Results 10,601-10,620 of 11,744 for speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The response to Domestic, Sexual Violence and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue. Policy is coordinated by the Department of Justice. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV.   I am pleased that my Department has been able...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Workplace Relations Commission (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Officials of my Department are currently reviewing the Workplace Relations Commission's consideration of the pay rates of the managers of the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs).  The CCCs are one of the key support mechanisms of my Department, and I want to acknowledge the important role they play in providing vital support and guidance to early learning and care and school...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range.  A child must have reached 2 years and 8 months of age on or prior to 31 August of the relevant programme year to be eligible for the September start date and a child cannot turn 5 years and 6 months of age during the course of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: As the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Final Report submitted to me by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters is just under 3,000 pages long. Previous references to the length of the Report were given on the basis of preliminary indications by the Commission while it was finalising the Report. At that time, I had not been given sight of the Report,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have secured an additional €5 million in current funding for youth services nationally as part of Budget 2021.  This additional funding will be allocated to youth services in the coming year to support the delivery of universal and targeted youth services nationwide. My officials are currently working on the apportionment of these funds in the context of the publication of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I know that this is a deeply personal and sensitive issue for the former residents of the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Home, their family members and supporters. I have previously spoken with survivor representatives about their concerns and expectations for the future of this site. I have further engaged with them since news of the planning applications was...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 170 together. The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international treaty that establishes two procedures aimed at strengthening the implementation and monitoring of the Convention. The first is an individual communications procedure allowing individuals to bring petitions to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: Tusla, The Child and Family Agency, cannot compel parents to bring children to medical, psychological or intervention therapies. Where, under the Child Care Act 1991, a court makes a supervision order in respect of a child, it may give such directions as it sees fit as to the care of the child, which may require the parents of the child or a person acting in loco parentis to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies Data (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. 

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (9 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The response to Domestic, Sexual Violence and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue. Policy is coordinated by the Department of Justice. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV.   I am pleased that my Department has been able...

Organisation of Working Time (Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (8 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy O'Reilly and Sinn Féin for bringing forward their proposals for additional support for victims of domestic violence, which allows us an opportunity to debate and discuss this important issue. In the programme for Government agreed in June, the three Government parties called out the fact that in Ireland, we are experiencing an epidemic of domestic, sexual and gender-based...

Seanad: Combating Sexual, Domestic and Gender-Based Violence: Statements (Resumed) (8 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am grateful to you, Acting Chairman, and to all the Members of the Seanad for facilitating this debate. As Senators are aware, there was a similar debate in the Dáil a couple of weeks ago at which I spoke. It is great to see the need to extend the time for this debate because of the degree of interest among Senators. No matter what our political differences may be, I think we all...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoptive Leave (8 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The extension of adoptive leave is an important commitment in the Programme for Government. On 22 October 2019 Government approved the general scheme of the Adoptive Leave (Amendment) Bill to amend the Adoptive Leave Act 1995. The scheme provides for married male same-sex adopting couples to be eligible for adoptive leave and benefit. It also provides for all adopting couples –...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Force Majeure Leave (8 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Government takes the needs of working parents very seriously, particularly the difficulties they are facing in the current pandemic. There have been a number of advances in respect of the leave available to working parents in recent years. The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced paid parent’s leave of two weeks for each parent to be taken in the first year of a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Assisted Decision-Making (8 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, 441, 442 and 457 together. My Department has recently expanded following the formation of the Government in June and now includes Disability under its remit. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill and the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill are two pieces of legislation which will be progressed in 2021 and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Services (8 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The response to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue. Policy is coordinated by the Department of Justice and Equality (DJE). Under the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV. The Deputy will be aware that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (8 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: My Department funds a broad range of organisations and projects. Organisations that meet the criteria and terms of their grant agreement will continue to be funded. 

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Costs (8 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) in late 2019 was a landmark moment for making high quality childcare more affordable and accessible to families in Ireland. The NCS is designed to be highly inclusive and to meet the needs of those families who need it the most. The NCS is based on the principle of progressive universalism and has regard to the best interests of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (8 Dec 2020)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 444 to 447, inclusive, together. An accommodation centre for families in the International Protection process will open on Port Road in Letterkenny in early 2021. It is expected that residents will move into the centre on a phased basis over a period of 8 to 10 weeks thereafter.    While their application is being examined, all applicants for...