Results 10,501-10,520 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (20 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Commission has made clear recommendations in relation to redress on the basis of its extensive 5-year investigation. Notably, the Commission identifies three specific groups for whom it recommends redress might be considered. The Government has made a very significant and early commitment to accept these recommendations and design a bespoke Restorative Recognition Scheme. An...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (20 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In relation to GDPR requests following the transfer of the Commission's databases and records, the Department is working intensively to ensure that it is properly resourced to handle subject access requests from possibly very large numbers of people who were resident in mother and baby homes. In this regard, a new Unit has been established to look after this hugely important and potentially...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (20 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of our response to the recommendations of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby homes, my Department has begun the process to recruit a qualified archivist, to lead work on preservation of, and public access to, the records which we hold. The closing date for receipt of applications was 15 January and it is expected that an appointment will be made very soon following...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (20 Jan 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). Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tusla has prioritised DSGBV Services as one of its key service areas. In 2021, a total of €30m in funding will be made available by my Department to Tusla, for the provision of DSGBV...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Early learning and care (ELC) and school aged childcare (SAC) services are provided by private enterprises, either privately owned or operated by community organisations. While service providers are contracted by my Department to provide services at a subsidised rate to parents they are free to set their own policies regarding the charging of fees. If a parent of an eligible child chooses...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Costs (20 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Children's eligibility to access early learning and childcare services during January is restricted to those whose parents work in essential services or who are considered vulnerable. As per the gov.ie list, education is considered an essential service. For the purposes of accessing early learning and childcare services, parents who work in an essential services may be working from home. In...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (20 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently developing the White Paper, which will set out options, together with the recommended direction, for the new model of accommodation and services for International Protection applicants and the transitional processes needed to implement the model. Options for developing a not-for-profit approach are currently being examined in this regard. In view of the extent of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Refugee Resettlement Programme (20 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland strongly supports the principle of solidarity and recognises that assistance is required for Member States who face a disproportionate number of applicants and particularly where incidences such as that which occurred in the Moria camp in Lesbos can cause additional hardship. I am working to accelerate the reception of these additional refugees which we have committed to accept,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (20 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Seanad: Report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation: Statements (19 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I welcome the opportunity to discuss the report of the commission of investigation and the terrible failure it revealed in how women and children were treated in institutions over many decades and to outline the Government's response. Before I begin, I pay tribute to all of the mothers and children who spent time in these institutions. I thank those who bravely gave their personal accounts...

Seanad: Report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation: Statements (19 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I understand I have ten minutes now and will have ten minutes at the end of next week's debate to respond as best I can to the various points made.I thank all Senators for their considered contributions. I will try to respond to some of the points in the order in which they were raised. The point made by my colleague, Senator Pauline O'Reilly, is a good place to...

Seanad: Report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation: Statements (19 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: A number of Senators made that point about how the actions of the Government will be judged and I take it on board. Senator Pauline O'Reilly suggested that an apology may be forthcoming from Galway County Council, and I think that would be appropriate. The theme of the responsibility of local authorities in all of this was one on which Senator Boyhan also touched. Many of us here have...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (14 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Between 11th and 31st January, access to early learning and childcare services is restricted to the children of essential workers and vulnerable children.  The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) pre school programme is not operating during this time. Essential workers are those that work in the list of essential services published on gov.ie.  One parent who is an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (14 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have had spoken with Minister Donnelly on a number of occasions since the full level five restrictions were put in place on the 30th December on this specific issue. The provision of suitable childcare for the children of frontline healthcare workers, particularly for those with new childcare needs as a result of the closure of schools, is a significant concern for the Government. My...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (14 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Expert guidance on the operation of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services during the COVID-19 pandemic was published by the HPSC last year and is available at . The advice from the national public health experts is that no change is required to the Infection Prevention and Control guidance for settings providing ELC/SAC during the pandemic....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (14 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently finalising it's Statement of Strategy, 2021-2023, for publication. The Strategy will detail the current and planned priorities of my Department in that period. The Department continues to have wide responsibility for policy, legislation and services in respect of children and young people. In addition, a number of new functions have transferred to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (14 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: A decision was taken by Government on 6 January that the ECCE programme would be postponed until 1 February in order to reduce movement in the population to reduce the spread of Covid. My Department acknowledges that it would be very difficult for providers and practitioners to make up the four weeks they will be closed, and does not expect them to...

Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Statements (13 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The publication of the report into the mother and baby homes marks another moment of truth for our State and for our people. Its publication is an occasion to acknowledge the profound wrong visited upon the Irish women and their children who were placed in these institutions and too often left with only grief as a companion. It is an occasion to acknowledge, as the Government, the role the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (13 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The area of disability services is a priority area for this Government. The HSE provides a range of assisted living services, including Personal Assistant (PA) services to support individuals to live independent lives. Significant resources have been invested by the health sector in disability services, and the Government has ensured that an additional €100 million is being provided...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Refugee Resettlement Programme (13 Jan 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was established in 2015 to deliver upon Government commitments to bring to Ireland refugees located in Lebanon and Jordan who had been forced to flee their homes due to the war in Syria. The Deputy will note that persons granted permission to travel to Ireland under the Irish Refugee Protection Humanitarian Admission Programme (IHAP) make...