Results 4,941-4,960 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla is the statutory body with responsibility for child protection and welfare services. If a child appears to be at risk of harm or neglect, the concerns should be reported to Tusla. Anyone can report a concern about a child to Tusla, and information on how to do so is available on the Tusla website.  If a child is at immediate risk or in danger, An Garda Síochána (AGS)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The most recent edition of 'Key data on early childhood education and care in Europe' published by the European Commission in 2019, highlighted the high level of fees for full time early childhood education and care for under 3s in countries which rely on market mechanisms to including Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Since then, the Government has set out a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant investment is being made by my Department to address affordability for parents through the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). As the Deputy may be aware, I announced a number of changes to the Scheme as part of Budget 2022. These changes will be of significant benefit to many parents. For instance, from 2 May, the NCS no longer deducts hours spent in pre-school, or school, from...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. My Department is focused on providing short term accommodation to people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. In excess of 23,000 people...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (2 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: All public bodies have responsibility under Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. The public sector duty assessment and implementation for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability,...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senators for their amendments. I will speak to Nos. 1 and 2 first, then to Nos. 24 and 25. Amendment No. 1 seeks to include illegal adoption in the definition of "adoption". The insertion of these words is not necessary. In any case where an adoption order issued, a person is considered to be an adopted person and therefore a relevant person under the Bill. Amendment No. 2...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I agree with the Government, Senator Higgins and all Senators on the need for full access to all information on vaccines, vaccine trials and medical trials. There is no disagreement on that and it is for that reason that I cannot accept these amendments. They are unnecessary because the legislation before us provides comprehensively for the full release of medical records to an applicant....

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: At no stage would I seek to question the bona fides of any Senator here. Senator Higgins is making it look like I am wishing that this is what is going to happen, crossing my fingers and hoping. The clear reading of these provisions is that it includes all elements of vaccination, including vaccinations and vaccination trials. I accept that there is a difference between those things. A...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendment No. 5 seeks to ensure that, where a relevant person had visitors or inquiries made in relation to them, this information will be available to be released, including the name of the person and, where available, their relationship to the relevant person. This amendment comes on the back of intense engagement with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on this issue. It shows that I...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senators for their comments.

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The definition of provided items is inclusive and seeks to ensure that a broad range of items can be shared with a relevant person, including items such as letters, mementos, presents or photographs. It is central to ensuring clarity and consistency in facilitating the release of these items. It is important to note that the definition is specific that it covers items left by a genetic...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: With respect to the monitoring of any potential blockages, the implementation group, comprising the Department, Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland, AAI, will be working to understand how the implementation is taking place. We also have the stakeholder reference group that is being brought together. It will include people who were adopted, parents and people who were the subjects of...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to accept these amendments, which seek to add to the list of secondary information sources provided for within the legislation, because I do not believe they are required. It is important to note the list of secondary information sources already includes a person prescribed under section 43(2). That is something that can be done through statutory instrument. There...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to accept this amendment because it would introduce a broad and sweeping power to the Minister beyond the agreed policy intentions underpinning the Bill. When drafting this legislation, I wanted to ensure that it was as broad and encompassing as possible while ensuring that the definitions and parameters included in it were strong enough to be sound legislatively and...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendment No. 32 seeks to ensure that in a scenario where a person has applied to a relevant body for birth, early life care, or medical information, and no records exist, as well as informing the applicant of this fact - which was provided for already under the legislation - the relevant body will also advise the applicant of the right to make an application through the contact preference...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Report Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendments Nos. 29 to 31, inclusive, relate to the information session. Amendment No. 30 entirely removes or deletes it whereas amendments Nos. 29 and 31 seek to alter the mechanism. At this point we have debated this Bill for 30 hours across the two Houses and a very significant proportion of that time has been spent on discussing this issue. I recognise the very strong and deeply held...

Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Instruction to Committee (15 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move: That, pursuant to Standing Order 187, it be an instruction to the Committee to which the Institutional Burials Bill 2022, may be recommitted in respect of certain amendments, that it has power to make amendments to the Bill which are outside the scope of the existing provisions of the Bill, in order to provide for an Oversight Committee to perform an assurance role in respect of...

Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (15 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, line 10, after “manner;” to insert “to provide for post-recovery analysis of recovered human remains;”. I will speak to amendments Nos. 1, 22, 24, 25 and 42 to 44, inclusive, together. Amendments Nos. 2, 24, and 25 are identical to those tabled by Deputies Funchion and Ward on Committee Stage. I agreed to consider changes...

Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (15 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move amendment No. 3: In page 9, line 14, to delete “niece or nephew” and substitute “niece or nephew (whether of the whole blood or the half-blood), grandniece or grandnephew”. Deputies will be aware that I significantly expanded the list of family members who can participate in a DNA identification programme from the list set out in the original general...

Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (15 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes.