Results 4,801-4,820 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Sentencing Council Bill 2017: First Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I move:That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to establish a Sentencing Council and to provide for related matters. Sinn Féin has long called for the introduction of such a Bill. Sentencing councils are not a novel idea. They exist in many jurisdictions across Europe in particular. Such a Bill is timely given that we are seeking to reform how members of the...

Sentencing Council Bill 2017: First Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Other Questions: National Treatment Purchase Fund Data (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: 36. To ask the Minister for Health if the relaunched NTPF will provide data relating to the number, type and value of services and surgeries commissioned from the private sector; the cost and savings to the State of services and surgeries carried out by the private sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4566/17]

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I thank the Minister for taking into account the views of those of us who raised the issue on Committee Stage. We also indicate our support for the Government amendment, which is comprehensive and covers all of the concerns articulated on Committee Stage.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I support the amendment. While there are a number of definitions or cases included in the legislation, it is important to include faith formation because we will have situations where people engage in faith formation, including priests and religious teachers, outside of the school system and an educational setting. It makes sense to include it. With regard to the UN Convention on the...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I move amendment No. 3:In page 17, to delete lines 7 to 34 and substitute the following: “Sexual act with a relevant person21. (1) A person who engages in a sexual act with a relevant person knowing that that person is a relevant person or being reckless as to whether that person is a relevant person shall be guilty of an offence. (2) A person who invites, induces, counsels or...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: The Minister will also need to look at amendment No. 7, which states that it shall be presumed that a relevant person has capacity in respect of the matter concerned unless the contrary is shown in accordance with the provisions of the legislation. That is important. I do not accept the Minister's explanation and I am sure I am not alone. Even having discussed last night the Disability...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I move amendment No. 7:In page 17, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following:“(8) It shall be presumed that a relevant person has capacity in respect of the matter concerned unless the contrary is shown in accordance with the provisions of this Act.”.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I understand the amendment is no longer relevant as the section it proposed to amend was defeated and, as a result, the term "relevant person" does not appear in the section.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: We have similar concerns to those expressed by Deputy Ruth Coppinger on amendment No. 10. As people are aware, it is our party policy to support the Turn Off The Red Light campaign, and while there is growing evidence around the purchase of sex and whether that has a knock-on effect on the safety of sex workers, we think deleting the entire section is also deleting some of the existing...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I thought it was €1,000.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: Perhaps the Minister might clarify this, but it is my reading that it is" a person who without lawful authority or reasonable excuse fails to comply with a direction" under section 7A(1) as inserted in the 1993 Act in section 25. As section 7A(1) refers to a person who pays, gives, offers or promises to pay, my reading is that it only relates to the purchaser of sex but perhaps the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Accident and Emergency Departments (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: 106. To ask the Minister for Health the special steps or initiatives taken during the period November 2016 to date in 2017 in response to the deteriorating overcrowding situation; the status of these initiatives or steps that were announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4565/17]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (1 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: 158. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of adults and children who remain in direct provision after receiving their stamp 4 leave to remain; the number of these persons living in direct provision on 26 January 2017; if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties these persons are having in accessing private rented accommodation; the supports she plans to put in place...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (2 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I move amendment No. 14:In page 20, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following:"(g) in section 11—(a) by designating the existing section as subsection (1), and (b) by inserting the following subsection: “(2) No person shall be prosecuted for an offence under this section where—(a) the premises is used by that person to provide his or her own sexual services, and ...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (2 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: I thank the Minister. I would have been happier had we managed to reduced the time to two years. The Minister probably considered the possibility of doing so. Her amendment reads "shall, not later than 3 years", so there is no legal barrier to her producing a report within two years if the data exist. If she could give a commitment to that effect, I would be willing to withdraw my...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (2 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: A report will be undertaken after 12 months. We included this requirement in our amendment. It is important, given that the reasoning behind Part 4 initially was to reduce trafficking that any report which is published must at least reference that. If the data are there and they suggest it is having a positive impact then that should be included.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) (2 Feb 2017)

Jonathan O'Brien: We will not have a meeting of minds on this. This boils down to whether or not we support the model proposed by the Turn Off the Red Light campaign and it will be an ongoing debate. I am a member of the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality and I would like to see us take up a body of work in this regard. We hear many different views on whether it works or not and much research has been...

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

Jonathan O'Brien: I apologise for being late. I thought there were four matters on the Topical Issue debate but there were only three. The amendment was discussed on Committee Stage. I pulled out the transcript of the Committee Stage debate this afternoon to make sure I was correct in what I am about to say. We raised the issue with the Tánaiste on Committee Stage . She gave a commitment that she...

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

Jonathan O'Brien: I agree completely that this is a very complex area. That is why I would have preferred if the Minister did not insert this particular section and she had dealt with the issue in its entirety, as she suggested, in new legislation While I do not doubt her sincerity in dealing with incest in separate legislation, the reality is if this legislation passes, we will be increasing the penalty. I...