Results 361-380 of 7,417 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland is now accommodating over 100,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants. This includes over 75,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State and over 27,000 IP applicants currently in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation. This is a nationwide urgent situation and centres have been opened...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Minister for Health leads on the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 which includes provisions in relation to surrogacy and policy on parentage is a matter for the Minister for Justice. Entitlements to family leaves will be considered in the context of legislative proposals in the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022. I would like to bring to the attention of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) requires all residents and staff in Accommodation Centres to be treated with respect. To this end, IPAS has produced a Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Policy and House Rules and Procedures for Reception and Accommodation Centres, which outline the procedures followed by IPAS following any allegations of misconduct. IPAS...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Building Blocks - Improvement Grant, €9 million was been allocated in 2023 for energy upgrades and retrofit projects. This scheme is now closed and all grant recipients are contractually obliged to have completed works and submitted expenditure returns by 31st December 2023. Pobal has advised that they are in correspondence with the service in question with the latest...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (5 Mar 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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking refuge in Ireland. The State has a legal obligation to assess the claims of those who seek International Protection (IP), and in that time, to provide accommodation and supports in line with the Recast Reception Conditions Directive (SI 230 of 2018), to those that require it. The International Protection Accommodation Service...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Voluntary Sector (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The issues identified by Dr Shannon, and the recommendations made by him in his Independent review report into the Handling of past complaints of Abuse by the organisation, remain of the highest importance to the Department. Departmental officials have continued to liaise with the organisation regarding the implementation of all the recommendations contained in Dr. Shannon's report

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Voluntary Sector (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: A key recommendation of Justice Dr Geoffrey Shannon’s Independent review report on the handling of past complaints of abuse in St John Ambulance, which was published on March 16 2023, was the appointment of a National Safeguarding officer by the St. John Ambulance Ireland organisation. Three separate progress reports or ‘response documents’ have been published by the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla is the independent statutory regulator for the sector and is wholly responsible for the registration of all early learning and care and school age childcare services. As this is a matter for the regulator, I cannot intervene in specific cases. It is a legal requirement under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 for those proposing to open an early years...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will open for applications on 20 March, eight months after the passage of its underpinning legislation. A dedicated webpage is now live at www.gov.ie/paymentscheme, which contains information on how people will be able to apply to the Payment Scheme, and what information applicants will need. Once the Scheme opens, the Payment Scheme Office...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Child and Family Agency (Tusla) has statutory responsibility for the operation of special care in Ireland, and for the provision of special care beds. Tusla have advised that the total combined capacity of Special Care Units is 26, and that at present the current maximum occupancy in these Units is 13, due primarily to challenges in staffing beds. Tusla have further advised that, at this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides an annual core funding grant to the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI). The allocation for 2024 is €678,000. In line with the McKenna and McCrystal principles on the use of public funds in a referendum, the NWCI are not permitted to use any portion of this funding to campaign or promote a position in favour or against any outcome of the forthcoming...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Residential Institutions Redress Scheme was a scheme operated by the Department of Education and I cannot comment on that scheme or its scope. My department is responsible for delivery of the comprehensive package of support measures agreed by the Government as part of the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. A cornerstone...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: After-School Support Services (5 Mar 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: International Protection (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland is now accommodating over 100,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants. The Government is focused on how to continue the sustained support for those fleeing the war in Ukraine, including those already here, as well as those likely to be further displaced by the ongoing conflict. It should also be noted that as part of Government policy...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (5 Mar 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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Abuse (5 Mar 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: Child Abuse (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is an operational matter for Tusla. I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (5 Mar 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The ECCE programme is 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 1st September start date. The minimum eligibility age for the ECCE programme was revised in September 2018 when it was reduced from 3 years to 2 years and 8 months. The revised...