Results 5,181-5,200 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I do not believe that these amendments are necessary. In response to the pre-legislative scrutiny, PLS, report I made provision for final arrangements. The amendments are to do with the final arrangements for the burial of remains following identification and recovery. In response to the PLS process I provided that final arrangements will be made in line with the wishes of family members....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which he has done one on one with me on a number of occasions, and he has been a strong advocate for the sector. The Deputy is right that one of my goals as Minister is to reduce costs for parents, but I have always set out two other goals. My second goal is to ensure childcare professionals get properly paid, and we are about to achieve that...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I look at the sustainability fund in another way. I do not know many other sectors where the Government provides a safety net for private providers. We are doing that because we recognise the importance of this sector. Where there is a situation where a private provider has a sustainability issue, the Government is ready to step in. There are not many other sectors of private enterprise...

Autism Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin and colleagues in the Labour Party for bringing forward this Bill to allow us to debate the incredibly important issue of support for persons with autism in Ireland and their families. I welcome the families who are here in the Dáil to witness this debate. Like Deputy Ó Ríordáin, I share that sense of responsibility both as...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: “(e) section 93;”. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I move amendment No. 1 to repeal section 93 of the 2015 Act, which provides for a separate review of Part 8 of the Act I will move a separate amendment to ensure that Part 8, which is related to advanced healthcare directives...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to amendment No. 2 first. Deputy Collins is right that there is agreement among everyone that there must be parity between physical healthcare and mental healthcare in the operation of advance healthcare directives. I reiterate what I and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, said on Second Stage. The Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and I, our respective...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendment No. 35 relates to section 89 of the Act. We are replacing the reference to "the unborn" with "her pregnancy". This means that where there is an application to a court to clarify a matter with regard to an advance healthcare directive, the healthcare needs of the woman's pregnancy will be considered, not those of "the unborn". There is no instruction regarding the rights of the...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Is amendment No. 6 included in this grouping?

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My apologies. In response to Deputy Duncan Smith, while I appreciate the intention behind the amendment, the Government's position has not changed on this provision since Committee Stage. The amendment being proposed is unusual in terms of legislative norms and we would also see it as unnecessary in order to achieve the desired effect of the provision. Following ratification of the UNCRPD...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move amendment No. 4: In page 6, after line 34, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 4 of Principal Act 5. Section 4 of the Principal Act is amended- (a) in subsection (1) (i) by the substitution of “sections 37” for “sections 37, 85(6)(b)”, (ii) by the substitution of “in which the following persons are residing or carrying on...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is important to state that inherent jurisdiction is controlled by the jurisprudence of the Irish courts. It is important in that context to refer to the case of AC v. Cork University Hospital and the HSE, a very important case that was decided on the whole area of capacity law. It was heard in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and, eventually, the Supreme Court. This case affirmed...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: This amendment seeks to replace section 3 of the 2015 Act which sets out the functional capacity model with replacement text on legal capacity. As drafted, the amendment does not fit with the overall architecture of the 2015 Act or the amendment Bill. It would require significant policy drafting to give effect to the proposed amendment. As the functional model is core to what the previous...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I regret Deputy Cairns's attempts to put words in my mouth so let me be very clear in what I am saying - I do not believe the 2015 Act is in breach of the UNCRPD. That is my position and the position of the Government. The piece Deputy Cairns quoted was written a year prior to the 2015 Act being drafted and as I have stated, the vice chair of the body that oversees the UNCRPD has...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In December 2021, Government adopted the 25 recommendations contained in an Expert Group report, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC). The new funding model will support the delivery of ELC and SAC for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families. To achieve this, there...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Bodies (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are six bodies under the aegis of my Department with State Boards. They are the Adoption Authority of Ireland, Gaisce (the President’s Award), the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), Oberstown Children Detention Campus, the National Disability Authority and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. The current membership on each board is listed in the document attached. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Flexible Work Practices (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department currently employs 537 staff. Currently staff are required to work in the office a minimum of 2 days per week. My Department conducted an eWorking pilot before the pandemic and a small number of staff participated in the pilot.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is aware of the 70/30 Campaign initiated by a UK wide network of individuals, organisations and elected representatives working together to reduce child abuse, neglect and other adverse childhood experiences by at least 70% by the year 2030. The 70/30 Campaign target as referenced by the Deputy is believed achievable with the appropriate policies, actions and funding supports. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Issues (28 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: Equality Issues (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Discrimination on specified grounds, including sexual orientation and gender, is prohibited by law in the field of employment under the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2021 and in the supply of and access to goods and services under the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2018. Complaints regarding breaches of equality legislation may be pursued before the Workplace Relations Commission, which...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In December 2021, Government adopted the 25 recommendations contained in an Expert Group report, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC). The new funding model will support the delivery of ELC and SAC for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families. To achieve this,...