Results 8,081-8,100 of 11,907 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: 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...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I cannot support this set of amendments. They seek to alter or expand the definitions of "genetic relative" and "genetic relative information" contained in the Bill. These definitions were carefully considered in consultation with the Attorney General and the Data Protection Commissioner. The definition of genetic relative is central to information release in two key ways. First, it...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I want to recall what we are trying to do with regard to early life information. The definition provided on page 10 of the Bill sets out the various types of information relating to a relevant person's life from birth to 18 years that are eligible to be released under the legislation. It is not an exhaustive list but it provides clear and consistent guidance on the type of information that...

Support for the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine: Motion (1 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: We all share the revulsion at the actions of the Russian Government in invading Ukraine. Over the past week, what we have seen unfolding before our eyes are acts of violence and cruelty, and an attack on the most fundamental principles of sovereignty, self-determination and democracy. Few of us every expected to see scenes like this unfold in our lifetime and on our continent. We have also...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: United Nations (1 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland’s combined Fifth and Sixth State Report was formally submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva on 15 February 2022.  The report outlines what Ireland is doing to protect and enhance the rights of children since the previous UNCRC report in 2016.  The Report is written in response to a List of Issues Report provided by the UN Committee on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Gender Equality (1 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant advances have been made in recent years to address inequality in Irish society, with the Government’s commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive and equal society re-affirmed through the Programme for Government commitments to achieve social solidarity, equality of opportunity and economic equity for all. My Department leads on cross-government policy to promote...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 539 and 540 together. In June 2021, I established the Birth Information and Tracing Implementation Group. This group is led by my Department, and includes representatives from the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The group meets on a regular basis, having held 8 meetings to date, whilst also progressing key pieces of work...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: As outlined in the published Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, we are transitioning towards new enhanced arrangements for consultation and stakeholder engagement. This development is essential in facilitating an inclusive survivor-centred approach to the important work being advanced across Government. Additional dedicated...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (1 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Deputy may be aware, the lifting of restrictions on international travel has caused a sharp increase in the number of new arrivals seeking international protection accommodation in Ireland, with over 3,300 new arrivals from 1 October 2021 to 20 February. Due to this fact, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department has witnessed a knock-on...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ensuring affordability of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) is a priority for me. On 7 December, I was pleased to launch a report on a new funding model for ELC and SAC, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for ELC and SAC.  The recommendations in the report were accepted in full by Government. The new funding model recommends a...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla have advised that they do not collate data on arrangements where families, even in consultation with Tusla, establish an alternative temporary care arrangement within their family or family network.  However, data is published by Tusla on children who are in receipt of family support, children who are in ongoing child protection safety planning processes and children who are in the...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: As this is an operational matter the question has been referred to Tusla for their direct reply to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (1 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to fully commencing the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (“the 2015 Act”). The Act provides a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults with capacity difficulties. The 2015 Act was signed into law on 30 December 2015 but has not yet been fully commenced. The Act provides for the establishment of new administrative...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (1 Mar 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government is committed to fully commencing the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (“the 2015 Act”). The Act provides a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults with capacity difficulties. The 2015 Act was signed into law on 30 December 2015 but has not yet been fully commenced. The Act provides for the establishment of new administrative...