Results 8,921-8,940 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has been allocated additional funding of €183 million in Budget 2022. This will bring the total investment provided to this Department to just over €2.1 billion for 2022. I was also pleased to announce in Budget 2022 that Tusla will be allocated €899m for 2022, which is an increase of €41m over the amount allocated in Budget 2021. The specific...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has been allocated additional funding of €183 million in Budget 2022. This will bring the total investment provided to this Department to just over €2.1 billion for 2022. I was pleased to announce in Budget 2022 that Tusla will be allocated €899m for 2022, which is an increase of €41m over the amount allocated in Budget 2021. The specific...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2022 I have secured an additional €78m in early learning and care and school age childcare funding, bringing the total investment in the sector to €716m next year. Some €37m has been made available for Transition Fund for providers in the sector between the end of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme and the introduction of the new Core Funding stream, May to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Freedom of Information (20 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The interpretation and operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2014, and responses to individual requests, are the responsibility of each independent Government body. It is an operational matter for Tusla to deal directly with the persons concerned. I have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to this matter. If the individual is not satisfied with the decision of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy may be aware, Refugee Resettlement is carried out under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and involves the selection and transfer of refugees from a State in which they have sought protection to a third State that has agreed to admit them as refugees with permanent residence status. Resettlement is also an international...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2022, I secured an additional €5 million in current funding for youth services. The additional funding will assist in the further development of youth services during 2022. More precise allocations across the youth subheads are currently being considered by my Department and details will be shared as soon as possible. In recent years, funding for the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman:  As the Deputy knows, on 26 February of this year I published A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service. This document outlines the future system of accommodation and supports that will be offered to applicants for International Protection (also known as asylum-seekers) and will replace the current system (commonly known as...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) is a very important piece of legislation that changes the existing law on capacity from the status approach of the wardship system to a flexible functional approach, whereby capacity is assessed on an issue- and time-specific basis.  It will abolish the wards of court system for adults by repealing the Lunacy Regulation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government intends that the accommodation centres operated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), which is part of my Department, will be independently monitored by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) for compliance with the National Standards for accommodation offered to people in the protection process.  These standards were adopted by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: All accommodation centres are required to provide free WiFi facilities for residents. In March 2020, the centre concerned put in place a programme to assist residents with all educational requirements, school liaison support, printing, photocopying, equipment distribution e.g., laptops/Tablets and access to Wi-Fi in specified areas. The accommodation centre to which the Deputy refers,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: EU Programmes (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The text of the Recommendation for a European Child Guarantee was adopted by the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) on 14 June 2021. Ireland played an active role in the drafting of the text and related discussions. The European Child Guarantee aims to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion across generations. The Guarantee seeks to prevent...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Fire Safety (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In January 2021, I launched a capital funding programme to make fire safety grants available to early learning and childcare services.  The purpose of the grants, which were between €1, 000 and €10, 000,  was to support services to carry out remedial works required to receive a Fire Safety Certificate. The closing date for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) was a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. The NCS provides financial support to help parents meet the cost of childcare and, to support better outcomes for children.  The NCS entails a fundamental shift away from subsidies grounded in social protection...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The €69 million to which the Deputy refers is for the new core funding stream. Core funding will be a payment directly to Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) providers who sign up to participate. A condition was this funding is that providers will not to increase parents’ fees for ELC and SAC. Core funding will be available from September 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) was a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. The NCS provides financial support to help parents meet the cost of childcare and to support better outcomes for children.  Subsidies can be income assessed or universal. Whereas up to now, the universal subsidy...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2022 I have secured an additional €78m in early years and school age childcare funding, bringing the total investment in the sector to €716m next year. This will allow my department to bring forward a substantial and comprehensive package of developments to achieve significant progress on its policy priorities of affordability, quality and sustainability of ELC. Some...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2022 I have secured an additional €78m in early learning and care and school age childcare funding, bringing the total investment in the sector to €716m next year. This will allow my Department to bring forward a substantial and comprehensive package of developments to achieve significant progress on its policy priorities of affordable, high quality, inclusive and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2022 I have secured an additional €78m in early learning and care and school age childcare funding, bringing the total investment in the sector to €716m next year. The €716 million investment in ELC and SACincludes €69 million for a new Core Funding stream for providers in 2022.This will allow my Department to bring forward a substantial and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2022 I have secured an additional €78m in early learning and care and school age childcare funding, bringing the total investment in the sector to €716m next year. This will allow my Department to bring forward a substantial and comprehensive package of developments to achieve significant progress on its policy priorities of affordable, high quality, inclusive and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Offices (19 Oct 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department currently 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.  My Department has occupied its headquarters in Miesian Plaza since May 2018. This building is leased by the OPW - the rent is paid...