Results 1,341-1,360 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I would say that they were actually notified to the Bills Office.

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: We can make copies available.

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I can clarify.

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Amendment No. 1 seeks to delete text from an amendment to section 91 of the principal Act. The effect of the Senators' amendment is to remove the reference in the principal Act to co-operation with the MARP before a borrower makes a proposal for a personal insolvency arrangement. I thank the Senators for their amendment but I cannot accept it. Under the existing section 91(1), a borrower...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I can confirm that.

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Amendment No. 2 seeks to delete subsection 21(18) of the Bill, which defines "relevant debt" for the purpose of a court review. The effect of the Senators' amendment is to remove the definition of the type of debt that may be the subject of an application for the new court review. I thank the Senators for their amendment, but I cannot accept it. First, this amendment risks creating legal...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank the Senator for his contribution. I am advised that the review is limited to arrears before January 2015 or restructures of such arrears to prevent negative implications for new mortgage lending. Extending the new review to arrears built up from this year onwards would risk increasing mortgage interest rates on new lending, something we are determined to avoid.

Seanad: Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I will stick to my speaking note even though I am very tempted to move off script. I understand that the Senators are opposing this section. I can understand that they are ideologically opposed to the provisions of the Bill which deal with attachment of earnings and deductions from social welfare payments. In any event, I will briefly outline the purpose of section 1. Section 1 is the...

Seanad: Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I note that the Senators are also opposed to section 2. Section 2 is a standard provision relating to the making of regulations under this Bill when enacted. The Minister for Justice and Equality will be making a commencement order under the provisions of section 27. Under section 7(4) the Minister for Social Protection may by regulations prescribe the verifying certificate. In sections...

Seanad: Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Yes. I understand that the Senators are opposed to the section which deals with the statement of the debtor’s means. I appreciate that they are trying to be as constructive as possible. Section 7 sets out the requirements in relation to the information to be provided to the court by the judgment debtor on his or her financial circumstances. In order for the court to establish the...

Seanad: Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Section 9 provides that an attachment of earnings order and a deduction from social welfare payments order cannot be run concurrently in respect of the same judgment debt. In the event that a debtor is in receipt of a social welfare payment and earnings, the court can only make an order in respect of one income stream.

Seanad: Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Before I deal with section 10, I understand that a Clerk's correction is required under Standing Order 136. On page 12, line nine of the Bill, paragraph (f) of section 10(6) as it stands contains an incorrect cross-reference to paragraph (c). It should, of course, be paragraph (d), so I would be grateful if this typographical error could be corrected by the Clerk. Amendment No. 1 seeks...

Seanad: Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: While I appreciate the Senators are coming at this from the point of view of being constructive, we will have to agree to disagree.

Seanad: Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I appreciate the motivation of Senators in tabling the amendments. It is fair enough, and these issues should be examined in detail when dealing with legislation of this nature. I have no difficulty with this whatever. The section deals with compliance with an attachment order. The employer is required to comply with the order but is not liable for non-compliance during the first ten...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parental Leave Policy (22 Sep 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Under the Maternity Protection Acts, a mother of a newborn child is entitled to 26 weeks maternity leave, and a benefit is payable under the Social Welfare Acts in respect of that period of leave. A further, optional, period of unpaid leave is also available. Similar arrangements apply in the case of adoption. Under the Parental Leave Act 1998 (as amended) both parents are entitled to 18...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Disability Services Provision (22 Sep 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The existing Disability Strategy Implementation Plan covers the period up to end-2015 and we have commenced a consultation process with all relevant stakeholders with a view to putting a revised National Disability Inclusion Strategy in place as from early 2016. This is a 3 phase consultation process. Phase 1 - which focussed on identification of key themes - has recently been completed and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan (22 Sep 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The existing Disability Strategy Implementation Plan covers the period up to end-2015 and we have commenced a consultation process with all relevant stakeholders with a view to putting a revised National Disability Inclusion Strategy in place as from early 2016. This is a 3 phase consultation process. Phase 1 - which focussed on identification of key themes - has recently been completed and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parental Leave Policy (22 Sep 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Under the Parental Leave Act 1998 (as amended) both parents are entitled to 18 weeks unpaid parental leave on the birth or adoption of a child. Such leave may be taken until the child has reached the age of eight years with certain extensions allowed in the case of adoptees and children with a disability or long-term illness.The leave may be taken as a continuous block of 18 weeks, or, if the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Equality Legislation (22 Sep 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Equality legislation is kept under continuous review. Amendments to this body of legislation are currently being progressed in the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 which has passed all stages in the Seanad and is awaiting debate in the Dáil with a view to its early enactment. The Bill proposes to amend section 37 of the Employment Equality Act 1998 - in line with a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Income Inequality (22 Sep 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Figures published by Eurostat indicate that the gender pay gap (defined as the difference between the average gross hourly earnings of male and female paid employees as a percentage of average gross hourly earnings of male paid employees) in Ireland was 14.4% in 2012, below the EU average of 16.4%. This is the most recent data available on the gender pay gap in Ireland. The gender pay gap...