Results 7,781-7,800 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: A review after one year is too short to understand the full operation of the legislation. Nevertheless, I agree with Deputy Funchion that four years is a long time. We will discuss this and bring an amendment on Report Stage to reduce the period from four years. We need to consider what we believe to be an appropriate time but we will reduce the period from four years.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy may be aware, a vulnerability assessment process, as provided for under Regulation 8 of the European Union (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, has been piloted by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) since its development in December 2020. The assessment was extended to all new applicants from 21 February 2021. An evaluation of the pilot has commenced...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is adopting a whole of Government approach to supporting Ukrainian refugees. My Department is currently providing accommodation to Ukrainian refugees arriving into Ireland. I have provided funding to support the Irish Red Cross which has now launched a national pledge seeking offers of accommodation from members of the public interested in supporting the refugees. Details of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, please note there were no International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres in Wexford in 2018 or 2019. From 2020 to present there is one centre - Rosslare Port Lodge. This centre is made up solely of families, the residents of which are detailed below: As at 30/12/2018 29/12/2019 27/12/2020 26/12/2021 27/02/2022 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Firstly, I would like to assure you that my officials and I are deeply concerned by the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine. We are monitoring the situation closely and My Department has begun to respond quickly and effectively in the event that Ukrainian nationals come to Ireland seeking international protection. I am liaising with the Cabinet and my EU colleagues to ensure an effective...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority.  Since 2015, significant increases in State investment in early learning and childcare has given rise to a substantial growth in the numbers of children participating in these services. More than 100,000 children now participate on the universal pre-school...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Community Sponsorship is an alternative resettlement stream to the traditional state-centred resettlement model. The model seeks to allow groups in a community setting to support refugees arriving in a Community Sponsorship Group (CSG). A key aim of the Group is to source a housing solution for the refugee family. Since 2019 20 families have been settled across 20 different rural and urban...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The implementation of A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service is progressing as scheduled. The International Protection Support Service (IPSS) Transition Team, have been established in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and they are focused on delivering the commitments that were outlined in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: At the end of January 2022 my Department employed a total of 485.35 Whole Time Equivalents. DPER Circular 04/2022 sets out the pay adjustments due on 1 February 2022 for all Civil Service grades including Secretary General and Assistant Secretary as provided for under “Building Momentum – A New Public Service Agreement 2021-2022”.  A copy of the Circular can be found at .

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Correspondence (8 Mar 2022)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme which provides funding to 121 Centres across the country. My Department allocates core funding for the FRC Programme which amounted to some €18m in 2021. I appreciate the work of Clones FRC and the Beacon Project Family Support Services in improving the lives of children and families in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The primary responsibility for housing lies with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and local authorities. This responsibility includes the accommodation needs of young persons leaving all forms of State care, including that of foster care. Policy responsibility for homeless young people, insofar as it extends to DCEDIY, relates to children under 18 and any child...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise 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: Early Childhood Care and Education (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The 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 September start date. The number of entry points for ECCE reverted to one at the beginning of September 2018. This measure addressed the previous situation with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy as the matter raised is an operational matter for Tusla.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy as the matter raised is an operational matter for Tusla. I have no plans to directly commission a study as the Deputy suggests, this would be a matter for Tusla as an operational concern.  Tusla’s recently published ‘Review of the Provision of Accommodation for Victims of Domestic Violence’...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the establishment of Tusla in 2014, the Agency has funded many organisations, mostly in the community and voluntary sector, to deliver services on its behalf under sections 56 to 59 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. These organisations operate independently of Tusla and are responsible for the recruitment of their employees and the terms and conditions under which they are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-Agency issue coordinated by the Department of Justice. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency provides supports for victims of domestic violence primarily through funded NGO service providers. Government has agreed that the Department of Justice will assume responsibility for responding to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your question, Deputy. As your question relates to the vulnerability assessment (VA) process for linking international protection applicants to healthcare services and supports, I would like to inform you about stage 2 of the VA process. As you may know Deputy, Stage 2 VAs are carried out following a referral from a possible vulnerability being identified in a Stage 1...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 18 January, my Department published a request for tender (RFT) to procure additional accommodation for singles, couples and families seeking international protection. This tender process is a key plank in my Department’s strategy to end reliance on emergency accommodation and will assist in alleviating the accommodation pressures currently being experienced. The RFT encouraged...