Results 9,601-9,620 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department secured capital funding in 2020 to administer a once-off grant scheme for the purchase of ICT hardware by Local Authorities, to enable Comhairle Na nÓg to meet Covid-19 related challenges. This funding was secured in order to support the development and implementation of a blended virtual and in-person approach by the Comhairle Na nÓg, designed to maximise the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am happy to confirm that planned relocation of Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIPs) is progressing. Next weekend officials from my Department, Tusla social workers and members of An Garda Siochana are travelling to Greece to meet the 27 separated children seeking to come to Ireland. Over the past months there has been intensive activity between my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am strongly committed to improving access to high quality early learning and childcare, especially those who are most disadvantaged given the benefits this confers to children. The National Childcare Scheme represents the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for early learning and childcare. It marks a shift away from previous schemes, which were based on medical card and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is the first ever statutory entitlement to support for childcare costs in Ireland. Since the introduction of the NCS in November 2019 over 105,200 applications have been submitted for the NCS relating to over 99,400 children. Childcare providers are private businesses and as such it is matter for those businesses to decide whether they enter into any...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Rights (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2018. Advancing the implementation of the UNCRPD is an ongoing priority. Our approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of progressive realisation, moving forward each year on key reforms. The obligations arising from the Convention will be met over time, with initial priority given...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Consultations (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The State's third National Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report is due to be submitted by 9 August 2021 and drafting of same is being coordinated by my Department. Consultation with civil society is an important part of the UPR process. My Department held an online civil society consultation session on 5 May 2021, ahead of the finalisation of Ireland’s National Report. The virtual...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Cybersecurity Policy (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The recent cyber-attack on HSE IT systems has impacted on the operational functioning of Tusla, Child and Family Agency. Many of Tusla's key systems operate on HSE-supported systems, including the National Child Care Information System (NCCIS), the Child Protection Notification System (CPNS) and some legacy and corporate systems. As a security measure, Tusla actioned an immediate...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: School Enrolments (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Government policy, including the National Action Plan for School-Age Childcare (2017) and First 5, the Whole-of Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families (2019-2028) recognises that the use of school facilities that have suitable environments for early learning and care and school-age childcare should be maximised where demand exists and where it can be facilitated by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Officials in my Department regularly use new and existing data to forecast the supply of, and demand for ELC and SAC. For the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, my Department prepares an annual forecast of demand for ECCE places. Estimates are derived using a range of administrative and survey data sources. The total eligible cohort is derived from birth data provided by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Qualifications (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am committed to the further development of career pathways for those working in early learning and care and school-age childcare services. Establishing clear and supported career pathways is important both in improving recruitment and retention of staff, and in enhancing practitioners' continuing professional development, both of which support better outcomes for children. First 5, the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In line with the commitments in the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy, my Department continues work on mapping of LGBTI+ community services. In November 2020, 29 projects around the country received funding to a total amount of €700,000 under the 2020 LGBTI+ Communities Services Fund. The fund comprises two schemes – one dealing with community services, and the other with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I understand the distress which development proposals associated with the Bessborough site have caused for those most centrally connected to this issue. I share the concerns raised by survivor groups associated with in Bessborough in relation to the risks associated with this proposed development. As the Deputy will be aware, I do not have statutory powers under the Planning and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since its formation, this Government has made clear that tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a key priority. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to investigate the provision of paid leave and social protection provision to victims of domestic violence with a view to establishing a statutory entitlement to paid domestic violence leave. My Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department has embarked upon a series of actions, planned for the short to medium term which will build upon existing work to ensure the recommendations of the OCO will be implemented as quickly as possible. The key priority will be to move all remaining children and families still residing in congregated hotel style...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 225 together. I am very 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: Carer's Leave (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Section 6 of the Carer's Leave Act 2001 provides that employees with at least one year's continuous service are entitled to take up to 104 weeks of carer's leave to enable them to provide full-time care and attention to a person who is in need of such care. Carer's Leave is unpaid but an employee may also qualify for Carer's Benefit or Carer's Allowance, the payment of which is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Following the RTÉ Prime Time report which aired on the 25th February 2021, I undertook to meet with those who shared their stories and experiences on the programme. These meetings took place on the week of the 29th March 2021. A range of issues were discussed at the meetings, including access to information and the Inter Departmental Group on Restorative Recognition, setup to report on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department maintains statistics on the number of residents housed in each centre on a weekly basis. However, as I am sure you will appreciate, the configuration of each centre and the room makeup is constantly changing as new applicants are placed in accommodation, people with a protection status or permission to remain move to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: United Nations (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international treaty that establishes two procedures aimed at strengthening the implementation and monitoring of the Convention. The first is an individual communications procedure allowing individuals to bring petitions to the Committee claiming breaches of their rights; the second is an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (27 May 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue with overall policy coordinated by the Department of Justice. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV. Tusla is scheduled to publish its Strategic Review of Emergency Domestic Violence Accommodation...