Results 9,021-9,040 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (9 Sep 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.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out the legal obligations of public service bodies to meet a target of 3% of employees with disabilities. Under the Act, the National Disability Authority (NDA) has the statutory role to report, on an annual basis, on compliance with the 3% target.  The Disability Act 2005 defines disability as follows: “Disability, in relation to a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 746 and 750 together. Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2018. This marked an important milestone in a process to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland that has gathered momentum since Ireland became a signatory to the Convention in 2007.   Our approach...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are no plans at present to change the rate of the foster care allowance. However, my Department is undertaking an extensive review of the Child Care Act 1991 and will examine foster care arrangements as part of this review. It will have regard to income support measures available to foster families generally. I acknowledge foster carers as the backbone of child care services....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Health Services Staff (9 Sep 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.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides funding to counselling services through a network of community-based counselling service providers and Family Resource Centres that offer a range of counselling/psychotherapy and supports. This funding is provided where there is a genuine need and demand for services and where they can be provided at low cost to adults, couples, children, young...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Process (9 Sep 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: Rights of People with Disabilities (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland currently has two whole-of-government strategies in place, the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (now extended until the end of 2022) and the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities, 2015-2024.   These are the key frameworks for policy and action to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Ireland and to improve their lives in a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 753 and 754 together. Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019, and subsequent amendments made under the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021, working parents are entitled to five weeks of paid parent's leave for each relevant parent, as defined in the legislation, to be taken in the first two years after the birth or adoptive...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Flexible Work Practices (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Departments and Offices are currently working in line with Government COVID-19 guidance, which provides for home working to continue where possible. A central policy framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service will be finalised in conjunction with employee representatives over the coming months. This framework will inform the development of organisation level blended working policies...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Immigration Policy (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since 2017, the ‘Migrant Integration Strategy (MIS) – A Blueprint for the Future’ has been the central policy framework adopted by Government to promote the integration of all migrants who are legally residing in the State. It envisages a whole-of-government approach to enhance diversity, inclusion and equity for migrants across all aspects of Irish society through...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm to the Deputy that some 280 places have been made available for humanitarian cases from Afghanistan through the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, and that this matter will be kept under review.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Health Promotion (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Health is in the process of finalising a new set of Nutrition Standards for Early Learning and Care settings in consultation with my Department. These Standards are due for publication in early October. In advance of publication, the issue of consumption of unhealthy foods referenced during certain celebrations are addressed within the Standards. The following is an extract...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme offers a statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. The Scheme established an equitable and progressive system of universal and income-related subsidies. Subsidy rates are tailored based on individual circumstances, such as reckonable family income, child’s age and their educational stage. The current income thresholds under the NCS, are a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme established the removal of many of the restrictive eligibility requirements associated with legacy schemes, for example dependency on Social Protection payments. This represents a significant step forward in combatting poverty traps for families in Ireland. The universal subsidy is available to all families with children aged between 24 weeks and 36 months (or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: AIM is a programme of supports to enable children with a disability to access and meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme. It includes 7 levels of progressive support, moving from the universal to the targeted. AIM supports are available through mainstream pre-school settings that are funded through the ECCE Programme. AIM has seven levels of progressive support, moving from...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of the National Childcare Scheme was a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. There are two subsidies available under the NCS. The universal subsidy is available to all families with children aged between 24 weeks and 36 months (or until the child qualifies for the Early Childhood Care and Education programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme offers a statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. The NCS established an equitable and progressive system of universal and income-related subsidies for children up to the age of 15. An income assessed subsidyis payable for children from 24 weeks to 15 years of age who are availing of childcare services from an approved childcare service provider....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Sep 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. It entails a fundamental shift away from subsidies grounded in social protection entitlements, and towards a comprehensive and progressive system of universal and income-based subsidies.  The universal subsidy is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (9 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla will support young adult's in education until 21 years of age or 23 if continuing in education.  In terms of aftercare allowance being extended until young adult's reach 26 years of age this would result in payment of additional three years of an allowance for each client or €46,800 for each aftercare client. At the end of quarter 4 2020 there was 1,697 young adults aged...