Results 1,361-1,380 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Various schemes under the funding model for early learning and childcare work to ensure children can access early learning and childcare at no or at significantly reduced out of pocket costs to families. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, is available free of charge to all children for up to two years before starting primary school. 96% of children take part. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: School Staff (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant progress has been made in advancing plans for a dedicated state agency for early learning childcare. It is envisaged that this agency will undertake the functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years (including Better Start), the 30 City/County Childcare Committees, as well as operational functions currently undertaken by my Department. A Programme Oversight Board has...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department and the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) continue to take the issue of potential Child Sexual Exploitation very seriously and are committed to promoting safe and high quality practice in all areas of Alternative Care, including working with An Garda Síochána as required. I can confirm that following a successful research tendering process Quality Matters have been...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I confirm that there are no International Protection applicants at Hilden House,. While it has housed Beneficiaries of Temporary Protecting fleeing the war in Ukraine, it has never been used to accommodate IP applicants.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Legal Services (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Awaiting reply from Department

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Currently, there are over 31,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole (of whom 7,680 are children) compared with approximately 8,700 people at the end of February 2022. The Department engages intensively and proactively on a continuing basis with providers of contracted accommodation to identify any available bed spaces at...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 291 to 294, inclusive, together. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme opened on 20 March. The scheme will be open for 5 years so any person applying can take their time and does not need to apply in the first year. I am happy with how the scheme is operating presently, acknowledging that it is still very early days and applicants have 6 months in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: European Court of Justice (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am informed that the Court of Justice of the European Union has not imposed any fines on the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in the period from 2010 to date.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Defective Building Materials (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of this service in Donegal with structural issues because of the presence of defective blocks. My Department works with Pobal and local CCCs to offer Case Management support to services in difficulty. Through this process, services may also access sustainability funding following an assessment of need. One strand of this funding can support a service with the cost of relocation....

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

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2022 Government approved high level proposals for the National Centre for Research and Remembrance to be located on the site of the former Magdalen Laundry in Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1 to comprise: a museum and exhibition space, the development of which will be led by the National Museum of Ireland a research centre and repository of records related to institutional trauma in...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2024, published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, detail gross allocation of €7.43 billion in respect of my Department for 2024. At the end of May, gross expenditure is running €164.3 million ahead of REV profile. As the year progresses the main expenditure pressures for the Department in 2024 are in...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides a number of schemes under the Together for Better funding model, which offset the cost of early learning and childcare to families. The ECCE programme, which provides two years of pre-school without charge, enjoys participation rates of 96% each year. Over 70% of families on low income report that they would not be able to send their child to pre-school without this...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Capital funding has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant investment in early learning and childcare. In 2024 and 2025, my Department is delivering capital investment through the Building Blocks Capacity Grant. The primary focus of the Building Blocks Capacity Grant Schemes is to increase...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department officials and I regularly meet with representatives of the youth sector, including young people, youth service providers and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) who administer a number of the key funding schemes on behalf of my Department. The national youth representative network, made up of Comhairle na nÓg, Dáil na nÓg and the National Youth Assembly,...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring that quality accessible early learning and school age childcare is available to families is a key priority of Government. The Programme for Government commits to increase the range of after-school services in schools or community hubs to offer a range of education and family-focused measures. Currently, approximately, 15% of all early learning and care (ELC) and school age...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: All public bodies have responsibility under Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. The public sector duty assessment and implementation for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The question of total number of children currently in various forms of care has been interpreted to refer to children in alternative care. Tusla’s latest available Monthly Service Performance and Activity Report informs that there were 5,781 children in care at the end of April 2024. 87.6% (5,063) of all children in care are in foster care (3,593 general foster care, and 1,470 relative...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for this question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days.