Results 901-920 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: I welcome everyone to our public virtual meeting using Microsoft Teams. Apologies have been received from Senators Fintan Warfield and Gerard Craughwell. We have heard that Senator Craughwell had an accident this morning so we wish him all the best. The Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl, and the Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, have appealed to everybody in the...

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: I will read out some formal notices. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the place at which Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, and-or the Convention Centre Dublin, to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where he or she is not adhering to the constitutional...

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: Apologies for the delay. There were gremlins in the system in the committee room. I will ask Dr. John Lannon, CEO of Doras, to please make his opening statement.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: I thank Mr. Henderson and Dr. Lannon for their opening statements. I wish to ask a few questions of both of them to start and then I will ask members to indicate or put up the hand signal and I will let them in. I will start with Mr. Henderson of the Irish Refugee Council. I would like to speak for a moment about the council's report on implementing alternatives. We cannot allow...

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: This is in the McMahon report. That report dealt with making changes to the current direct provision system but it can also help with the transition out of direct provision by starting to improve conditions immediately. Given that many of the recommendations of the report have not been implemented, which is acknowledged in the White Paper, is there a danger that we are already setting back...

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: Yes. I am putting three questions to you first, Mr. Henderson, and then I will move on to Mr. Lannon.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: For the sake of context, could Mr. Henderson outline what it is like for an individual or a family seeking refuge? Perhaps they have mental health issues that are going largely unaddressed, and they can be stuck in the system for years.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: I have two quick questions for Dr. Lannon and then I will let in other members. I will start with the same question I asked Mr. Henderson on mental health. Regarding health services' capacity with Covid, the provision of mental health services in this country is well known to be far below what is needed. Doras has noted that people in direct provision are 15 times more likely to be...

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: I have one final question and then I will bring in other members. I will and come back in at the end. Drug addiction and mental health issues among people in direct provision were mentioned. How prevalent is that? What has been the impact of the pandemic on people in direct provision? If treatments were more available does Dr. Lannon think that may be another element of dealing with the...

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: I will come back in later. Deputy Pádraig O’Sullivan wants to come in and he will be followed by Senator Eugene Murphy.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: Is Deputy Devlin there?

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: The Deputy was plugging Dún Laoghaire as a staycation destination.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: With the agreement of the two remaining contributors, we will take their questions together. The first contributor is Senator Jerry Buttimer, followed by Deputy Brendan Griffin.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: I am conscious of the time. Has Senator Buttimer any questions?

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: I ask Dr. Lannon and Mr. Henderson to quickly answer Senator Buttimer. I am conscious of the time. We are coming to the two-hour mark and the committee still has some work to do.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: I ask both Dr. Lannon and Mr. Henderson to make a few final comments. It is a pity we did not have more time because I had more questions.

Committee on Public Petitions: Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: Everybody will agree the discussion was beneficial and informative. On behalf the committee, I thank both Dr. Lannon and Mr. Henderson for coming before it today even if it was only virtually. I hope at some stage in the future they will be able to appear before the Oireachtas committee again in person. I wish them both a good summer.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: The first petition for consideration is No. P00007/21, from Ms Nathalia Nogueira. which concerns the third level graduate programme, stamp 1G, visa extension. The petition states "As a result of the events of 2020, the year 2021 remains uncertain on a global scale." The petition seeks: to extend the visa of all graduate students for one more year. This would give us a more realistic...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: Petition No. 9/21 is on an unauthorised development. The petitioner's name is Mr. Michael Barrett. This petition concerns unauthorised development and the role of certain State and official bodies. Petition No. 23/21 concerns the unauthorised development on the River Shannon. The petitioner's name is Mr. Jamie Forde Kelly. These two petitions are similar. I propose that, in accordance...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (8 Jul 2021)

Martin Browne: Does anyone else wish to comment? Is Deputy Buckley suggesting that we do both separately or together?