Results 901-920 of 11,687 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I say, when the drafting of this piece of legislation was requested by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, the priority was placed on the drafting of the maternity protection section. The section dealing with NDAs, in particular, was not regarded as ready for inclusion in the stamped draft and that is why it did not come through to the committee. That is also why we informed the...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Again, all of this was taking place in a tight timeframe. As I said, we put in the request for the drafting of this legislation in late July. We are talking about a meeting that was taking place in early September. We had indicated priority for the maternity protection section. We initiated this piece of legislation in order to advance that because of the importance that I place on the...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. Yes, it is a drafting issue. That is the fairest way to characterise it. We are seeking to legislate against the inappropriate use of NDAs in the way set out in head 8, which builds on the Private Members' Bill that Senator Ruane and other Senators put forward. I recognise that head 8 is not identical to Senator Ruane's Bill but it covers most of the elements contained...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Once we have the draft amendments, I will be happy to act in that way and to circulate them so people can see what we are proposing and have an opportunity to put to me any concerns they may have.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Sherlock. I welcome and fully accept his statement to the committee that there is no attempt to delay this legislation. I hope he accepts my statement that neither I nor the Department is looking to depart from the policy objective regarding NDAs as set out in section 8. Deputy Sherlock asked what the issue is. It is one primarily of time and resources to get a fully...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The broad policy intent of head 8 will be reflected in the amendment. I cannot say nothing will change. The Deputy probably understands that. To give an example, in Senator Ruane's original Bill, it was provided for that the new prohibition on NDAs in the context of the various elements the Senator set out would apply retrospectively. That is not repeated in head 8 because the advice we...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I will move heaven and earth to make sure that this provision on NDAs is included in the Bill. As the Senator knows, if an election comes in advance of that-----

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes, but I will move heaven and earth to make sure this provision is included. I thank the Senator for her recognition but it is important to say that, on foot of my recognition of the importance of the NDA issue, I asked my Department to undertake a separate piece of research on it, which I financed. It is important to set out our bona fides as regards supporting the Senator in her...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I recognise the challenge that scheduling poses for the Senator and her issue in this area. We are at a time of year for the Houses when there is a huge flurry of legislative activity in a normal context, and very large Bills the Government has made a commitment to getting through are also moving through the Houses. Our engagement with the Whip's office is that in order to allow this...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: That is a fair but complex question and I could not answer it with sufficient detail at this point. Drafters work within the wider Office of the Attorney General and the Government outlines priority Bills for drafting. It has been my experience that every Bill that comes through the Government is for priority drafting, which obviously puts pressure on drafters in respect of the allocation...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: My officials are engaging with the drafters on this legislation-----

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: -----on a daily basis in order to ensure that this legislation and all its elements are ready.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I take the Senator’s point but there are issues that have to be considered to do with legitimate expectation in respect of both parties to NDAs if we declare now that all NDAs in the past are void. It is very seldom that we, as an Oireachtas, legislate and apply something on a retrospective basis.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I take the Senator's point. Ultimately, retrospectivity is something that is always treated with caution. The real issues with NDAs have been outlined and which touch on these particular issues. We need to be cautious with what we are trying to achieve here, which is to stamp these out, does not contain a provision that might make what we are doing legally questionable. We drawing a very...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes, there is a commitment to deliver the NDA piece, the maternity protection piece and the piece giving Members of the Oireachtas the right to maternity leave.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes, it is my commitment, with the small proviso of making sure that we get the drafting of that right. However, the policy objective set out in head 8 is my policy objective and what we have instructed the drafters to achieve.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is my determination not to see this important legislation lost and to instead see it passed within the lifetime of this Dáil with all three elements included, reflecting the policy we have discussed at this and previous meetings. All of the work I have undertaken over the past number of weeks has been done to achieve that. We referred this legislation for drafting in late July....

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is the agreed strategy. I am not sure if the office is necessarily okay with it. I believe there would be a preference not to go ahead with the NDA section, but I have said I will not accept that and have insisted on this strategy because I have made a commitment to get the NDA piece over the line.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Maternity Protection (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2024: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (24 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. All three central elements of this Bill are welcome. They will be welcome for women who have a serious illness during maternity leave-----