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Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 149 together. First 5, the whole-of-government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families recognises the potential for the use of school facilities for after-school early learning and care and school-age childcare. The Department of Education has advised that the use of school facilities lies with the relevant school...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (13 Oct 2022)

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 and I will provide an update on the progress made to replace the current system of accommodation and supports. All other matters relating to the implementation of report of the advisory group should be directed to Department of Justice. Since...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Budget 2023 introduced further enhancements to the NCS to take effect from January 2023. An additional investment in the National Childcare Scheme will increase the minimum subsidy from 50c to €1.40. This translates to up to €63.00 off families’ weekly bill for early learning and childcare per child. With up to €22.50 currently available per week, this represents...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have always recognised the importance of these testimonies. This is why I went to some lengths to secure the audio recordings when originally they were believed to have been deleted. Many of the witnesses who described their personal experiences to the Confidential Committee did so in the legitimate expectation that their confidentiality would be protected after the dissolution of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year and runs from September to June each year, aligned with the primary school calendar. Data provided by Pobal, who are the administrators of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy is aware, the Government established an independent Anti-Racism Committee to strengthen the Government’s approach to combatting individual and institutional racism. The Committee were tasked with building on the anti-racism actions included in the Migrant Integration Strategy and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy. Following an extensive public...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides grant funding to support a range of youth services which are delivered by voluntary youth organisations and carried out by both paid youth workers and volunteers. My Department has no role in the setting of pay scales or other matters that belong properly to the individual employer. The youth workers involved are employed directly by the organisation in receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 147 together. Since publishing A White Paper to end Direct Provision and to Establish a new International Protection Support Servicein February 2021, my Department has placed a significant focus on delivering these reforms. Progress made include: the recruitment of a team dedicated to driving the implementation of the new programme; the establishment...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The First 5 My Little Library initiative offered a book bag with books and resources to every 4 and 5 year old who started school in September. The children received an invitation to participate in the action through their early learning and care settings or special pre-school. The objective of this action was that all children starting school in September 2022 would have storybooks in their...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In July 2021, Minister O’Gorman launched a public consultation process as part of the review of the Equality Acts (Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015) to examine the functioning of the Acts and their effectiveness in combatting discrimination and promoting equality. The review will examine the operation of the Acts from the perspective of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 150 together. The transfer of policy, functions and funding responsibility relating to specialist community-based disability services (SCBDS) from the Department of Health to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is a very significant transfer of functions, from the perspective of improving services for persons with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Affordable, accessible, high-quality and sustainable early learning and childcare is a key priority for Government. On 15th September, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model will support delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families. Together...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Funding for the provision of targeted youth services is administered on behalf of my Department by the Education and Training Boards (ETBs). The Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) administer the youth sector funding in County Clare. The additional funding I have secured for LCETB in 2022 includes approved funding of €120,000 in June of this year for a new UBU...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since taking Office I have visited the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam and met with survivors and relatives of those who died while resident in the institution. I carefully considered the issues raised by them in the development of the Institutional Burials Act 2022. The Act, which was signed into law in July 2022, provides the underlying legislative basis for an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (13 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Confidential Committee module was created alongside the Commission's inquisitorial process to allow those with lived experience of the institutions to provide their accounts as informally as possible. Although this was envisaged as a way to allow the truth as survivors wanted it told to emerge, I am mindful that this has not happened for many. I have always recognised the importance of...