Results 4,301-4,320 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy and I have spoken about this issue for as long as I have been in this role and I think both of us are of the belief that the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy. The State is not the employer and does not set the pay and conditions for employees in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We are undertaking a review, announced in December last year, of small sessional ECCE-only services. An issue had been raised that they felt they had not been fully supported by core funding. The data our Department was looking at said otherwise but there was a disagreement. We brought in an independent organisation. I was disappointed by the take-up and the number of services who went...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The UNCRPD requires states to actively involve people with disabilities and their representative organisations in the development and monitoring of law and policy. This includes organisations of people with disabilities, also known as disabled persons' organisations. These are organisations that are led by and have a majority membership of people with disabilities. While my Department...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: That dialogue is especially important. In my constituency we have an excellent organisation that is both a service provider and DPO, the Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living. There is a network around the country. I have always found it to be a great sounding board in terms of being able to meet with it, talk to people with disabilities, and have engagement on legislation or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is certainly a goal of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and mine that we would see ratification of the optional protocol. Ireland has a legal position that it does not sign up to conventions where it feels its domestic law is not ready to comply with them yet. One of the big blockages to ratifying the optional protocol is that wardship was still in place. As Deputy Kenny knows,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Ukraine War (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy Dillon has engaged with me directly in respect of a number of hotels in his constituency. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine one year ago, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-government response to the Ukraine crisis. The unprecedented demand for accommodation and, by association, the level of transactions involved is significant. With more than 750...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is a goal of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and mine to increase the number of PA hours available across the country. PA hours are designed to allow a person with a physical or intellectual disability to live as full a life as possible. Based on how the Deputy described the situation his constituent is facing, her ability to live what has been a very fulfilling life so far with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I apologise to Deputy Stanton if my answer gave the impression I was excluding persons with intellectual disabilities; I am absolutely not. It is vital they are entitled to be able to avail of the services through education, further education and employment. They need to be supported regarding transport. I will speak to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, about this particular issue. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: That is very kind of the Deputy. The issue of someone with an intellectual disability who needs to change buses or trains is as big a challenge in Blanchardstown as it is anywhere in Cork East. I appreciate that and I will consider it.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Protection (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since publishing A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to Establish a New International Protection Support Service, my Department has placed a significant focus and drive on delivering these reforms. Implementation of the White Paper began with the appointment of dedicated staff as part of a transition team in the Department to lead the transition to the new system. Governance...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Protection (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy has raised a number of issues that I will be unable to delve into fully in the time available. The three key elements of the White Paper related to accommodation, supports and integration. We are absolutely on the back foot in terms of the accommodation vision that was set out in the White Paper because of the changed circumstances. However, it is not accurate to say we have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Protection (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can tell the Deputy clearly that we have not abandoned the idea of reception and integration centres. They remain central to our response. My Department is engaging at the moment with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform about how we can advance the programme, whether through my Department purchasing large existing buildings and converting...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 19 together. I thank the Deputy. The case he has outlined brings to mind a similar case in my constituency. The HSE provides specialist disability services, including day services and rehabilitative training, to people with disabilities who require such services. People with intellectual disabilities form the majority of service users who are supported...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Protection (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On engagement with survivors, I said in the Seanad yesterday that I have had online meetings, had phone calls and had very significant engagement with one of the survivors. I am open to further engagement if that is something they feel is necessary and that they would wish. Moving away from St. John Ambulance to the wider issue, the discussions Deputy Funchion will have at her committee...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Adoption Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 provides guaranteed access to birth and early life information where it exists, thereby addressing a decades-long historic injustice. The legislation provides a full and clear right of access to birth certificates, birth, early life, care, and medical information for all persons who were adopted, boarded out, the subject of an illegal birth...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Adoption Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: If the Deputy wishes to draw a specific instance to my attention, where an individual has received less information, she can do that. I have always engaged with Deputies when they had concerns about information issues. I will not comment as I would like to see the information. If we can provide a resolution, we will do so. In terms of the processing, there are delays which I know are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Adoption Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: If there are specific issues in terms of the accessibility of information, I can only act on them if I know what they are. There are many sources of information. It may be that the information one of the people who has been engaging with the Deputy is from a source that is not covered by the birth information and tracing legislation. There could be a variety of reasons the information that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: A range of issues is impacting on our ability to recruit new staff and retain existing staff across the CDNT network. Undoubtedly, pay is one of those. It is also fair to say that even in HSE-led CDNTs we are having problems regarding recruitment and retention as well. I do not think it is solely because of the pay differential between HSE-led and section 38- or section 39-led CDNTs. I do...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I said, the issue of recruitment and retention in CDNTs is the top priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and me. We will look to support all measures that we can see that will start to address the major issues in this context. I recognise that pay and the pay differential is part of this issue. We have seen that issues concerning organisations providing services to the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child Protection (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We had a useful discussion on this matter in the Seanad yesterday. The board of St. John Ambulance Ireland commissioned an independent review to be carried out by Dr. Geoffrey Shannon into the handling of complaints of historical sexual abuse of members under 18. This was a step I had urged the organisation to undertake following my own engagement with victims of abuse within the...