Results 11,241-11,260 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Correspondence (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm for the Deputy that I have received the document referred to on the 30th September 2020, and it was acknowledged by my office on the same day.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The reopening of the early learning and care and school-age childcare sector and the resumption of services has been positive to date. By 5 October 4, 473 (99% of all services) has signed a funding agreement with my Department to operate a childcare funding scheme, and scheme and child registrations for ECCE, NCS, CCS and TEC are higher than the same period last year. The HSPC...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Contracts (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department has engaged a third-party company, Kantar Media, in each of the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020 to provide the Department with a service that monitors both traditional and online media outlets. This takes the form of the provision of press cuttings from both print and online media. We do not have a contract with a third party company to conduct social media monitoring or...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As requested, please find details in the table below of the number of staff in my Department on sick leave between March and September by month in 2019 and to date 2020 and the number of sick days accounted for by my Department over the period. MONTH YEAR No of Staff on Sick Leave No of Sick Leave Days March 2019 31 ...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Chair for her kind words and congratulate her on her appointment as Chair of this committee. I look forward to working with her and all members of the select committee and joint committee on both the financial matters in my Department and on the busy legislative schedule that we will have over, hopefully, the next years. I look forward to the committee's input and working closely...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The point on the transfer of functions is important. The functions will come over in two phases. The first is the transfer from the Department of Justice and Equality. I had hoped the delegation would be before today's Cabinet meeting but I expect it at next week's Cabinet meeting, with an official date of the transfer of function the following week. I am aware I have said that for two...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The number of social workers leaving the profession or retiring has eclipsed the number of new recruits in many individual years. This is a major issue, but it was not the case during 2020. I should single out an initiative taken by Tusla under its chief executive, Mr. Bernard Gloster, to convert agency staff to full-time staff. That has been extremely successful and has provided 140...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Costello. A draft retention framework is being trialled in a number of Tusla regions where the issue of retention is very significant. There are other areas where the issue is not as significant. The turnover in social workers is approximately 7.3% across the organisations, but there are variations. Some regions are regarded as tougher and may have built up issues, case...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am glad to hear the Deputy raise the issue of domestic violence because it is something that I feel particularly passionate about. Tusla funds most of the domestic violence refuges and €750,000 was provided during the Covid crisis to support Tusla in taking the basic measures around ensuring they had additional personal protective equipment, PPE, within the services. Many refuges...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: -----and it has one in Blanchardstown as well which is not far from me. A refuge was also opened in Galway so we are seeing a gradual expansion of the number of refuges but more needs to be done, particularly now that we have signed up to the Istanbul Convention, which places further obligations on us. On mental health, I have met with Jigsaw since I have been elected. It has done great...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy noted, €64 million is a very small amount in the grand scheme of things but the value the State gets from that investment is absolutely huge. The value we get from youth work is incredible. The sector never shut down during Covid but just went online. I have met various groups over the last number of weeks, including Foróige, the National Youth Council of Ireland...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am happy to respond in writing to that point once I get that correspondence from the Deputy. With regard to schools, I absolutely take the point. As the Deputy knows, schools and childcare facilities remain open all the way up to level five, and that is because of their importance from an educational point of view but also from a socialising point of view for children and young people....

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 40 - Children and Youth Affairs (Revised) (6 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. On an initial point, the Revised Estimate we are looking at today relates to decisions taken at Budget 2020, therefore last year. When I come back to the committee next year, I will be dealing with a full year of decisions that l will have made as Minister. The position of youth services is as of what was allocated in last year's budget. As I stated earlier in response...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (1 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the September start date, and a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (1 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that Tula respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (1 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that Tula respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (1 Oct 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (1 Oct 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (1 Oct 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Social Workers Register (1 Oct 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that this is not a matter for my Department.  I ask her to refer to the Minister for Health, who may be in a position to advise on the matter.