Results 661-680 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Advertising (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: For the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the frequency and duration of the publicity, marketing or advertising campaigns conducted to date in 2024, as well as the purpose and cost of these campaigns; the cost of these campaigns; and the agencies that conducted these campaigns, is listed below. The costs for the UNCRC campaign is an informed estimate until...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 544, 545 and 546 together. The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking IP in Ireland and work is ongoing across the country to bring available accommodation into use to support our residents. This is part of Irish and EU law and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their home...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the issues facing Northside Community Enterprises (NCE) 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 under supply and of high need, so the ambition of NCE to reopen this Centre, with an extended offer of full time, full year places for children under three as...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2025, I have secured €8.4m for the International Protection Child Payment. Once introduced, the Child Payment will be a weekly payment of €32.31 to be paid in respect of each eligible child. The Child Payment is a key component of this budget’s focus on tackling child poverty in line with this Government’s ambition to eradicate child poverty. The Child...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Correspondence (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is available to all children within the eligible age range. A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the 1st of September start date. The minimum eligibility age for the ECCE programme was revised in September 2018 when it was reduced from 3 years...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I secured an increase of 6% in the provision for Traveller and Roma initiatives in the recent Budget, which will bring total spending to €6.5 million in 2025 for my Department. This increased allocation will be used to deliver relevant actions under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II (NTRIS II) Action Plan 2024 - 2026, including...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Core Funding Partner Services may create a new Service Type and agree that the fee for any new Service Type will be calculated as not more than a proportion of the closest equivalent fee extant on September 30th 2021 which, all other things being equal, would apply to the eligible child. The proportion of the fee cannot exceed the relative proportion of the Service Type. Where a Partner...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Official Engagements (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the formation of the Government, I have not attended any international events or engagements at which members of the media were also in attendance as part of the Government delegation. My Department has not arranged any international visits which included members of the media as part of the delegation in that time.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking international protection in Ireland, and to continuing to provide shelter and support to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Ireland currently provides accommodation to 32,000 people applying for international protection and has welcomed over 109,000 people from Ukraine since 2022. International protection At the moment, there are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In relation to the provision of access to temporary accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs), my Department has procured a broad range of accommodation types, including hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs, hostels, self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings. My Department has been made aware of some instances where it became apparent that the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In relation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, in the circumstance where my Department is made aware of cases where a current or potential service provider is not the outright owner of the property where Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) are residing, or has not obtained permission from the owner before entering a contract with my Department, the case is reviewed by a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Further to my response to the Deputy’s previous question on this matter, I secured funding of €3.1m (current funding) in Budget 2025 to support my department’s remit for the participation of children and young people. This funding will enable my department to implement, inter alia, the ambitious Participation of Children and Young People in Decision-making Action Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (15 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government has made significant changes in terms of providing suitable but sustainable support to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs). It has agreed Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection in designated state-provided serviced accommodation should receive the same level of payment regardless of when they arrived. With effect from Monday 9 September, Beneficiaries of Temporary...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (10 Oct 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 temporary accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) at several sites across Ireland. As recommended by the Comptroller and Auditor General, assessments of the delivery mechanism and of the long-term future use of the units...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (10 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is designed to substantially reduce costs to families using eligible early learning and childcare. It is designed to be flexible, recognising that early learning and childcare needs are different for each family. The NCS is designed to fit around the needs of families. The family agrees the number of hours to be used with provider and (within overall...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (10 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I must inform the Deputy that I do not become involved in individual cases. In some cases, information can be passed on to Tusla with the express permission of the individuals involved. However, in the particular case highlighted by the Deputy, it is not clear whether all persons involved have given permission for their data to be shared in this manner. As a result, this matter would be best...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reviews (10 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Seanad: Maternity Protection Bill 2024: Second Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on the Second Stage of this important legislation. It is an incredibly worthwhile Bill and one which will have a very real impact on women at a hugely important juncture in their lives. The Bill provides for two main areas of reform. These are, first, a pause in maternity leave for treatment for serious illness and, second, maternity leave...

Seanad: Maternity Protection Bill 2024: Second Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank all Senators for their contributions to the debate this afternoon and for their strong welcome for the key principles behind this Bill. I believe this is very important legislation. I am conscious of the real impact it will have on the lives of individuals at some very significant moments in their lives. There is widespread support for the proposals to allow seriously ill women to...

Seanad: Maternity Protection Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator for her proposed amendment and for powerfully articulating the need to legislate in this space and create that new entitlement for parents of children born via surrogacy to have the opportunity to spend time with their babies in the same way that all other parents do. I, along with the Ministers for Health and Justice, met a number of groups that represent surrogate and...