Results 1,641-1,660 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Written Answers — Department of Health: Youth Services Funding (15 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 to 400, inclusive, together. As these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes Funding (15 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 416 together. As these are service matters, they have been referred to the Health Service Executive, the funding agency of the project, for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (15 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2015: Motion (15 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank the committee for affording me the opportunity to present to it the draft Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2015. These draft regulations relate to provisions concerning development that is exempt from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Under section 262(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, each House of the Oireachtas must...

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I move amendment No. a1: In page 7, after line 29, to insert the following: “(3) An order under subsection (2) may, in respect of the repeal of the Act specified in section 6(1) effected by that section, appoint different days for the repeal of different provisions of that Act.”. I will now deal with amendments Nos. 1, 2 and 4.

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I move amendment No. 1: In page 8, to delete lines 6 to 10 and substitute the following: “ “applicant” means a person who— (a) has made an application for international protection in accordance with section 15, or on whose behalf such an application has been made or is deemed to have been made, and (b) has not ceased, under subsection (2), to be an...

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Yes.

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Yes.

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I move amendment No. 2: In page 8, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following: “ “biometric information” means information relating to the distinctive physical characteristics of a person including— (a) measurements or other assessments of those characteristics, (b) information about those characteristics held in an automated form, but does not include...

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I move amendment No. 3: In page 8, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: “ “chief international protection officer” means the person appointed under section 74 to be the chief international protection officer;”. Amendment No. 3 provides a definition of a chief international protection officer who will be responsible for the management of the...

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Yes.

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I have heard various descriptions of the Bill and the tone of this debate brings more emotive language to the discussion of this Bill, which is completely unnecessary. Why would the Minister for Justice and Equality appoint somebody who is completely unfit for the job? This individual will come from the Civil Service and will meet UNHCR standards. The overall point of the Bill, which the...

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am fascinated by the terminology used by the Deputy, including that this legislation is being rammed through the House. It has been around for approximately 15 years-----

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: -----the result of which is that this issue has not been addressed. Every NGO of which I am aware has been calling for a long time for the introduction of a single procedure mechanism. The Deputy will be aware that the expiry of the term of office of the Government is approaching. It is important in the context of the current protection process in Ireland that we put this issue to bed and...

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: There are only so many times I can repeat the same point. All international protection officers will be civil servants who will be trained to UNHCR standard. The suggestion that what is being proposed will lead to the outsourcing of these roles is tiresome. That is not the case. IPOs will be civil servants who will be trained to UNHCR standard and will exercise their role independently.

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Deputy is correct that it is not specified in the Bill. The staff of the international protection office will be civil servants transferred from the Refugee Application Service to take up this role. They will be civil servants who, as I said, will be trained to UNHCR standard. I assume what the Deputies opposite are suggesting is the highest possible standards in the processing of...

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: It is implicit in section 73 that international protection officers will be civil servants. The Minister is not empowered to authorise anyone who is not a civil servant. Section 73 provides, "The Minister may authorise in writing such and so many persons as he or she considers appropriate to perform the functions". The Minister cannot authorise anyone who is not a civil servant. Only a...

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Section 73.

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I have already outlined that the Minister can only authorise civil servants to carry out these functions. He or she cannot authorise anyone else. It is implicit in the text.

International Protection Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am on page 27, section 73.