Results 7,861-7,880 of 11,700 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Does the Vice Chairman wish me to speak to all the amendments in this group or will I just speak to amendment No. 1? I think Deputy Funchion covered most of the amendments in her contribution.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputies for their amendments, which I will address. My understanding of the intention of amendment No. 1, combined with amendment No. 90, is to include administrative records in the definition of relevant records so that such records can be safeguarded. This is something we have given significant consideration to and there was reference to it in the pre-legislative report. It is...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I do not think it is a real risk. We believe everything that is listed in this amendment is already covered within the definition of relevant records. We do not see where the gaps are. I do not feel there is a real risk but we have that catch-all provision there, if necessary. In response to Deputy Funchion, we do not see that there are gaps here. We are willing to go away, have a look...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I do not see the benefit of referencing the same thing twice.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: My understanding is that if legislation addresses an issue, to put in another piece that addresses the same issue just because it is no harm is not how we draft legislation. Many people have raised the issue of the complexity of the legislation in this area. If we are double referencing certain areas, that will only add to the complexity.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to my amendment before I respond to the points raised. I proposed amendments Nos. 81, 82 and 103. They are technical amendments proposed by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for the purposes of accuracy. The definition of "incorrect birth registration" is purposefully constructed so that a person who is the subject of an illegal birth registration will always come within...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to amendments Nos. 73, 81 and 82. They are technical amendments. I have a more substantive amendment.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Deputy Bacik and I have similar amendments in this grouping. Should we speak on them now?

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Those are amendments Nos. 104 and 105. If Deputy Bacik wants to speak on her amendment, I can speak on mine. They are quite similar.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I do not think amendments Nos. 104 and 105 have been proposed yet. One of them is mine and the other is Deputy Bacik's. I would certainly like the opportunity to speak to amendment No. 105. If Deputy Bacik wants to go first, as she tabled amendment No. 104-----

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to amendment No. 105, which is similar to Deputy Bacik's amendment No. 104. I thank the Deputy for her amendment. This relates to the definition of illegal birth registration and use of the term "incorrect birth registration" within the legislation. I am very clear and I and the Government absolutely accept that illegal birth registrations took place, and in terms of my...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Incorrect.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have listened to the concerns that have been raised in this area. I have brought forward an amendment similar to one that was put forward by Deputy Bacik that I believe addresses this issue. It recognises the diversity of situations that led to incorrect registrations, some of which were because of inaccuracies and some of which were because of the provision of false or misleading...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendments Nos. 6 and 349 seek to add a new section to the Bill, which would establish a permanent adoption advisory group to inform the operation of the Act. Consultation with stakeholders and people who benefit from this legislation have been to the forefront of the development of the legislation. During pre-legislative scrutiny, members engaged with a large number of groups. I have also...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Just to set out the overall context, it is important to remember that the definition of care arrangement is set out on page 9 of the Bill. That sets out the types of care arrangements that are relevant to the release of information provided for in the Bill. It is particularly relevant to the definition of a "relevant person" and the categories of information that are eligible for release...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Again, I understand where Deputies are coming from here. However, in terms of the circumstances Deputy Funchion just outlined, the type of care arrangements that are defined in the Bill clearly include a nursed out arrangement, a boarded out arrangement and an arrangement under which a child was cared for by a resident of an institution. Our belief is that the situation that Deputy Funchion...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will just speak to amendments Nos. 13 to 25, inclusive, given that Deputy Funchion indicated her intention to withdraw amendments Nos. 11 and 12. I do not propose to accept these amendments, primarily because we believe these definitions are already clearly contained within the existing definitions in the Bill. Like the Deputies, we also wish to see as broad a range of categories of...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Deputy is right. I am right in all these things and we should just------

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: A number of points were made by Deputies Pringle, Funchion and Cairns. Deputy Funchion was making points on a good-faith gesture regarding the acceptance of amendments. We have made significant changes between the publication of the pre-legislative scrutiny report and the final Bill. I have already indicated that I will ask officials to review some of the points Deputies made where I feel...