Results 8,281-8,300 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Services (15 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 544 and 545 together. In June 2021, I established the Birth Information and Tracing Implementation Group. This group is led by my Department, and includes representatives from the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Group's focus is on organisational and system readiness to support the provision of services under the...

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I warmly welcome the publication of this Bill, which marks a significant milestone in the transfer of specialist community-based disability services from the Department of Health to my own Department. This transfer is an important step towards achieving a more equal Irish society and towards honouring the human rights of all people in Ireland, including people with disabilities. I look...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: State Bodies (10 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have committed significant additional resources to both Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and the Adoption Authority of Ireland to ensure that both organisations are adequately resourced to fulfil their obligations under the Birth Information and Tracing Bill. As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (10 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 16th November 2021, I received Government approval to bring forward legislation on the basis of the agreed proposals for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. I fully appreciate the sense of urgency regarding the Scheme and my officials are working on drafting the legislation necessary to establish it as a matter of priority. The next step will be to bring the General Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In June 2020, my Department announced a €75m package of funding to facilitate the reopening of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services. The funding package contained a number of significant elements including a once-off reopening support payment (RSP), which was an exceptional arrangement devised to support early learning and care and school aged childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Public Sector Staff (10 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy may wish to be aware that my Department has no office in County Wexford. My officials have asked the State Agencies under my remit to respond to you directly on the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (10 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Capital investment in early learning and childcare will be delivered through the National Development Plan (NDP) during 2021-2030. Investment under the NDP will consist of three pillars: Modernisation, New Capacity and First 5 Initiatives. This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare during the lifetime of the NDP as follows: (1) Modernisation: Much of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Sustainable Development Goals (10 Feb 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: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (10 Feb 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. I am informed by Tusla that support for victims of DSGBV in Counties Cavan and Monaghan is available...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Electric Vehicles (10 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can advise the Deputy that my Department currently does not have any electric vehicle (EV) charging points that are available for use by its staff. My Department has two office areas: - 2nd and 3rd floors, Block 1, Miesian Plaza, 50 - 58 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2; and - 2nd and 3rd floors, Montague Court, 7 - 11 Montague Street, Dublin 2. The Department of Children, Equality,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Trafficking (10 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Office, An Garda Síochána or the Border Management Unit contact Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, when separated children seeking international protection arrive at an Irish port, to assess the child’s circumstances. Under Tusla’s obligations of the Child Care Act, 1991, and Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to continuing to reduce the costs of childcare. We have taken important measures in this year's budget to provide core funding to childcare providers to enable them to better pay their staff, so we can get that quality and we can retain staff in the sector. In exchange for that, we will get the fee-freeze mechanism, which will be the first time in the State we...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In December 2021 as part of a new suite of measures aimed at supporting Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Aged Childcare (SAC) services during the Omicron wave of COVID-19, I provided €10 million through a Grant Programme for Improved Ventilation and other measures to reduce transmission. The objective of the grant programme is to support infection control in services,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy will be aware, as international travel restrictions have lifted, there has been an increase in the number of new arrivals seeking international protection in Ireland. In the period from 4 October 2021 to 6 February 2022, 2,969 new arrivals have sought International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation. This increase, if unaddressed, would place significant...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (9 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 to 109, inclusive, together. I fully understand the sense of urgency in relation to the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. I have been given Government approval to bring forward legislation on the basis of the agreed proposals for the Scheme and my officials are working on drafting a General Scheme of a Bill as a matter of a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Rights (8 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland strongly condemns all forms of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. Since 2011, Ireland has been a member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an intergovernmental organisation that brings together governments and experts to share best practice and promote historically informed policy-making. Ireland was supportive of the adoption by IHRA of the non-legally...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Programme (8 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 479 together. I would like to thank the Deputy for drawing our attention to this typographical error in the Schedule of the published Bill. As she will be aware, the Schedule published as part of the General Scheme reads: “Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, CorkManor House Castlepollard” Due to the mistaken addition of line breaks, the...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 474 and 475 together. In June 2021, I established the Birth Information and Tracing Implementation Group. This group is led by my Department, and includes representatives from the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The group meets on a regular basis, having held 8 meetings to date, whilst also progressing key pieces of work...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 and 477 together. In advance of, and during the drafting process of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill, I have continued to engage with and listen to stakeholders who are affected by the provisions of the Bill. I am immensely grateful to all of those people who gave their time to relay their experiences, concerns and proposals. In August 2020,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Programme (8 Feb 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently drafting Heads of Bill following a review of the Child Care Act 1991. Government approval was granted in 2021 for the drafting of a General Scheme of an Amendment Bill to revise and update the existing legislation. This follows extensive consultation with stakeholders, including an Open Policy Debate in 2017, written consultations in 2018 and 2020 and extensive...