Results 141-160 of 10,153 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: According to recent data from Pobal, 28 services have withdrawn from Core Funding this year. Of these services, 15 have permanently closed and 13 continue to operate. I am aware also that three other services have notified Pobal of their intention to withdraw from the Scheme in the coming weeks. Providers that withdraw from Core Funding remain eligible, in this programme year, to continue...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is providing over €369 million in subsidies through the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) to parents of over 180,000 children to meet the cost of early learning and childcare. The subsidies are progressive in nature. All families can receive a universal subsidy, but the highest subsides are provided to families with the lowest levels of income through an income...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme opened on 20 March. As at Sunday 28th April, over 1,900 complete applications have been received and are being processed. This is in addition to a number of incomplete applications where applicants may have, for example, submitted their application online but chosen to send in their certified ID by post or may be getting some support from...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My officials have advised that, as of this morning, Tusla have issued a direct reply to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Providers participating in Core Funding must adhere to the following contractual requirement in respect of deposits, specifically: A Partner Service agrees that they will not charge any non-refundable deposits to parents/guardians in the respect of their early learning and childcare service where the parent/guardian takes up the service for which the deposit was paid. More than 94% of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 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 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 NCS complements this programme, providing...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: National Cultural Institutions (30 Apr 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: Youth Services (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department supports the delivery of youth services nationwide, with €77.95 million funding for youth service provision this year, an increase of €5 million, or 6.8%, on the 2023 budget. From 2020 to Budget 2024, current Exchequer funding for youth services and programmes increased from €61.789 million to €77.95 million, a 26% increase overall. Young people...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Statutory responsibility for the care, welfare, and placement of children in care rests with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla, supported by my Department, is working to reduce its reliance on Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs) by building capacity in its mainstream provision, and principally in residential care. In support of these goals, I have resourced Tusla to maintain and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents meet the cost of childcare. It is available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years who are attending any participating Tusla registered childcare service, including any Tusla registered childminder. As of 24 April 2024, there are a total of 147,012 unique children availing of subsidies...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In Budget 2024, I secured €4.5 million to commence initial roll-out of Equal Start from September this year. That allocation is equivalent to €13.5 million in a full year. Equal Start is a funding model and set of universal and targeted measures to support access to, and participation in, early learning and childcare for children and their families who experience...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since first taking office, I have corresponded with the Tusla CEO on the following dates:A letter exchange between October 1st and October 13th 2020An email received on October 24th 2020An email exchange on February 2nd 2021A letter exchange on July 27th 2021A letter exchange on 12th October 2021A letter exchange on 1st November 2022An email received on 29th November 2022A letter exchange...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government made a commitment to replace the current system of accommodation and supports for International Protection (IP) applicants. As part of this process, the Government approved A White Paper to End Direct Provision and Establish a new International Protection Support Service in February 2021. The White Paper set out a new policy for the accommodation of IP applicants...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Services (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Information and Tracing services established under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 opened for applications on 3 October 2022. As of 22 April 2024, the Child and Family Agency, Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) have received 12,599 applications for information, and have progressed 12,260 (or 97%) to completion. No applications are outstanding beyond statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 2024)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The final report of the ECCE Review is now complete. The aim of the review was to independently assess the implementation of the ECCE Programme and its impact. The Review was informed by comprehensive stakeholder engagement with parents, ECCE providers and staff and representatives from disadvantaged groups. My Department is considering the findings of the review and possible...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As announced as part of Budget 2024, from September 2024 the universal subsidy provided through the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) will be increased from €1.40 to €2.14 per child per hour. This change follows on from a previous increase to the NCS universal subsidy from €0.50 to €1.40. The upcoming increase to €2.14 will reduce out of pocket childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reports (30 Apr 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. As the Deputy has highlighted, officials in my Department reviewed the findings and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Library Services (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Little Library initiative, every 4-5 year old child is invited to visit their local library and collect a free bag of books in Irish or in English, and to become library members. The aim of this initiative is to ensure that all children have access to books in their home, to develop children’s language skills and imagination, and to foster a lifelong love of reading. This...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring high-quality early learning and childcare is affordable and accessible is a policy priority. While there is clear evidence of a significant increase capacity in recent years, the supply of early learning and childcare remains an issue. This is in a context of increased demand owing to the success of recent steps taken to address affordability. My Department is progressing a range of...