Results 141-160 of 7,453 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The efforts and contributions of individuals, volunteers, communities, local authorities and NGOs across the country in welcoming and supporting those fleeing the war in Ukraine have been truly remarkable. The standard and scale of the humanitarian response is due to such efforts and is to be commended. Commercial accommodation providers contracted to my Department have played a valuable part...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (23 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: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (23 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: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (23 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: Mother and Baby Homes (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, which opened on 20 March, will benefit an estimated 34,000 people who spent time in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions and is projected to cost approximately €800 million over its full lifetime. As at Sunday, 14 April, 1,345 complete applications have been received and are being processed. This is in addition to a number...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department does not collate the information requested by the Deputy. Funding provided by my Department to the Education and Training Boards does not directly fund youth worker posts or salaries; rather, it is allocated on a 'provision of service' basis to meet the needs of the youth population in an area. The recruitment and employment of staff including youth workers is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Both Tusla and I are concerned about that Agency’s reliance on Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs), and share a common aim to meet the needs of these children in mainstream alternative care placements. I am advised by Tusla that its procedures ensure SEAs are only utilised in exceptional circumstances where no alternative care placement is available. This can occur in circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla are working to reduce reliance on Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs). In the interim, specific measures are being taken by Tusla, supported by the Department, to promote and support the quality and safety of these placements. In this regard, Tusla have developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for these placements, which detail extensive checks that any prospective SEA...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla prepares an Absence Management Plan for each child in care. In the case of Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIPs) and Unaccompanied Minors (UAMs), absence management plans are completed on the day of placement by the Tusla SCSIP Intake and Assessment Team. The Joint Protocol between An Garda Síochána and Tusla sets out how social workers and social...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy raises a number of issues relating to quality in Special Emergency Arrangements [SEAs]. In relation to the matter of “high occupancy rates” in such arrangements, as referenced by the Deputy, I understand that, based on assessed needs of Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP) who have been accommodated in an SEA, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Young Ireland: National Policy Framework for Children and Young People recognises the important role of youth work services in supporting young people to thrive and fully develop their potential. It acknowledges the important ongoing reform programme and further commits to the development of a new Youth Services Action Plan to provide a strategic direction for the delivery of youth...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Young Ireland: National Policy Framework for Children and Young People recognises the important role of youth work services in supporting young people to thrive and fully develop their potential. In line with this, I have continued to invest significantly in youth services throughout the country so that every young person is given the opportunity to achieve their full potential. From...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides targeted supports for young people aged 10-24 who are marginalised, vulnerable or disadvantaged by means of the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme, under which €47 million is being allocated in 2024 to support young people to participate youth services in their communities. Under this scheme, service providers are required to report on the engagement of young...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the State’s humanitarian response to the Ukrainian crisis, the Government has developed a Rapid Build Housing Programme to provide accommodation for families fleeing the war in Ukraine who request it. The programme aims to provide short-term accommodation for up to 2,800 Ukrainians at several sites across Ireland. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is leading the development...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: After-School Support Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 534 and 540 together. The Department of Education Guidelines on the use of School Buildings Outside of School Hours guide schools in the use of school facilities for other services, including early learning and childcare services. The Guidelines are clear that the issue is a matter for the property owners taking into consideration the needs of the school,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The property to which the Deputy refers was appraised by the Technical Working group in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, set up for the purpose of prioritising buildings to be refurbished for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. The criteria for assessment included Location, Capacity, Delivery Time Lines and Value for Money among others. The Technical Working Group...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 541 and 542 together. The funding provided to Education and Training Boards (ETBs) for youth work services, broken down by ETB area, for each of the years 2014 to 2024 can be found in the table below. Please note: Allocations are made to 16 ETB areas, not local authorities, therefore, it's not possible to provide information specific to a particular local...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Capital funding 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 investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars: Building Blocks - Improvement Grant; Building Blocks - Capacity Grant; and Building Blocks - Innovation Grant. Significant funding has been...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I understand officials in my Department have agreed to meet with the service in question. Ahead of a meeting, they have asked Tipperary Childcare Committee, with the support of Pobal, to make contact with the service. The Deputy will be aware that special supports are available from my Department where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has concerns about their viability....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (23 Apr 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The number of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTP) and that of International Protection Applicants (IPA) by local electoral areas is set out in the table below. The data for BOTPs is not usually collated in this manner and data for 16 April 2024 has been compiled in this format. This data refers to accommodation supported or provided by this Department. There is no obligation on a...