Results 6,901-6,920 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will take amendment No. 130 first. When I spoke to Senator Boyhan's amendment No. 108 earlier, I indicated that I was open to reviewing the text of section 70. I am, therefore, a little disappointed in Senator Boyhan's comments suggesting this is all being railroaded through. I said I would respond to that and I have indicated to Senator Higgins that I will respond to some of her...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Senator Boyhan for his support and kind comments. On Senator Higgins's point, yes, there will have to be engagement. As she knows, the stakeholder reference group that is to be established will be a touchstone for the ongoing implementation of the Bill. I have always recognised that State agencies have failed, and failed hugely, in some of their engagements with citizens. Moving...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ukraine War (1 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. He knows that the desire to look after everybody, irrespective of race, colour or creed, is shared by the Government as well. I am absolutely happy to engage with the Deputy and if there are difficulties, he knows where to find me. He can come have a word. As I stated, the community fora are up and running in counties all over the country and they are a good place to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ukraine War (1 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for raising these important issues. As he knows, of the more than 33,000 Ukrainian displaced persons - which is the term I use rather than "refugees", because it is my understanding that is the term they prefer - who have arrived in the country, more than 23,000 are being accommodated by my Department in short-term accommodation. Within my Department, International...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Wards of Court (1 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Justice, as the court services are under her remit.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (1 Jun 2022)

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. Ireland submitted its Initial State Report on the implementation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Safety (1 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has had no engagement with the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, on the matter raised by the Deputy. As a result of the Deputy's question, my Department contacted Tusla and they gave us the following information about the situation:   -On the 26th January 2022 the HSE published the Maskey Review into the care received by children and young people at South Kerry...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Immigration Support Services (1 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to delivering a humanitarian response to welcome people seeking protection in Ireland as part of the European Union's overall response. The scale of response to this crisis has been unprecedented and Irish people have displayed an incredible level of generosity in their support and pledges of accommodation. The Irish Red Cross has put in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (1 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: In March 2021, following publication of the Independent Review into Illegal Birth Registration,  I asked Professor Conor O’Mahony, the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, to consider the significant complexities and challenges which arise in relation to the issue of illegal birth registrations, and to provide a report proposing an appropriate course of action. On 14th...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Immigration Support Services (1 Jun 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Vulnerability Assessment Pilot is still ongoing.  However, due to the Ukrainian crisis, the completion of the review into it has been delayed as staff from the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) were temporarily diverted to support the work to accommodate Ukrainian refugees. A timeline for the completion of the pilot cannot be given until this review has been...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: All Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers were directly informed of changes to public health advice which took effect from 28 February 2022. On 22 February Minister O’Gorman issued a statement announcing the removal of  COVID-19-related public health restrictions on ELC and SAC providers. On 25 February an update to public health restrictions...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Qualifications (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware that many early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services continue to report difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified staff. In general, staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff turnover. Recruitment and staff retention difficulties are undoubtedly linked to poor terms...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Partnership for the Public Good, A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) - the report of an independently chaired Expert Group - was adopted in full by Government last December. Amongst other things, this sets out a new approach to State funding of the ELC and SAC sector that includes universal and targeted Tackling Disadvantage funding and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which was launched in June 2016, is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.  Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), which was launched in June 2016, is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.  Its goal is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Data (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Officials in my Department are currently compiling the information as requested by the Deputy. This information will be supplied to the Deputy in no later than 10 working days. I have asked my officials to follow up on this to ensure delivery as a matter of urgency.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Staff (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department currently employs 290 females and 219 males. The breakdown of my Department's staff by civil service salary scale and gender is as follows: Civil Service Salary Grade  Female  Male  Total  Administrative Officer 29 24 53 Administrative Officer Higher 5 1...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: An Employment Regulation Order (ERO) is an instrument drawn up by a Joint Labour Committee (JLC), adopted by the Labour Court, and given statutory effect by the Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail. The ERO fixes minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment for workers in specified business sectors: employers in those sectors are then obliged to pay wage rates and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (31 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: 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.