Results 2,841-2,860 of 5,534 for speaker:Maureen O'Sullivan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (13 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 187. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the problems with supplies of homes, his views that there is a need to abolish the building-design-and-assign inspection fees incurred at tremendous costs to persons wanting to add home extensions; his further views that by ending this cost, families may add extensions, and thus alleviate housing waiting lists...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Persecution of Christians: Discussion (13 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I apologise for missing the beginning but I was chairing an event that also involved Trócaire. The witnesses' reports were extremely informative but also very challenging. It was very difficult to listen to individual cases, because when it is brought down to individual cases, one can see the effects of the principal questions that have been raised. I agree that there is a very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Persecution of Christians: Discussion (13 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I have come from chairing another meeting and there was mention of a report done for Trócaire on aid for trade and Ireland is to the forefront of untied aid. The debate hinged around where we are doing business and trading with other countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. Human rights and due governance must be part of this. When we speak of human rights, the right to freedom of...

Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (14 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 12. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of a report (details supplied) and the findings of the study that badgers avoid fields of cattle and farm buildings containing cattle, if he will acknowledge that badgers have been wrongfully vilified; if he will accordingly suspend his Department's practice of badger cull, which to date has resulted in the snaring and...

Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (14 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: The question relates to a recent report after a four year study which indicates that badgers do not seek out cattle and actively avoid them. In that case is there not a justifiable reason to suspend the culling of badgers?

Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (14 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I suggest there could be other reasons for the improvement in the reduction in the levels of bovine TB apart from the cull of the badgers. There is no doubt that everybody wants a cattle herd free of bovine TB. It was interesting to read this report which was carried out by the Minister's Department, Trinity College and the National Parks and Wildlife Service over four years. What it...

Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (14 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: There must be other reasons for the reduction in the levels of bovine TB. This cull of badgers has been called slaughter masquerading as science.

Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (14 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: A farmer who gave a presentation recently before the Committee of Public Accounts acknowledged that he had been responsible, along with an official from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, for inhumanely slaughtering 4,000 pigs. This is the type of thing that is going on. We had lots of discussion on the Animal Health and Welfare Bill and there was so much expected of that...

National Dementia Strategy Implementation: Statements (14 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: Over the years, there has been great progress in the prevention, medication and treatment of many physical and mental illnesses. However, two illnesses - motor neuron disease and dementia including Alzheimer's disease - have not shared in this, and they present great challenges. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Like motor neuron disease, it is progressive and...

Leaders' Questions (14 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I wish to discuss the issue of children. We have had appalling examples of mistreatment of children in the past. We had the Magdalen laundries, the industrial schools and mother and baby homes. We have seen abuse in families, by members of the clergy and in swimming circles. The children involved were deprived of innocence, laughter and fun, all of which should be associated with...

Leaders' Questions (14 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I wish to highlight a number of other aspects by referring to a home of which I know that has been providing accommodation for women who have been abused or made the difficult journey out of addiction and into recovery. Fifteen women live in the house. Incidentally, it is in danger of losing some of its funding. Between the 15 women, there are 11 children who are in care. The women are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (19 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 10. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he and the Irish Government will make clear the level of human rights due diligence they expect of Irish companies operating in Africa, particularly in Irish Aid partner countries; and if Ireland will take a leading role in ensuring that poverty reduction and human-rights-based approaches to development are central to the work of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (19 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: My question is to ask the Minster if he and the Irish Government will make clear the level of human rights due diligence they expect of Irish companies operating in Africa, particularly in Irish Aid partner countries, and if Ireland will take a leading role in ensuring that poverty reduction and a human-rights-based approach to development are central to the work of multinational financial...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (19 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I refer to a report commissioned by Trócaire, Where Aid Meets Trade, which I helped to launch last week. The report is both informative and challenging. It is the first time private sector policy and development policies have been examined. As the Minister stated in his answer, Irish Aid comes off remarkably well because the aid is 100% untied and 100% focused on poverty reduction. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (19 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: There is a danger that economic growth is being seen to equate with poverty reduction and a reduction in inequality. There are some interesting statistics from Africa. For example, in Nigeria, economic growth in the past ten years has increased by 6% per year. Yet on the human development index the country is placed 152nd out of 176. Equally, Botswana has considerable economic growth but...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Overseas Development Aid (19 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 12. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the fact that 2015 will see three high level international meetings on critical global challenges, with a July conference in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on financing for development, if Ireland will support a global intergovernmental body on tax matters; and if the Government will support the calls for a commitment by countries to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Overseas Development Aid (19 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: The tax issue is vital to economic justice. We have seen already the harm that has been done by tax and financial systems which facilitated tax dodging, illicit financial flows and the illegal movement of money or capital from one country to another. There is a frightening statistic that in one year there was an estimated loss of $634 billion for developing countries, and another that $5.3...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Overseas Development Aid (19 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: Lack of action and lack of courage on issues of economic justice are very strong contributing factors for the people who are migrating in vast numbers and at great risk from various African countries. I wonder about the role of officialdom versus the role of Government intentions. When our Ministers return from these three conferences, my wish is they will tell us they had the courage,...

Other Questions: Diplomatic Relations (19 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 17. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of improving relations between the US and Cuba, and in view of Ireland signing a memorandum of understanding with Cuba, if progress can be expected in relation to the banking difficulties of Irish friendship groups with Cuba with Irish bank accounts in this country. [19333/15]

Other Questions: Diplomatic Relations (19 May 2015)

Maureen O'Sullivan: In view of the improving relations between America and Cuba and Ireland's signing a memorandum of understanding with Cuba, can we expect progress regarding the banking difficulties in this country with the Irish bank accounts of Irish friendship groups with Cuba?