Results 121-140 of 7,325 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman in 'Written Answers'

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Officials in my Department have, in recent months, engaged intensively with members and nominees of the Early Learning and Childcare Stakeholder Forum (ELCSF) in relation to Core Funding Financial Reporting Requirements. Arising from that engagement, transitional arrangements for financial reporting this year and next were agreed. The Income and Expenditure Template that my officials now...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) aims to boost national capacities and improve procedures for migration management, as well as to enhance solidarity and responsibility sharing between EU Member States. The AMIF 2021-2027 Programme, at both EU and national levels, is comprised of four Specific Objectives*, which support the interventions as identified under Article 16(12)...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: As a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the numbers of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) who have arrived in Ireland since March 2022, my Department has urgently needed to secure emergency temporary accommodation and ancillary services in order to provide access to accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it, in line with Government policy. Due to this...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Irish law prohibits discrimination on specific grounds under the Employment Equality Acts and the Equal Status Acts (the Equality Acts). These protected grounds are age, civil status, disability, family status, gender, membership of the Traveller Community, race, religious belief and sexual orientation. The Equal Status Act also protects against discrimination related to Housing Assistance...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) has engaged with both the management of Ryevale House and the Kildare County Council Local Authority Integration Team in relation to its sanitation facilities. In line with expected standards, Ryevale House is equipped with the sufficient sanitation facilities for the number of residents occupying the Centre. These facilities are...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (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.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I am advised by Tusla that its procedures ensure Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs) are only utilised where no alternative placement is available and that children are moved on from SEAs as soon as a suitable mainstream placement becomes available. However, Tusla has also indicated that it is facing significant and ongoing challenges in sourcing appropriate placements for children. I...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla provides regular data to my Department on its operation of Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs), which includes the age range of the children currently in those placements. This data indicates that, as of the week ending 31st March 2024, there were four children under the age of 12 placed in SEAs, out of a total number of 172 SEAs. Both Tusla and I are concerned about that...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The care and welfare of children in care is a priority for Government, and I share the Deputy's concerns that all children in Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs) should be safeguarded to the greatest possible extent. Ideally all children in SEAs would have an allocated social worker, where this is required by applicable regulations and standards and is indicated by the presentation of...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Principal responsibility for supporting and promoting the development, welfare and protection of children and young people lies with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) works to support the ongoing education of all children in care, including those currently in special emergency arrangements. TESS supports teams across Tusla to secure school places, and...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The challenges which have led to Tusla’s increasing reliance on SEAs are complex, and there is no one easy solution to them. They include difficulties in maintaining the number of foster carers, difficulties in maintaining sufficient capacity in residential care services, the complexity of the presentation of some children presenting to Tusla, and the unprecedented number of Separated...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: As set out in Article 5(2) of S.I. 230 of 2018, IPAS residents who are in receipt of income which reaches the thresholds set out can already be required to make a contribution towards the cost of the provision of their reception.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is designed to be flexible and acknowledge that childcare needs differ widely across different families. For this reason, NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. The actual subsidy payment is based on the hours agreed between the parent and provider, and claimed by the...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Please see, in tabular format, the total spend of IPAS accommodation, for the last three years respectively. Year Expenditure 2021 €190,856,000 2022 €356,554,000 2023 €651,713,647 Due to the sharing of Citywest reception centre, a portion of costs were transferred from the...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: On the 27th March 2024 my department announced a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy for International Protection applicants. This strategy seeks to address the current accommodation shortfall for International Protection applicants, while reforming the system over the longer term to ensure the State will always be able to meet its international commitments. The reforms will see a...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1152 and 1153 together. My Department does not directly provide an Early Learning and Care or School Aged Childcare transport service. Services may at their own discretion provide for transport as part of their overall service offer and the substantial subsidies provided by my Department contribute to the cost of this throughout the offset of fees in those...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Whilst I cannot comment on individual cases I will try to be helpful in more general terms. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme is designed to provide payments and other benefits to people who spent time in one or more of the Mother and Baby or County Home Institutions, that were identified by the Commission of Investigation as having a main function of providing sheltered...