to identify and address shortages of early learning and childcare places in certain areas, bearing in mind the wide range of types of early learning and childcare provision offered by services and required by families. This year, I...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of a new equality ground, based on disadvantaged socioeconomic status, was considered as part of my Department's wider review of the Equal Status Acts 2000 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998 (the Equality Acts). This followed a Programme for Government commitment to examine the introduction of such a ground. It is intended that legislative proposals arising from the review...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In line with the commitments in the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy, my Department continues to support LGBTI+ organisations and initiatives through the annual LGBTI+ Community Services Fund Call. The call provides for initiatives that will promote inclusion, protect rights and improve quality of life and well-being for members of the LGBTI+ community, both local and regional, enabling...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core Funding Partner Services’ fees are currently frozen at levels set by individual providers on or before 30 September 2021. While Core Funding represents a significant increase in income for services, and allows for the introduction of the fee management system, there is a notable difference in fees charged across the sector, and I recognise that some services may be operating...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection In relation to contracts for temporary emergency accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs), my Department aims to ensure that our portfolio of accommodation meets the evolving needs of the State’s response to the Ukraine Crisis. In recent months we have seen decreases in arrivals from Ukraine to Ireland, decreases in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. Capital funding has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant investment in early learning and childcare. Some €89 million has been allocated to my Department between 2023 and 2026. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Poverty (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland’s National Action Plan under the European Child Guarantee commits to establish four pilot Child Poverty Local Area Action Child Poverty Action Plans in Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) areas. In 2024, my Department is providing €378,000 to establish four pilot Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans to improve outcomes for disadvantaged...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. My Department employs a range of approaches to identify and address shortages of early learning and childcare places, bearing in mind the wide range of types of early learning and childcare provision offered by services and required by families. This year, I established a Supply...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: International Protection Accommodation The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking international protection in Ireland, and to continuing to provide shelter and support to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Government's Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for international protection was approved in March 2024 and is now being implemented. This model aims to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy is aware, Tusla, the 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. A child welfare concern can be a problem experienced directly by a child, or the family...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes included a Report of Forensic Archaeological Investigations at Sean Ross Abbey Mother and Baby Home Children’s Burial Ground. The Commission was satisfied that the forensic report provided clear evidence that the coffined remains of children under the age of one are buried in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The NCS is designed to substantially reduce costs to families using eligible early learning and childcare. It is designed to be flexible, recognising that early learning and childcare needs are different for each family. The underpinning rationale of the Scheme, including the hours based aspect, was set out in the 2016 "Policy Paper on the Development of a new Single Affordable Childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that work on developing the successor to the National LGBTI+ inclusion Strategy 2019 - 2021 is well advanced. I aim to table the draft National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy II 2024-2028, (NLIS II) for discussion and approval, at Cabinet shortly. The NLIS II will aim to promote and respect the right of LGBTIQ+ people to live their lives safely, free of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department draws on a wide range of Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare data, both domestic and international, to inform policy development, implementation and evaluation. These data are also used to measure the State’s progress, year on year, in the delivery of high quality, affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare. In terms of annual investment in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I recognise the need for improved data on the distribution of youth work services across the State, and this is a priority for my Department. I recently published a new Government strategy to guide the development of youth work services between now and 2028, entitled Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024 - 2028. Opportunities for Youth describes...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. Capital funding has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant investment in early learning and childcare. Some €89 million has been allocated to my Department between 2023 and 2026....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core Funding is allocated a budget of €331 million for its third year of operation which began in September 2024. This represents an increase of 15% on the allocation for year two. The additional funding will facilitate increases in the base rate for all age groups, the strengthening of targeted measures which were introduced in year 2 to support sessional and smaller services, and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Guardians Ad Litem (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As Minister with responsibility for Children, I am committed to upholding the best interests of children in all situations. Currently in public child care cases an independent Guardian ad Litem is appointed by the court to represent the child’s voice and best interests and to convey those to the court under section 26 of the 1991 Child Care Act which provides for the appointment...