Results 6,381-6,400 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Proposed Legislation (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 149 together. Conscious of the risk of poverty those fleeing Domestic Violence face, the Programme for Government contains a commitment to investigate the provision of paid leave and social protection provision to victims of domestic violence. The issue of domestic violence leave has been researched by my officials and has included consideration...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am committed to developing a new operational policy better to support LGBTI+ international protection applicants living in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation centres. The operational policy will be developed in partnership with current and former residents of IPAS accommodation. It will include the development of policies to ensure that the needs of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2021, following publication of the Independent Review into Illegal Birth Registration, I asked Professor Conor O’Mahony, the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, to consider the significant complexities and challenges which arise in relation to the issue of illegal birth registrations, and to provide a report proposing an appropriate course of action. On 14 March 2022, I...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Education Policy (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The purpose of the European Year of Youth, announced by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last November, is to strengthen efforts to celebrate, support and engage with young people across the EU, in recognition of the particular impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the opportunities of young people. In recognition of its existing role in promoting European...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant investment is being made by my Department to support parents with the costs of paying for early learning and childcare and to support providers with the costs of delivering early learning and childcare. The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is currently supporting thousands of families to offset their costs. A recent review of the NCS showed that: - 38% families had more...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to thank the deputy for this question regarding the numbers of children in state care. As this data is collated by Tusla, I have sought and received an input from them on this matter. I have been informed by Tusla that at the end of April 2022 there were 5,869 children and young people in the care of the State. Approximately 90% are cared for by foster carers. The detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105, 111, 128, 130 and 137 together. In December 2021, Government adopted the 25 recommendations contained in an Expert Group report, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC). The new funding model will support the delivery of ELC and SAC for the public good, for quality and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Proposed Legislation (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 21 April the Government gave its approval for the drafting of a Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill. The General Scheme of the proposed Bill is published on my Department's website. The main purpose of the proposed legislation is to transpose elements of the EU Work Life Balance Directive and provide new rights to parents and carers in order to support a better work life...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I acknowledge that many early learning and care and school-age childcare services are reporting staffing difficulties in relation to recruitment and retention. My Department continues to monitor the issue. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover, and recruitment and staff retention...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 121 together. As the deputies will be aware the Government made a commitment in the Programme for Government to end the current system of accommodation for International Protection applicants and replace it with a new model that is based on a not for profit approach. As part of this process I published A White Paper to end Direct Provision and to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. The Children First Act 2015 provides for a number of key child protection measures, including raising awareness of child abuse and neglect, providing for mandated reporting of child protection concerns and improving child protection arrangements in organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 138 together. Inspections of Tusla's child protection and welfare services, foster care services and children's residential centres are carried out by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and inspections of non statutory Children's Residential Centres and foster care agencies are undertaken by Tusla's Alternative Care Inspection and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (7 Jul 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 (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving early learning and childcare affordability for parents is a key priority. Significant investment is being made by my Department to support parents with the costs of paying for early learning and childcare and to support providers with the costs of delivering early learning and childcare. The major programmes funded by my Department that contribute to affordability for parents...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 146 together. This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy may be aware the Government Decision on the 22nd of December 2020 confirmed the transfer of policy, functions and funding responsibility relating to specialist community-based disability services (SCBDS) from the Department of Health to my Department. This is a very significant transfer of functions, both from the point of view of improving services for persons with a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The referred to company currently provides management and catering services in three state-owned International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres. I am not in a position to provide any details in relation to the contract details as this is commercially sensitive information.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Government has provided significant investment in early learning and childcare in recent years and I intend to continue this towards reaching the First 5 commitment of investing of at least €1 billion in the sector by 2028. From August 2020, early learning and childcare services had been able to access the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) without having to demonstrate a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Education Schemes (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the First 5 My Little Library Initiative – a collaboration between the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Local Government Management Agency – every child starting primary school this September is invited to collect a free book bag from their local library full of storybooks and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Projects (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your question Deputy Tóibín. I was delighted to launch the commencement of this research and data project in January, which will examine the lives of children in care and adults who were in care as children. The project is comprised of a suite of research and data activities that will strengthen our understanding of the lives of children in care, and adults...