Results 6,821-6,840 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I firmly believe that the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, for families, for society and the economy. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover, and recruitment and staff retention...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine on February 24, my Department 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 who have fled here. To date, more than 35,000 people have arrived in...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department funds the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) which supports the meaningful participation of children with additional needs in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The key objective of AIM is to support pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that this request has been forwarded to Tusla for follow up and direct reply.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The Maternity Protection Acts 1994-2004 provide a pregnant employee with six months of paid maternity leave and an additional three months of unpaid leave; alongside other entitlements such as breastfeeding breaks which I intend to extend to two years following the birth of the child through a Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill to be brought to Government shortly.  ...

LGBTQI+ and Equality: Statements (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I welcome this opportunity to update the House on LGBTI+ issues, particularly during Pride week. At the start of 2022, Ireland entered its second century as an independent State. We have become a proud, progressive and modern nation that supports and cherishes all people equally. We have made great strides in recent decades to promote equality and respond to the changing needs of a diverse...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Second Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am pleased to present to the House the Institutional Burials Bill 2022. This is crucial legislation which, if enacted, will allow us to finally afford the children in Tuam the dignified burial that has been denied to them for such a long time. It will provide a lawful basis for a full-scale forensic excavation, recovery and analysis of the children's remains at the site and will enable a...

Seanad: Institutional Burials Bill 2022: Second Stage (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Senators for their contributions today and I thank many of them for their contributions to this process through the children's committee. I am grateful too for their ongoing engagement with me. Like Senator Boyhan, I visited the site at Tuam last July with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. We met Catherine Corless, who showed me the site. We met one or two relatives there...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ukraine War (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis. The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: While the Deputy refers to the ECCE scheme I am informed the query relates to the National Childcare Scheme (NCS).  The NCS is an initiative of my Department, the day to day operation of which is carried out by Pobal, in its role of NCS Scheme Administrator. My Department has referred this query to Pobal, who have advised that the change to the subsidy award was based on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Family Support Services (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 375 together. Following my recent announcement of the First 5 Little Baby Bundle Pilot Scheme, my Department are now overseeing a procurement process for a Managing Agent to design the bundle, procure its contents, to handle storage and coordinate delivery. We hope to have a managing agent in place to deliver this pilot scheme in the autumn....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As part of the Programme for Government, a commitment was made to replace the current system of accommodation for International Protection applicants with a new model based on a non-for profit approach. As part of this process I published A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to establish a New International Protection Support Service. This White Paper outlines the proposed new model of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Human Rights (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to legislate to end the practice of conversion therapy, an objective I strongly support. In addition, the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018 – 2021 contains a commitment to prohibit the promotion or practice of conversion therapy by health professionals in Ireland, and the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019 - 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can confirm Deputy that from 2002 to 1 June, 2022, a total of 97 persons have died. In the past five years, from 2017 to 1 June 2022, 24 people have passed away in centres. Year Deaths 2017 3 2018 5 2019 3 2020 6 2021 8 2022 (to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would like to direct the Deputy to the table below. The numbers are set out by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of this Department. These figures were last received on Sunday, 19 June, 2022. Accommodation Type   Number of Children   Balseskin Reception Centre 79 ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Proposed Legislation (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to legislate to end the practice of conversion therapy, an objective I strongly support. In addition, the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018 – 2021 contains a commitment to prohibit the promotion or practice of conversion therapy by health professionals in Ireland, and the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019 - 2022 commits to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Refugee Resettlement Programme (23 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 381 and 382 together. 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...

Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: From the Seanad (22 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is important to put on the record the changes that are being made. Seanad amendment No. 2 seeks to expand section 19 to ensure that in a scenario where a person has applied to a relevant body for birth, early-life care or medical information, and no record exists, as well as informing the applicant of this fact, the relevant body will also advise the applicant of the right to make an...

Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: From the Seanad (22 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Seanad amendment No. 3 inserts an explicit reference to the international component of the public information campaign into section 60. I believe it is appropriate that the primary legislation references the international element of the campaign. Therefore, this amendment inserts the words: “parents and relevant persons residing outside the State” in section 60. I thank...

Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: From the Seanad (22 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: This amendment is to section 70, the section that provides for a review of the operation of the Act. Seanad amendment No. 4 seeks to expand section 70 to provide further clarity on the composition of the review in terms of confirming that it will include consultation with relevant persons and other persons affected by this legislation, as appropriate. This amendment also guarantees that...