Results 1,481-1,500 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The provision reflects the freedom of religion guaranteed in Article 44 of the Constitution as interpreted by the superior courts and, in particular, the right of every religious denomination to manage its own affairs and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes. I am advised that deleting this provision would infringe that freedom of religion for religiously run institutions.

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The broader issue of school admission policies and the creation of greater choice for parents who do not want a religious education for their children is a matter for the Department of Education and Skills. As Deputies will be aware, my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, is addressing these issues in the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill-----

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: -----and that is where the issues surrounding school admission policies will be addressed as well as by creating real choice for parents through putting a wider variety of schools in place. For that reason, I am not in a position to accept the amendment.

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I can give a further explanation if required by Deputies.

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: It will take a number of moments but Deputies may accuse me of running down the clock.

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: It was argued in the Article 26 referral hearing of the Employment Equality Bill 1996 that what became section 31 contravened the guarantees of freedom of conscience and free profession and practice of religion contained in Article 44.2.1°-----

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: -----and that it contravened the ban on imposing any disabilities or making any discrimination on the ground of religious profession, belief or status. Effectively, not to delay the issue further, the point is that a constitutional issue is at play here. It is not in any way our intention to have a situation persist where children are precluded from attending their local school. It is my...

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: However, that is not an issue for this Bill. This Bill is purely to amend section 37 of the Employment Equality Act-----

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: -----and other sections to ensure that the chilling effect on members of the LGBT community, divorcees and single parents who work in our schools and hospitals under religious patronage can be eliminated. I am proud of this Bill-----

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: -----having spent four years of my career-----

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: -----along with other Deputies in the Labour Party-----

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: -----bringing it to to the eventuality it will become tonight.

Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: At 9 p.m., that chilling effect ends.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: UN Conventions Ratification (2 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Deputy's Question is comprehensively answered in the roadmap to Ireland’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which details the legislative changes to be undertaken to enable Ireland to ratify the Convention, along with the estimated timeframe involved and a clear and unambiguous deadline for ratification by end-2016. The...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Substance Misuse (3 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Government policy in the area of drugs is set out in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. The overall objective of the Strategy is to tackle the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs through a partnership approach involving all the key stakeholders. The provision of appropriate and timely treatment services is a key goal of the Strategy. Recent figures...

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am not going to read out the report for the Senator. I am not going to go through the 26 recommendations that are covered and those that are not. I am here to speak on the Bill. If the Senator wants me to speak on amendments, I will do so. If he wants me to go through the entirety of the working group report on the protection process, I will not do so. The report is an historic...

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: This is the protection Bill. It deals with a large number of the recommendations set out in the report of the working group on direct provision. Direct provision has been a disaster for the families involved. It was a six-month solution that turned into a 12-year or 13-year solution. Nobody who is engaged in this process ever suggested that direct provision would be abolished. I never...

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: What is the alternative? The Senator does not have one.

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: What is your alternative?

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: You do not have one.