Results 8,961-8,980 of 11,729 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Childcare Sector (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: -----we are providing in the context of the employment wage subsidy scheme, in respect of which, as the Senator knows, I was able to negotiate a sector-wide exemption. The Senator is absolutely right, however, that we are not putting enough into childcare as a country. We started investing in childcare only ten years ago. Those countries that the Senator rightly makes a comparison with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla is the independent statutory regulator of early years services in Ireland. The Tusla Early Years Inspectorate promotes and monitors the safety and quality of care and support of children in Tusla registered early years services in accordance with the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016. New applicants who wish to register a new early learning and care...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: After-School Support Services (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 438 to 440, inclusive, together. The National Childcare Scheme provides financial support to help parents to meet the cost of childcare and to support better outcomes for children. The schemes objectives are to promote (i) a reduction in child poverty, (ii) positive child development outcomes, (iii) labour market activation and (iv) improved...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department leads on the co-ordination of the Government's national disability policy. This includes both national disability strategies, the National Disability Inclusion Strategy and the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities, and the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. My Department does not currently have...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Every year it is normal for some Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services to close while other new services register with Tusla. Services intending to close must notify the ELC/SAC regulator, Tusla. The most recent available data shows that the number of services notifying their closure to Tusla for the period of Jan-July 2021 is comparable to the same period in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 423 and 424 together. Over the past six budgets, investment in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) has increased by 141% - rising from €260 million in 2015, to €638 million in 2021. This excludes substantial funding provided to support the sector during COVID-19. Despite this progress, investment in the area remains low...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I understand that there has been some increase in brokerage fees for the majority of childcare providers, but that there has not been a general or significant increase in premiums for childcare providers. Insurance premiums for early year providers average €60 per child, per annum. Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Aged Childcare (SAC) services are required to have insurance as...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Sep 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 Programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year (i.e. from September to June). Following a 7 per cent increase in 2018, the capitation rates for the Programme are €69 per child...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: One of my top priorities in Government is to improve affordability for parents. The Programme for Government commits to reforming the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) system to create one that brings together the best of community and private childcare provision, is focused on children’s rights and quality outcomes, reduces inequalities, supports staff...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I note that the correspondence the Deputy refers to is from a member of the public who asks about my plans to end direct provision and expresses concern about the welfare of applicants in the current system. As the Deputy will be aware, I published a “White Paper to End Direct Provision and to establish a new International Protection Support Service”. The White Paper...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Programme for Government (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government committed to fully implement the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) that helps children with additional needs to access early education and care settings. AIM provides a range of both universal and targeted measures, to support children with disabilities to take part in the ECCE pre-school programme in mainstream settings, and to help make pre-school services...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Maternity Protection Acts 1994-2004, a pregnant employee is entitled to 26 weeks maternity leave and a maternity benefit is also payable. A further period of 16 weeks maternity leave may also be taken but there is no associated benefit. The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks paid parents leave for each parent, and this year I have, through the Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Properties (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can inform the Deputy that my Department operates at two locations, Miesian Plaza and Montague Court. These offices are not open to the public for the purpose of accessing services. In respect of bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information is set out in the following table. Body Location Child and Family Agency (Tusla) Tusla will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Social Welfare Code (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: There has been a significant expansion in the provision of family leaves in recent years, with the introduction of paid parent's leave through the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 and it's extension to five weeks this year with the Family Leaves and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021; as well as extensions to unpaid parental leave through the Parental Leave Amendment Act 2019 to 26 weeks...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In line with the provisions of the Child Care Act, 1991 (as amended by Part 12 of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013), it is a legal requirement for those proposing to operate an early years service to make an application for registration with Tusla at least three months before it is intended to commence operation. Tusla, through its Early Years Inspectorate, is the independent statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey, which is administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department, has captured crucial data on the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare sector for the past 18 years, and forms a key input into policy development and reform in the Department. The data captured are published, alongside administrative data from Department of Children,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Communications (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm for the Deputy that I have not deleted text messages or emails relating to Government or official communications since I took office in June 2020. As Minister, I am fully aware of obligations under Freedom of Information legislation and at all times act in accordance with that legislation.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Sep 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 for the ECCE programme was revised in September 2018 when it was reduced from 3 years to 2 years and 8 months. The revised minimum of 2 years and 8 months was chosen based on national experience and a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has had ongoing engagement with the organisations representing the childcare sector prior to, and since the launch of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). Following the publication of the Policy Paper on the Development of a new Single Affordable Childcare Schemein October 2016, my Department carried out a public consultation on the details of the scheme’s design. An...

Adoption (Information) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (16 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I welcome the opportunity to speak to the highly important issue raised in this Bill and I acknowledge Deputies Connolly, Pringle and Joan Collins for bringing it forward. Access to birth information has been to the forefront of my agenda since I became a Minister and bringing forward legislation on this and other matters is a priority for me as a Minister and for this Government. We are...