Results 10,001-10,020 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm that the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill is the responsibility of my Department.  It transferred to my Department from the Department of Justice in October last year under S.I. No. 436/2020 Disability, Equality, Human Rights, Integration and Reception (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020.  This legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As noted to the Deputy in my answer to Parliamentary Question No. 628 of 10 March 2021, there was a spend of €183.037 million in 2020 on the provision of accommodation and services for International Protection applicants compared to €129.408 million in 2019, an increase of €53.629 million. I am committed to improving conditions in our International...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision Payments (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the initiative to prevent period poverty and promote gender equality I can confirm that, as of 15 March 2021, period products are now provided free of charge in all International Protection accommodation centres across the country. From 15 March 2021, residents being accommodated in centres that offer the points-based foodhall system will no longer have points deducted when...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Data (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Data (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for the Adoption Authority of Ireland, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Services (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017 provides important opportunities for some children, who might otherwise have spent years in foster care and for whom adoption is considered an appropriate intervention, to have the security of a permanent, adoptive family. In particular for children in care, the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017 includes the right of any child to be adopted, irrespective...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Capital Expenditure Programme (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department's total capital provision as a proportion of total gross allocation is less than 2% in 2021 or €36.1m (including capital carryover of approx €4.1m from 2020).  My Department has not to date undertaken significant capital projects as envisaged by the Deputy's question. Capital allocations in my Department in 2021 are made in four policy areas, namely: - Tusla...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Carer's Leave (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Section 6 of the Carer's Leave Act 2001 provides that employees with at least one year's continuous service are entitled to take up to 104 weeks of carer's leave to enable them to provide full-time care and attention to a person who is in need of such care.   Carer's Leave is unpaid but an employee may also qualify for Carer's Benefit or Carer's Allowance, the payment of which is a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence Services (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I understand that the service in question is in receipt of funding from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency for the provision of counselling services to children. Tusla has responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). Tusla provides funding to some 60 services throughout the State that work with and support survivors of...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid Parents' Leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. In December 2020, the Government approved the drafting of a Parents' Leave Bill to provide an additional three weeks of paid Parents' Leave to each parent, and to extend the period in which the leave can...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can inform the Deputy that Tusla publishes considerable information on its funding of bodies under section 56 of the Child and Family Agency Acts 2013. For example, Appendix 1 of the Tusla's Annual Financial Statements for 2019 provides a list of organisations that received payments equal to or greater than €50,000 in that year. These are published at...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Transport (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to provide the following information to the Deputy in respect of vehicles owned or leased and operated by my Department and bodies under the aegis of my Department. Body Reply Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Nil (no vehicles owned or leased and operated) Child and Family Agency (Tusla) ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are two pieces of legislation that my Department is currently preparing in relation to the UNCRPD - the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill and the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill - both of which I aim to have commenced in 2022. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) reforms the law in Ireland so that it conforms to the United...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Capital Expenditure Programme (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Every year since 2013 the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has provided Local Authorities with the opportunity to apply for funding to support new and existing play and recreation facilities for children and young people the Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation.  One of the consistent criteria under this scheme is that the playground must be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to reiterate my commitment towards the realisation of children’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Given the cross-cutting nature of the recommendations contained in the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2016, the full list was shared with all Government Departments for their consideration. This applies to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Services (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is intended that the Here2Help files will transfer to the Adoption Authority of Ireland in April 2021. These files include open information and tracing cases and a waiting list for those requesting an information and tracing service. It is the intention of the Adoption Authority of Ireland to provide a service to anyone whose information was held by Here2Help. On February...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: When publishing the Final Report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation on 12 January 2021, the Government announced a comprehensive action plan to respond to the needs of the former residents of these institutions. A key element of the action plan is a commitment to establish a Restorative Recognition Scheme to provide financial recognition and a form of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Support Payments (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment on this matter. This is more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: All of my Department’s international protection accommodation centres are contractually bound to provide menus that reasonably meet the  dietary needs of the different ethnic groups accommodated at the centre and the reasonable prescribed dietary needs of any person accommodated at the centre. Menus must include a vegetarian option and all food products provided must have a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aiming to commence the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) in June 2022.  The 2015 Act provides a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults with capacity difficulties.  It ultimately provides for the end of the wardship system and the establishment of a new Decision Support Service (DSS).  The 2015 Act is primarily the policy...