Results 17,261-17,280 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (29 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 34: In page 25, line 14, after "Executive" to insert "or other accredited body". These amendments relate to allowing a body other than the HSE to furnish a report as to the suitability of someone to adopt to the adoption authority. We went into the reasons for this in great detail on Committee Stage and I will give the Minister an opportunity to respond as to whether he...

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (29 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 36: In page 25, to delete lines 29 and 30. These amendments propose in section 23(1) to delete the specific reference stating: "The Authority shall not make an adoption order unless the child— (b) at the date of the application, is not more than 7 years of age,". The proposal is to delete that provision and substitute on page 25, line 45, which is section 24(2), an...

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (29 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: We discussed this at great length on Committee Stage but we have limited time this evening. I will not press this amendments.

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (29 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 40: In page 26, line 2, after "order" to insert "or guardianship order made by it". This amendment is no longer relevant in the context of earlier decisions.

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (29 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 44: In page 28, to delete lines 1 and 2. On the basis of the decision made on amendment No. 16, I will withdraw the amendment.

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (29 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 46: In page 28, lines 14 and 15, to delete all words from and including ", after" in line 14 down to and including "Court," in line 15.

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (29 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: The Minister of State made reference to the specific circumstance I was addressing in amendment No. 49 where the applicant is a spouse of the mother or father of the child in circumstances where, for example, a couple, the husband or wife of which is widowed at an early stage in the marriage and has a young child. There is a similar issue as to whether if the widow or widower remarries the...

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (29 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: This is an area where I do not believe there is a constitutional problem. In respect of a widow or widower with young children who marries, there is no particular reason an arrangement cannot be contained within our adoption legislation which allows the person he or she marries to adopt the children. One then creates a situation whereby the biological parent and the spouse to whom he or she...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (24 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: Question 257: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the delay in sanctioning the construction of an extension for a school (details supplied) in Dublin 16; if her attention has been drawn to the need for an extension to be constructed in view of the increasing numbers of students; if her further attention has been drawn to the possibility of the recurrence...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, line 20, after "functions" to insert the following: "including political accountability to the Oireachtas". As I mentioned earlier, the explanatory memorandum describes the purpose of the Bill as strengthening "the legislative base for the provision of information by the Health Service Executive to the Minister for Health and Children so as to enhance the...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I have difficulty with what the Minister is saying because I do not understand why there is a discrepancy between what the explanatory memorandum states the Bill does and the actual content of the Bill. It is very unusual because these documents are prepared very carefully. Those who drafted the explanatory memorandum felt, when referring to this very particular area, the need to include...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: We must all be in shock.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 8: In page 5, line 2, after "person" to insert "or persons". There is no chance the Minister of State will accept this simple amendment. To be of help, I suggest that we take amendments Nos. 8 to 10, inclusive, with this amendment, given the relationship between them. We will not get much further anyway. Amendment No. 8 relates to section 40D, which states: "Where the...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I will conclude in one sentence. In circumstances in which a debate of this seriousness on an issue of this importance is guillotined, the Fine Gael Party will be voting against the Minister of State's proposal that this discussion be closed down and that no further amendments of any description from this side of the House be accepted.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: These are important amendments and this particular section with which we are dealing, which is the new section 40B to go into the Health Act 2004, is very important because it starkly illustrates the disconnect between the Minister for Health and Children, the Ministers of State in that Department, the Department itself and the HSE. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan is absolutely right that, as other...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: It is an expensive exercise.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: Why not just publish them?

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: I will respond briefly to the Minister of State. I want to come back to amendment 4a. The Minister of State's response was a little tautological. He does not want to publish the guidelines because they are really between him and the HSE, but the guidelines, at any rate, can be accessed, according to the Minister of State, through the freedom of information legislation. However, if one...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: It is the Minister of State's colleagues who have said that. I never did.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2010)

Alan Shatter: However, that is in respect of the specifications and not the guidelines. They are two entirely different things.