Results 9,441-9,460 of 11,911 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (6 Jul 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. The total number of children registered for ECCE in the 2020/21 programme year was 102,422. For the ECCE 2021/22 programme year my Department estimates a slight decrease in enrolments, as a result of changing demographics and a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is required under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 to support and promote the welfare and protection of children; to support and encourage the effective functioning of families and to provide services relating to the psychological welfare of children and their families. Tusla funds the Health Services Executive to supply psychology services on its...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (6 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The table below confirms the number of children who resided in IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Service) accommodation centres between the years 2018 to 2020. Unfortunately, there are no statistics available for 2017. As the Deputy will be aware, I have now published a “White Paper to End Direct Provision and to establish a new International Protection Support...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senators. I have spoken in this and the Lower House about my commitment to getting this legislation passed and the mechanisms put in place to support it, including regulations and the website, so we can see delivery of this vital information. As Senator Bacik acknowledged, responsibility for this legislation was transferred to my Department in October last year and it was not...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I see, understand and recognise the important role of the trade union movement in bringing this legislation to this position where it soon will pass through this House and soon will be sent to the President for signature. I have engaged extensively with trade unions on this and other legislation since I took office. I place real value on that ongoing dialogue with the trade union movement,...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the Senator said, the proposed amendment to section 2 would reduce the reporting exemption from employers with more than 50 employees to employers with more than 20 employees and remove the incremental aspect of the roll-out. We spoke at some length on Committee Stage about the gestation of this Bill and the degree of engagement which took place between previous Ministers, employer...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I would not entirely agree with Senator Bacik on the lack of detail in the Bill, particularly when we look at section 20A(1)(a) and 20A(1)(b) and the various criteria. There are eight criteria. Section 20A(4) contains more details on how the regulations will be shaped. I would not entirely agree with the Senator. We have put in quite a significant amount of detail in terms of what will be...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not sure that replacing "may" with "shall", as proposed in this amendment, will have a huge impact in terms of the detail of the running. I do not mean that as a criticism of the points the Senator is making. I spoke briefly on the website, but I note the Senator has another amendment on it. We will be setting up a centralised website. Employers are welcome to publish their gender...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: As I said on Committee Stage and earlier, there will be a centralised website. That is the most appropriate way in which this information would be conveyed. Whereas I fully understand the proposal in the context of the lack of reference to a website in the primary legislation, I have a concern in regard to what Senator Bacik is seeking to achieve here. I am concerned that in putting in...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: This amendment to the proposed new section 20A(5) seeks to ensure that the reporting of the gender pay gap information by employers occurs annually. The section as drafted provides some assurances to employers that they will not be required to report more often than annually. However, while it is my intention that such reporting will be done annually, the section as drafted provides that...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The proposed amendment seeks to ensure that the new section 32(5) of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 will not prejudice the entitlement of IHREC to exercise its powers under section 32 in any such case of its own motion. I confirm to Senators that this amendment is not necessary and that the new section 32(5) will not prejudice the entitlement of IHREC to exercise its...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Senators for doing that so expeditiously. I will, as I am sure one or two Senators also will, be heading out onto the streets of Dublin Bay South with the excellent Councillor Claire Byrne. I feel that that name should get a little outing.

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2019: Report and Final Stages (5 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I think back to the McKenna judgment and other such judgments. We should have equality of reference here. I thank Senators for their substantive engagement with me on this legislation over the last weeks. This is a significant day. The passing of this legislation is significant in our journey towards gender equality. Senator Pauline O'Reilly said that many Senators have waited all their...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317, 325 and 326 together. Supply of, and demand for, early learning and care and school-age childcare places is currently monitored annually through the Early Years Sector Profile report. This survey is conducted by Pobal on behalf of the Department. Data from the Early Years Sector Profile report indicates that nationally, 4690 services were contracted to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department oversees a Case Management process through which local CCCs and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to early learning and care services. Supports can include help with cashflow, fee setting and completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances; including help locating...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 319 and 320 together. The Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy. Tusla ICT systems have been severely impacted by the cyberattack on Friday 14 May 2021. This has significant consequences in terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The questions posed by the Deputy refer to operational matters for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have referred the question to Tusla for direct response to the Deputy. The Deputy will understand that any reply on this matter will be delayed, in the context of the impact on Tusla of the cyberattack on HSE systems. Tusla will be able to advise the Deputy of this matter, when...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: In the first instance, the Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to comment on any individual case. As regards the broader issues raised by this case, my Department worked with the governing Board of this organisation to progress a number of important actions in response to findings of poor safeguarding policies and practice in the organisation. These actions included:...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Equality Proofing of Policies (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: The focus of my Department is on the development of an integrated equality proofing process that covers all nine equality grounds plus poverty rather than on separate impact assessments. My Department is co-lead, with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, on the Equality Budgeting Expert Advisory Group (EBEAG). In March 2021, the Government agreed to establish an...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Rights of People with Disabilities (1 Jul 2021)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department operates a scheme, the Play and Recreation Capital grant scheme, which provides funding, via Local Authorities, to support the development of new recreation facilities for children and young people, and for the refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities and incorporation of natural play elements. There was strong demand for funding under this scheme in 2021; with...