Results 10,581-10,600 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Covid-19 (Childcare): Statements (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I apologise if I do not have a more detailed response for the Deputy. I thought the focus today was on Covid-19 and childcare. With regard to that issue, however, I am conscious of the responsibilities of my Department as regards general data protection regulation, GDPR, and the transfer of the archive to us. In the context of the deletion of these tapes, at the moment we are in the...

Covid-19 (Childcare): Statements (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of that case. As the Deputy noted, the AIM funding does not apply to those children, although it is a very beneficial and useful scheme. There is a gap in the provision at the moment, but we recognise it and the Minister of State and I, at the higher level, will be conscious of addressing it. When the Minister of State's disability brief moves to my Department, we will have the...

Covid-19 (Childcare): Statements (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Both I, in my Department, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who is still with the Department of Health, continue to advocate for all children in the context of the vaccine programme, but particularly for those who are most vulnerable. If there are particular constituents or others with conditions that the Deputy wishes to highlight, he might correspond with us and we will endeavour...

Covid-19 (Childcare): Statements (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Like the Deputy, I recognise the online day of action taking place tomorrow marking last year's march and I also recognise the crucial issue of pay and resolving this in the sector. In every session of questions and answers, we have engaged on this matter and we are seeing progression, in that last time we were talking about a JLC preprocess. Now that is done and I am expecting the report....

Covid-19 (Childcare): Statements (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for her questions and her recognition of the sector. As she knows, the employee wage subsidy scheme is an all-of-economy support. We were successful in having it applied to the entire childcare sector and in having an exemption from the turnover requirements. It has been essential in supporting the sustainability of services. It is due to end at the end of March, at...

Covid-19 (Childcare): Statements (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: We have put a very substantial amount of money into the sector to keep it sustainable, keep services open and match the considerable determination of providers and childcare professionals in this regard, both in the context of the continuation of the existing payment schemes and the additional money invested through the employment wage subsidy scheme We are examining what will happen in...

Covid-19 (Childcare): Statements (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I acknowledge there is some confusion about that. I regret it if there was any confusion in the ether. Responsibility for the programme rests with the Department of Health and the HSE. Currently, early learning childcare staff and school-age childcare staff are in vaccination category 11. I have advocated with the HSE and the Department of Health that that prioritisation continues to be...

Covid-19 (Childcare): Statements (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I welcome the opportunity to make a statement and take questions relating to the early learning and childcare. Before I begin, it is appropriate to recognise that tomorrow is the anniversary of the huge march that took place on 5 February 2020, when a coalition of groups across the early learning and childcare sector took to the streets, seeking better pay, conditions and supports for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Local Authority Facilities (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Every year since 2013 the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has provided Local Authorities with the opportunity to apply for funding to support new and existing play and recreation facilities for children and young people the Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation. One of the consistent criteria under this scheme is that the playground must be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Refugee Status (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department provides accommodation and ancillary support services to persons who have applied for international protection where the applicant indicates that such accommodation and services are required.  Not every person who seeks international protection chooses to accept this offer, and some choose to live independently or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Carer's Leave (4 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. There are no plans to amend the Carer's Leave Act at present. The scheduling of vaccinations for elderly persons is a matter for my...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 156 together. A key policy objective of my Department is to improve affordability, accessibility and quality of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC). A 117% increase in investment over the last number of years has led to a doubling in the number of children receiving free or subsidised early learning and care and school-age...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (4 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: Parental Leave (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019 introduced a significant extension to the existing parental leave entitlements, raising the age of the child for whom parental leave may be taken from eight years to twelve. It also extended the parental leave entitlement by 8 weeks, on a phased basis. The last of these increases came into effect on 1 September 2020 and parents are now entitled to 26...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The management of payment of invoices is an operational issue for Tusla and it is not appropriate for me as Minister to intervene in these matters. I have referred the information provided by the Deputy to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and have requested that Tusla respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In responding to the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation, the Government approved the development of a Strategic Action Plan encompassing a suite of 22 specific measures.  The Action Plan centres on a number of distinct themes including: access to personal information; archiving and databases; education and research; memorialisation; dignified burial, and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Sustainable Development Goals (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently compiling the information requested by the Deputy and a response will be issued directly as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Sustainable Development Goals (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently compiling the information requested by the Deputy and a response will be issued directly as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Migrant Integration (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144, 153 and 154 together. The Government remains committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive society in Ireland, with its suite of equality strategies under my Department’s remit acting as the main vehicle for change. Since 2017, the Migrant Integration Strategy (MIS) has been the central policy framework adopted by Government to promote...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (4 Feb 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145, 151 and 152 together. Significant advances have been made in recent years to address inequality in Irish society, with the Government’s commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive and equal society re-affirmed through the Programme for Government commitments to achieve social solidarity, equality of opportunity and economic equity for all. ...