Results 101-120 of 560 for mother and baby speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Did you mean: other and Baby speaker:490?

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (14 Jun 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As noted in my reply of 28 March, the investigation of burial arrangements in Mother and Baby institutions, including Bessborough, was an important part of the work of the independent Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters. The Commission’s Fifth Interim Report noted that, despite extensive inquiries and searches, the Commission was only able...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (13 Jun 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will provide financial payments and health supports in the form of an enhanced medical card to eligible persons who spent time in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The Payment Scheme is designed to be non-adversarial and will not require applicants to bring forward evidence of abuse or harm suffered. It is not possible to...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (31 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. He is right that the Report Stage debate is scheduled for four hours at the moment. As the Senator knows, Committee Stage was originally scheduled for three hours and we have been dealing with it for a lot longer. That is absolutely fine because it is important legislation. It is important that we give the amendments that were in order and, in certain circumstances,...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am not in a position to accept the amendment as presented but that is not to say that I do not understand the intention behind it. That intention of acknowledgement lies behind the wider Government approach to mother and baby and county home institutions, as outlined in the steps we set out in the action plan. Central to that was the apology the Taoiseach made on behalf of the State. It...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...Senators for their contributions. I have put it on the record previously, but it is worth reiterating, that when the Taoiseach made his State apology, he recognised how the suffering of people in mother and baby homes and county home institutions was often compounded by racial discrimination. That is recognised. I turn to the specific amendments brought forward by Senator Black....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...Sweeney as Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam. Mr Mac Sweeney will head up the independent Office that has been established under the Institutional Burials Act 2022 to oversee the important and highly sensitive work of ensuring the children’s remains at the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam are recovered and re-interred in a respectful and appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (30 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: As outlined in my previous reply to the Deputy on 30 March 2023, consultation with survivors and relative groups was an important part of the development of the Institutional Burials Act 2022. After taking Office, I visited the site of the former Mother and Baby Institution in Tuam, Co. Galway, and met with survivors and relatives of those who died while resident there. I carefully considered...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Chair and Senators. I will respond to both amendments Nos. 39 and 40. I am not in a position to accept these amendments, the first of which requires the preparation of reports on the potential to extend eligibility for payments and the enhanced medical card to persons who, as children of mixed race, were removed from an institution covered by this scheme and were placed in...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: This question is a difficult one. It depends. The key objective and reason we included section 50 was to recognise that evidence could come forth concerning an institution. We know a great deal about the operations of the mother and baby homes and the county home institutions because of the commission's report. There are other institutions that we may not know so much about. We spent a...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I disagree with Senator Gavan. I believe I have answered the question both yesterday and last week in respect of the distinction we have made concerning the multifaceted nature of the Government's response to those who were in mother and baby institutions. We recognise that different survivors have different priorities in the context of access to information, the treatment of remains,...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Senator. Like Senator Higgins, I have met the Association of Mixed Race Irish and I have heard from them their experiences as former residents of mother and baby and county homes and other institutions, and the impact of the racism they have experienced in their lives. It is important to recognise that, following the publication of the commission of investigation's report, in...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The discussion here is similar to the one we have had on previous amendments in terms of proposed reports on the possibility of additional payments, and the concern at Government that the approach that has been adopted - the non-adversarial nature of the scheme, and a general payment covering the time spent, the harsh conditions, the emotional abuse and the stigma and mistreatment - is the...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: These are a set of technical amendments. These amendments all relate to the use of the term "relevant person" and the word "applicant" across a number of sections in the Bill. They are technical in nature and they are being made for clarity and for accuracy. Any person can make an application to the scheme if they believe themselves to be a relevant person, as per the definition provided...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Senator Higgins and the other Senators for their contributions on this group of amendments. Unfortunately I am not in a position to accept amendments Nos. 33 to 36, inclusive. As we know, these amendments require the preparation of reports on the adequacy of the health support payment and the potential to make supplementary payments in certain conditions. In dealing with the...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Senator Higgins during our previous session asked for clarification on the issue of the waiver, and I agreed to come back to her in writing on that. That clarification continues to be worked on. We will bring it to her. It is being given the consideration it deserves because it is an important issue. We will get that to her when it is ready, which will be soon, I believe. As for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (23 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme was not developed with the intention of trying diminish anyone’s personal experience in these institutions. The Payment Scheme should be recognised as just one element of a comprehensive package of support measures agreed by the Government as part of the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (23 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I propose to take Questions Nos. 709 and 710 together. The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will provide financial payments to an estimated 34,000 people, some 19,000 of whom will also benefit from an enhanced medical card or health support payment. These benefits are in recognition of experiences while resident in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. The overall cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (18 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am acutely aware of the sense of urgency surrounding the establishment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme and I am focused on delivering the Scheme as soon as possible. The legislation for the Payment Scheme was passed by Dáil Éireann in February and commenced Committee Stage in the Seanad on 16th May. The other important element to allow for the opening of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Mother and Baby Homes (17 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: On 28 February 2021, with the dissolution of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, my Department became the data controller for all the personal data contained in the records and databases that transferred from the Commission. Former residents of Mother and Baby Homes can make a subject access request to my Department under the GDPR for access to their record. I am very...

Seanad: Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Committee Stage (16 May 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Amendments Nos. 1 and 15 are proposed to be taken together as they both seek to include a section in the Bill providing for a report on the operation of the scheme. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to be able to accept these amendments as the Bill already provides for a review of the operation of the scheme under section 49. It sets out two separate reviews that will be conducted on...