Results 6,501-6,520 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I look at the sustainability fund in another way. I do not know many other sectors where the Government provides a safety net for private providers. We are doing that because we recognise the importance of this sector. Where there is a situation where a private provider has a sustainability issue, the Government is ready to step in. There are not many other sectors of private enterprise...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which he has done one on one with me on a number of occasions, and he has been a strong advocate for the sector. The Deputy is right that one of my goals as Minister is to reduce costs for parents, but I have always set out two other goals. My second goal is to ensure childcare professionals get properly paid, and we are about to achieve that...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: From January 2022 to date, 343 unaccompanied minors were referred to Tusla of whom 163 were from Ukraine. Unaccompanied minors, including children arriving from Ukraine, are supported and accommodated by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in accordance with the provisions of the Child Care Act 1991. Tusla has a dedicated social work team for Separated Children Seeking International...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The key conditions to be associated with Core Funding were outlined in the report of the Expert Group, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare. This was published on 7th December 2021 and states that providers who sign up to Core Funding should be required to: - Follow the fee management system - in 2022/23 this will be a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Residential Institutions (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 to 128, inclusive, together. The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (29 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine on February 24, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on meeting the immediate, temporary accommodation needs of those fleeing the conflict. My Department is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: A number of these amendments are similar to some brought forward on Committee and Report Stages in the Dáil and, unfortunately, I am not in a position to accept them. Amendments Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 7 to 9, inclusive, seek to alter the definition of “principal burial land” and the conditions for making a Government order to allow for interventions in cases where inappropriate...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to why we believe we should not remove the word "manifestly" from the Bill and, as such, are not in a position to accept these amendments. This Bill is designed to create a lawful basis for forensic excavation, recovery, analysis and identification of human remains at institutional sites where manifestly inappropriate burials have taken place.When the abhorrent situation at Tuam...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senators for their proposals. I am not in a position to support these amendments. Replacing "may" with "shall", as proposed by amendments Nos. 5 and 6 would, as Senator Seery Kearney said, remove the discretion of the Government and constrain its ability to make Government decisions on proposals which are brought to Cabinet. It would not be appropriate to compel the Government...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: There has been a good deal of debate on this particular provision and it has changed. What we are dealing with in this provision is where there is a burial on private residential land. We are thinking of a situation where perhaps an institution sold off land to an estate and now there is potential intervention on that land. Under the original heads of the Bill I brought forward, the Bill...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to support these amendments. The criteria set out are all-important factors that need to be considered in deciding whether or not to make an order. If an investigation by An Garda Síochána or a coronial inquiry is taking place, an intervention under this Bill could potentially interfere with the investigation or inquiry. This is precisely why the...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will first make the general point that the very purpose of this legislation is to stop the burial of the truth and to actually allow for interventions in Tuam and potentially in other sites. That is what we are all seeking to achieve here. Because we are dealing with different sites, I am not in the position to accept these amendments. It is vital to recognise that excavation may not be...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Obviously, it would be site specific, unless there was a strong view among relatives that their desire for the site was not to see an investigation, an intervention or an excavation. As we know, what is proposed here is significant in terms of excavation, exhumation and identification. If there was a strong view there, that would be a substantive reason. We have to look at this on a...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to support these amendments. The provisions they seek to remove are necessary to aid the clear interpretation of the criteria that define a manifestly inappropriate burial. Amendment No. 21 seeks to remove the phrase "at the time of such burial" from subsection 8(1)(b) of the legislation. As I explained in the Dáil, it is important that an assessment of burials...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to accept these two amendments because I believe what the Senator seeks is already covered in the Bill in both circumstances. I will set out the reason I believe that is the case. Amendment No. 31 proposes that the circumstances and causes of death are considered in post-recovery analysis and that these are noted in the director's report to the Government. This is...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I do not believe that these amendments are necessary. In response to the pre-legislative scrutiny, PLS, report I made provision for final arrangements. The amendments are to do with the final arrangements for the burial of remains following identification and recovery. In response to the PLS process I provided that final arrangements will be made in line with the wishes of family members....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In December 2021, Government adopted the 25 recommendations contained in an Expert Group report, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC). The new funding model will support the delivery of ELC and SAC for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families. To achieve this, there...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Bodies (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: There are six bodies under the aegis of my Department with State Boards. They are the Adoption Authority of Ireland, Gaisce (the President’s Award), the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), Oberstown Children Detention Campus, the National Disability Authority and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. The current membership on each board is listed in the document attached. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Flexible Work Practices (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department currently employs 537 staff. Currently staff are required to work in the office a minimum of 2 days per week. My Department conducted an eWorking pilot before the pandemic and a small number of staff participated in the pilot.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (28 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is aware of the 70/30 Campaign initiated by a UK wide network of individuals, organisations and elected representatives working together to reduce child abuse, neglect and other adverse childhood experiences by at least 70% by the year 2030. The 70/30 Campaign target as referenced by the Deputy is believed achievable with the appropriate policies, actions and funding supports. ...