Results 10,721-10,740 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I apologise for the delay in responding to the deferred PQs 19884/24, PQ 19857/24, PQ 19858/24 and PQ 19859/24. I can confirm that a response to these PQs has now been issued to the Deputy, as of 11 September 2024.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the State’s humanitarian response to the Ukrainian crisis, the Government has developed a Rapid Build Housing Programme to provide accommodation for families fleeing the war in Ukraine who request it. The programme aims to provide short-term accommodation for up to 2,800 Ukrainians at several sites across Ireland. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is leading the development...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has in place a range of supports and funding schemes to support the delivery of early learning and childcare places but services are independently operated, either by community not-for-profit or by private for-profit providers, and decisions about whether and when to open a service rest with individual service providers, subject to them registering with Tusla's Early Years...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In January 2023, my Department received a proposal in relation to the former Equestrian and Conference Centre, Wallslough, Co. Kilkenny, R95 T9FE for the provision of temporary accommodation for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine (Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, also know as BOTPs). As the proposal involved a property requiring significant conversion and refurbishment works, it...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is working with communities all over Ireland to source and provide accommodation for people applying for international protection. This is part of Irish and EU law, and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their home country. My Department’s Community Engagement Team (CET) liaises directly with elected...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Sep 2024)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy has sought some statistics pertaining to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme which I provide here as at 16 September. Estimated number of persons eligible for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme 34,000 Number of applications received to date 5,104 Number of applications awaiting outstanding...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you for your correspondence on behalf of your constituent regarding their daughter's eligibility for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. The ECCE programme provides universal, free preschool to children in the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months. The upper age limit of 5 years and 6 months for ECCE was set in consultation with the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Pension Provisions (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question. My Department is currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NPD Delivery and Reform in relation to the 2025 Estimates. Until these discussions are concluded, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Medical Cards (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Section 19(5)(b) of the legislation that underpins the Scheme - the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 - provides that an applicant to the Scheme shall specify what benefits they are applying for. So, applicants can indeed select just the medical benefits and not the general or work payments. (In practice, the Payment Scheme Office will assess every application and where it...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on her appointment. I look forward to working with her on the matters that are within the remit of this committee. I also thank her for her kind remarks in respect of Niall Kieran. I offer the sympathies of my Department, myself and my officials to his family and his colleagues in the Oireachtas. I appreciate the opportunity come here to discuss the...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes, Chair, that is the primary issue. When we made a decision to bring forward legislation to deal with the Leave Our Leave issue, I made a request that we would also deal with the NDA issue, as part of that legislation. I see this as something important. There is a much larger reform of the Equality Acts due and work is ongoing on that but we looked to bring the NDA piece forward....

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. Regarding the issue of pre-legislative scrutiny waivers on legislation having been sought numerous times, my recollection is that I have done so three times over the past four years. I am open to correction, but I am thinking through the various Bills we have discussed at this committee. We have had detailed pre-legislative scrutiny sessions, some of which predate the...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The advice we got from the office of the parliamentary drafters was in terms of this Bill on which drafting started in late July.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: In the drafting of any legislation, internal legal advisers within the Department will provide legal advice on various pieces of proposed legislation. In terms of this legislation, when we referred it to the office of the parliamentary drafters, we indicated we wanted priority to be given to the maternity protection section because that is the piece we had identified as needing to be acted...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: To try to give the Senator clarity, legal advisers in every Department are seconded from the Office of the Attorney General. That is how the system works within every Department. The legal advisers who provided us with internal legal advice on this Bill, as they do on every piece of legislation, are seconded from the Office of the Attorney General.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I just said the advice came from legal advisers within our Department.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: With respect, I am setting out the process that works in our Department and every single Department.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: We received advice from the legal advisers within our own Department.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: We did not make a specific request to the Office of the Attorney General for advice from that office. We received legal advice from the legal advisers within our own Department.