Results 421-440 of 9,252 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: Just to be clear in order that there are not any surprises, I agree with Deputy O'Brien. In terms of changing the law, the law is being changed if Deputy O'Brien's amendment is defeated. It is being changed if section 28 is introduced. The law at present provides that there is life imprisonment for a male who is convicted of incest but the sentence is three to seven years for a woman who...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: I support amendment No. 28, which has been proposed by the Tánaiste. It is important to recall what the function of a prosecutor in a criminal trial is. The function of a prosecutor here, unlike in America, should not be to adamantly pursue a guilty conviction. His or her function should be to put the evidence fairly before the jury so that it can determine whether the accused is...

Courts (No. 2) Bill 2016: Second Stage (7 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: Like the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 we debated earlier and the Bail (Amendment) Bill 2016 we will debate tomorrow, the Bill before us this evening, the Courts (No. 2) Bill 2016, is welcome. I commend the Tánaiste on the productivity of her Department in bringing legislation before the House. The same cannot be said for some of her Government colleagues. Perhaps she will...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base Proposals (7 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: 181. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on CCCTB; if the matter has been raised recently with the European Commission and-or the Council of Ministers and, if so, their response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5911/17]

Bail (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (8 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: In 1966, a man called Roger O'Callaghan was charged with a number of criminal offences, including larceny, breaking and entering, malicious damage and assaulting a member of An Garda Síochána. He was remanded in custody by An Garda Síochána. He sought bail and when he went to the High Court, he was refused bail. One of the grounds on which he was refused bail was that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Civilian Staff Data (8 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: 89. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of civilian staff employed in An Garda Síochána at the end of each of the years from 2010 to 2016, in tabular form; and the proportion of total personnel numbers in An Garda Síochána that this represented on each date. [6129/17]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Prisons, Penal Policy and Sentencing: Irish Penal Reform Trust (8 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the witnesses for coming in and for their presentation. There have been a number of reports before in respect of the area of penal reform, for example, the Whitaker committee report around 30 years ago and the Oireachtas sub-committee report in 2013. I am conscious that at the end of this process this committee is going to produce a report. It is such a huge area and there is so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Prisons, Penal Policy and Sentencing: Irish Penal Reform Trust (8 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Ms Chinnéide for her answer. In terms of, say, a drug addict who is convicted of a minor offence such as shoplifting and a drug addict who is convicted of a serious sexual assault, what options does Ms Chinnéide believe should be available to a judge sentencing that person?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Prisons, Penal Policy and Sentencing: Irish Penal Reform Trust (8 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: It does in part. Obviously, a person who is a drug addict is in a different position from a person who is not but who is convicted of a serious offence. There should be some incentive or benefit for a drug addict in that the conviction should indicate that if he or she goes down the path towards trying to get treatment for their addiction they will get a lesser sentence or the prison will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Prisons, Penal Policy and Sentencing: Irish Penal Reform Trust (8 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: It was not put that eloquently.

Commission of Investigation relating to disclosures by members of An Garda Síochána: Statements (9 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: We know that in September last year two protected disclosures were made. I have never seen the content of those protected disclosures but I know from what is in the public domain that in general they allege that a campaign launched at senior levels in An Garda Síochána to discredit a whistleblower. When Mr. Justice O'Neill was nominated by the Government to investigate the matter...

Commission of Investigation relating to disclosures by members of An Garda Síochána: Statements (9 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: It will be a while before the Deputy retires.

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (14 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: I wish to address four questions of one minute each to the Tánaiste.

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: Last Wednesday evening I met the Tánaiste in a quiet area of this House to tell her that I wanted the terms of reference of the proposed commission of investigation extended. I told her that I had become aware, from speaking to my party leader Deputy Micheál Martin, who had spoken to Sergeant McCabe, that Sergeant McCabe had informed him that there would be a "Prime Time" programme...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: I disagree with the Tánaiste. I referred to Tusla in our conversation. What the Tánaiste has said in her statement is that she was prepared to seek the amendment of important terms of reference based upon a forthcoming television programme I was telling her about. At no stage is she saying that I indicated to her what the programme was about and at no stage did she ask. Is it...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Tánaiste is correct in stating that most of our discussion was about paragraph (b) and I emphasised to her that it was too limited in terms of how it referred to Superintendent Taylor's communications with the media and that it needed to be broader. However, I commenced the conversation with her by telling about the forthcoming programme which was in respect of a Tusla file. My...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: Were any of the Tánaiste's officials or Government officials aware of the Tusla allegation prior to the programme being broadcast on Thursday evening?

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigrant Investor Programme Administration (14 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: 105. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if the rules of the start-up entrepreneur programme run by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service will be changed to allow funding into high technology start-up schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6964/17]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Legal Services Regulation (15 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: 81. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when the Legal Services Regulatory Authority will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7462/17]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of Parole Bill 2016: Discussion (15 Feb 2017)

Jim O'Callaghan: At the outset let me give members a brief overview of some terms that apply in respect of prisoners. One hears about parole, temporary release and remission, but the three terms are different. Remission is an entitlement that virtually all prisoners have to have one quarter of their sentence deducted. It does not apply to life sentences. If I were given a sentence of four years, I am...