Results 7,001-7,020 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ministerial Staff (24 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can be contacted through by email at minister@equality.gov.ie or by phone on 01 647 3057. As Minister Rabbitte's functions have not transferred fully to my Department, she can continue to be contacted at her Department of Health details; by email at minister_rabbitte@health.gov.ie or by phone on 01 635 4000

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Investigations (24 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has not commissioned any investigations into unauthorised releases of Departmental documents of information. I must, however, draw your attention to my responses to PQs 8444/21 and 45446/21 which asked about the unauthorised release of the Report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation. My Department awaits an update on the investigation into this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 4th May I met with a delegation for the Federation of Early Childhood Providers (FECP) to discuss their position in relation to the new Core Funding stream following a survey of their members. The FECP shared extremely detailed materials at this meeting, including case studies and extensive data on provider costs. This was followed a number of days later with the letter attached to the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government provided huge support to the childcare sector during the crisis through a range of funding mechanisms, particularly through the availability of the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS. That supported the amazing work done by childcare providers in staying open for the most vulnerable children and children of essential workers, even during some of the toughest times of the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The chief way we are supporting the industry is through core funding, the massive investment of €221 million across a full year, which is designed to support capacity. The Deputy has highlighted that capacity is missing in certain areas. The funding is designed in ways to recognise that there are gaps, particularly for younger children under the age of one. Where a service provides...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can commit that the assisted decision-making (capacity) (amendment) Bill will be published in the next two weeks. We look forward it being passed by the end of this session, with the co-operation of both Houses. I am happy to engage further with Deputy Conway-Walsh on the issue she raised. Tusla is currently undertaking a review of all its family support services, including the place...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I met Fine Gael's policy lab and we discussed these issues. On the issue of pay, we have provided a core funding package that is worth €221 million in a full year. This is supporting the development of an employment regulation order for the sector. An initial €13 per hour payment, which is more than the living wage, has been agreed and other rates are being negotiated by the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (19 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department secured an overall 2022 allocation of €716m, an increase of €78m on the previous year’s allocation. The 2022 allocation includes €272m for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme Funding, €200m for the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) and Savers Programme Funding. Funding for the ECCE programme is allocated on a capitation basis...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Properties (19 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I can inform the Deputy that my Department currently operates from 2 offices: 1. Miesian Plaza, 2nd and 3rd Floors, 50-58 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2. D02 XWI4 2. Montague Court, 2nd and 3rd Floors, 7/11 Montague Court, Montague Street, Dublin. Since May 2018, my Department's headquarters have been located in Miesian Plaza. In respect of Miesian Plaza, my Department is a sub-tenant of the...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. At all times in the work that has been ongoing on the Bill, including prior to the initial drafting of the general scheme, the detailed work that took place during pre-legislative scrutiny and the detailed Committee and Report Stages in Dáil Éireann, we have sought to clarify and strengthen the definitions contained in the legislation to ensure that as wide a...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. They are covered. The people who can use this legislation are covered in the definition of "relevant person", which means a person who is one or more of the following: an adopted person; and a person who is or has reasonable grounds for suspecting that he or she is the subject of an incorrect birth registration. There is a third category that is not relevant to this...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The availability of information and information of different types on various issues is central to what this Bill is about. In discussing the first group of amendments, we referred to who may use this legislation. We are now talking about what they may look for and the type of information they may seek. As we know, there are rights to broad categories of information provided for in this...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: We could not get the names of other persons.

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I know the Senator is not pressing the amendment, but on the point on the vaccine trials, we must recall that on the substantive provisions to do with the release of information, it is about the release of information and a copy of the records on all the different headings. For example, section 15 refers to "Relevant body or Authority to provide medical information". I know it is not care...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. My response will be somewhat similar to my response to the point she made about vaccines. Much of what she is seeking to address in the amendment is covered under the definition of “early life information”. That is where the matter is most appropriately addressed. The various pieces of information provided for under early life information, include, in...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: This is similar to the previous discussion. Section 11 relates to the "Relevant body to provide early life, care information or incorrect birth registration information on application by relevant person aged 18 years or over". Subsection (2) states that, subject to subsection (3), a relevant body on application to it made under this section "shall, to the extent that it is practicable to do...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to amendments Nos. 9 to 13, inclusive. Amendment No. 9 seeks to include the words "medical information" in the definition of "early life information". What the Senator is proposing is not necessary. The information set out in this category gives clear direction to relevant bodies that health and medical information on the applicant can be released. The tripling or quadrupling...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I certainly think it helps and gives clarity in that circumstance of illegal birth registration. In terms of the release of the name, this is something on which I and the team in my Department have engaged extensively with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.It is something that has been raised at other stages of the debate on this legislation. We are talking about a balancing test that...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank all the Senators for their contributions on these amendments. Before I speak to amendments Nos. 56 to 61, inclusive, I want to say that Senator Boyhan is right to remind us all that, once this legislation is passed and operational and once adopted people are using its provisions, there are people who will be deeply disappointed because the information simply is not there. The...

Seanad: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 May 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: A detailed definition of "genetic relative" is set out in section 2. For other Senators, because Senator Higgins has asked the question, there is a detailed definition. "Genetic relative" means a full-blood or half-blood relative, which is a wide definition. I am happy to consider the question the Senator has asked.