Results 4,761-4,780 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The language used for direct transposition is in the context of the flexible working provisions. However, we also think that in respect of the coherence of the legislation, it is important that we use similar language and a similar approach throughout it.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the right to seek remote working, in requesting remote working, an employee must have the opportunity to set out his or her needs, that is, the reason they are seeking the right to remote working. The requirement to share a need is intended to be a practical element of a request to support fair and balanced consideration by the employer. It is not intended to force employees to share...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. A lot of thought has gone into the process of how these requests will be made, and there is an element of trying to balance the needs of the employees, as the Senator articulated, and the needs of employers. We are covering a diverse range of employers, many where the right to request remote or flexible working will be easily or reasonably easily provided for. However,...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. These amendments seek to amend the provisions relating to the termination of a flexible or remote working arrangement and could represent an undue interference in how the employer operates his or her business. The proposed insertion of the words "reasonable and demonstratable" is unnecessary. The bar for termination is set appropriately high. Employers cannot...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendments Nos. 37 and 58 are amending the process around termination. It is important to make the point that the provisions of the Bill do not preclude employees from making a request for follow-on, flexible working or remote working arrangements to commence, once a period of seasonal variation concludes. A flexible working agreement could address the seasonality of the workplace with...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We discussed this earlier with respect to how the employer, in making a decision on a flexible working relationship, has the right to consider his or her own needs and the rights of the employee. In doing so, the seasonal nature of a business will no doubt be a significant part of the considerations about the decision to grant flexible working arrangements or not but also how those flexible...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator and thank her for her engagement with me and my officials on this point. Section 13 inserts a new section 21A into the Parental Leave Act that sets out the process for the consideration of a dispute between an employer and an employee related to Part 2 of this Bill. Section 21A(6) sets out that an adjudication officer or the Labour Court shall not assess the merits of...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I said earlier, this provision has always involved a right to request. I have certainly never advertised it as anything else. It is a significant change, and we should be cautious not to talk down what is going to be a significant advance in terms of the rights workers have. We must recognise that the provisions here have been strengthened throughout the process. Significant changes...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Senator Higgins. Section 15 of the Bill amends section 27 of the Parental Leave Act, which provides for the retention of records to be held by an employer in respect of forms of leave and entitlements under the Bill. Section 15 provides that those records related to leave for medical care purposes and the right to request a flexible working arrangement be held for three years only...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. I recognise what she is trying to do with the inclusivity of the language. As she is aware, we have designed the Bill so that the practical benefits are inclusive. In engagement with the drafting office, we have been told the legislation may be read in accordance with the provisions of the Interpretation Act and that as a result, this amendment is unnecessary because...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The tables below provides details of the amount of funding granted by my Department to the GAA, FAI and IRFU in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023. The funding has been provided under the youth services scheme UBU (Your Place Your Space). Organisation Area of Funding 2021 2022 2023 FAI Funding provided under UBU Your...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, as of 05 February 23, there are 19,741 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole, compared with 7,500 at this time last year. Of this total, 4,096 are children. Since the beginning of 2022, Ireland and many other European countries are experiencing a significant increase of new arrivals seeking international protection (IP)....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy will be aware my Department is responsible for the provision of accommodation to persons in the International Protection process. All other matters and obligations relating to the asylum process should be directed to Department of Justice. On 6 July 2018, Ireland adopted the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 231 of 2018) through it...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together. An Expert Group was established in September 2019 to develop a new funding model for the sector. Under their terms of reference, the Expert Group was not asked to propose changes to the current model of delivery (i.e. privately-operated provision), rather that the Group should seek to further achieve policy objectives of quality,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, the response to the ongoing migration crisis has entered an extremely difficult phase, with no apparent accommodation for international protection applicants (IPAs) at scale available into the short term to medium term. I can assure you that every effort is being made to address the current shortfall in accommodation. Since 1 December 2022 to 30 January 2023 over 1,700 additional...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 29th March 2022 Government accepted the findings of the independent Review of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) Operating Model in Irelandthat a dedicated state agency is the optimal operating model for the sector for the years ahead. It is envisaged that this dedicated agency will undertake the functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years (including...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme, which will open later this year, will provide financial payments and an enhanced medical card to defined groups in acknowledgement of suffering experienced while resident in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. As this scheme has not yet opened, no details can be provided regarding costs or number of claims.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has engaged over 700 properties to provide accommodation for Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. In line with the Department’s commitment to substantially clear the backlog at the end of 2022, my Department temporarily re-assigned staff from other parts of the Department to the payments team in December, doubling the size of the payments unit. The enlarged...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Emergency Accommodation (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is now accommodating in excess of 74,000 people, including both those fleeing the war in Ukraine and those seeking International Protection. We have contracted in excess of 43,500 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 700 settings nationwide including in hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (14 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Information and tracing services under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 opened to applications on 03 October 2022. As of Tuesday 07 February 3,971 applications for information have been received by Tusla, and 936 cases have been completed, with more people receiving their information every day. Tusla are actively engaging with those affected by delays and expects to clear the...