Results 4,321-4,340 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

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

Roderic O'Gorman: While we all welcome that this report was undertaken, that it was published and that St. John Ambulance has committed to implementing all its recommendations, it is not acceptable that it took this huge level of pressure, primarily applied by the victims of abuse in this organisation, and nearly everyone here would have engaged with one or more of those victims, to bring about this...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. In January 2022, the Government agreed that issues relating to international surrogacy required further detailed consideration and agreed to the establishment of a special Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy. Following the publication of the final report of the committee in July 2022, officials from my Department joined colleagues from the Department of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the very pressing needs for parents with children where those legal relations have not been properly established. That being said, I do not think we could promise to provide for the retrospective element beforehand. This has to be done in the one package. The Government has committed to addressing the issue of retrospective parentage and has set out a range of criteria in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Being honest, as mine is not the lead Department, I cannot give the Deputy a specific timeframe. I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and get back to her directly to give her an indication on times. Following the publication of the proposals in December, I was contacted by groups such as LGBT Ireland. It had flagged some concerns, particularly for same-sex female couples and how...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: To answer the question very directly, I have not had a formal meeting with the Taoiseach or the Minister for Health since responsibility came over to my Department on 1 March on this specific issue. However, both myself and the Minister of State with special responsibility for disability, Deputy Rabbitte, and our officials, are engaging with all relevant Departments and stakeholders, such as...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Tourist Accommodation (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is encountering significant challenges currently in providing accommodation to the elevated arrival numbers of international protection applicants. IPAS is also experiencing an accommodation shortfall for current residents due to the impending loss of contracts with large hotel contractors. IPAS continues to rely on hotels for...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Gender Equality (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant advances have been made in recent years to address inequality in Irish society, with the Government’s commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive and equal society re-affirmed through the Programme for Government commitments to achieve social solidarity, equality of opportunity and economic equity for all. My Department leads on cross-government policy to promote...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Domestic Violence (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 20 together. The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 includes provisions which will introduce 5 days paid domestic violence leave in a 12 month period. The Bill has passed all stages in Dáil Éireann and in the Seanad and will be signed into law by the President. Once enacted, Ireland will become one of the first...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Resource Centres (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Thank you Deputy for your question, this is an area of interest for me, I know you have raised this directly with me on a number of occasions. The work that Family Resource Centres do is vital to so many families, vulnerable people and in many instances recent arrivals to our country. The Government greatly appreciates the work of Family Resource Centres funded by Tusla, the Child and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The situation in Citywest remains under constant review. The number of international protection applicants seeking accommodation from the State remains at elevated levels. As of 26 March, 2,475 persons requested International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation so far in 2023. As at 26 March, there are over 20,200 people accommodated by IPAS compared to 10,000 at this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Wards of Court (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Wardship is a disempowering system that places a third party’s assessment of a person’s “best interests” above that person’s own will and preference. The Government is committed to the abolition of wardship and to replacing it with a more person-centred and rights-based model. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 changes the existing law on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 20 March 2018 and our implementation of the Convention is monitored by the UN Committee through the review of periodic state reports. Ireland submitted our first implementation report to the UN Committee in 2021. The UNCRPD Optional Protocol creates important additional mechanisms through...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Minister of State, Anne Rabbitte T.D., and the Health Service Executive, recognise that respite services provide valuable supports to families across the country. With regard to CHO 4 in particular, I am advised that there are regional children’s and adults respite fora in place. A Regional Children’s Respite Forum was established in 2022. The Forum Committee manages...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority and my Department relies on a number of data sources to monitor supply and demand. The annual data captured by Pobal on behalf of my Department - through the Early Years Sector Profile Survey - is one important data source that allows us to monitor supply and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Firstly, it is important to note that children do not require an Assessment of Need (AON) to access health services and parents may refer their child directly to their local Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT). AONs carried out under the Disability Act 2005 are multidisciplinary assessments, rather than an assessment under one discipline. There are 4,613 applications for an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring high quality early learning and childcare is accessible and affordable is a key priority for me and there are a number of funding programmes available through my Department that seek to improve capacity. The new Core Funding scheme has a range of objectives that includes capacity growth. Though this scheme is only in place since 15 September 2022, initial analysis shows that there...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Youth Work Act 2001 defines youth work in terms of it being a planned programme of education designed for the purpose of aiding and enhancing the personal and social development of young persons through their voluntary participation. My Department provides grant funding to support a range of youth services which are delivered by youth organisations and carried out by both paid youth...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 30 together. 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 – a ‘Transition Team’...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (30 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Review Panel (NRP) for the investigation of serious incidents including the deaths of children in care and known to the child protection service was set up in 2010 as part of the Implementation Plan associated with the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (2009) (Ryan Report) to review deaths and serious incidents of children in care. I can confirm that 23 deaths...