Results 41-60 of 10,357 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the issues facing Northside Community Enterprises and of the funding that they require to support the re-opening of the Before 5 Family Centre in Churchfield, Co. Cork. The Before 5 Family Centre is in an area of undersupply and of high need, so the ambition of Northside Community Enterprises to reopen this Centre, with an extended offer of full time, full year places for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Projects (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2022 Government approved high level proposals for the National Centre for Research and Remembrance to be located on the site of the former Magdalen Laundry in Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1 to comprise: a museum and exhibition space, the development of which will be led by the National Museum of Ireland a research centre and repository of records related to institutional trauma in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2024, published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, detail gross allocation of €7.43 billion in respect of my Department for 2024. At the end of May, gross expenditure is running €164.3 million ahead of REV profile. As the year progresses the main expenditure pressures for the Department in 2024 are in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides a number of schemes under the Together for Better funding model, which offset the cost of early learning and childcare to families. The ECCE programme, which provides two years of pre-school without charge, enjoys participation rates of 96% each year. Over 70% of families on low income report that they would not be able to send their child to pre-school without this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: 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. In 2024 and 2025, my Department is delivering capital investment through the Building Blocks Capacity Grant. The primary focus of the Building Blocks Capacity Grant Schemes is to increase...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department officials and I regularly meet with representatives of the youth sector, including young people, youth service providers and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) who administer a number of the key funding schemes on behalf of my Department. The national youth representative network, made up of Comhairle na nÓg, Dáil na nÓg and the National Youth Assembly,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring that quality accessible early learning and school age childcare is available to families is a key priority of Government. The Programme for Government commits to increase the range of after-school services in schools or community hubs to offer a range of education and family-focused measures. Currently, approximately, 15% of all early learning and care (ELC) and school age...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: All public bodies have responsibility under Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. The public sector duty assessment and implementation for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The question of total number of children currently in various forms of care has been interpreted to refer to children in alternative care. Tusla’s latest available Monthly Service Performance and Activity Report informs that there were 5,781 children in care at the end of April 2024. 87.6% (5,063) of all children in care are in foster care (3,593 general foster care, and 1,470 relative...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for this question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Nine hours.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: EU Meetings (12 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since I assumed office in 27 June 2020, I have regularly represented Ireland at various formal and informal Council of the European Union meetings. As Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, my Department’s remit is to lead on the Youth aspect of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council (EYCS). In addition, issues under my remit can appear on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Flexible Work Practices (12 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has introduced a blended working policy which provides for staff to apply for blended working. Under this policy staff are required to attend the office 2 days per week, as agreed with head of unit and remote working is not available on a 100% basis.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (12 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, those who have had their application determined are no longer entitled to Material Reception conditions. However, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) continues to accommodate those with status, until such time that they progress into the community. All those with International...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (12 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy will be aware that there is an acute scarcity of accommodation in the State for international protection applicants – particularly, for single males. Currently, there are over 31,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole (of whom 7,680 are children) compared with approximately 8,700 people at the end of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (12 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the 27th March 2024 Government agreed a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for International Protection applicants. The strategy seeks to address the current accommodation shortfall, while reforming the system over the longer term to ensure the State will always be able to meet its international commitments. Accommodation in the new strategy will be delivered through the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (11 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy is aware, the independent Executive Office administering the Mother and Baby Payment Scheme assesses each application to the Scheme individually. The time taken to process an application and issue a payment following a determination is subject to many factors including the submission of a complete application, the submission of necessary documentation, the performing of records...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (11 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 593 and 594 together. The Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions contains 22 commitments to survivors, intended to address the expressed priorities of those who spent time in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, as well as respond to the findings and recommendations of the Commission of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (11 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has no contract for modular units at this site. Only the accommodation currently in use at this site is contracted to the Department and no additional capacity in modular homes may be offered for use for the accommodation for International Protection applicants, as it does not come under the scope of a planning exemption.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (11 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the State’s humanitarian response to the Ukrainian crisis, the Government developed a rapid build housing programme to provide accommodation for families fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is leading the development of this accommodation in conjunction with my Department. The programme is being progressed under the emergency derogations from...