Results 801-820 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The term after-school can cover a range of activities from regulated school aged childcare to after-school homework clubs or youth activity projects such as cooking lessons. Depending on the activity, funding may be available from different Departments and agencies. For the purposes of this answer, it is assumed that the matter being raised is school aged childcare. A ‘school age...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: All public bodies have responsibility under Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. The public sector duty assessment and implementation plan for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The question of total number of children currently in various forms of care has been interpreted to refer to children in alternative care. Tusla’s latest available Monthly Service Performance and Activity Report informs that there were 5,803 children in care at the end of July 2024. 87.2% (5,062) of all children in care are in foster care (3,588 general foster care, and 1,474 relative...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy has sought some statistics pertaining to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme which I provide here as at 23 September. Applications to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Number March 951 April 1,586 May 971 June 486 July ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme is an important measure in the Government’s Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The Interdepartmental Group, that advised the Government on the design of the Scheme, estimated the cost of "Communication and Publicity" for a scheme of this scale at €2.75 million. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In October 2022 the Government made an Order, under the Institutional Burials Act 2022, to direct the establishment of an independent Office to lead an intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in Tuam. In March 2023, I formally established the Office of Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam and in May I appointed Mr Daniel MacSweeney as the Director to head...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has not employed forensic accountants in the period to which the Deputy refers. Since April 2023, the Ukraine Division in my Department has engaged an accountancy firm to assist in supporting the payment function for my Department's costs incurred in the Government's response to the Ukraine crisis. This mostly related to costs of temporary emergency accommodation sourced by and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme opened on 20 March. In terms of staffing for Scheme delivery, a blended operating model was developed. This provides for the Chief Deciding Officer to be supported by a core Executive Office operating independently but based in my Department and also by experienced third party support, appointed after a procurement process. This blended...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, all staff working directly with children in a pre-school service must hold at least a Level 5 major award in early childhood care and education on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), or a qualification that has been deemed to be equivalent. On a temporary basis, the Department had arranged to reopen the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department launched the Little Baby Bundle pilot in February 2023. The Little Baby Bundle is designed to be a gift from the State for new parents, welcoming a new arrival to their family. The gift is an acknowledgement by the State of this very significant and special moment for parents. It includes key items to support parents after the birth of their baby, to support parent-infant...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme, which supports 121 FRCs throughout the country. My Department allocates core funding for the FRC Programme through Tusla, which has advised my Department that the current level of funding is to sustain existing services operating in the FRC Programme. I can inform...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government. Data available to my Department demonstrate that, overall, early learning and childcare provision is expanding, specifically: Data from the Early Years Sector Profile Survey shows that, between 2021/22 and 2022/23, the estimated number of enrolments in services rose by 8% from 197,210...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In 2023, my Department provided Kildare County Childcare Committee with a core operational funding allocation of €488,149. In addition to this, Kildare County Childcare Committee received funding relating to a number of Departmental initiatives and programmes as set out below: Access and Inclusion - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This year, my Department established a Supply Management Unit within its Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare division. A key part of the Supply Management Unit’s remit is to develop a better understanding of the nature of supply and how it relates to demand and to develop policy to support the delivery of more early learning and childcare places in the parts of the country...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Following approval by Cabinet last week, it is my intention to now publish the Maternity Protection Bill 2024 and bring this Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas to enactment as soon as possible. This Bill will allow women undergoing treatment for a very serious physical or mental illness to postpone their maternity leave. Under the Bill, anyone still on maternity leave at the date...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for this question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Measures (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2022, Government approved high-level proposals for a National Centre for Research and Remembrance, to be located on the site of the former Magdalen Laundry on Sean McDermott Street in Dublin 1. This Centre will stand as a site of conscience to honour equally all those who spent time in Industrial Schools, Magdalen Laundries, Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 401 and 402 together. While I try to be helpful at all times in the parliamentary process, the Deputy will be aware that I cannot be involved in individual cases and cannot comment on same. The legislation underpinning the Payment Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - specifically provides for the explicit independence of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. This funding, which increased by 11% (to €287 million) in year 2, increased again by another 15% in year 3 (to €331 million). This...