Results 1,681-1,700 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I cannot accept amendment No. 14 as the list provided for in the Bill is not exhaustive. I note there may be a suspicion that the list is an absolute and limited list but that is not the case. The list is not exhaustive and it is in line with the European Union asylum qualification directive. This is already encompassed within the text of the Bill and there is no need to prescribe it...

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am happy to discuss the amendments individually.

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Amendment No. 77 was tabled by Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Deputy Boyd Barrett and again, I cannot agree to this amendment. The wording of this section is taken from Article 4.1 of the recast qualification directive which does not include a provision along the lines of the proposed amendment. Indeed, accepting this amendment may lead to a person being granted refugee status who...

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I will deal with the amendments one by one. Some of what we have done in the amendments is reflective of the debate in the Seanad, when Senator van Turnhout and the Children's Rights Alliance had concerns around the Bill. I will explain that it will be necessary to have two opinions of the age of a suspected minor, not one, as previously envisaged, and also that the Child and Family Agency...

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Yes.

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Officers will always err on the side of caution with children in age assessments, as they must because of the constitutional amendment passed and supported by all sides of this House. The issue with these amendments is that they risk adults claiming they are under 18. We have accepted Senator van Turnhout's advice on ensuring a second opinion is required and, if there is any doubt at all,...

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I have sympathy with what the Deputy has just said because that was my assumption in the past as well, namely, that the system erred by making the assumption that nobody coming here was telling the truth. I watched a documentary recently where an individual whose job it was to assess these claims gleefully told the interviewer that he had sanctioned just two out of 600 applications for...

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: If a 16 year old arrives in the manner articulated - I am sure that can and has happened - the determination on that situation is made by the protection officer with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. That is how that situation is dealt with. There is no suggestion that individual would not be entertained or that an application would not be processed. The amendments in this grouping...

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I move amendment No. 22: In page 18, line 37, to delete “legal advice available to it” and substitute “legal advice, available to it”.

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I move amendment No. 24:In page 19, to delete lines 4 and 5 and substitute the following:"(5) An application for international protection shall be made in the prescribed form and shall include—(a) all details of the grounds for the application, and (b) all information that would, in the event that section 48, 49, 55 or 56 were to apply to the applicant, be relevant to the decision of...

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I agree with what the amendments are trying to achieve. A total of €6 million was allocated in the budget to fast-track many applications. That is why between 60 and 80 leave to remain cases are being processed each month since publication of the working group's report. The report is being implemented. I agree with the right to work. I accept what the Deputies are saying about...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Paternity Leave Scheme (16 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: As announced in the October Budget, a provision for two weeks paternity leave with a related paternity benefit to be paid through the social welfare system will be introduced from September 2016. As the Deputy will appreciate, substantial changes to legislation as well as new administrative systems in the Department of Social Protection are needed before the benefit and leave arrangements...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Directives (17 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The basis for the current age limit is contained in Council Directive 2010/18/EU giving effect to the revised Parental Leave Framework Agreement negotiated by the European social partners in 2009. The essential point is that the upper age limit was negotiated and agreed by employers and Trade Union representatives at EU level and their agreement was then given force of law by the Directive....

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Agencies Funding (17 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The funding allocated to Culture Ireland for the promotion of Irish arts worldwide is outlined in the following table. Year €m Notes 2005 2 2006 3 2007 4.5 2008 4.75 2009 4.553 2010 5.07 €4.083m core, plus €0.987m once-off provision for Imagine Ireland initiative 2011 6.997 €3.997m core, plus €3m once-off provision for Imagine Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Agencies Expenditure (17 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Culture Ireland was established in 2005 under my Department to promote Irish arts abroad. Following a review in 2012, the Government committed to maintaining Culture Ireland as a division of my Department and to expanding its remit to work on a cross agency basis to ensure maximum impact from investment in Irish arts. An Expert Advisory Committee has been established to guide and oversee this...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Seirbhísí Farantóireachta (17 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Ba mhaith liom i dtús buíochas a ghlacadh leis an Seanadóir as ucht an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a chur ar an gclár díospóireachta. Is fíor go bhfuil cúraimí Gaeltachta agus oileán leagtha ar an Aire Stáit sa Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta.Cuireann an Roinn fóirdheontas ar fáil chun seirbhísí...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Seirbhísí Farantóireachta (17 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an méid sin. Tá sé ag iarraidh a rá go gcaithfimid a bheith réasúnta agus níl i gceist anseo ach cruinniú a shocrú idir na páirtithe uilig. Labhróidh mé leis an Aire Stáit. Dar liom féin, is plean réasúnta é sin ar bhealach agus b'fhéidir gur chóir...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Adoption Legislation (17 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: As the Senator is aware, the Government approved the publication of the heads and general scheme of the adoption (information and tracing) Bill 2015 last July. The Bill is intended to facilitate access to adoption information and operates on the basis of presumption in favour of disclosing information in so far as is legally and constitutionally possible. The Bill will, for the first time,...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Adoption Legislation (17 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I appreciate the Senator's commitment to this issue and her own personal connection with the issue. I will endeavour to discuss the issue with the Minister, Deputy Reilly. I am sure that whatever progress can be made on this Bill before the ending of the term of parliament will be made.

Seanad: Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (17 Dec 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: On behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, who regrets that she cannot be here, I am very pleased to present the Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill to the House, and I look forward to hearing Senators' contributions. It is a very significant reforming Bill, and I will highlight its main objectives. The Bill proposes three key changes to bankruptcy law in Ireland, as...