Results 5,261-5,280 of 11,892 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Reviews (24 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The ongoing review of the Equality Acts is examining the use of non-disclosure agreements by employers in cases of sexual harassment and discrimination. Issues that were raised in the Private Member's Bill, the Employment Equality (Amendment) (Non-Disclosure Agreement) Bill 2021, are also being carefully considered as part of the review along with the recommendations detailed in the report on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (24 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The NCS sponsorship arrangement is in place to support families who need extra financial supports to access early learning and care and school aged childcare, over and above the financial supports available through the universal and income assessed components. The NCS Sponsorship arrangement allows designated bodies to refer children to the Scheme where childcare is needed on child welfare,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (24 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As of 15 January 2023, there are 19,698 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole. This includes the National Reception Centre (466) and IPAS accommodation centres (6,887), temporary tented (81) and emergency (12,264) accommodation, this includes 1,086 people in City West Transit hub. Of this total, 4,086 are children. The Department...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (24 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy, as of 15 January 23, there are 19,698 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole. This includes the National Reception Centre (466) and IPAS accommodation centres (6,887), temporary tented (81) and emergency (12,264) accommodation, this includes 1,086 residents in City West. Of this total, 4,086 are children. The Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Abuse (24 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm that I wrote to St John Ambulance to encourage publication of Dr Shannon’s report in December of 2022. In reply the St John Ambulance commissioner noted that survivors are understandably eager to review the findings of the report and reiterated that the Board is committed to publishing the report once a legal review is complete. I understand the frustration of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (24 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There were 621 staff in my department at the end of December 2022. There are a number of units involved in matters related to integration, including all of the units working on International Protection, the Irish Refugee Protection Program and related policy units. As of 16 January, there are 17 vacancies across the units working directly or indirectly on integration matters. The changes in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (24 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As of 22 January 2023, the number of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who have been accommodated by my Department is approximately 54,000. The information requested regarding Donegal has been extracted from our systems and outlined in tabular form below. I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is procuring and allocating accommodation in County Donegal for the purposes of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Business Supports (24 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The information being sought by the Deputy is currently being collated and the response will issue as soon as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the committee members for the invitation to speak to and discuss this with them today. I acknowledge the significant cross-party work this committee does to vindicate the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly to advance that under the wider rubric of the UNCRPD. Once the transfer of functions to my Department is completed, I look forward to more and deeper engagement...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As Deputy Ellis will know, Ireland's approach to the implementation of the UNCRPD is one of progressive realisation. It is gradual, extending the rights and improving the systems, and I believe the change we are about to see from 1 March in terms of bringing disability under one Department is part of that progressive realisation. That is a process that has gone far too slowly, and no doubt...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Not in terms of the fact we have not ratified the optional protocol. The decision to ratify the UNCRPD itself and the optional protocol are both decisions that the independent Government of Ireland makes or does not make, and there is no consequence for not signing up. Once we sign up and we do not adhere to rights, there are then very real consequences. That is good and what we want, but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: We have no indication as to when we will have our hearing before the UN committee. It is delayed significantly at UN level. I had assumed it would take place this year but it could well not happen before 2024. As Minister, I would have found it useful to have gone through that process. I have done it for the human rights committee and next week, I will be doing it for the Committee on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On the failure to implement the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, the fact that we had wardship in place was a clear violation of Article 12 of the convention. In order to undertake ratification of the optional protocol and in order to be in a position where we could reasonably say to the United Nations that we are compliant, we had to take the measures to address the fact that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: To begin with, as the Deputy will be aware from our discussions on the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022, I believe the measures we have taken in that Act are compliant with the UNCRPD. That is the position of the Government in terms of the principles that are woven into 2015 and 2022 Acts. The fact that the support for a person's will and preference is reiterated...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The decision was made to treat these cases in the way in which we treat family law cases, namely, holding them in camera, because of the sensitivity of the issues being addressed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is not journalists, but an academic study. Probably the best similarity, or what certainly I had in mind when we made the amendment, is an approach such as that relating to the reporting system which operates in the family law courts and which provides annual or biannual reports on 40 or 50 anonymised cases. Those involved observe proceedings in these cases and are able to give...