Results 2,761-2,780 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne
- Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: I welcome everybody to the meeting. All those present in the committee room are asked to exercise personal responsibility to protect themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19. The first item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes of our private and public meetings on 8 and 9 February 2023, respectively. They have been approved at our virtual private meeting, but for...
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Before we start, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards references to other persons witnesses may make in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected, pursuant to both the Constitution and statute, by absolute privilege. Witnesses are...
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Is the cause of the hold up the fact that the issue is across Departments? Should it be the remit of one Department?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Could Mr. Deering give us a quick outline of proactive measures being taken by his office regarding the issue of homelessness?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Why were the records of Traveller families waiting times on the housing list changed?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Moving away from the letter as the means of communication would be useful, particularly for Traveller families.
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: I call Deputy Buckley.
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: We are lucky the Deputy started at the back of the report. It might have been a different story if he had started at the front.
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: I will address the report due to be published shortly about the HSE administering schemes designed to assist patients. What are some of the grounds on which the HSE has refused to reimburse patients? What reasons are they given for not being reimbursed?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: When silly bureaucracy and red tape has stopped them from getting it, if they have produced documents subsequently has the HSE been forthcoming, or do they just continue dragging their heels because the paperwork was incorrect initially?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Did Covid play a big part in the number of complaints received? Has a big drop in the number of complaints been seen since Covid has passed?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: In the 2021 reports, reference was made to the number of complaints about the disability access route to education, DARE, system. Can I get the witnesses' thoughts on that, and the manner in which the State is succeeding or otherwise in implementing that?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: For the benefit of people looking in, DARE is the disability access route to education.
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: I totally agree with Mr. Deering, as would all public representatives. Some of the forms we help people to fill in are mind-boggling. As regards the White Paper on direct provision, all present agree in respect of the need to do away with or scale down direct provision. Instead of the numbers reducing, however, they have increased by 80. Has the Office of the Ombudsman received...
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Has the Office of the Ombudsman received complaints in the context of the 60,000 plus Ukrainian refugees who have come to Ireland under the temporary protection directive? I have seen some of the accommodation with which they are being provided. Has Mr. Deering's office received complaints about the conditions of some of the accommodation?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: The number of complaints is very small.
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: A matter connected with direct provision is the outreach programme provided by the Office of the Ombudsman. Does Mr. Deering intend to extend it to Ukrainian refugees who may have issues that need to be raised in order to ensure the system works as best it can?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Mr. Deering touched earlier on the investigation in 2010 by Emily O’Reilly, his predecessor, into the charging of people in nursing homes. Without going into the finer details, does Mr. Deering have a view on the manner in which that issue has been addressed since the 2010 report?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Did Mr. Deering state earlier that all the recommendations of the Wasted Lives report are being taken on board?
- Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman (16 Feb 2023)
Martin Browne: Mr. Deering referred to the HAP system. Does he see any big failings in that system?