Results 8,121-8,140 of 11,729 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Traveller Community (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017 – 2021 (NTRIS) represents a whole of Government approach to bring about meaningful change and progress for the Traveller and Roma communities in Ireland. It brings Government Departments and Agencies together along with representatives of both Traveller and Roma communities to bring a focus to the issues which affect them most in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare costs in Ireland. Since the introduction of the NCS in November 2019, over 177,324 applications have been submitted, relating to over 137, 000 children. 85, 000 children have received NCS subsidies since the programme launched. 76, 000 applications for the NCS subsidies for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Planning Issues (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, I have no role in planning regulations. My colleague at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Minister Darragh O'Brien T.D., has legislative responsibility for public realm planning under the Planning and Development Act 2000. I, along with my colleague Minister of State for Disability, Anne...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. If I, or my officials, become aware of a situation in which a child is considered to be at risk, that concern is communicated to Tusla as a matter of urgency. If a child appears to be at risk of harm or neglect, the concerns should be reported to Tusla. Anyone can...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Carefully listening to the voices of children and young people is centrally important when devising any new policy which will affect their lives. It is particularly important now that we are developing a successor policy framework to Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People. On Thursday, 27 January I launched a public consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Piloting of a Baby Box initiative for new-borns is an action in the First 5 A Whole-of -Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028. This pilot is one initiative as part of a wide ranging strategy addressing various aspects of the lives of children from birth to age five including supports for parents to balance working and caring, developments in early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: First 5: a Whole-of-Government for Babies, Young Children and their Families (2019-2028) was published in November 2018. The strategy focuses on the period of early childhood and takes a joined-up, cross-government approach to supporting babies, young children and their families during their early years. The Programme for Government negotiated in 2020 reaffirmed commitment to First 5...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The establishment of a National Memorial and Records Centre is a core commitment in the published Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The National Centre will stand as a National Memorial in honour of those who were resident in Mother and Baby Homes, County Homes, Industrial Schools, Magdalene Laundries and related institutions. This...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Immigration Policy (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Minister for Justice, Ms Helen McEntee T.D., commissioned the Scoping Report into Community Safety and Wellbeing in Drogheda on 21 August 2020 and the Department of Justice is leading on the implementation of the report’s recommendations. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has responsibility for migrant integration policy, including the outgoing Migrant Integration...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland signed the Istanbul Convention on 5 November, 2015. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is working collaboratively with Government Departments and other agencies to ensure the successful implementation of objectives of the Convention. Tusla has advised that resources will continue to be used to meet obligations under the Istanbul Convention, including: - resourcing of the 24 hour...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 124 and 177 together. A vulnerability assessment pilot programme is currently in operation by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department. From 1 February 2021, every person who makes an application for international protection is entitled to participate in a vulnerability assessment. The assessment determines if an applicant...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Joint Labour Committees (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 138 together. Improving pay and conditions for those working in the early learning and childcare sector is a key priority, particularly given the significant impacts of pay and conditions on quality for children. The Programme for Government committed to supporting the establishment of a Joint Labour Committee (JLC) in the sector and the drawing up of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides a range of youth funding nationally through the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) who act as a funding intermediary for my Department. While my Department does not allocate funding on the basis of parliamentary constituencies, the ETB which provides for areas in Dublin Mid-West such as Clondalkin, Lucan, and Ronanstown is Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB. In 2021, a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). Tusla is funded from my Department through Vote 40. In 2021, Tusla allocated €28m in core funding for DSGBV services plus €2m in contingency funding to address challenges...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (as amended), working parents are entitled to five weeks of paid parent's leave for each relevant parent, to be taken in the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Provision has been made in Budget 2022 to further increase this entitlement from five weeks to seven weeks for eligible parents from July 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to achieving its vision of a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland where people are supported to flourish and to live inclusive, healthy and fulfilling lives, whatever their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics. Ireland’s first National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019-2022, published in November 2019, is the primary policy...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Transport Working Group established under Action 104 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) met at the end of January this year and was chaired by my colleague Minister Anne Rabbitte. The Transport Working Group was established in 2020 to drive Action 104 of the Strategy but its work was paused to prioritise initial responses to the pandemic, while the work of the main NDIS...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142, 160, 172 and 176 together. This Government is committed to ending Direct Provision and replacing it with a new International Protection Support Service that has respect for human rights at its core. Almost one year ago, I published a White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Servicesetting out how we...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 155 together. The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment that the Government will develop and implement a new National Strategy for Women and Girls, which provides a whole-of-Government framework through which women’s empowerment continues to be advanced. The National Strategy for Women and Girls...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Joint Labour Committees (3 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The establishment of a Joint Labour Committee for Early Years Services in late 2021 is a significant and welcome development. As the Deputy is aware, its establishment follows a process of engagement with relevant stakeholders that I began in December 2020. I know that the move to establish the Committee has been welcomed by both union and employer representatives. In line with the...