Results 121-140 of 331 for carers speaker:Roderic O'Gorman

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Care Services (21 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: A number of Government Departments are engaged in supporting young carers, including the Departments of Health, Social Protection and my own Department. I am happy to agree to the Deputy's suggestion of giving consideration to the establishment of a cross-departmental group to consider how best the Government can support young carers. Officials of my Department intend to meet with...

International Women's Day: Statements (8 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...their home and working lives. Parental leave will be extended from the current seven weeks to nine weeks by August 2024. Under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, parents and carers will shortly have the right to request flexible working and leave for purposes of medical care and breast-feeding breaks will be extended to two years. In addition, we have tackled...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Section 8 inserts a new Part IIA into the Parental Leave Act 1998 to provide a right to request flexible working for parents and carers. The proposed amendments would amend the new section 13B which provides for the range of persons for whom the leave can be taken. Part IIA has been carefully drafted to ensure that the directive is correctly transposed and provides the right to parents and...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: The entitlement to many forms of family leave requires a minimum period of employment. For parental leave and carers' leave, for example, there is a minimum period of one year, while for statutory sick leave a period of 13 weeks of continuous service is required. Indeed, the work-life balance directive does envisage a notice period for flexible working arrangements. I understand what the...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...The remote working provisions have been drafted to align with the flexible working provisions of the Bill, the language for which derives from the EU directive on work-life balance for parents and carers. The rights of the employee have already been further strengthened by the introduction of the statutory code of practice which employers will have to abide by. That code will be drafted...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Mar 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...employees. When we brought in this legislation we wrote that remote working applies to all employees. Flexible working, which is broader than remote working and includes other elements, is for carers and parents as set out under the legislation. Some of the additionality provided for under flexible working could be very appealing to a lot of employees, particularly truncated weeks or...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disabilities Assessments (28 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...may be required to ensure an individual child’s inclusion in the ECCE programme. The plan is developed by the Early Years Educators working with the child, in partnership with the child’s parent/guardian or carer and in consultation with relevant professionals working with the child. A Better Start Early Years Specialist can provide educational advice and mentoring to support...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ..., of course, waive this period. That is an important point to note. The entitlement to many forms of family leave requires a minimum period of employment with an employer. For parental leave and carer's leave, for example, the minimum period is one year. Statutory sick leave requires a period of 13 weeks' continuous service. The directive itself envisages a notice period for flexible...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Flexible Work Practices (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...before the Seanad at Committee Stage. The Bill includes provisions to transpose Article 9 of the EU Work Life Balance Directive which provides for a right to request flexible working for parents and carers. Separately, the Government brought amendments to the Bill at Report Stage to incorporate the provisions of the Right to Request Remote Work Bill 2021 into this Bill. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Assisted Decision-Making (9 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...of events to provide an overview of the 2015 Act, including the new support framework and the functions of the DSS. The DSS has also worked with the HSE to develop a webinar specifically for carers, many of whom are family members of persons who lack capacity, and may avail of decision supports under the new Act. The DSS has also collaborated with the Courts Service, to provide a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Flexible Work Practices (8 Feb 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...before the Seanad at Committee Stage. The Bill includes provisions to transpose Article 9 of the EU Work Life Balance Directive which provides for a right to request flexible working for parents and carers. Separately, the Government brought amendments to the Bill at Report Stage to incorporate the provisions of the Right to Request Remote Work Bill 2021 into this Bill. Under the...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...dedicated solely to improving work–life balance. I look forward to the detailed discussion we are going to have. Not only will the Bill transpose EU law on work–life balance for parents and carers but it will also implement some important programme for Government commitments. It delivers a right to request flexible working so mothers, fathers and carers can be present for...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: Section 6 inserts a new section 13A into the Parental Leave Act 1998 to provide for an entitlement to leave for medical care purposes for parents and carers. This amendment would extend the cohort of parents and carers who are entitled to avail of leave for medical care purposes. I appreciate that there is a wide range of potential caring relationships but the Bill very much follows the...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...is important that any changes we make are balanced in terms of their impact on employers. This is why we had always indicated it would be five days under this heading. It is relevant to note that carer's leave and carer's benefit may also be available to some people under this heading. I am not in a position to accept the amendment.

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...work-life balance Bill. When we considered bringing the two together, we discussed the application of remote working to all workers as opposed to the application of flexible working to parents and carers. I wanted to enunciate that, in the review period, we would examine whether flexible working should be extended more broadly. Reading the text around the review, that intention could be...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Committee Stage (31 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...regardless or the age of the child. This may also include an adult child where there is a serious medical reason. On amendment No. 17 and the issue of "may" versus "shall", obviously a parent or carer is fully entitled to agree a flexible working arrangement with an employer beyond the age of 12. It just will not necessarily be given the full range of protections that are contained...

Parental Bereavement Leave (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (26 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ..., which will include the introduction of five days' leave for medical care purposes, five days' paid domestic, sexual and gender-based violence leave, the right to request flexible working for parents and carers, the right to request remote working for all employees and, of course, the extension of breastfeeding breaks. I recognise that none of these types of leave, none of these positive...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (18 Jan 2023)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...awaiting Committee Stage in the Seanad where I intend to bring some technical amendments. The Bill will introduce important entitlements for workers, in particular for workers who are parents or carers, such a leave for medical care purposes and the right to request remote working. As the provisions in this Bill are also required for the transposition of the Work Life Balance Directive,...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (14 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...6 inserts a new section 13A into the Parental Leave Act to provide for leave for medical care purposes. This new form of leave matches the provisions of Article 6 of the work-life balance directive on carer's leave. The Carer's Leave Act 2001 already provides for a form of leave for those with caring responsibilities but for a more extended period. In order to meet the requirements of...

Seanad: Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (14 Dec 2022)

Roderic O'Gorman: ...and strengthen the position of women in the workforce and across Irish life. In that regard, I would draw attention to certain provisions in this legislation. Obviously, while the provisions for carers and parents are not solely directed towards women, as Senators Sherlock, Pauline O'Reilly and others said, it will primarily be women availing of those provisions. Again, the provisions...