Results 661-680 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: We have made every effort to negate the risk of the new variants of Covid-19 to members, witnesses and staff. I propose that we approve the minutes of the private meetings of 30 March 2021 and 29 April 2021, already approved in the virtual private meeting earlier. Is that agreed? Agreed. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that members must be physically present within...

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: This meeting is two hours. I ask members to keep to slots of five or six minutes. We should be able to get all contributors in and have time for a second round of questions, if needs be. Mr. Tyndall spoke of how his outreach programme worked well until the pandemic affected his ability to travel. He noted that the best engagements had been face-to-face engagements with the people in...

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: Deputy Devlin said he needs to go shortly, so with Deputy Buckley's agreement, I will invite him to come in.

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: I thank Mr. Garvey. Before I call Senator Buckley, Senator Gerard Craughwell apologies. He has to leave. He wants to thank the Ombudsman, Mr. Garvey and Ms Joyce. Senator Buttimer is in the convention centre and is in and out, so sends apologies too.

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: Is Deputy Buckley happy with that?

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: Mr. Tyndall stated that his office carried out visits before Covid. How many disclosed visits would the likes of the Ombudsman have made before Covid? Would it be more suitable for people in direct provision to be able to enter the labour market after three months, rather than six months as recommended in the White Paper? It is kind of disappointing that the recommendations to grant...

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: To be clear, I fully support the measures the Ombudsman takes with regard to unannounced visits and communicating with residents to get a true picture. With regard to communicating with communities, I think of the situation in Borrisokane. The trouble is that, if the local communities are not communicated with, whispers start and a momentum builds up. By the time the truth is known, it can...

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: Is the Senator happy with that? The Ombudsman will come back to him with an answer for that.

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: Thank you. That was one of my next questions. Is there something Mr. Tyndall would like to have included in the White Paper that is not there? For example, he referred to the situation of families in one room. Are there other things the Office of the Ombudsman would like to see included in the White Paper?

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: I appreciate that. Thank you. I call Deputy Brendan Griffin.

Committee on Public Petitions: Update on Direct Provision: The Ombudsman (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: I thank Mr. Tyndall and his colleagues, Mr. Garvey and Ms Joyce, for coming here today, if only virtually. I hope they will be able to visit us again in person at some stage in the not-to-distant future. I think we all agree that the discussion was very beneficial and informative. It is very good to have people like the witnesses appear before us to give us a briefing like this and we can...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: The next item on the agenda is any other business. Do members wish to make any final comments?

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: I agree with the Senator. I raised and will raise again the issue with my party. I ask the three major parties to bring it up. It will be hard for Independents to solve the issue of gender balance but perhaps the three parties could do something. The fact that the committee is all male is something that crossed my mind on several occasions. It looks bad so I ask members from the various...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: I echo Deputy Buckley's comments about the secretariat. It has been a massive help to me as Chairman and the committee so I say "well done" to it.

Private Security Services (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 May 2021)

Martin Browne: We are talking about ensuring that those acting on behalf of the banks, vulture funds and other financial institutions are tightly controlled and cannot do as they please when taking property back from those who find themselves in financial trouble. While this is welcome, I have to point out that we are dealing with ensuring there is control of these private security firm workers and not the...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Monuments (12 May 2021)

Martin Browne: 105. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there are supports available for local groups to erect monuments as part of the Decade of Centenaries programme. [24782/21]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (12 May 2021)

Martin Browne: 116. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of housing developments across the country in which foreign investment funds have purchased units by county in tabular form. [24780/21]