Results 1,821-1,840 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (10 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that in relation to the specific case to which the Deputy refers, my officials have no record of an application being made through the UkraineTempAccom@equality.gov.ie email address, which is the only avenue for providers to request such permission for BOTPs in their property. If the person involved would like to contact my Department directly through that email...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department does not comment on individual cases. There are nearly 28,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole (of whom 6,356 are children) compared with nearly 20,000 people at this time last year. Together with Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection displaced by the war in Ukraine, this means that Ireland is now accommodating...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Referendum Campaigns (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2023, an Interdepartmental Group (IDG) was established to support the development of referendum proposals on family and care. The group comprised of representatives from every Government Department, as well as the Office of the Attorney General. It met 16 times over the course of its work in a period spanning March to November. Now that the referendums have been held, my...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1050 to 1053, inclusive, 1066, 1088, 1089, 1095, 1096 and 1176 together. On Saturday 16th March, the Department offered International Protection (IP) applicants occupying tents at Mount Street an alternative location to pitch tents. This was done in cooperation with Dublin City Council due to the emerging public health and security risks. IP applicants...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1054 and 1055 together. On Saturday 16th March, the Department offered International Protection (IP) applicants occupying tents at Mount Street an alternative location to pitch tents. This was done in cooperation with Dublin City Council due to the emerging public health and security risks. IP applicants were brought to Crooksling where they were provided...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring high-quality early learning and childcare is affordable and accessible to all children and, in particular, children from vulnerable backgrounds, is a key priority for Government. My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers with early learning, and childcare matters. They are in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Overage exemptions to the ECCE programme were introduced at the onset of the ECCE programme in 2010. At that time ECCE operated for a 38 week period, or one programme year. For some children with special/additional needs, attending preschool five days a week was not feasible and an allowance was made to avail of the ECCE programme over a two year period. All children are now eligible for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As this is a service delivery matter, I have requested for Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Quality Standards Framework for Youth Work (NQSF) is intended to be a practical and developmental framework to enable youth work organisations to assess service provision and to identify areas for development, to be progressed through a continuous improvement plan. The NQSF is currently being reviewed within my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Work Supports (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Youth workers and volunteers are central to the delivery of youth services to young people. The relationships which young people develop with their youth workers or volunteer leaders can be transformative to a young person's life. I have committed to developing a workforce development plan for the youth sector, to support the recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Work Supports (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department does not collate the information requested by the Deputy. The UBU Your Place Your Space scheme is targeted towards disadvantaged, marginalised or vulnerable young people. Funding provided under this scheme does not directly fund youth worker posts/salaries, rather, it is allocated on a 'provision of service' basis to meet the needs of the youth population in an area. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Properties (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department does not own or lease any buildings that are currently vacant.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parliamentary Questions (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm that across my entire Department the number of parliamentary questions forwarded by my officials to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency since the beginning of 2023 to date in 2024, that are awaiting response, currently stands at 17, of these 8 are from Deputy Tóibín.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I firmly believe the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. The State is not the employer and therefore does not set the pay or conditions for employees in either early learning and care (ELC) or school-age childcare (SAC) services. However, there is now, through...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. Together for Better brings together three major programmes, the Early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1078, 1081 and 1082 together. Under the revised accommodation policy, those granted Temporary Protection from 14 March 2024 who seek accommodation from the State are offered a maximum of 90 days of State-supported accommodation in a Designated Accommodation Centre (DAC). It is expected that such Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) will...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1079 and 1080 together. The overall capacity for Designated Accommodation Centres (DACs) remains under review. My Department continually runs data modelling of arrival numbers, which allows us to plan for the DAC capacity required to service fluctuating arrival numbers and to maintain capacity in the centres based on the turnover within them as...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The institutions covered by this Payment Scheme are those identified by the Commission of Investigation as having a main function of providing sheltered and supervised ante and post-natal facilities to single mothers and their children. The institution at Temple Hill, Blackrock, commonly known as St. Patrick’s Hospital, was not investigated by the Commission of Investigation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for this question. A response will be provided directly to the Deputy in the coming days. The Deputy may wish to be aware that the Community Engagement Team has been established within my Department which stands ready to respond to queries of this nature, and they may be contacted directly at community@equality.gov.ie.