Results 6,001-6,020 of 11,908 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Following the formation of the present Government, responsibility for the administration of the Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme, which was established in 2013, was transferred to my Department from the Department of Justice. However, the database used for the recording of information on applications and awards made under the scheme remains under the control of the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you Deputy for raising this matter. I have personally met with a number of Family Resource Centres over recent months to discuss their concerns. This area of work is a significant priority for me, and for this Government. The Government greatly appreciates the work of family resource centres and the work of all the community and voluntary bodies funded by Tusla, the Child and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: DNA Database (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Institutional Burials Act 2022, which came into effect on 15 July last, provides the underlying legislative basis for an intervention, whereby the remains of those who died and were buried in a manifestly inappropriate manner, may be recovered and re-interred in a respectful and appropriate way. It also provides for the identification of remains and their return to family members, where...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Last month, I was pleased to announce a €10m Capital Grant for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Childcare under the National Development Plan. Grants will range from €35,000 to €75,000 across two separate strands: Green Energy and Retrofit. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Last month, I was pleased to announce a €10m Capital Grant for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Childcare under the National Development Plan. Grants will range from €35,000 to €75,000 across two separate strands: Green Energy and Retrofit....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In answering this question, it is important to note that the Scheme is one element of a comprehensive package of support measures agreed by the Government to respond to the priority needs of survivors and former residents as part of the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. Following intense deliberations on what are very complex...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government does not wish to disregard or diminish any person’s experience and recognises that there are people who suffered stigma, trauma and abuse in other institutions and outside of institutions who will not qualify for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. The Commission found that the named Mother and Baby Homes were ‘unquestionably the main such homes...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Services with Early Learning and Care (ELC) graduate Lead Educators/Managers will receive an additional allocation through the ELC Graduate and Manager Premiums where they apply. In order for a service to be allocated an ELC Graduate Premium, the Lead Educator in an ELC room and/or the Manager of an ELC or a combined ELC and School Age Childcare (SAC) service and must hold an appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Income thresholds are monitored on an ongoing basis relative to income information from the Central Statistics Office and considering measures of relative income poverty thresholds. The National Childcare Scheme is designed to implement various adjustments reflecting the policy decisions and priorities of Government. Such adjustments may be to subsidies or income thresholds amongst other...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (20 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: 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. A new, dedicated Transition Team has been established in the Department to drive implementation of the new model. Governance structures have put in place in the form of a Programme Board...

Mother and Baby Institutions Redress Scheme: Motion [Private Members] (19 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I welcome the opportunity to address the issues raised in this motion. Everyone here will agree that the State, together with the religious congregations, must acknowledge the indisputable wrongs that were visited on the women and children who spent time in mother and baby and county home institutions. As the Taoiseach said in his apology on behalf of the State in January of last year, they...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (19 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) is an important piece of legislation that represents significant legal reform. It changes the existing law on capacity from the status approach of the wardship system to a flexible functional approach, whereby capacity is assessed on an issue and time-specific basis. The Act will abolish the wards of court system for adults...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since mid-August, 421 emails were received by my Department from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers. Based on a random sample group of 42 emails, 5% of these providers who had written in indicated that they will have to close their business in the next year. Every year it is normal for some ELC and SAC services to close while other new services open....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mental Health Policy (19 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the survey referred to. Promotion and dissemination of the survey is a matter for the organisation in question. I would also like to inform the Deputy that extensive supports are provided to providers through City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and Pobal. Very high volumes of services avail of this one-to-one support. There is also extensive and ongoing engagement...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Correspondence (19 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 149 together. I would like to assure you that the health and wellbeing of all people who avail of accommodation provided by this Department is of the highest priority. There are currently 181 residents in the referred to accommodation centre. As you are may be aware, the service provider (contractor) is responsible for the maintenance of an IPAS...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (19 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, the service provider (contractor) is responsible for the maintenance of the IPAS accommodation centre. There are 7 State owned accommodation centres for which OPW are responsible for maintenance. The contractor is responsible for ensuring all checks of accommodation units at the centre, equipment (including safety equipment), fixtures and fittings (including paintwork, floor,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (19 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will of course participate in any debate scheduled by Dáil Éireann on matters that fall within the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. As you will be aware, however, the scheduling of debates in Dáil Éireann is a matter for the House itself. In respect of historical cases of child abuse within foster care, it is important...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Commissions of Investigation (19 Oct 2022)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (19 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 155 together. Both Tusla - the Child and Family Agency and my Department are committed to promoting safe and high quality practice in all areas of Alternative Care, including Residential Care and Foster Care. Safe practice is defined as the implementation of safeguarding measures necessary for working with young people in a manner that acknowledges...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (19 Oct 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can assure the Deputy that the health and wellbeing of all who avail of accommodation provided by my Department remains the highest priority to both myself and my officials. I wish to inform the Deputy that the death rates for people living in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation are not in any way abnormal and are rather in line with those of the general...