Results 8,941-8,960 of 11,729 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Seanad: Child and Family Agency (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak on the Second Stage of this important legislation. The purpose of this Bill is to give full effect to the Taoiseach's announcement on 27 June 2020 that education and welfare functions would return to the Department of Education. These functions, namely, the functions vested in me, or under the Education Welfare Act 2000, and the administrative...

Seanad: Child and Family Agency (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senators for their contributions to this debate. I am pleased to hear the broad cross-party and cross-group welcome for the Bill in principle. I listened carefully to what the speakers said and I will consider some of the issues they raised. I will respond to a few of the Senators now. The day-to-day responsibility for these services has been moved to the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Cybersecurity Policy (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: ICT services are provided to my Department by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). The provision of ICT security is part of that service. The Department engages closely with the OGCIO on the issue of cyber security, who in turn engage with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to ensure best practice is followed as it relates to all aspects of cyber security....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Flexible Work Practices (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: A central policy framework for Blended Working in the Civil Service will be finalised in conjunction with employee representatives over the coming months. This framework will inform my Department's blended working policy, that will be tailored to the specific requirements of my Department. My Department operates a ‘single device policy’. Each member of our staff is provided with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Flexible Work Practices (22 Sep 2021)

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

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Secretary General of the Department of An Taoiseach is leading the investigation into this matter. As part of the process, he has been tasked with examining the broader issue of unauthorised dissemination of documentation and other information related to the work of the Cabinet and its sub-committees. This matter continues to be pursued as the leaking of details from the Commission's...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme provides financial support to help parents to meet the cost of childcare and to support better outcomes for children. The schemes objectives are to promote (i) a reduction in child poverty, (ii) positive child development outcomes, (iii) labour market activation and (iv) improved quality. The NCS is designed to be highly inclusive and to meet the needs of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Department of Justice has the remit for immigration and international protection processes and it makes the final decision as to whether someone will be considered as a minor during their application for international protection. Where referrals are made to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, by International Protection Office (formerly ORAC) and by the Garda National Immigration Bureau...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Grant Payments (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is a universal free two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. As the child to which the Deputy refers has not availed of any ECCE time in 2019 or 2020, and the child will not have reached 6 years before starting primary school in September 2022 I will grant an exemption in this case. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I wish to advise the Deputy that I am not in a position to comment on these matters which are more appropriate for the attention of my Cabinet colleagues, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) is a very important piece of legislation that changes the existing law on capacity from the status approach of the wardship system to a flexible functional approach, whereby capacity is assessed on an issue and time-specific basis. It will abolish the wards of court system for adults by repealing the Lunacy Regulation (Ireland)...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Programme (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 lapsed with the dissolution of the last Dáil. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill is being used to advance a number of legislative provisions required by the UNCRPD that were previously included in the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016. This include measures such as the role to be played by...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 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. Our approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of progressive...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Agreements (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant work was carried out prior to my appointment as Minister to ensure the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol. Assessment carried out previously concluded that the enactment of Sexual Offences Act 2017 and Criminal Justice (Victims of Crimes Act 2017) removed the main hurdles for ratification. As outlined in my previous reply on this matter, my Department subsequently...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department has allocated funding under the What Works initiative, funded through Dormant Accounts, for children’s services under three funding initiatives in 2021: the What Works Training Fund, the Learning Together Fund, and the Children and Youth Digital Solutions Fund. The What Works Training Fund is now open for applications and will support community and voluntary...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Currently, under Data Protection Regulations, a data controller who is not a health practitioner is required to consult with an appropriate health practitioner before supplying any health data to the data subject concerned. My Department, as a data controller, must apply the Regulations when records contain health data. The Regulations do not enable the exercise of any discretion by the data...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am aware of the particular case referred to by the Deputy. It is my policy to move families out of emergency accommodation into dedicated International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres as soon as possible. In this particular case, I am advised by IPAS officials that they were in contact with the mother and her representatives to assure her that ongoing supports would be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (22 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The National Childcare Scheme provides financial support to help parents to meet the cost of childcare and to support better outcomes for children. The schemes objectives are to promote (i) a reduction in child poverty, (ii) positive child development outcomes, (iii) labour market activation and (iv) improved quality. The NCS is designed to be highly inclusive and to meet the needs of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Childcare Sector (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator for raising this issue, which my Department is monitoring on an ongoing basis and through formal reviews. The level of pay in the sector does not reflect the value of the work that early learning and care and school-age childcare practitioners do for children, families, society and our economy. I am doing all that is in my power to address this issue. However, as the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Childcare Sector (21 Sep 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I hope we can continue to grow the very significant amount of investment the State already puts into childcare. We have to remember that €638 million is going into the sector right now, plus the supports-----