Results 2,301-2,320 of 15,836 for speaker:Robert Troy

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I am slightly disappointed because this amendment is quite similar to the previous two that we have just discussed and is about giving legal certainty to ensuring the views of the child are taken into consideration as part of any consultation process. The Minister has quite rightly said on a number of occasions that this is new and ground-breaking provision that we never had before, but that...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I do not have legal qualifications or a legal background, but from a layman's point of view, I would have thought it would be better to include the word "consultation" to ensure it happened. I have engaged with various NGOs and interested parties on this legislation and no one has brought it to my attention as being problematic. Taking the word out seems to make the legislation more...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: Is my amendment being taken with this?

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: Restricting section 9(4), relating to the voice of the child, to proceedings under the Child Care Act 1991 or the Adoption Act 2010 is a wasted opportunity to ensure that consultation with children could become standard practice for all professionals within the agency. As Deputy Ó Caoláin said, this is far too limited. If we want to be true to and reflect Article 12 of the UN...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I wish to reaffirm what I said already. As my colleague has said, this is about listening to the views of the child. When dealing with child care issues, professionals should always be concerned about listening to the child's views when making decisions that will affect the children directly. I acknowledge the Minister's amendment has broadened the scope of the original provisions, but not...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I move amendment No. 22: In page 13, subsection (4), lines 38 to 42, to delete all words from and including “under” in line 38 down to and including “child” in line 42 and substitute the following: “under section 8(1)(a), (b) or (c), whether in proceedings before a court or otherwise ensure that the views of that individual child, where that child is...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I have nothing further to add. It is written plainly. It is not restricted to those three Departments, albeit that the new Department has been established and is responsible for the core functions. Many areas extend across the remit of other Departments. The amendment would delete "that" and substitute "any Minister". I support Deputy Ó Caoláin's amendment.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I concur with Deputy Ó Caoláin. This amendment deals with the annual report of the agency. I recently tabled a parliamentary question about the annual report of the government rapporteur and whether the Department of Children and Youth Affairs would implement the recommendations of the report. The Minister in her reply said it could not be done because the recommendations span...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: It is self explanatory that the purpose of the amendment is to ensure that we have a board composed of professional, competent personnel who have experience of the legal environment pertaining to children and families, the disciplines of child protection, psychology, family support and therapeutic services. We wish to ensure that in filling the board any Minister does so with the best...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I will be brief and will not keep rehashing the arguments. Deputy Ó Caoláin hit the nail on the head. I do not question the Minister's bona fides in this regard. I often question the pace of reform but I do not question her commitment to it. As Deputy Ó Caoláin stated, none of us is here for infinity. We are all only passing through and this is about legislation that...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I have already made the point on the agency. This amendment concerns the Minister and I fully support it. The proceedings are becoming disheartening at this stage after our having done all the work and made point after point. Without pre-empting what the Minister has to say, I must contend that the discussion on every amendment, bar two, has been merely for show.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I support the amendment. In line with good practice, the board will be accountable to the Minister and the chief executive will be accountable to the board, with corresponding lines of communication. In one section in the Bill this relationship is not clear and in another it is inconsistent. On this basis, I recommend section 47(1) should be amended to clarify that the Minister may issue...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I concur with Deputy Ó Caoláin. On so many occasions the Minister has spoken about the need for a cross-party approach to this area, most recently at the launch of the Early Years strategy. We have worked with the various non-governmental organisations, NGOs, and interested groups to bring forward amendments to strengthen this legislation. If this amendment made a material...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I move amendment No. 33: In page 35, subsection (2), line 30, after “section” to insert “insofar as practicable”.I put forward this amendment to ensure the board can act in an independent, transparent manner and that no Minister, whether the current one or future incumbents, can exert undue political pressure on the board. That is my rationale and the legal advice...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: We are at one here.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: It is easy when the Minister agrees with us.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: This empowers the Minister to give direction to the agency concerning any matter relating to this Act or other enactment and any policy or objective of the Minister or the Government. The agency shall comply with such a direction. The chief executive is mandated to inform the Minister of the measures taken by the agency to comply with the ministerial direction. A provision should be added...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I move amendment No. 37: In page 35, after line 46, to insert the following subsection:“(7) Any direction under this section must be in accordance with sections 8 and 9 of this Act.”.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: This is self-explanatory. From time to time the agency will have to engage third parties to provides services it will be unable to provide. The amendment would ensure that when this happened, the third party would operate in accordance with the provisions applying to the agency. The rationale behind the amendment is clear. It sets out clearly what would be expected of third parties...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (24 Oct 2013)

Robert Troy: I move amendment No. 44: In page 42, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following subsection:"(16) In performing its functions under this section the Agency may not interfere with the independence or general business of a voluntary body.".The amendment is important, given the significant contribution made by the community and voluntary sector in achieving the agency's objectives. Many of...