Results 10,141-10,160 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Years Sector (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Learning Initiative (ELI) at?National College of Ireland operates as part of the Tusla Area-Based Childhood (ABC) Programme. The Tusla ABC Programme is an area based prevention and early intervention initiative delivered across 12 areas of significant socio-economic disadvantage in areas across the country. It operates as part of the wider Tusla Prevention, Partnership and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid Parents' Leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Under proposals approved by Government in December 2020, each parent will be given an additional three weeks of paid Parents' Leave, and the period in which it can be taken will be extended to the first two...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The 2021 capital funding programme is focused on ensuring fire safety in early learning and care childcare services around the country. The 2021 Capital grant funds were voted are part of the 2021 budget and can only be used for expenditure incurred in 2021. It is not possible to use these funds to compensate early learning and childcare providers for works they undertook in 2019. I...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ministerial Advisers (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy is aware, on the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The appointment of Special Advisers is subject to section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. The names of my Special Advisers are set out below. These appointments were made in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Abuse (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy refers to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct reply issue to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The table below shows the number of staff employed in my Department by gender and by civil service salary scale as of 31st January 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Commission has discharged the statutory function set by the Oireachtas and exhausted its remit. It has delivered its report in accordance with Section 43 of the Commissions of Investigation Act, 2004. I am aware of recent calls from some advocates and public representatives for the timeframe of the Commission to be extended to enable it deal with concerns relating to its report and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reviews (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department currently has 28 live studies, reviews and research projects underway. All bar two of these projects involved the commissioning of external experts. For a full set of details included projected completion dates please see the table below:

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DGSBV). As the question relates to operational matters, I have requested that Tusla responds directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DGSBV). With regard to the request for operational data in the Deputy's question, I have requested that Tusla responds to you directly on this matter. The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: There was no international protection accommodation centre in Donegal until 2019, when the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department first began to accommodate residents in Portsalon House. The below table provides the number of adults and children accommodated in Co. Donegal for each of the years 2019, 2020 and up to 14th February 2021. Year ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Feb 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: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As announced by An Taoiseach on 23 February 2021, ECCE services will reopen for all participating children on 8 March 2021, without any eligibility requirement related to whether their parents are essential workers.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Immigration Policy (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Integration Fund (NIF) is a key element of the Migrant Integration Strategy and was developed to help facilitate the effective integration of migrants, or persons of migrant origin, into communities all over Ireland on an equal basis with those of Irish heritage. Its primary objective is to ensure that barriers to full participation in Irish society are identified and addressed...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Of the 5 National Outcomes contained in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, Outcome 3 relates to ‘Safe and Protected from Harm’ and states that all children and young people have a secure stable and caring home environment and that they are safe from neglect and exploitation. All children and young people need safeguarding and the Government recognises that specific groups of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Maternity Protection Acts provide for up to 26 weeks paid maternity leave, and a further 16 weeks unpaid leave. Where a child is born prematurely, additional weeks may be available. There have been significant advances in the provision of family leaves in recent years. The Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019, for example, extended the parental leave entitlement by 8 weeks, on a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 615, 619 and 620 together. The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid Parents' Leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Under proposals approved by Government in December 2020, each parent will be given an additional three weeks of paid Parents' Leave, and the period...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The new accommodation centre in Letterkenny for International Protection applicants was procured through a tendering competition that was conducted through the Government’s Procurement Portal, www.etenders.gov.ie. The specifications for this tender included the provision of food and household items through a points system by way of an on-site foodhall whereby residents can obtain the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Trafficking (24 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The recently published report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation makes it clear that unmarried mothers and their children lived in a hostile and uncaring environment in the period the report examined. As a result, many mothers effectively had little to no choice other than to put their baby up for adoption. I am conscious that the Commission reviewed a major body of...