Results 2,301-2,320 of 7,641 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: Like Senator Darragh O'Brien, I wish to be very careful in how I make my point in regard to yesterday's sentencing, being very conscious of the separation of powers. Will the Leader arrange a debate in the House on sentencing policy, to involve the Minister for Justice and Equality, and with a particular focus on how we can maintain and ensure the confidence of all of our citizens in...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I advise Senators who disagree to read the transcript of the health committee meetings. This debate is only beginning, as we saw last Saturday. The Government is beginning to lose the argument. They need to get back in touch with the middle ground of Irish opinion.

Seanad: Water Services Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: Go raibh mile maith agat a Leas-Chathaoirleach. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. The Water Services Bill 2013 under discussion here today is to be commended as a first step in an attempt to deal with several key areas that have required urgent attention for a number of years. It is in line with the EU Water Framework Directive 2000, which aims to promote sustainable water use based on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I thank Dr. Freedman, and I am sorry I was not able to be present for his presentation. In the course of proceedings he may have answered some of my questions. I ask him to forgive me in advance for that. It might sound discourteous to ask a question which the doctor has already answered. Dr. Freedman made reference to the idea that were we to criminalise the purchaser of persons for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: Is there evidence of that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: What I want to tease out is whether it would it would hurt such people less, for example, if there were to be a consistent social message against the purchase of persons in prostitution. Would Dr. Freedman favour such social messaging? If we consider, for example, the resources we spend on discouraging drink driving, speeding and other kinds of behaviour that we would describe as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: While there are people who might well compete for the money, and some people might enjoy a certain kind of lifestyle because they are at a certain level in prostitution, is it not possible that what Dr. Freedman is dealing with are people who have been desensitised to a considerable degree by their life experiences and low self-esteem and who then find themselves in a situation in which they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: Yes - agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: Organisations such as Ruhama do not like to refer to a person as a prostitute because they feel it portrays the person as doing something wrong. However, neither do they use the term "sex worker" because they believe it sanitises something which should be socially discouraged. It tends to use the term "a person in prostitution". I was wondering whether the term "sex worker" implies some...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome the speakers. I am very struck by the disparity there appears to be between women's and men's stories. When one listens to presentations from Ruhama and others who work with women in prostitution, one does not have to look long before one hears stories of misery and exploitation. I wonder if that is because organisations such as Ruhama are dealing with people at the level of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: What about social messaging and cultural education?

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome Mr. Mitchell and thank him for his excellent speech. His responses to questions showed his mastery of the brief for which I congratulate him, in particular for the work he is doing in development. Almost every time we have had a referendum on a European treaty, the issue of abortion has come up and has been a very controversial and sometimes complicating issue, sometimes not for...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Gay Mitchell, MEP (24 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: The Senator is still running.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Mairead McGuinness, MEP (29 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: We still love it.

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: We might have a discussion on another day about the appropriateness of discretionary payments for events like first holy communion and so on. Tacaím leis an méid a dúirt an Seanadóir Darragh O'Brien maidir le seirbhísí póilíneachta agus an suirbhé faoi phátrúnacht sna scoileanna. Fuair mé litir le déanaí ó duine a chuir in iúl dom go raibh lochtanna sa suirbhé sin a chur an...

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I do not think that is a point of order.

Seanad: Order of Business (31 Jan 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I would welcome an opportunity to debate these issues with Senator Bacik. We could introduce a greater balance to the debate and hear the voices of those who see denominational education as a great source of education for their families and children.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: I second Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment to the Order of Business. The Senator has raised an issue that will not go away. Anybody who is in touch with ordinary folk will know how much such a debate matters to them. People throughout Ireland, especially older people, do not feel the security they deserve to feel in their own country in terms of proper policing in their community. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2013)

Rónán Mullen: A public representative is not in a different position from any other member of society but the damage to a public representative is particularly severe when there is any kind of suspicion about his or her acting with propriety.