Results 1,141-1,160 of 11,855 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Artificial Intelligence (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is guided by the Interim Guidelines for Use of AI in the Public Service published by the Public Service Transformation Delivery Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and by the National Cyber Security Centre on ICT policy and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Artificial Intelligence (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise that officials in this Department, or any agency under its auspices, are not authorised to use Artificial Intelligence software in the preparation of responses to Parliamentary Questions, or in responses to any correspondence from outside the organisation. This is in line with advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) released in June 2023.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 596, 597, 598 and 599 together. My Department is committed to supporting all those seeking international protection (IP) in Ireland and work is ongoing across the country to bring available accommodation into use to support our residents. As part of a whole of Government approach, the Department's International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019, an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks’ unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare (which includes school aged childcare) is a key Government priority. Considerable investment has taken place in recent years to improve the resourcing, quality and availability of early learning and childcare. In September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare (ELC). This new...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the issues facing Northside Community Enterprises, and of the funding that they require to support the re-opening of the Before 5 Family Centre in Churchfield, Co. Cork. The Before 5 Family Centre is in an area of undersupply and of high need, so the ambition of Northside Community Enterprises to reopen this Centre, with an extended offer of full time, full year places for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Please see below the number of children with an ECCE registration in Cork City for programme calls 2020/2021 and 2023/2024. Please note there was a change of boundaries that resulted in 47 services with children registered for ECCE 2020/21 changing from Cork County to Cork City. For that reason, the numbers below are based on the boundaries at the time and the number based on the current...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are currently running an online survey as part of the public consultation to inform the successor strategy to the National Strategy for Women and Girls. IPSOS B&A have been contracted to carry out the consultation for the Department and have helped design the online survey, which seeks to gather opinions and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I apologise for the delay in responding to the deferred PQs 19884/24, PQ 19857/24, PQ 19858/24 and PQ 19859/24. I can confirm that a response to these PQs has now been issued to the Deputy, as of 11 September 2024.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the State’s humanitarian response to the Ukrainian crisis, the Government has developed a Rapid Build Housing Programme to provide accommodation for families fleeing the war in Ukraine who request it. The programme aims to provide short-term accommodation for up to 2,800 Ukrainians at several sites across Ireland. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is leading the development...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has in place a range of supports and funding schemes to support the delivery of early learning and childcare places but services are independently operated, either by community not-for-profit or by private for-profit providers, and decisions about whether and when to open a service rest with individual service providers, subject to them registering with Tusla's Early Years...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In January 2023, my Department received a proposal in relation to the former Equestrian and Conference Centre, Wallslough, Co. Kilkenny, R95 T9FE for the provision of temporary accommodation for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine (Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, also know as BOTPs). As the proposal involved a property requiring significant conversion and refurbishment works, it...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is working with communities all over Ireland to source and provide accommodation for people applying for international protection. This is part of Irish and EU law, and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their home country. My Department’s Community Engagement Team (CET) liaises directly with elected...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Sep 2024)

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.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy has sought some statistics pertaining to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme which I provide here as at 16 September. Estimated number of persons eligible for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme 34,000 Number of applications received to date 5,104 Number of applications awaiting outstanding...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your correspondence on behalf of your constituent regarding their daughter's eligibility for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. The ECCE programme provides universal, free preschool to children in the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months. The upper age limit of 5 years and 6 months for ECCE was set in consultation with the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Pension Provisions (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question. My Department is currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NPD Delivery and Reform in relation to the 2025 Estimates. Until these discussions are concluded, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Medical Cards (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Section 19(5)(b) of the legislation that underpins the Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - provides that an applicant to the Scheme shall specify what benefits they are applying for. So, applicants can indeed select just the medical benefits and not the general or work payments. (In practice, the Payment Scheme Office will assess every application and where it...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Juvenile Offenders (9 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Information requested for 2014 and 2015 is not centrally available. Request 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 YTD Number of individual young persons admitted to Oberstown 01.04.16 – 21.08.24 N/A N/A 159 133 132 127 122 73 82 95 68

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Juvenile Offenders (9 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The maximum number of children that can be detained in Oberstown Children Detention Campus at any time is set by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth by way of a Certificate issued under sections 195 and 196 of the Children Act 2001. The current certificate allows for 46 children - 40 boys and 6 girls.