Results 5,361-5,380 of 11,892 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Poverty (18 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Firstly, responsibility for provision of welfare payments aimed at addressing the needs of those experiencing poverty rests with Dept Social Protection. My Department works with other Departments in ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to deliver a fair, equal and inclusive society. A key plank in the cross-Government work is the delivery of Ireland's National Action Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Birth Certificates (18 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Information and Tracing services, as provided for under the Act, opened to applications on 03 October 2022. As of 10thJanuary, a total of 6251 applications for information have been received by the Child and Family Agency, Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI), with 65% of that total being received within the first two weeks of commencement. Processing the initial volume of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Birth Certificates (18 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy’s question relates to an operational matter for the Adoption Authority of Ireland, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Parental Leave (18 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are a range of leaves available to support working families to manage their work life balance, many of which have been extended or expanded in recent years. Under the Maternity Protection Acts 1994-2004, an employee who has given birth is entitled to 26 weeks paid maternity leave and may also be entitled to Maternity Benefit. An additional 16 weeks leave can be taken immediately...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (18 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 20 March 2018. This marked an important milestone in a process to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland that has gathered momentum since Ireland became a signatory to the Convention in 2007. Both I, and the wider government, are committed to the advancement of rights...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In September I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. Together for Better brings together three major programmes, the Early...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (18 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: In December 2021, I launched Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028. Nurturing Skills aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in early learning and care and school-age childcare. It contains a range of commitments to raise the qualification levels for those working in the sector...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department secured Dormant Accounts funding for the Initiative which was designed to run over the period 2021 to 2022. Funding was made available to applicants from all 16 Education and Training Board functional areas. The time limited nature of the initiative and the overall duration of funding available was advised to all successful applicants from the outset as part of the terms and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Adoption Services (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Officials from my Department have been engaging with both the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) and the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, in respect of the ongoing implementation of services under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022. Information and Tracing services, as provided for under the Act, opened to applications on 03 October 2022. As of 12 December, a total of 5,956...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation, and everyone has a right to live here free of racial discrimination. According to 2016 Census figures, almost 12% of our population has a nationality other than Irish, while 17% of us were born abroad. In terms of nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion, our population is growing more diverse every year. But unfortunately,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department provides funding under UBU Your Place Your Space scheme to youth service organisations through the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETB) around the country to support the provision of targeted youth services in their area. Each ETB provides an important role in the co-ordination, oversight and administration of youth services within their functional area. The next three year...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The service referred to by the Deputy may wish to contact their Education and Training Board for further information on the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme. The policy and operating rules for the scheme are available on www.ubu.gov.ie. The scheme provides a mechanism under the policy and operating rules for the introduction of new services where funding becomes available. This involves a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. Since 2015, significant increases in State investment in early learning and childcare has given rise to a substantial growth in the numbers of children participating in these services. Every year, more than 100,000 children participate in the universal pre-school programme (ECCE) and the National...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (15 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has no role in relation to housing. Consequently, I am not in a position to answer on that aspect of this question. Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. As such, I have referred the...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (14 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Many Deputies spoke to me in the process of this legislation. Deputy Mattie McGrath mentioned in some of the earlier debates the very difficult cases in which people have been caught up, the lack of appropriate legislation that existed or, indeed, the wardship process, which is an incredibly blunt process. The whole thrust behind what we are trying to do is create a decision support service...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (14 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendment No. 38 provides a regulation to make power for my colleague, the Minister for Health, to establish a register of advanced healthcare directives under the 2015 Act. This register will be maintained by the decision support service and will support the alignment of Part 8 of the Act with other parts governing decision support arrangements. The amending provisions will also specify...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (14 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to amendments Nos. 25 to 27, which address wardship transitional arrangements. Where a wardship application is being processed to completion, as part of these transitional arrangements there is nothing to prevent a person who is the subject of a wardship application from appointing a decision supporter under the 2015 Act. Where an appropriate decision support is appointed, the...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (14 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In the Dáil we inserted a section. We are ending wardship and introducing a new system. There are certain people who have begun the process of a wardship, who are probably some of the most vulnerable people to have begun that process. We want to ensure they can work their way through the wardship process, get the protections, and also be in a position to exit into the new system. We...

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (14 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendment No. 28 clarifies the title of a new section being introduced by the Bill. The title will now reflect that the section of the Bill amending the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 relates to Part 6 of the 2015 Act only. Part 6 of the Act is the Part of the Act which deals with wardship. This is a technical amendment for the purposes of improving the text of the final Act.

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022: From the Seanad (14 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendment No. 29 corrects a cross-referencing matter in the Bill relating to enduring power of attorney, EPA. The amendment will remove a cross-reference to section 62 of the 2015 Act, which is being repealed by the Bill. This is a technical amendment for the purposes of improving the text of the final Act.