Results 5,161-5,180 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Second Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Senators for their contributions today and I thank many of them for their contributions to this process through the children's committee. I am grateful too for their ongoing engagement with me. Like Senator Boyhan, I visited the site at Tuam last July with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. We met Catherine Corless, who showed me the site. We met one or two relatives there...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (23 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. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: While the Deputy refers to the ECCE scheme I am informed the query relates to the National Childcare Scheme (NCS).  The NCS is an initiative of my Department, the day to day operation of which is carried out by Pobal, in its role of NCS Scheme Administrator. My Department has referred this query to Pobal, who have advised that the change to the subsidy award was based on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Support Services (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 375 together. Following my recent announcement of the First 5 Little Baby Bundle Pilot Scheme, my Department are now overseeing a procurement process for a Managing Agent to design the bundle, procure its contents, to handle storage and coordinate delivery. We hope to have a managing agent in place to deliver this pilot scheme in the autumn....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the Programme for Government, a commitment was made to replace the current system of accommodation for International Protection applicants with a new model based on a non-for profit approach. As part of this process I published A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to establish a New International Protection Support Service. This White Paper outlines the proposed new model of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Rights (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to legislate to end the practice of conversion therapy, an objective I strongly support. In addition, the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018 – 2021 contains a commitment to prohibit the promotion or practice of conversion therapy by health professionals in Ireland, and the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019 - 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm Deputy that from 2002 to 1 June, 2022, a total of 97 persons have died. In the past five years, from 2017 to 1 June 2022, 24 people have passed away in centres. Year Deaths 2017 3 2018 5 2019 3 2020 6 2021 8 2022 (to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to direct the Deputy to the table below. The numbers are set out by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of this Department. These figures were last received on Sunday, 19 June, 2022. Accommodation Type   Number of Children   Balseskin Reception Centre 79 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Proposed Legislation (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to legislate to end the practice of conversion therapy, an objective I strongly support. In addition, the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018 – 2021 contains a commitment to prohibit the promotion or practice of conversion therapy by health professionals in Ireland, and the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019 - 2022 commits to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Refugee Resettlement Programme (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 382 together. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine on February 24, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on meeting the immediate, temporary accommodation needs of those fleeing the conflict. My Department is focused on...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (14 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the committee that I will be bringing forward further amendments to this section to account for the transfer of governance and reporting arrangements to me from the Minister for Health.

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: A number of these amendments are similar to some brought forward on Committee and Report Stages in the Dáil and, unfortunately, I am not in a position to accept them. Amendments Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 7 to 9, inclusive, seek to alter the definition of “principal burial land” and the conditions for making a Government order to allow for interventions in cases where inappropriate...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to why we believe we should not remove the word "manifestly" from the Bill and, as such, are not in a position to accept these amendments. This Bill is designed to create a lawful basis for forensic excavation, recovery, analysis and identification of human remains at institutional sites where manifestly inappropriate burials have taken place.When the abhorrent situation at Tuam...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senators for their proposals. I am not in a position to support these amendments. Replacing "may" with "shall", as proposed by amendments Nos. 5 and 6 would, as Senator Seery Kearney said, remove the discretion of the Government and constrain its ability to make Government decisions on proposals which are brought to Cabinet. It would not be appropriate to compel the Government...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: There has been a good deal of debate on this particular provision and it has changed. What we are dealing with in this provision is where there is a burial on private residential land. We are thinking of a situation where perhaps an institution sold off land to an estate and now there is potential intervention on that land. Under the original heads of the Bill I brought forward, the Bill...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to support these amendments. The criteria set out are all-important factors that need to be considered in deciding whether or not to make an order. If an investigation by An Garda Síochána or a coronial inquiry is taking place, an intervention under this Bill could potentially interfere with the investigation or inquiry. This is precisely why the...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will first make the general point that the very purpose of this legislation is to stop the burial of the truth and to actually allow for interventions in Tuam and potentially in other sites. That is what we are all seeking to achieve here. Because we are dealing with different sites, I am not in the position to accept these amendments. It is vital to recognise that excavation may not be...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Obviously, it would be site specific, unless there was a strong view among relatives that their desire for the site was not to see an investigation, an intervention or an excavation. As we know, what is proposed here is significant in terms of excavation, exhumation and identification. If there was a strong view there, that would be a substantive reason. We have to look at this on a...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to support these amendments. The provisions they seek to remove are necessary to aid the clear interpretation of the criteria that define a manifestly inappropriate burial. Amendment No. 21 seeks to remove the phrase "at the time of such burial" from subsection 8(1)(b) of the legislation. As I explained in the Dáil, it is important that an assessment of burials...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to accept these two amendments because I believe what the Senator seeks is already covered in the Bill in both circumstances. I will set out the reason I believe that is the case. Amendment No. 31 proposes that the circumstances and causes of death are considered in post-recovery analysis and that these are noted in the director's report to the Government. This is...