Results 421-440 of 4,780 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (9 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank both witnesses for their presentations. I have been an admirer of Mrs. Justice McGuinness for a long time. I particularly admire Professor Binchy's stance in the 2004 citizenship referendum. Article 34.4.6° of the Constitution states, "The decision of the Supreme Court shall in all cases be final and conclusive." How does this relate to the legal certainty of how we operate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the witnesses to today's meeting. On the suicide issue, I am afraid that if people have come here to argue that suicide as a risk to the life of a mother should not be in this legislation, then there are here under a false premise. We have to legislate for the threat of suicide to the life of a mother because that is the very basis of the X case for which we are legislating. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Implementation of Government Decision Following Expert Group Report into Matters Relating to A, B and C v. Ireland (10 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the witnesses. Yesterday Dr. Simon Mills presented a draft Bill which he felt we could work from in legislating for the X case. His Bill included a section on fatal foetal abnormality and he suggested that it would be constitutional to make such a provision. He also included a section on conscientious objection, which was part of the original British abortion law in the 1960s. I...

Order of Business (16 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Minister for Justice and Equality made a very welcome statement that forced labour will be criminalised under the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) (Amendment) Bill. When will this Bill come before the House?

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Property Taxation (16 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the need to exempt residents of Priory Hall, Dublin, tenants from the property tax in view of the situation regarding their homes and their inability to live in them due to health and safety concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57889/12]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Matters Relating to the Economy: Discussion with Governor of Central Bank (16 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I wish to ask the Governor about a financial transactions tax. Eleven eurozone countries have recently signed up to proceed with a tax on their financial transactions. The Minister, Deputy Noonan, has said that such a tax would put 33,000 jobs in the IFSC at risk and that he would not do it without the co-operation of the UK. At a recent event in Dublin I spoke to Ed Balls, MP, who said...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Matters Relating to the Economy: Discussion with Governor of Central Bank (16 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Do I have any time left?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Matters Relating to the Economy: Discussion with Governor of Central Bank (16 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Governor has not answered my question about how much it might raise. I understand those 11 eurozone countries have signed up to a rate of 0.1%. How much would that raise in the Irish context? He has said the consequences for job losses or the impact on the economy would not be as grave as some people suggest. I ask him to flesh out the consequences it might have and how much it might...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am not a member of the committee but I am interested in the topic. I was attending another committee which is still sitting but I wanted to listen to this debate. I have only been here for 20 minutes and the debate has been fascinating. I am a former principal and teacher of an inner city girls school that is in an area of acute disadvantage. One cannot introduce legislation without a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The witness initially indicated that it would be a mistake to state that all women involved in the sex trade are at risk. I am not sure if I heard that correctly. The witness also indicated that saying something like this would have a disempowering effect. Will she elaborate? The Irish Feminist Network is advocating an education programme and schools were mentioned. Schools only go so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I acknowledge the committee has a great deal of work to do not only on the demand side, but on the supply side as well. Poverty has a huge part to play in that but I was struck by the reference to the 14 year old who was brought into the sex trade by her mother. How prevalent is that practice? Did this result from coercion or was it a by-product of total family dysfunction?

Topical Issue Debate: Speech and Language Therapy (17 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: While I thank the Minister of State for his presence, I had hoped somebody from the Departments of Health or Education and Skills would be here.

Topical Issue Debate: Speech and Language Therapy (17 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Yes. I hope the Minister of State will pass on my concerns in relation to the Beechpark services of the HSE. Since a school in my constituency - Scoil Chiaráin in Donnycarney - contacted me about this service, I have been contacted by other schools about it. The authorities at Scoil Chiaráin have been told that Beechpark will not provide any more speech and language therapy...

Topical Issue Debate: Speech and Language Therapy (17 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: With all due respect, if I go back to the parents with this answer, they will not be very impressed. They will not be impressed with an indication of the overall economic situation, which they have been told of to death, and they will not necessarily be impressed by a review group. The situation is that a senior speech and language therapy position is not being filled. Reviews are...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (17 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: My amendment specifies the need for an adult learner to be on the ETBs. It states: "and the Minister shall nominate 1 man and 1 woman who are representative of students and who are registered as students in a centre for education or recognised school or are learners in an education or training facility or other facility maintained by any other public service body where the board provides...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Bill 2012: Committee Stage (17 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I understand where the Minister is coming from and I acknowledge the business element might be difficult to nail down but because of the education that will be provided by ETBs, the nature of the students who will attend, the nature of the further education sector and the fact that the empowerment of the student body has not necessarily always been to the forefront, it would be much easier to...

Order of Business (22 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine stated recently that the Bill to bring about a levy on online betting will be coming before the House very soon. I would like to know when that will be. He also indicated that the levy would not go to the horse and greyhound fund because all levies on bets currently placed in Ireland go directly to that fund. I would like the Taoiseach's...

Education (Welfare) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the opportunity to speak on bullying. I commend Sinn Féin for bringing forward this Bill and for affording us this opportunity to discuss it. Much emphasis has been put on cyberbullying, but it is still bullying. Suggesting getting rid of Facebook, Twitter and the Internet as well as taking mobile telephones off every child and teenager will not change the fact that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foreign Adoptions (30 Jan 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date that has been set for Russian authorities to visit Dublin to conduct bilateral discussions; and if she will confirm the persons that will be attending these talks on behalf of the Adoption Authority of Ireland and from her Department. [4566/13]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation (6 Feb 2013)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason there are only nine detoxification beds in a 4500 bed prison system in view of the fact that 80% of persons there suffer from some form of drug problem and need services to help them detox and rehabilitate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5651/13]