Results 121-140 of 281 for 5 million speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (27 Sep 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...as possible is a key priority for my Department. It is my intention that the Scheme will be operational and open to applicants in early 2023. The Government has approved a package of €800 million for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and a breakdown of these estimated costs is set out at Chapter 5, Table 9 in the 'Final Report of the Interdepartmental Group (IDG)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (21 Sep 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 15th September, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. Together for Better is underpinned by an Expert Group report, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC).This new funding model will support delivery of ELC and SAC for the public good, for quality and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (13 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...Sector Profile 2020/2021 suggests that in 2021 there were approximately 26,200 staff working directly with children in Early Learning and Care (ELC) services, of whom 24.9% held a relevant Level 5 major award as their highest qualification, i.e. approximately 6,520 staff. Currently the Learner Fund provides a bursary of €750 for staff who complete a relevant degree-level...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (13 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...bring forward a substantial and comprehensive package of developments to achieve significant progress on its policy priorities of affordable, high quality, inclusive and sustainable ELC and SAC. The €716 million investment in ELC and SAC includes an available allocation of €73m for a new core funding stream for providers from September 2022, equivalent to €221 million...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (13 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...is to be reduced. In Budget 2022, I announced an end to the practice of deducting hours spent in pre-school or school from the entitlement to NCS subsidised hours, benefiting an estimated 5,000 children from low income families since 2 May 2022. I also announced the extension of the universal subsidy to all children under 15 from September 2022, benefiting up to 40,000 children. Full year...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority. To ensure that the supply of early learning and childcare places meets demand, my Department has, since 2015, funded the creation of more than 27,000 new places, as well as the upgrading of services through an annual capital programme. With the onset of Covid-19 in 2020, the annual capital programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Jul 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Government has provided significant investment in early learning and childcare in recent years and I intend to continue this towards reaching the First 5 commitment of investing of at least €1 billion in the sector by 2028. From August 2020, early learning and childcare services had been able to access the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) without having to demonstrate a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Home Help Service (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...development of improved community-based services, shifting care to the home and offering greater choice for older people. In budget 2021, the Minister of State secured additional funding of €150 million to progress the development of a reformed model of service delivery to underpin the statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home support services and to provide 5...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...for a specific funding stream for transport right now. I realise it is an issue. It is raised with me by those in the sector. We have a capital budget for youth services, amounting to €2.7 million, but the vast majority of these funds are for small grants to help services to maintain their buildings and youth clubs. As the Deputy knows, over the past two years we have been able...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Absolutely. I hope to continue to grow the overall funding envelope. We have grown it by €5 million cumulatively each year and hope to continue to do that. The key scheme we are looking at is UBU Your Place Your Space, which is a targeted funding scheme. We have announced eight new schemes this year and announced six new schemes last year. We will look to continue to grow that....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Youth Services (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...Monaghan education and training board area in 2020. Of these, 16 were made to Foróige clubs, making it the largest group to receive a local youth club grant scheme in that area. I secured €2.5 million for the scheme in 2022, which represented a 20% increase on 2021. As the Deputy knows, as part of budgets 2020 and 2021, in each year I have been able to secure an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...enablers" for workforce-related actions that is identified in Nurturing Skills is improvement in pay and conditions of employment for staff. In Budget 2022, I announced a new Core Funding scheme which will provide an additional €73 million of funding in 2022 and is equivalent to more than €221 million in a full year. Core Funding is expected, among other objectives, to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Social Welfare Benefits (26 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...under 3 years old. They are also available to families with children over 3 years who have not yet qualified for the free preschool programme (ECCE). This subsidy is not means tested and provides 50c per hour towards the cost of a registered childcare place for a maximum of 45 hours per week. - Income Assessed Subsidies are available to families with children aged between 24 weeks and 15...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Qualifications (26 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...Sector Profile 2020/2021 suggests that in 2021 there were approximately 26,200 staff working directly with children in Early Learning and Care (ELC) services, of whom 24.9% held a relevant Level 5 major award as their highest qualification, i.e. approximately 6,520 staff.  Currently the Learner Fund provides a bursary of €750 for staff who complete a relevant degree-level...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (26 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...do for children, for families and for the wider society and economy. I am also aware that this issue is a sector-wide one and does not solely relate to those working in the sector who hold a level 5 award in early learning and care. As the State does not employ early years educators and school age childcare practitioners, my Department does not set wage levels or determine working...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (25 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: During the period of Covid-19 restrictions, the youth funding provided by my Department to youth work organisations was maintained fully. An additional €5 million was allocated in Budget 2021 and Budget 2022 to bring the annual youth funding, including capital allocations, to €73 million. Specific Covid-19 related funding was also made available. A...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...task of monitoring the implementation of this plan. In Budget 2022, I announced a new Core Funding stream which will provide an additional €69m of funding in 2022 and is equivalent to more than €207 million in a full year. Core Funding is expected, among other objectives, to support the delivery of Nurturing Skills through supporting the employment of graduate staff and...

Seanad: Childcare Provision: Statements (17 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for the Sector; Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care; the National Action Plan for Childminding; and the First 5 strategy. We have backed up these commitments with significant additional investment in budget 2022 through the introduction of a new €221 million core funding scheme and we have pledged to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (17 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: 'First 5, the whole-of-Government strategy for babies, young children and their families' recognises that the workforce is at the heart of high-quality ELC. There is strong evidence about the relationship between staff qualifications and children’s experiences and outcomes. First 5 commits to building an appropriately skilled and sustainable professional workforce, and includes a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (11 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) was a special measure that was in place to support employers with the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. Between October 2020 and January 2022, the enhanced rate of EWSS equalled €34 million per month for ELC and SAC employers, covering, on average, 80% staff costs or 50% total operating costs. From 1 February 2022, the original two-rate structure of €203...