Results 8,841-8,860 of 11,729 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Cybersecurity Policy (6 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Child and Family Agency, Tusla has indicated there has been no evidence to date of its data being lost or used inappropriately by unauthorised individuals or organisations. This substantiates finding from HSE investigations and remains under active review in the ongoing response to the cyber attack. In relation to data restoration and consolidation caused by the cyber attack, I can...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (6 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment on these matters which are more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Justice.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (6 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would direct the Deputy to the figures in the tables attached. Table 1 lists each accommodation centre with its respective number of residents, with children - those under 18 years of age - shown as a subset of the overall amount. As the Deputy can see, as of 26 September, there are 7,206 persons in accommodation. Of this total, 2,038 are persons under 18 years of age. In regard to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Social Welfare Inspections (6 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for this Topical Issue and welcome the opportunity to speak on what is an extremely important matter. There are approximately 6,000 children in care in the State today. The majority of these children live with foster carers and a small number live in residential care. Appropriate oversight of foster care placements is important to ensure that the needs of children are...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. He is right that there are a significant number of Irish social work graduates in the UK, Australia and other jurisdictions. Tusla has been particularly targeting those in the UK, using professional journals and so on as part of its advertising campaign. Tusla has had real success and 2020 was the first year for a long time that the net number of incoming social workers...

Childcare Services: Motion [Private Members] (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “acknowledges: — the challenges faced by the early learning and childcare sector; — the particular challenges presented by Covid-19 for the sector and the tremendous efforts by early learning and childcare professionals and service providers...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Tax Reliefs (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have no immediate plans to introduce such a scheme. My Department is co-ordinating Action 104 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy to lead a review of transport supports encompassing all Government funded transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities. The working group is due to reconvene shortly and I will ask that it examine the Deputy's suggestion.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures – The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, 2014-2020 concluded at the end of 2020. My Department’s Research and Evaluation Unit is preparing a review of the BOBF Indicator Set between 2014 and 2020, the lifespan of the policy framework. A final Annual Report for 2020 is due for publication by the year end. The research and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Poverty (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Social Protection holds the lead on addressing child poverty, in close collaboration with other relevant government departments. My Department is actively engaged in efforts in this regard and has recently established a new International Unit which will also lead coordination of the necessary actions emerging from the recently adopted EU Child Guarantee. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In order to assist the processing of subject access requests from individuals seeking personal information from the archive and to vindicate the rights of data subjects, my Department has put in place a multi-disciplinary team which includes legal and data protection expertise. Officials in my Department who process SARs from individuals completed data protection training delivered by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As noted in the previous PQ response, toilet training and nappy changing facilities have not as yet been flagged to the Department as major issues for pre-school services delivering the programme or for children accessing the programme. However, mindful of the information shared by the Deputy, I would draw her attention to the review of the ECCE programme which is due to commence...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department currently invests €638 million in the early learning and childcare sector, with affordability for parents a key policy objective of this investment. To address affordability, my Department funds universal pre-school under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. This provides for free access to early learning and childcare for 15 hours per week for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (5 Oct 2021)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Traveller Community (5 Oct 2021)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The allocations under Budget 2022 are being considered by Government in the context of the annual Estimates process for 2022. As this process is ongoing, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this stage. In recent years, funding for the provision of youth services has increased on an annual basis. Between the years 2016 and 2021 the annual...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very conscious of the need for significant improvement in pay and working conditions for practitioners in ELC and SAC services. The level of pay they receive does not reflect the value of the work they do for children, for families and for the wider society and economy. As the State does not employ early learning and childcare practitioners, I cannot set wage levels or determine...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth provides annual funding to this organisation and to a number of others to support them in their role to enhance the lives of children and young people. This organisation and other similar youth organisations play an extremely important role in providing children and young people with opportunities for developmental...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal free two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. The minimum eligibility age of 2 years and 8 months for the ECCE programme was chosen based on national experience and a review of international practice. It also had regard to the regulatory environment for early years...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (5 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I remain strongly committed to the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. My Department made a comprehensive submission to the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 seeking confirmation as to whether Ireland was in a position to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The advice...