Results 10,701-10,720 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has, since 2015, administered an annual capital funding programme, under which early learning and care and childcare services can access capital funding. The purpose or target of the funding is determined on an annual basis having regard to the needs of children, families and service providers and Departmental priorities. Additional funding has frequently been assigned...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Tusla Early Years Inspectorate is responsible for maintaining the register of early years services. At present there are just under 4,700 services registered with Tusla. This includes both Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services. All services that wish to operate in the State must register with Tusla. Similarly, services are statutorily required to notify...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme opened in November 2019. It represents the first statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare costs in Ireland. The Scheme aims to improve children’s outcomes, support lifelong learning, make work pay and reduce child poverty. It is also designed to have a positive impact on gender equality in relation to labour market participation and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: City and County Child Care Committees (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 250 together. Officials of my Department are currently reviewing the Workplace Relations Commission's consideration of the pay rates of the managers of the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs). The CCCs are one of the key support mechanisms of my Department, and I want to acknowledge the important role they play in providing vital...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy may be aware that I announced last week that a new accommodation centre will open in Letterkenny in January 2021. The accommodation consists of 60 apartments of 2 and 3 bedroom self-contained units, enabling residents to have own door accommodation. The accommodation centre will initially become home for families who have been identified to move from existing emergency...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you Deputy for your question on the allocation of Social Workers to children awaiting a child protection assessment or where their social worker is no longer available to them. In 2019, Tusla identified Carlow/Kilkenny/South Tipperary as one of Tulsa’s five areas needing rapid improvement. The area reduced its unallocated cases from 304 cases in January of this year to 205...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters delivered its Final Report to me on 30th October. I signalled previously that there would be a short time interval between receipt of the report and the separate arrangements for its publication. As mentioned in earlier responses, I am continuing to work with Government colleagues to expedite matters so...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Inspection process involves a site visit and follow up correspondence with centre management to alert the management company to any issues which need addressing. The report of the inspection to the centre referred to by the Deputy has recently been completed and sent to the centre's management for comment prior to finalisation. I intend to review the report of the centre and engage...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Assisted Decision-Making (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to fully commencing the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (“the 2015 Act”). The Act provides a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults with capacity difficulties. The 2015 Act was signed into law on 30 December 2015 but has not yet been fully commenced. The existing wardship system will come to an end within three...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Data Protection (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm that my Department has been the subject of one investigation by the Data Protection Commission since 2016. This investigation was initiated by the Commission on 30 October 2019, and involved a complaint made to it by an individual. The individual alleged that the Department had unfairly processed their personal data by divulging that data to a body under the Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm that as a result of a nationwide tendering process for accommodation for international protection applicants, my Department will open a new accommodation centre in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal in late January 2021. The accommodation centre will initially become home for families who have been identified to move from existing emergency accommodation centres to the new centre. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Rights of People with Disabilities (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The election of members to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a matter for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, T.D. I have not yet had any engagement with the UN Committee. However, Ireland is preparing its initial State Report to the Committee and that will be submitted shortly. As with other UN Conventions, the submission of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can advise the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has throughout the Covid-19 pandemic continued to provide a service to children and families. As a critical service provider of essential frontline services for children and families, Tusla has been focused on ensuring continuity of supports and services while also balancing the needs and best interests of the child with public...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (3 Dec 2020)

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 Tusla reply to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Equality Issues (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I plan to undertake some legislative reform in relation to equality legislation. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to examine the introduction of a new ground of discrimination based socio economic disadvanage status to the employment equality and equality status act. In addition, the LGBTI+ National Inclusion Strategy contains a commitment to review the equality legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I understand the Deputy's concerns are in relation to transfer of the archives of the Commission of Investigation to my Department and the arrangements being developed to allow for individuals to apply for access to their personal information which may be within these records. I can clarify that the archive of records from the Commission of Investigation must be transferred to my...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Rights of People with Disabilities (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 to 264, inclusive, together. The Government is committed to improving the lives of people with disabilities. The National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) is our key framework for policy and action in this regard. The NDIS takes a whole of Government approach to improving the lives of people with disabilities and creating the best possible...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Immigration Support Services (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to the development and nurturing of an all-inclusive society in Ireland. A number of key strategies are helping to promote such inclusion and diversity across Irish society. The Migrant Integration Strategy 2017 – 2020 is one such strategy. The Strategy targets all migrants who are legally in the State. It contains 76 actions which are delivered by...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 266, 267 and 273 together. My Department provides a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country, including those from disadvantaged communities. I am committed to supporting this important sector, which has enormous value both to the many young people involved and from a broader...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Childcare Scheme (3 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) was introduced in November 2019. It offers a statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. It establishes an equitable and progressive system of universal and income-related subsidies for children up to the age of 15. The NCS derives from the Childcare Support Act 2018 which is the first piece of primary legislation passed in Ireland relating to...