Results 22,461-22,480 of 26,795 for speaker:David Cullinane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I do not doubt that at all. The point I was making is that we have our job to do, which is to hear from all of those stakeholders. Given that the HSE and others have raised concerns about enforcement, it is important for us in our work to hear directly from An Garda Síochána. I do not doubt it worked very closely with the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Can I interject because this head refers to "communicating in such a way as to deter or dissuade" an individual or a healthcare provider from providing termination and the same in communicating with a person who wishes to avail of termination of pregnancy services. Does that include displaying religious imagery and messages and graphic images of fetuses as was outlined in the HSE submission...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Okay, so it is included in head 4.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: In relation to head 4(3)(g, which refers to intimidation or harassment, it seems there is a difference between head 4 and head 6 when it comes to harassment. Is it a graduated approach where there is a lower threshold of harassment under head 4 and then what seems to be more persistent harassment under head 6? Is that the difference?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Okay. That could be communicating by telephone or by email; persistent harassment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: When we talk about intimidation under head 4, it is at the actual healthcare setting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I can see the HSE and others have raised some concerns about enforcement. It terms of the Department's conversations with An Garda Síochána, there were media reports that the Garda Commissioner might have concerns about the ability to enforce this legislation. I am not sure if that is correct and I do not want to do him any disservice. Mr. O'Connor stated the Department had a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Is the Garda comforted by the provisions of heads 4 and 6, because they include many definitions of what is and what is not allowed or what is prohibited? Are the Garda representatives given comfort by what they have seen from heads 4 and 6 that they would have the ability to enforce this measure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I will make one point before I conclude. I want to see the submission from An Garda Síochána, which would be important in the context of our work but to reiterate the point I started with, it is unacceptable that people are intimidated in any way by going to any healthcare setting. Given what we have heard from the HSE and our own anecdotal evidence of intimidation, harassment,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Is that a submission Deputy Burke received?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I wish to make a point on that. It is really important that both the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission have supported the general scheme of the Bill. They appreciate and accept that that balance has been struck. Obviously, we do not get the import of what the Attorney General says. The advice of the Attorney General is for the Government....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Is that legal advice that the Department received?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: In terms of the earlier discussions, was the legal advice to be as explicit as possible?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I thank Mr. O'Connor.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I want to come back in on a number of issues. I agree with Deputy Bríd Smith when she says that we should not overly complicate this and that there is existing legislation on public order offences that are quite similar. However, at the same time, we should accept that it is complex. There was a lot of discussion between the Department of Justice and the Attorney General. How I would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation: Regional Health Areas Advisory Group (26 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I welcome Mr. Kearns. His opening statement is music to our ears. Everything he said has been said by us for some time. At our first session on RHAs, many of the arguments made by Mr. Kearns in his opening statement were made by us to the head of the Department and the head of the HSE at the time. I will discuss some of the points made by Mr. Kearns in his opening statement and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation: Regional Health Areas Advisory Group (26 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I think Mr. Kearns is saying it is complex. My question concerned whether, at senior management level, the HSE is really committed to these changes. In his opening statement, Mr. Kearns said that there should be a guarantee of independence and authority for the RHAs commensurate with the responsibility they are being given. I agree with that. He went on to say we need absolute clarity as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation: Regional Health Areas Advisory Group (26 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I must put it to Mr. Kearns that if we are talking about devolved authority and responsibility, accountable autonomy and making sure these RHAs have their budgets and the authority on how to spend it, their not being a legal entity and not being the employer constitutes a problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation: Regional Health Areas Advisory Group (26 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: That is welcomed but does it mean a memo would have to be brought to Cabinet by the Minister if there was a change, which I imagine there would be because it would require new legislation and to be signed off by Cabinet?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Sláintecare Implementation: Regional Health Areas Advisory Group (26 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Regarding corporate function and the memo signed off on by Cabinet, can Mr. Kearns square this with what is in his opening statement? I agree we need a HSE centre to provide governance, clear guidance and consistency. I think we all accept that. We need a lead HSE centre. However, when it states that the HSE centre provides all corporate functions, including all central procurement,...