Results 5,441-5,460 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: State Properties (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy will be aware that the Government tasked the Office of Public Works (OPW) to lead on the design, development and delivery of any accommodation to be produced through rapid build construction including associated site enabling works on available and suitable State land. My Department is the Approving Authority for the Programme and has responsibility for the ownership of these rapid...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can advise the Deputy that my Department does not procure private residential accommodation, with the exception of premises over 15 bedrooms. This is to ensure that the private rental market is not negatively impacted by the need to provide emergency accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. This policy is unchanged.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9 (2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2022: Motion (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Chair and wish Deputies and Senators a good afternoon. At the Government meeting on 28 October, a number of decisions were made to assist with the State’s response to the war in Ukraine. A number of these decisions fall within my Department's remit to implement. That includes doubling the accommodation recognition payment to acknowledge the support of the general...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. We are looking to ensure we have and we are looking to gather a line of sight on adequate accommodation for all those who arrive between now and the end of the year, both for international protection and from Ukraine. We also have to recognise the fact that across that time, we may lose accommodation in some areas. Some hotels and other providers may decide not to renew...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: When we lose an existing accommodation provider, it is a significant task for the Department to have to find additional accommodation for everybody there as well as for people who are newly arriving. I also recognise it is very significant for the people who have been living in that particular accommodation, be they from Ukraine or be they international protection applicants, who may have...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The key change we are seeking to introduce is that, going forward, we would look for a hotel-based accommodation and we would provide a bed-only accommodation. As the Deputy knows, many Ukrainians are working and others are obviously availing of social welfare protection. It would be open to them to use their income to support their living expenses, whereas their accommodation expenses...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy has engaged with me very significantly on that and I am grateful for that. In terms of the information, by and large, we try to get information out, particularly to Members of the Oireachtas. We will continue to do that and we will look to continue to improve the manner in which we, as a Department, get information out about accommodating international protection applicants and...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: That point the Senator made about vetting is a very important one. I will respond to that before the broader point. As she knows, vetting has a very specific meaning in Irish law. People get vetted if they are working or volunteering with children or adults who are vulnerable. There is a clear process and that is where vetting takes place. Vetting does not take place anywhere else. If I...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The new call that will be undertaken through the local authorities is for vacant private ones. I suppose a holiday home is what always comes to mind with me but it could be a second vacant home that somebody has. I am talking about unoccupied homes that are occupiable in the short term.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are two separate teams. Originally, it was one team but because of the scale of the need to achieve accommodation, that has been separated in two. There is parity in the Department's prioritisation of achieving accommodation but it is much harder to get accommodation for international protection applicants when we engage with the private sector. That is a reality we face, but there...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. I agree with her initial comments on our approach and the misuse of concerns by certain nefarious groups, and we are aware of that. In terms of the assistance from other Departments, and particularly in terms of the move to a longer-term accommodation approach, we are working closely with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. That Department,...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: We estimate that approximately 11,000 Ukrainians are now working in the country. That is a significant addition to the workforce. English language supports are available to them through education and training boards, ETBs. I cannot give more detail on the employment activation provisions, which is more a matter for the Department of Social Protection or the Department of Further and Higher...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy mentioned the figure of 200,000. At the start of the war the media quoted a range of figures for the numbers who might flee Ukraine generally and the numbers who might arrive in Ireland. However, no one ever said we would be having 200,000 here. I certainly have never said we were expecting 200,000. I always said we would see the numbers as they arise. This is a wartime...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I understand that a contract extension has not yet been undertaken for Dolcain House. There is an option and it is likely that it will be taken up, but it has not been yet. I would wait until there is certainty about that before communicating it. The Deputy is right that it should be communicated at the same time to all Members of the Oireachtas. I left the Dáil so I did not hear the...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: First, I have no problem with answering questions, which is why I am here, and I am happy to engage with members and to continue to do so. On the co-location of Ukrainian or other accommodation with educational facilities, that has happened in a number of instances, so we have some experience of it. I think it would be best if the Deputy engaged with us and we can take the matter offline...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Refugee Accommodation Crisis: Engagement with Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (22 Nov 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is higher than mine as well. The units are built off-site, delivered in a truck and established on-site. We expect that early in the new year, the first set of modular accommodation will be delivered. A total of 500 units are to be delivered under the programme as currently agreed, but there is scope to extend that subject to another Government decision. As I have always said, this is...