Results 8,061-8,080 of 11,997 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I agree with Deputy Cairns. I have also heard from and met people who were adopted and subject to illegal birth registration. I have heard their very real and deep frustration with processes and how they were treated as individuals. I am very aware of that. I have said in these hearings on a number of occasions that we must change the culture in these organisations. We will do this in a...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Section 34 provides in part for the ability of the AAI or Tusla to undertake tracing and request information from as wide a set of information sources as possible. The amendment proposes to remove the ability of these agencies to engage with a diocese or parish of the Roman Catholic Church or the Church of Ireland. The proposal is to remove those organisations from the process. They were...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: We have confirmed that the definition of "relevant body" contained in the legislation can include religious bodies and other private entities. This means they can be designated as secondary information sources. What we are talking about here is the ability to engage with a parish church in Blanchardstown or Kilkenny to see if we can look at its register to find out if there is information...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: We have the power to designate records under this legislation.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The amendment is similar to ones we discussed earlier in terms of the ability of an adopted person to retain control over the type of information they request. The consequence of this information is that an adopted person would be provided with all information, even if they only apply for certain categories of information. We are all of the belief the majority of adopted people will apply...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I cannot support amendment No. 289. The objective of it would appear to be to elaborate on the purpose of the contact preference register. However, the people for whom the register provides a service is already clearly outlined in section 38(3) and, as such, we feel this amendment has no material effect. I also cannot accept amendment No. 290. The objective of the amendment is to...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to speak briefly to amendments Nos. 293 and 294 because there is some good news. Amendments Nos. 293, 294 and 301 seek to allow a person who was the friend of a parent or the friend of a deceased relevant person to make an entry on the register, although the amendment would prohibit them from making an entry stating a no-contact preference. If I understand and accept the spirit of...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The amendment proposes that a person be able to register a no contact preference but also a wish to be notified if a named person makes an entry on the register. I understand the intention of the amendment. We are not entirely sure if we will be able to deliver on that but we will examine and address it with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to see if something can be done.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will speak to those and to my amendment No. 327 as well. The amendments spoken to by the Deputy relate specifically to adding text regarding not interfering with the GDPR rights of relevant persons or parents. I reassure members that it is not the intention of the Bill to, and, more importantly, the Bill does not in any way, interfere with a person's right to apply for their information...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: This amendment seeks to remove the Adoption Authority of Ireland's discretion in terms of issuing directions to a secondary information source to provide a statement of the records it holds. The priority with this legislation is to provide for the release of records. We know the majority of those are held by Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland. I want to make sure all efforts are...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I cannot accept these amendments. Part 7, which relates to the safeguarding of records, has been carefully developed to provide clarity to the Adoption Authority of Ireland and to the holders of records. The authority must have the ability to consider what records are, in fact, relevant. To do otherwise could result in a glut of records arriving at the door of the Adoption Authority of...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The definition of relevant bodies allows us to designate organisations as relevant bodies and people can also apply directly to them for their information. What we are trying to do is facilitate the tracing process and in order to do that the tracers need to be able to engage with these entities to access the information that appears on valuable documents such as marriage and baptismal...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am conscious from my engagement with individuals who have been affected by illegal birth registrations that, obviously, many wish to continue to live by their current identity and that is what we have provided for under this section. The Bill provides for the new register that will reflect and give legal protection to an individual's lived identity. Amendment No. 323 seeks to delete "an...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move amendment No. 325: In page 52, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “Provision relating to persons the subject of incorrect birth registration 54. (1) For the avoidance of doubt, the fact that a person is the subject of an incorrect birth registration shall not affect— (a) the rights or liabilities acquired, or (b) the validity or consequences of...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes. We will bring those forward on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move amendment No. 327: In page 52, between lines 33 and 34, to insert the following: “(d) the rights of a person, in particular a mother or father, under the General Data Protection Regulation of access to personal data concerning him or her and of rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning him or her;”.

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is our purpose to propose unfettered access. This legislation has developed from heads of Bill. Changes were made between the heads of Bill and the introduction of this draft legislation. Since the publication of the draft legislation, I have brought forward a set of important amendments, which have been agreed by this committee. In the context of the significant number of amendments...

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: A review after one year is too short to understand the full operation of the legislation. Nevertheless, I agree with Deputy Funchion that four years is a long time. We will discuss this and bring an amendment on Report Stage to reduce the period from four years. We need to consider what we believe to be an appropriate time but we will reduce the period from four years.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy may be aware, a vulnerability assessment process, as provided for under Regulation 8 of the European Union (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, has been piloted by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) since its development in December 2020. The assessment was extended to all new applicants from 21 February 2021. An evaluation of the pilot has commenced...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (8 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is adopting a whole of Government approach to supporting Ukrainian refugees. My Department is currently providing accommodation to Ukrainian refugees arriving into Ireland. I have provided funding to support the Irish Red Cross which has now launched a national pledge seeking offers of accommodation from members of the public interested in supporting the refugees. Details of...