Results 21-40 of 7,281 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (16 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I acknowledge that many early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services report staffing challenges in relation to recruitment and retention. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover. Providers of ELC and SAC are private businesses. As the State does not employ staff...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (16 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) was introduced in 2016 to ensure children with a disability could access and meaningfully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. In line with a commitment in First 5, an independent evaluation of AIM was undertaken by the University of Derby to inform an extension of AIM beyond the ECCE programme as well as any...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (16 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Monitoring and evaluation of early learning and childcare services in Ireland is currently conducted by the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate (EYI), which is the independent statutory regulator for the sector, and by the Department of Education Inspectorate, which conducts education-focused inspections of early learning and care (ELC) services. (The Department of Education Inspectorate does not...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (16 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Investment in early learning and childcare is at unprecedented levels with public funding reaching more than €1.1 billion in 2024 – a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector. The majority of this funding is allocated through Together for Better - the funding model for early learning and childcare, which brings together four strands, the Early Childhood...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Substantial investment has been allocated over the period 2023-2025 to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars: Building Blocks - Improvement Grant; Building Blocks - Capacity Grant Building Blocks - Innovation Grant. On 7 December last, I...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (16 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) does not currently collect contributions from International Protection Applicants.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Regulatory and Poverty Impact Assessments (16 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Firstly, may I apologise for the delay in responding to PQ 499 dated September 2023. I am advised that, since the commencement of the 33rd Dáil and the date of your Parliamentary Question, my Department has prepared nine Bills. Seven of these involved a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). I have outlined these below: Number Bill Regulatory Impact ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I sincerely regret to hear of the difficulties faced by the applicant during this period. Officials in my Department have liaised with the Scheme Administrator, Pobal, on the applicant’s behalf and I understand that the applicant has since created an active claim which was confirmed on the 9th of April. The rules of the NCS stipulate that subsidies can only be paid once an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (11 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2023, St John Ambulance Ireland published a 'Response Document' in relation to implementing all of the recommendations contained in Dr. Shannon's Independent Review report into the handling of allegations of abuse by the organisation. Recommendation 2 of this report relates to Therapeutic Support for those who are victim survivors of this abuse. St John Ambulance Ireland has...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Programme (11 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 commits to extending regulation and supports to all paid, non-relative childminders who work in their own homes. The National Action Plan sets out a phased approach to regulation with a preparatory phase followed by an extended transition period, to allow childminders lead-in time for any requirements. This supportive, phased process aims to...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department was not involved in any inspections of the premises to which the Deputy refers. As outlined in the letter to the Deputy dated 12 March 2024 further to his question on 13th February, the property in question was previously assessed under the auspices of the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage (DHLGH) refurbishment programme. As part of the refurbishment...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I cannot provide the information sought by the Deputy. As part of the Emergency Refurbishment (Ukraine) Programme, costs related to the refurbishment of public buildings are met from the Vote of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Once the works are completed the accommodation is made available to accommodate beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTP) fleeing the war...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) carefully appraises each property that is offered for use as accommodation for international protection (IP) applicants before contracts are issued, and properties are also subject to pre-occupancy inspections to ensure they are adhering to the requisite standards. With all new properties contracted by the Department to provide...

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...