Results 701-720 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Budget 2025 (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 459, 460, 462 and 463 together. I am very pleased to have secured an increase in youth service funding by 9% for 2025, bringing my Department's investment under our main youth budget subhead to a total of €84.9 million. This increased level of funding will enable the expansion of youth service capacity to engage more young people, across both...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Participation of Children and Young People in Decision-making: Action Plan 2023-2028 builds on the ambitions of the National Strategy for Children and Young People's Participation in Decision-making 2015-2020, and expands into more areas such as the home, digital and legal settings in which children and young people engage. All participation initiatives undertaken by DCEDIY, through the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Refugee Resettlement Programme (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRRP), which was established in 2015, operates on the basis of UNHCR referrals of refugees for consideration for resettlement in Ireland and more recently, a humanitarian scheme for Afghan nationals impacted by the Taliban takeover in 2021. UNHCR's mandate does not include Palestine Refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan or the Syrian Arab...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I firmly believe the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. The State is not the employer and therefore does not set the pay or conditions for employees in either early learning and care (ELC) or school-age childcare (SAC) services. However, there is now, through...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467, 468 and 469 together. I firmly believe the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. The State is not the employer and therefore does not set the pay or conditions for employees in either early learning and care (ELC) or school-age...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department works with Pobal and local Childcare Committees to offer Case Management Supports to services in difficulty. Through this process, services may also access Sustainability Funding following an assessment of need. One strand of this funding can support a service with the cost of relocation. Services who experience issues with defective blocks or construction issues are encouraged...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Senior departmental officials are located within the Citywest Complex and work there on a daily basis. Additionally, a dedicated senior official in my Department has overall responsibility for the hotel and visits the hotel weekly. This official receives daily occupancy reports and holds regular meetings with hotel management.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My officials have confirmed that the number of meals served to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) staying in Citywest Hotel is approximately 4,000 per day. Residents contribute €10 per adult and €5 per child per day and are provided with three meals daily. I can confirm that BOTPs are required to check in outside the food hall before gaining access to ensure they...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The number of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) from Ukraine who have stayed in Citywest Hotel and subsequently checked out since Citywest Hotel first accepted BOTPs is 7,702.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is not always made aware of where Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) go to after they leave the temporary accommodation provided by my Department. Therefore, it is not possible to provide the number of BOTPs who have left Citywest Hotel that are still resident in the State.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is not always made aware of where Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection go after they leave DCEDIY-supported accommodation. While it is not possible to provide the number of BOTPs who have left Citywest Hotel and returned to Ukraine, where a reason has been provided on departure, approximately 15% of BOTPs who have left DCEDIY-supported accommodation have stated that they...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The number of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) from Ukraine currently staying in Citywest Hotel is 1,426. My Department does not have access to the information the Deputy has requested in relation to the number of BOTPs who have departed Citywest, and are still in receipt of State payments.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla’s Strategic Plan for Foster Care Services for Children and Young People 2022 – 2025 forms part of Tusla’s overall Alternative Care Strategy across the continuum of care. The implementation plan for this strategy and regular progress updates are shared with my Department. As you are aware, the strategic plan sets out various recommendations to strengthen support to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can reassure the Deputy that applicants to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme do not solely need to use the digital application system which is used by the majority of applicants. It is also possible to apply on a paper application form. This is available in libraries and citizen information centres nationwide or can be posted by the Payment Scheme office if requested....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very aware of the pain felt by survivors and relatives of the deceased who died at the former Mother and Baby Home, Bessborough. One of the most tragic aspects of what happened is the uncertainty regarding the burial place of many children who were resident there. There is no particular expertise in my Department in relation to estimating the cost of a geophysical survey. I...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Correspondence (8 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare (which includes school aged childcare) is a key Government priority. Considerable investment has taken place in recent years to improve the resourcing, quality and availability of early learning and childcare. Data available shows that the level of capacity in the sector has risen substantially in recent years. However, I am aware...

Financial Resolutions 2024 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I begin by recognising the huge work done by the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Chambers, and their teams over the last months in delivering budget 2025, the fifth and final budget of this Government. The delivery of this final budget gives us a moment to reflect. When the Green Party contested the election in 2020, we did so proposing a manifesto entitled Towards 2030: A decade of change....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Parental Leave (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: It would probably be addressed through something bespoke for that group of parents rather than through a change to parent's leave. The process for parent's leave is a good one and works well. I would like to see it grow. As we know, the rate of parent's leave has grown by €15. I hope to see the take-up increase in the years to come. I believe that one of the reasons take-up is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The core funding model has been tweaked quite significantly between years one and three. In year one, funding was allocated according to the number of hours and the number of children that a service had but we recognised after year one that smaller services were disadvantaged by that. In year two, we brought in two changes. We brought in a minimum floor of core funding below which no...