Results 6,521-6,540 of 11,754 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation, and everyone has a right to live here free of racial discrimination. According to 2016 Census figures, almost 12% of our population has a nationality other than Irish, while 17% of us were born abroad. In terms of nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion, our population is growing more diverse every year. But unfortunately,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides funding under UBU Your Place Your Space scheme to youth service organisations through the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETB) around the country to support the provision of targeted youth services in their area. Each ETB provides an important role in the co-ordination, oversight and administration of youth services within their functional area. The next three year...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The service referred to by the Deputy may wish to contact their Education and Training Board for further information on the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme. The policy and operating rules for the scheme are available on www.ubu.gov.ie. The scheme provides a mechanism under the policy and operating rules for the introduction of new services where funding becomes available. This involves a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. Since 2015, significant increases in State investment in early learning and childcare has given rise to a substantial growth in the numbers of children participating in these services. Every year, more than 100,000 children participate in the universal pre-school programme (ECCE) and the National...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has no role in relation to housing. Consequently, I am not in a position to answer on that aspect of this question. Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. As such, I have referred the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the committee members for the invitation to speak to and discuss this with them today. I acknowledge the significant cross-party work this committee does to vindicate the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly to advance that under the wider rubric of the UNCRPD. Once the transfer of functions to my Department is completed, I look forward to more and deeper engagement...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As Deputy Ellis will know, Ireland's approach to the implementation of the UNCRPD is one of progressive realisation. It is gradual, extending the rights and improving the systems, and I believe the change we are about to see from 1 March in terms of bringing disability under one Department is part of that progressive realisation. That is a process that has gone far too slowly, and no doubt...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Not in terms of the fact we have not ratified the optional protocol. The decision to ratify the UNCRPD itself and the optional protocol are both decisions that the independent Government of Ireland makes or does not make, and there is no consequence for not signing up. Once we sign up and we do not adhere to rights, there are then very real consequences. That is good and what we want, but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We have no indication as to when we will have our hearing before the UN committee. It is delayed significantly at UN level. I had assumed it would take place this year but it could well not happen before 2024. As Minister, I would have found it useful to have gone through that process. I have done it for the human rights committee and next week, I will be doing it for the Committee on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the failure to implement the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, the fact that we had wardship in place was a clear violation of Article 12 of the convention. In order to undertake ratification of the optional protocol and in order to be in a position where we could reasonably say to the United Nations that we are compliant, we had to take the measures to address the fact that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: To begin with, as the Deputy will be aware from our discussions on the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022, I believe the measures we have taken in that Act are compliant with the UNCRPD. That is the position of the Government in terms of the principles that are woven into 2015 and 2022 Acts. The fact that the support for a person's will and preference is reiterated...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The decision was made to treat these cases in the way in which we treat family law cases, namely, holding them in camera, because of the sensitivity of the issues being addressed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is not journalists, but an academic study. Probably the best similarity, or what certainly I had in mind when we made the amendment, is an approach such as that relating to the reporting system which operates in the family law courts and which provides annual or biannual reports on 40 or 50 anonymised cases. Those involved observe proceedings in these cases and are able to give...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will take the Deputy's point on board. I would say we will be looking. The Act also provides for three new Circuit Court judges to be appointed, because there is pressure on the docket of the Circuit Court. The judges who will work on this legislation will have specific training in implementing the specific provisions but I take the point. It is important there is consistency. This is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I share the Deputy's and the committee's desire to see the optional protocol signed and fully ratified. That is why we place the focus on getting the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act passed. It look longer than I wished but the final product is better. The Deputy made the point that legislation has to be there, but it has to be fit for purpose. The delay over the summer...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I have said in reply to other members, I want the optional protocol ratified and to see that route towards the vindication of rights if those rights have not been fulfilled in Ireland or I want at least the opportunity to highlight them that the individual complaints mechanism provides. We do have sets of remedies here. The core one is through the courts, which is difficult and can be...