Results 9,221-9,240 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: 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 to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of progressive...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Agreements (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant work was carried out prior to my appointment as Minister to ensure the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol. Assessment carried out previously concluded that the enactment of Sexual Offences Act 2017 and Criminal Justice (Victims of Crimes Act 2017) removed the main hurdles for ratification. As outlined in my previous reply on this matter, my Department subsequently...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has allocated funding under the What Works initiative, funded through Dormant Accounts, for children’s services under three funding initiatives in 2021: the What Works Training Fund, the Learning Together Fund, and the Children and Youth Digital Solutions Fund. The What Works Training Fund is now open for applications and will support community and voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Currently, under Data Protection Regulations, a data controller who is not a health practitioner is required to consult with an appropriate health practitioner before supplying any health data to the data subject concerned. My Department, as a data controller, must apply the Regulations when records contain health data. The Regulations do not enable the exercise of any discretion by the data...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the particular case referred to by the Deputy. It is my policy to move families out of emergency accommodation into dedicated International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres as soon as possible. In this particular case, I am advised by IPAS officials that they were in contact with the mother and her representatives to assure her that ongoing supports would be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: 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 quality. The NCS is designed to be highly inclusive and to meet the needs of...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator for raising this issue, which my Department is monitoring on an ongoing basis and through formal reviews. The level of pay in the sector does not reflect the value of the work that early learning and care and school-age childcare practitioners do for children, families, society and our economy. I am doing all that is in my power to address this issue. However, as the...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I hope we can continue to grow the very significant amount of investment the State already puts into childcare. We have to remember that €638 million is going into the sector right now, plus the supports-----

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...