Results 1,761-1,780 of 11,729 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Transport (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to provide the following information to the Deputy in respect of vehicles owned or leased and operated by my Department and bodies under the aegis of my Department. Body Reply Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Nil (no vehicles owned or leased and operated) Child and Family Agency (Tusla) ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are two pieces of legislation that my Department is currently preparing in relation to the UNCRPD - the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill and the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill - both of which I aim to have commenced in 2022. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) reforms the law in Ireland so that it conforms to the United...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Capital Expenditure Programme (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Every year since 2013 the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has provided Local Authorities with the opportunity to apply for funding to support new and existing play and recreation facilities for children and young people the Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation.  One of the consistent criteria under this scheme is that the playground must be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to reiterate my commitment towards the realisation of children’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Given the cross-cutting nature of the recommendations contained in the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2016, the full list was shared with all Government Departments for their consideration. This applies to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Services (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is intended that the Here2Help files will transfer to the Adoption Authority of Ireland in April 2021. These files include open information and tracing cases and a waiting list for those requesting an information and tracing service. It is the intention of the Adoption Authority of Ireland to provide a service to anyone whose information was held by Here2Help. On February...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: When publishing the Final Report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation on 12 January 2021, the Government announced a comprehensive action plan to respond to the needs of the former residents of these institutions. A key element of the action plan is a commitment to establish a Restorative Recognition Scheme to provide financial recognition and a form of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Support Payments (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment on this matter. This is more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: All of my Department’s international protection accommodation centres are contractually bound to provide menus that reasonably meet the  dietary needs of the different ethnic groups accommodated at the centre and the reasonable prescribed dietary needs of any person accommodated at the centre. Menus must include a vegetarian option and all food products provided must have a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aiming to commence the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) in June 2022.  The 2015 Act provides a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults with capacity difficulties.  It ultimately provides for the end of the wardship system and the establishment of a new Decision Support Service (DSS).  The 2015 Act is primarily the policy...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ministerial Correspondence (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the September start date and a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the ECCE...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Social Workers Recruitment (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Policy on surrogacy rests with the Minister for Health.  The current entitlements enable the spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner of the parent of a child to avail of Parents' Leave.  These provisions do not exclude situations where a child has been born through surrogacy provided that a male partner is the biological parent of the child.  The second parent can is then...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Policy on surrogacy rests with the Minister for Health while policy on parentage rests with the Minister for Justice.  Legislation on maternity leave must be developed in the context of the legal situation concerning parentage, including in relation to surrogacy.   Any changes in the legal situation with regard to parentage and surrogacy are matters for the Minister for Justice and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Years Sector (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In order to support Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services during the period of 1 February to 28 March 2021, I introduced revised and enhanced funding arrangements to help ensure that services remain open and available, even at very low levels of occupancy, for children and families who need it at this time. Two streams of funding are available: standard...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (24 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Family Leave Bill 2021 is being considered by Deputies at a second stage reading in Dáil Éireann today. The bill provides for an additional three weeks of paid Parent's Leave to each parent, for an extension in the period in which the leave can be taken to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child, and for a number of other important matters. The bill...

Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for raising this point. He has engaged with me directly about this and I have issued a response. It is an important point. As we work towards the full transposition of the work-life balance directive, we will have to continue to look at the position regarding carer's leave. It is covered under Article 6 of the directive, which provides for five days of annual carer's...

Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputies for bringing forward these two amendments, which are very similar. While I understand the intention of the Deputies in proposing that we provide a report on a review of this legislation within a year, I do not consider that to be the best approach. I do not agree that these amendments offer the best way to proceed and I will try to explain why that is the case. The...

Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: We are being proactive in bringing in the three-week provision this year and in extending it out to the first two years of birth. This extension is to recognise the difficulties new parents have had during the Covid crisis and the lack of traditional supports, be they immediate family supports or the wider societal supports that families normally seek to avail of. We have demonstrated a...

Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the leave is currently designed, it has to be taken within the first year of the child's birth. My proposal is that this can be taken in the first two years. Deputy Whitmore's alternative is the first three years. I suppose we are trying to achieve a balance. The core reason we are bringing it out to two years is that acknowledgement of the difficulties faced by families and by new...

Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Mar 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I understand where the Deputy is coming from but this is not something that can be done on a temporary basis. We are dealing with primary legislation here and if we put in three years we would have to bring in primary legislation to take that out if we decided to shorten the period. It is different from dealing with it through a statutory instrument. We are making a significant change to...