Results 3,601-3,620 of 6,030 for speaker:Brendan Ryan

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Last week in the Pharmacy Bill absolute privilege was extended to what is essentially a private body, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, in terms of its procedures for investigating complaints against pharmacists. I am at a loss to understand why the concept of absolute privilege should apply in the case of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland but not in the case of a body established...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: The problem with qualified privilege is that there is no absolute way to determine it other than by way of a court case, in which case the individual can be accused of saying something defamatory and, depending on how the court rules, it may or may not be adjudicated upon. A defendant may be left with a substantial legal bill if he or she is not indemnified, whereas absolute privilege means...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Is this in order?

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I most certainly will.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I most certainly will face the electorate. It is a course and malicious charge.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Yes. This is a correction of what Senator Leyden said a minute ago.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Based on what Senator Leyden said, it is clear how much influence Fianna Fáil backbenchers have over Fianna Fáil policy. It makes no sense to exclude members of local authorities from membership of a body such as this. There is an active citizenship commission travelling around the country trying to persuade people to get involved, and we know that people are reluctant to get involved in...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: If one becomes a bankrupt, a criminal or a member of a local authority or the Houses of the Oireachtas, one loses one's seat.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Section 15(2) states: A member of the Board ceases to hold office if the member— (a) is adjudicated bankrupt, (b) makes a composition or arrangement with creditors, (c) is convicted of an indictable offence, (d) is convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty, (e) is the subject of an order under section 160 of the Companies Act 1990, (f) is sentenced to a term of imprisonment by a...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Some Minister will have to attend the House to give a reason for this, other than saying that it is in every other piece if legislation. If there is a constitutional, institutional or "good practice" reason why this should be the case, let us hear it and sort it out with a single Bill. We have a significant body that deals with insurance and people who seek to avoid using the courts to...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I promise I will sit down for a while after this. Section 17(1)(a)(b)(c) and (d) are fine. However, section 17(2) states If, in the Minister's opinion, the Board is not performing its functions in an effective manner, the Minister may appoint a person to— (a) conduct an independent review of any matter giving rise to that opinion, and (b) submit a report to the Minister on the results of...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Why do we want these powers anyway? Amending legislation can go through the Oireachtas in a day if necessary.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I wish to comment on section 19.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I changed my mind. I am irrepressible. Earlier, we discussed the eligibility criteria for membership of boards or committees of boards. Section 19 states: (1) The Board may— (a) establish committees to provide assistance and advice to the Board in relation to the performance of its functions, and (b) determine the membership and terms of reference of each committee. (2) The Board may...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I record my usual objection to the meaningless provision in section 42(8). How could the chief inspector answer a question in an open manner while, at the same time, not questioning or expressing "an opinion on the merits of any policy of the Government or a Minister or on the merits of the objectives of such a policy"? I would love to dig out a manual on quality assurance, of which I have...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: Those are not the words used in the subsection.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: One of the Minister of State's predecessors who removed an identical provision from a Bill before the Seanad lost his job as aresult.

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I cannot permit a Minister to argue that the words "may at a future time" are the same as the word "likely". They do not have the same meaning. I repeat my question to the Minister of State. How will the High Court adjudicate on whether a matter "may at a future time be the subject of proceedings before a court or tribunal"? I am also entitled to an explanation of the meaning of the word...

Seanad: Health Bill 2006: Committee Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Brendan Ryan: I have no problem with a prohibition on the disclosure of confidential information but such information should be information which is exempted under the Freedom of Information Act. If we were in earnest about it, we would decide information is confidential if it is exempt information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act. I would like the Minister to explain how something could...