Results 9,321-9,340 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Action Plan for Childminding, which was published in April 2021, aims to improve access, through childminding, to high quality and affordable childcare. The Action Plan sets out a pathway over the next 8 years towards regulation, support and subsidies for all paid, non-relative childminders. The Action Plan will involve change and will bring significant benefits for childminders,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has carried out an assessment of the human rights and equality issues it believes to be relevant to its functions and purpose as required under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. My Department has also outlined the policies, plans and actions in place or proposed to be put in place to address those issues in its Public Sector Assessment and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disabilities Assessments (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The focus of my Department is on the development of an integrated equality proofing process that covers all nine equality grounds plus poverty rather than on separate impact assessments. My Department is co-lead, with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, on the EqualityBudgeting Expert Advisory Group (EBEAG) and has funded a policy scan undertaken by the OECD to support this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Residential Institutions (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 389 and 391 together. Former residents of Mother and Baby Homes can make a Subject Access Request (SAR) to my Department for access to their record. My Department is cognisant of its obligations as a data controller when responding to SARs and is responding on a case by case basis to individuals within the timeframes required by the GDPR. GDPR...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government reiterates the commitment to ratify the Optional Protocol after the first reporting cycle. That timeline remains the objective. This position has been based on the assumption that Ireland's initial State Report would be examined by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. If it emerges that there are delays in the scheduling of Ireland's...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ahead of ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Optional Protocol, my Department will assess the requirements for ratification. This will include an assessment as to whether or not potential reservations are needed. It is too early at this stage to indicate whether or not Ireland will make reservations in the context of ratifying the Optional...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Process (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016, which was drafted to ensure implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, had completed Dáil Committee Stage during the previous Government, but lapsed with the dissolution of the previous Dáil and Seanad and was not restored to the Order Paper. Its provisions are being included in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) is a whole-of-government strategy. It is the key framework for policy and action to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Ireland. It supports effective progress in delivering on the obligations set out in the UNCRPD. The Steering Group is chaired by my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Special Educational Needs (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I was pleased to speak at the launch of the Parenting Plus Special Needs Programme late last year. Parenting programmes offer a valuable support for parents, helping them enhance their existing knowledge and skills to improve outcomes for their families. I welcome this evidenced-based programme from Parenting Plus that addresses the unique support requirements of parents caring for a child...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy. As I'm sure you can appreciate, the impact of the cyber-attack on Tusla systems continues to be felt. Tusla continues to provide a vital service and is working hard to restore their IT systems...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (29 Jun 2021)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Expert guidance on the safe operation of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services during the COVID-19 pandemic was published by the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in May 2020 and has been updated on a number of occasions since then, most recently on 25 June 2021. The latest version of the guidance was circulated to all registered providers on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: One of the major objectives of First 5, a Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families 2019-2028is that babies and young children have access to safe, high-quality, developmentally appropriate Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Care (SAC) which reflects diversity of need. Allied to that objective, First 5identifies as a key building block additional...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Qualifications (29 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In line with emerging best practice to support the integration and independence of children with a disability, AIM level 7 provides additional funding to pre-schools who have a child requiring extra support. Providers can use this funding either to reduce the child-to-adult ratio in the pre-school room or to fund an extra staff member. This staff member is a shared resource with other...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Equality Issues (24 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is an important comparison to make, given what is happening in European countries. The Deputy highlighted Hungary, but we saw a similar situation in Poland last year and earlier this year in terms of the so-called LGBTI+-free zones. That was condemned by the Government and across the Oireachtas. I met the Polish ambassador this year to convey the Government's concern about what was...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Equality Issues (24 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for this topic submission and for bringing attention to the incident in which the Pride flag was removed from outside of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Ballyfermot. We can step back for a moment and remember what the Pride flag symbolises and why Pride celebrations are so important, in terms of promoting the self-affirmation, dignity, equality and increased...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (24 Jun 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 each parent of a child is entitled to two weeks of paid Parent’s Leave and the Family Leave Act 2021 increased this entitlement to 5 weeks for each parent.  The intention of Parent's Leave is to enable parents to spend time with their child in the earliest years and is deliberately non-transferrable between parents to...