Results 10,761-10,780 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

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, it is my commitment, with the small proviso of making sure that we get the drafting of that right. However, the policy objective set out in head 8 is my policy objective and what we have instructed the drafters to achieve.

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: It is my determination not to see this important legislation lost and to instead see it passed within the lifetime of this Dáil with all three elements included, reflecting the policy we have discussed at this and previous meetings. All of the work I have undertaken over the past number of weeks has been done to achieve that. We referred this legislation for drafting 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: It is the agreed strategy. I am not sure if the office is necessarily okay with it. I believe there would be a preference not to go ahead with the NDA section, but I have said I will not accept that and have insisted on this strategy because I have made a commitment to get the NDA piece over the line.

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 Deputy. All three central elements of this Bill are welcome. They will be welcome for women who have a serious illness during maternity leave-----

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: -----and it will be welcome for Members of the Oireachtas. It is shocking that there is still not a clear statutory entitlement for Members of the Oireachtas to take maternity leave. We are addressing that finally.

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: That has been done already.

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, it has. One of my colleagues-----

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: One of my Green Party colleagues is on maternity leave from her council at the moment.

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 are behind the local authorities in terms of that piece. Then, we are addressing the key piece on NDAs. My hope is that this can progress rapidly and a waiver can be granted and we can move to introduce this into the Seanad initially and subsequently the Dáil. I will circulate the draft amendments in advance to those who are interested and then seek to introduce the specific...

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: Certainly, we are far behind other European countries in terms of our entitlement to maternity leave.

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: It is also fair to say that if we pass the piece on NDAs, we will be quite a leader in terms of making provision. Certain other jurisdictions are looking at the draft legislation that was debated through the Houses as a potential map or indication forward. We will be quite advanced in that particular area. That is certainly something I would welcome.

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, in other areas.

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: It is important to say that I do not want to be in any way overly harsh towards people who work in the drafting office and who do huge work. It is simply an issue of the pressure of work that is taking place at present. There is a finance Bill that will need to be drafted soon, a planning Bill that is going through the Senator's House, a gambling Bill, a family law report Bill and other...

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" is the clear answer. The policy intent is as set out here. I would not have gone through this convoluted process if the whole intent had been to pass legislation that was not delivering on what we all understood, which was to outlaw the use of NDAs in these circumstances. I hope I can provide that reassurance to Senator Ruane now.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for his question. Just before I respond specifically on the ARP, it is worth reminding ourselves of the context in which this payment was introduced. It was at a time of the greatest humanitarian crisis we have seen on our Continent since the Second World War, and the greatest movement of people across the Continent. It was the biggest humanitarian challenge we in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. It is important to state that this payment is allowing us to meet the accommodation needs of Ukrainians who are here as a legal right under the temporary protection directive. It is an extremely important part of the State's accommodation offering. Thousands of Ukrainians have a legal right to be in this country under the temporary protection directive. We meet their...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy said what he does not want-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: -----but has not indicated what he does want.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Whoever is the Minister has to find the accommodation. He or she cannot draw those kind of lines in terms of what will not happen. The Minister has to show where accommodation will be provided.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for the question. For clarity, I spoke to media at some length about this on Monday, but I am very happy to restate what I said at that point. We have to be absolutely factual when we are dealing with these issues and are in a situation where we have a homelessness crisis, where many people are in really difficult situations, where we have a humanitarian response to the...