Results 121-140 of 150 for speaker:Michael Woods

Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Second Stage (28 May 2009)

Michael Woods: It is unseemly for the Opposition to be entirely absent.

Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Second Stage (28 May 2009)

Michael Woods: It is very sad.

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: There has been a great deal of poorly informed comment on the agreement the Government made with the religious congregations in 2002. I wish to place on the record of the House the facts regarding that agreement. It was my privilege as Minister for Education and Science to bring through the Oireachtas, in the timescale set by the Government and requested by the victims, two seminal and...

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: On 20 February 2002, the Final Stages of the Residential Institutions Redress Bill were taken in Dáil Éireann. The CORI package and indemnity were discussed again. It was estimated at the time that the overall cost could be up to €500 million. However, since neither the number of victims who were abused nor the extent of injuries was known, the figure could be considerably higher.

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: I am not and Deputy Shortall will find much of this information in the Ryan report. The Bill passed its Final Stages with the stated agreement of all parties. Deputy Michael Creed, on behalf of the Fine Gael Party, and Deputy Róisín Shortall, on behalf of the Labour Party, thanked me, as Minister, and my officials for the work done on this complex Bill and both Deputies regretted that day...

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: While I understood the Deputies' concern, I stated we were only dealing with the residential schools and reformatories which were under complete, 24-hour control of the Department of Education. On 8 March 2002, the CORI package was outlined in Seanad Éireann and fully discussed and approved by the House. The Bill was finalised in Seanad Éireann on 22 March 2002 and in Dáil Éireann on 28...

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: It is his confusion, not mine. Once again, the Deputy is wrong. The indemnity was before the Dáil and Seanad committee and it was fully and openly discussed-----

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: -----and had the benefit of the advice of the Attorney General-----

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: -----of his office and of the experts in the Department of Finance, the Department of Education and Science and others.

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: The indemnity is in the legislation. What the Deputies are referring to is the final details which the Attorney General -----

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: That can be got any time; all those things are done by the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor all the time.

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: The Deputies are caught out now, they are on the bounce, they have their press release out, trying to tie Fianna Fáil in with the church. I know that is what they are at; that is the preset agenda that they have.

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: That is being driven by the former Sinn Féin-Workers' Party and by Deputy Rabbitte in particular.

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: Once again the Deputy is wrong. The indemnity was before the joint committee of the Dáil and Seanad. It was fully and openly discussed and had the benefit of the advice of the Attorney General. Incidentally, the Deputy did not use the opportunity to use any of the regulations to have a discussion on it at the time which could have been held separately after the Attorney General had...

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: In addition, the capping of the contribution was brought before the House. I notice that from March of this year there have only been three cases which had to be covered fully through the courts. There were 23 in all and 20 of those were settled separately. Why is all that going on? It is because the Deputies are trying to use the victims for political purposes-----

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: It worked and it worked well.

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: In addition, the capping of the contributions was brought before the House. It is time now for Deputy Gilmore to withdraw the statements he made in the House last week. At all times the Government was guided by the interests of the victims of child abuse and ensuring that no extra burden was placed on them by the State. The redress board was set up to enable survivors to be compensated...

Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jun 2009)

Michael Woods: Now that the full extent of child abuse has been revealed in the Ryan report, the Government and Dáil Éireann rightly support a call for additional contributions from the religious congregations. This could be provided in substantial support for a foundation for the future education and welfare of the victims and their families. I welcome the publication of the Ryan report and agree with...

Social Welfare Cuts: Motion (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Michael Woods: I understand the Minister of State, Deputy John Moloney, is sharing time with Deputies Mary O'Rourke, M.J. Nolan and Cyprian Brady.

Social Welfare Cuts: Motion (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Michael Woods: Under the sharing arrangement I now call Deputy Mary O'Rourke who has five minutes.