Results 1,041-1,060 of 8,239 for speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Vacant Properties (24 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I really appreciate that. As the Minister of State said, this is important on a number of fronts. First, it helps to meet a housing need for different types of family units who need different types of space. Second, it helps to revitalise our towns and increase footfall on the streets. This is not just relevant in the Dún Laoghaire, George's Street area but is such an obvious area to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Human Rights (24 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: 112. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts of his Department to counter anti-LGBT laws such as those recently passed in Hungary and Poland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33875/21]

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I want to raise the massive elephant in the room relating to the national maternity hospital. I refer to the settlement of a case this week concerning the death of the baby of a couple, which I raise with the permission of their solicitor, on the basis of exceptionally poor clinical judgment, erroneous advice and exceptionally poor risk management by the hospital. It conceded liability in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: It is lovely to see Mr. Herrick and I thank him for coming in. On his final point, gender imbalance on the courts has been substantially remedied by political intervention since 2011. That is notwithstanding what he said about the professions - a point well made, particularly when we look at the proportion of women becoming senior counsels every year. However, there was political...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Yes. Mr. Herrick states at the beginning of his full submission: "At present, the judicial appointments system in Ireland does not align with best practice as outlined by international instruments on the independence of the judiciary." That is a big statement from the ICCL, which, as Mr. Herrick and I have discussed several times, I regard as an important institution for this State. That...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Okay. I want to go back to Mr. Herrick on some of that. Those UN principles date from 1985 and 1999, but what Mr. Herrick does not include is a much more significant document, which is the Mount Scopus International Standards of Judicial Independence. All the leading political scientists and legal theorists came together to draw up those standards, which specifically acknowledge the role...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Yes. How does Mr. Herrick see Ireland's judicial independence when set against other common law countries? Does he think there are other analyses and tests of judicial independence? I am really concerned that the narrative will become one of Ireland's Judiciary being somehow compromised because of its selection system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I apologise to the Chair. My questions are as follows, if that is helpful. Leaving the issue of standards aside, there is a question of independence regarding how interviews and promotions are conducted. There is a question about the balance of the independence of the legal profession as well. For example, and this is something that can be worked out in the eventual Bill, who is it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: May I come in again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Yes. My point is that there may be three or five candidates and they can be completely different and possess different skill sets. A court needs lots of different types of things at any given time and there are gaps in experience at different times. If these are being ranked and putting an onus on the Government to be accountable publicly in some way, and we get to how that discretion can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I have just one further question. I can give a practical example of the interview point. There may be a very conservative Judiciary and a particularly difficult President of the High Court, for example. Mr. Herrick may have been briefing counsel to try to advance civil liberties and the elements are constantly bashing up against each other. The best senior counsels may be trying to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I thank our guests.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: If I may clarify a point made by Mr. Herrick, it was a judicially dominated body that changed the practice to making that list very long but, fortunately, that was changed back in 2014. I have been criticising the judicial appointments selection process for nearly 20 years and have argued for a range of different reforms, but I have never criticised the independence of the Judiciary. I have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: 420. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the steps her Department has in place to ensure the Covid-19 protocols are being adhered to throughout the immigration process in Dublin Airport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34605/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Abortion Services (29 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: 441. To ask the Minister for Health if the arrangement enabling remote consultation for early abortion care will be reviewed once the public health emergency is declared over; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26798/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Jul 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: 32. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the strands of the summer provision programme in 2021; the details of measures to increase participation on account of exceptional challenges posed by Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35108/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (1 Jul 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: 83. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeline for the publication of the new relationship and sexual educations programme; the status of same versus any other relationship and sexual education programme; if it will be a mandatory curriculum as opposed to a discretionary one in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35107/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (1 Jul 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: 132. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the thresholds for earnings in relation to qualification for the carer’s allowance can be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35090/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Crime Prevention (1 Jul 2021)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: 156. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps her Department is taking to combat the scam telephone calls and text messages that are being received in relation to her Department’s services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35091/21]