Results 61-80 of 352 for carers speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (14 Dec 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...of the pension is important. In the national framework I referred to earlier, Young Ireland, action 41.2 commits the Department of Social Protection to consider the credits available to foster carers for periods of time spent caring, with a view to supporting eligibility for the State pension, and also refers to including foster carers in the proposed changes to the attributable...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Children in Care (14 Dec 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...to raising the basic rates of the foster care allowance. It was a priority of mine to secure a meaningful increase to the allowance in order to support the vital work being carried out by foster carers. As outlined in budget 2024, there will be a €75 increase for children aged zero to 12 and a €73 increase in the €353 rate for children aged 12 and over. This...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (14 Dec 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It was a priority of mine to secure a meaningful increase to the foster care allowance in this year’s Budget in order to support the vital role being carried out by foster carers. As outlined in Budget 2024, from 1st January 2024 the rates of the foster care allowance will increase by €25 per week, up to €350 per week for children aged under 12 and €377 per...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (14 Dec 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: .... A draft of the proposed standards was then made available for a six week public consultation. Following the public consultation on the proposed standards, the Minister received 15 representations from foster carers and two PQs on the topic of the proposed standards. All representations expressed serious concerns about the proposed standards and foster carer’s opposition to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (14 Dec 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...a key pillar of the alternative care system, with 90% of children in care residing in foster care. This figure compares favourably internationally and underscores the commitment among foster carers to providing safe, stable accommodation to some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the State. I can inform the Deputy that Tusla provides grant funding to hundreds of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (14 Dec 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: .... Tusla has recently experienced increased challenges in its delivery of services, which have arisen due to a number of factors, including but not limited to a reduction in the number of foster carers over time, increasing complexity of children being referred to Tusla, and difficulties in Tusla securing staff. In addition, Ireland is now accommodating over 100,000 persons fleeing the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Measures (5 Dec 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...April 2023, and introduces important entitlements for workers, including leave for medical care purposes for parents of children under 12, and the right to request flexible working for parents and carers. The Act also includes provisions to transpose Article 9 of the EU Work Life Balance Directive and provide for a right to request flexible working for parents and carers. Many of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: EU Directives (29 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...(EU) 2019/882 on the accessibility requirements for products and services 28 June 2022 End December 2023 Directive 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18 2 August 2022 Q 1 2024 Directive (EU) 2022/2381 on improving the gender balance among directors of listed companies...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Supplementary)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy made a number of points there. Of course we want to protect foster care and foster carers and recognise the vital work they do. A full 90% of children in care in Ireland are in foster care and it still compares very favourably internationally. The first step we are taking is a double payment of the foster care payment. That will be paid on 8 December in recognition of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (23 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...councils). Participating children and young people came from a variety of locations (urban/rural) and had a good representation of harder to reach populations. Additional consultations took place in 2022 with young carers, minority ethnic young people and young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness which informed the development of Young Ireland. Consultations with young people...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: EU Directives (23 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 285 together. The date for transposition of Directive 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council on work-life balance for parents and carers was 2 August 2022. While many of the provisions of the Directive were already in place or had been implemented, by the transposition date, there remained a small number yet to be translated into...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (9 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...the earliest possible stage, consultations are being planned which will include those most directly affected by this policy. Children and young people in informal kinship care arrangements, their carers and parents will be consulted in-depth as part of the development of the policy. In line with current best practice, these consultations will be carried out by my Department and completed...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (7 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 44 together. Foster carers play a vital role in the care of our most vulnerable children. The placement of a child in foster care is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their family of origin. It enables children in State care to live in a safe, secure, and stable home environment. As outlined in Budget 2024, from 1st...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (7 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Foster carers are paid a weekly allowance, which is a payment in respect of the child in their care. The foster care allowance is currently €325 per week for a child under 12 years of age and €352 per week for a child aged 12 years and over. The foster care allowance is a payment in respect of each child and young person in care. It is paid in respect of the child and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Nov 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It was a priority of mine to secure a meaningful increase to the foster care allowance in this year’s Budget in order to support the vital role being carried out by foster carers. As outlined in Budget 2024, from 1st January 2024 the rates of the foster care allowance will increase by €25 per week, up to €350 per week for children aged under 12 and €377 per...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (25 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla has advised that various supports are provided throughout the country to foster carers who foster on an emergency basis. Tusla’s National Out of Hours Service (NOHS) has a number of foster carers who accept placements out of hours where an initial or start up allowance is provided to emergency foster carers to facilitate the purchase of a range of items required to foster on an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Programme (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...Act 2023 was enacted on 4 April 2023. Many of the provisions of the Act have now been commenced, including the introduction, as of 3 July 2023, of leave for medical care purposes for parents and carers and amendments to the Maternity Protection Acts to provide for the extension of breastfeeding breaks. An order amending regulations relating to breastfeeding breaks made under the Maternity...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Priorities (24 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...the earliest possible stage, consultations are being planned which will include those most directly affected by this policy. Children and young people in informal kinship care arrangements, their carers and parents will be consulted in-depth as part of the development of the policy. In line with current best practice, these consultations will be carried out by my Department and completed...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Budget 2024 (19 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It was a priority of mine to secure a meaningful increase to the foster care allowance in this year’s Budget in order to support the vital role being carried out by foster carers. As outlined in Budget 2024, from 1st January 2024 the rates of the foster care allowance will increase by €25 per week, up to €350 per week for children aged under 12 and €377 per...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Pension Provisions (19 Oct 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The foster care allowance is payable to foster carers on behalf of and to offset expenses in relation to the child in foster care. Foster carers are not employees and accordingly Tusla does not make pension contributions on their behalf. However, I am aware that eligibility in respect of the State Pension (Contributory) is an issue of genuine concern for foster carers. I have been advised...