Results 4,041-4,060 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendments Nos. 1 and 15 are proposed to be taken together as they both seek to include a section in the Bill providing for a report on the operation of the scheme. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to be able to accept these amendments as the Bill already provides for a review of the operation of the scheme under section 49. It sets out two separate reviews that will be conducted on...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I feel I have set out the key elements for the reasoning behind the waiver. We are creating a scheme whereby proof of residence within one of these institutions equates with an award. The person applying to the scheme does not need to pay out legal fees, to bring forward proof, or undergo the trauma of having to provide evidence of the specific abuses they underwent in that institution....

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The waiver applies to an award provided for under the redress scheme.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will have to come back to the Senator in writing on that one.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The finalised groupings were confirmed to us at lunchtime as well.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: With respect to the ambit of the scheme, I believe I did answer the Senator's question in terms of setting out where the scheme lies in terms of the wider response, but if I can try to be more specific for the Senator, as we know, when the commission reported, it set out certain criteria that it regarded would qualify former residents for a form of redress. The commission was not asked...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I do not.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have answered on a number of occasions. I accept that Senators do not agree with my answers but I have answered their questions in quite considerable detail at this point.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Senator is entitled to his view.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The amendments are out of order so I am not allowed to respond.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: No.

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: First, it is important to note that section 9(3) clearly states the independence of the executive office. That is clearly stated within the legislation. Second, I said very clearly in the Dáil - I may not have stated it on Second Stage in this House - that the staff within the executive office, who are independent in making their determinations, will receive trauma-informed training in...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Having a recruitment process that is entirely specialised for this office would create an amount of administration that would severely hamper the effective delivery of the scheme. The key element is the ability of the office to make determinations in an independent manner on the thousands of applications that will come into it.That is the key element. The appointment of staff will be done...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I indicated in my previous reply our position and that the work on this has started already. As stated, we will be providing for specific trauma-informed training for officials working in the executive office. I am not sure that legislation is the best place in terms of identifying a specific skill set, but I hear what Senator Higgins says about she or Senator Boyhan bringing forward an...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to the section. A substantial number of amendments in this section have been ruled out of order. I did not make that ruling; it was a decision of the Cathaoirleach. I dispute what Senator Gavan said. I spoke at length on section 2 and its various elements and set out the rationale behind the parameters, including the rationale for the period of six months. He may disagree...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am speaking to the section, recognising the fact that the amendments the Senator put down on this point were ruled out of order. Nevertheless, regarding the significance of these issues, I try to speak to them out of respect for them while recognising the same issues are coming up in amendments later on that have been held to be in order. The eligibility criteria for the enhanced medical...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Under the Parental Leave Act 1998 (as amended), an employee who is a relevant parent in respect of a child under the age 12 is entitled to 26 weeks’ unpaid parental leave for each child. Where a child has a disability or long-term illness, the entitlement can continue until the child is 16. A relevant parent is a parent, an adoptive parent, or a person acting in ‘loco...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am very conscious of the need for improvement in pay and working conditions for practitioners in early learning and childcare services. The level of pay they receive does not reflect the value of the work they do for children, for families and for the wider society and economy. As the State does not employ staff in ELC and school-age childcare (SAC) services, I cannot set wage levels or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In December 2021, I published "Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028". Nurturing Skills aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC). Early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners and childminders play a key role in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since February 2022, my Department has worked extensively to accommodate over 81,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, of which 60,000 have sought accommodation from this Department. Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those...