Results 801-820 of 5,027 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Psychological Services (2 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I would like him to make a statement on the 6,000 children currently waiting for professional psychological services. He will be aware from his engagement with my colleague, Senator Freeman, of the demands on child and adult mental health services, CAMHS. I pay tribute to RTÉ for the recent "RTÉ Investigates" programme that was...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Psychological Services (2 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I am mindful, given all the ongoing health-related controversies, that the Government will be judged on three issues - health, housing and education. Anyone who is on the ground will be aware of this. I met a woman the other day who said the political universe is meant to revolve around Leinster House. She asked what we were all doing in here and why it is always the HSE or some other body...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I also wish to raise the CervicalCheck controversy. It is important we do not lose sight of the importance of cervical cancer screening and its benefits when it all goes well. It is important to stress that cervical cancer screening can find abnormal cells in the cervix before they become cancerous. If cervical cancer is caught at the earliest stage, the chance of survival is more than...

Seanad: Prohibition of Conversion Therapies Bill 2018: Second Stage (2 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank Senator Fintan Warfield and his colleagues for working so hard on this Bill, which is now on Second Stage. I acknowledge it has cross-party and non-party support in the House, which is very encouraging and positive. It is an indication of how we in Seanad Éireann can and do work together. I also acknowledge the comprehensive response the Minister of State has given to the...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I second Senator Gallagher's proposal to amend the Order of Business in respect of No. 11. I want to touch on something Senator Feighan spoke about this morning. It was really nice to read the headlines of the national and UK newspapers this morning. For once, we can be reassured that Ireland has friends in the House of Lords. That has not just happened but has evolved as a relationship....

Seanad: CervicalCheck Screening Programme: Statements (3 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister and thank him for coming to the House today, in what has been a hectic week for him, to set out comprehensively in his statement to the House how he has identified the issues and, more importantly, how he proposes to proceed from here. This is a time for cool heads. It is a time to stand in solidarity with the people who are suffering, anxious and concerned about...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I wish to raise two simple matters. First, can the Leader update us in the coming days on the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016? This Bill was No. 100 of 2016 and was sponsored by the Leader, Senator Buttimer, on behalf of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. I understand there are some difficulties going on in the background with respect to this Bill, which require...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2018: First Stage (8 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I second the proposal.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Bill 2017: Second Stage (8 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister to the House and I acknowledge this significant piece of legislative work which has been passed by Dáil Éireann. I will make a few points and will then express concern at one aspect of the legislation. I note the Bill provides for nine corruption offences, namely, active and passive corruption in section 5, new offences of active and passive trading and...

Seanad: Civil Law (Costs in Probate Matters) Bill 2017: Second Stage (8 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I will be brief and to the point. I was very happy to sign my name to this legislation as there is much merit in the Bill. It is not the intention of any of the proposers of the Bill to in any way dull or limit the potential of any citizen to litigate with respect to a will. It is a right that people have clearly set out in the Succession Act in the administration of probate. People have...

Seanad: Corporate Manslaughter: Statements (8 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy David Stanton. I have had the opportunity to read through his response twice and he makes many valid points. We must tread carefully and have regard to advice and the need to avoid litigation. I understand the advice of the Attorney General has been sought as there comes a point when we have to take professional advice. When we are put on notice, it...

Seanad: Corporate Manslaughter: Statements (8 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I do not want in any way to mislead the House. This is very important. The letter continues:We are not seeking prosecution for simple errors or failure to foresee future threats. However, where actions, which result in death, were deliberately taken for financial gain or risks deliberately ignored to protect institutional reputation or events covered up to prevent disclosure, then there...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mental Health Act Review (9 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I would like to welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Jim Daly. I raise the need for the Minister to make a statement on the need for legislation governing the long-term detention of people in psychiatric institutions given the recent decision of the Court of Appeal. I supplied the Minister and the office with material that I will go through very briefly,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Mental Health Act Review (9 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister. That is all very reasonable. This may be an issue that is appropriate to one of the committees, perhaps the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care. I intend to talk to Senator Joan Freeman and I know that committee is meeting today. She might try to put this matter on the committee's schedule.It is important that the courts suspended the declaration of...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I take the opportunity to wish the Seanad reform implementation group well in its work and deliberations. I understand its members met briefly today and elected a chairman, my colleague, Senator Michael McDowell. I wish all of them well. It is a difficult job. I presume it is based on the Manning report. I cannot pre-empt it because I do not know what its full terms of reference are....

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: Yesterday I raised an issue in the Seanad of a report that was covered in The Irish Timesabout Donegal. It is an unpublished report called the Mulcahy report and is a report into very serious allegations of corruption in planning in Donegal. The report is on the Minister's desk. I undertook yesterday to seek further details about it. I am now satisfied it has been on the Minister's desk...

Seanad: Local Government Accountability Bill 2018: Second Stage (9 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome my independent colleague, Councillor Fiona McLoughlin Healy, to the House. Many councillors from all parties are listening and I acknowledge what Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill has done. Not only has he prepared the Bill, and I was very happy to co-sign it with him and jointly present the Bill here today, but his communication...

Seanad: Local Government Accountability Bill 2018: Second Stage (9 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I was elected by them and honoured to be elected by them. I received a very good vote from them and I am here to represent them and advocate for councillors and support them in their work. I was a councillor myself and I know what is required to do the job, particularly to do it well. I am happy to stand up and advocate for city and county councillors who work exceptionally hard. The...

Seanad: Local Government Accountability Bill 2018: Second Stage (9 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: I am making the point that this is the case on the Government side. There is no due respect for anyone.

Seanad: Local Government Accountability Bill 2018: Second Stage (9 May 2018)

Victor Boyhan: This is our opportunity to advocate on behalf of elected members. I hope the Minister of State will support the Bill. It is reasonable and fair. I appeal to our colleagues here this evening to stick with it and vote on it, and then go back and ask people why they were not here to support what is critical legislation to support and empower city councillors to do their job.