Results 9,301-9,320 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The particular case referred to by the Deputy did not arise from any issue with NCS system or with Pobal (the NCS Scheme Administrator). NCS subsidies are paid once a valid CHICK is registered by a childcare provider and the parent confirms on the system that all details are correct. This is a key financial governance control to safeguard public funds and ensure that the investment is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The emergency centre to which the Deputy refers is currently being used to provide quarantine facilities for residents who left their allocated accommodation to live temporarily with family or friends and who now wish to re-enter International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation. IPAS adopted this policy last year following consultations with public health officials in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The centre to which the Deputy refers is currently being used to provide quarantine facilities for residents who left their allocated accommodation to live temporarily with family or friends and who now wish to re-enter International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation. IPAS adopted this policy last year following consultations with public health officials in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Employment Support Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015-2024 (CES) is the primary disability employment policy initiative in Ireland. It is a cross-government approach, bringing together actions by Government Departments and Agencies to address the barriers and challenges to employment of persons with disabilities. The CES’s strategic priorities are to build skills,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In 2015, the then Department of Justice and Equality, published a Roadmap to Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). In 2018, Ireland ratified the UNCRPD. Our approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of progressive realisation, each year moving forward on key reforms, with the obligations arising from the Convention...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The vision set out in First 5, the ambition of the Programme for Government, and the commitments made during the pandemic, signal the importance of the early learning and care and school-age childcare sector and the scale of the reforms underway. First 5(published November 2018) sets out an ambitious programme of work across Government Departments to improve the experiences and outcomes of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The tables below set out the number of ECCE only services and the funding they received in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and the number of services not providing ECCE and the funding they received in 2018-19 and 2019-20 The numbers of ECCE only providers given is the number of providers who have entered into a funding agreement for ECCE and not for any other programmes funded by my Department, such...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 381, 382 and 383 together. I am conscious of the need for significant improvement in pay and working conditions for practitioners in early learning and childcare 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department developed a National Action Plan for Childminding which was published in April 2021. The Action Plan aims to improve access, through childminding, to high quality and affordable childcare. The Action Plan sets out a pathway over the next 8 years towards regulation, support and subsidies for all paid, non-relative childminders. The Action Plan will involve change and will bring...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am assuming that this question is referring to the supporting documentation required as part of the re-registration process for early years services by the Early Years Inspectorate of Tusla, the independent and statutory regulator of this sector. Services were required to provide Fire Safety Certificates as part of the re-registration process which was due to take place at the end of 2019....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding, which was published in April 2021, aims to improve access, through childminding, to high quality and affordable childcare. The Action Plan sets out a pathway over the next 8 years towards regulation, support and subsidies for all paid, non-relative childminders. The Action Plan will involve change and will bring significant benefits for childminders,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has carried out an assessment of the human rights and equality issues it believes to be relevant to its functions and purpose as required under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. My Department has also outlined the policies, plans and actions in place or proposed to be put in place to address those issues in its Public Sector Assessment and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disabilities Assessments (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The focus of my Department is on the development of an integrated equality proofing process that covers all nine equality grounds plus poverty rather than on separate impact assessments. My Department is co-lead, with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, on the EqualityBudgeting Expert Advisory Group (EBEAG) and has funded a policy scan undertaken by the OECD to support this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Residential Institutions (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 389 and 391 together. Former residents of Mother and Baby Homes can make a Subject Access Request (SAR) to my Department for access to their record. My Department is cognisant of its obligations as a data controller when responding to SARs and is responding on a case by case basis to individuals within the timeframes required by the GDPR. GDPR...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government reiterates the commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol after the first reporting cycle. That timeline remains the objective. This position has been based on the assumption that Ireland's initial State Report would be examined by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. If it emerges that there are delays in the scheduling of Ireland's...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ahead of ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Optional Protocol, my Department will assess the requirements for ratification. This will include an assessment as to whether or not potential reservations are needed. It is too early at this stage to indicate whether or not Ireland will make reservations in the context of ratifying the Optional...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Process (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016, which was drafted to ensure implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, had completed Dáil Committee Stage during the previous Government, but lapsed with the dissolution of the previous Dáil and Seanad and was not restored to the Order Paper. Its provisions are being included in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) is a whole-of-government strategy. It is the key framework for policy and action to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Ireland. It supports effective progress in delivering on the obligations set out in the UNCRPD. The Steering Group is chaired by my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Special Educational Needs (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I was pleased to speak at the launch of the Parenting Plus Special Needs Programme late last year. Parenting programmes offer a valuable support for parents, helping them enhance their existing knowledge and skills to improve outcomes for their families. I welcome this evidenced-based programme from Parenting Plus that addresses the unique support requirements of parents caring for a child...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (29 Jun 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. As I'm sure you can appreciate, the impact of the cyber-attack on Tusla systems continues to be felt. Tusla continues to provide a vital service and is working hard to restore their IT systems...