Results 161-180 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: I hope the registrar in his area has a nice office.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: The Senator will be aware that a number of issues arose. Perhaps he is not aware that the registration of a birth on an aircraft and ship was an issue for parents who are not Irish born. One of the reasons for bringing the legislation to the House quickly is that an issue has arisen and the Supreme Court is awaiting our decision. The problem was that births and stillbirths abroad, apart from...
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: Yes.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: I am confused about where the Senator is coming from. I accepted the amendment, therefore, it is included, as amended.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: Section 27(6) addresses the Senator's concerns. It reads as follows: Subsections (1) to (5) apply to the stillbirth of a child as they apply to the birth of a child and, accordingly, references in those subsections to birth or births shall be construed as including references to stillbirth or stillbirths, respectively. What the Senator is seeking in section 13 is included in section 27.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: One does not have to refer in section 13 to sections 26 and 27 as they stand.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: Section 27 reflects exactly what the Senator wants.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: The Senators sell themselves short as advisers to the Government and as public representatives. It is obvious from the comments today that the lobby bodies have done their bit to influence Members to put forward their views.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: As many Senators know, there are advisory bodies in the Department that come together on an ad hoc basis. We have always been of the view that quality customer service is vital. One of the difficulties with Committee Stage is that there has been a pre-emptive strike on what I wish to do. Within the General Registers Office we are now monitoring the levels of service delivery against defined,...
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: I have but, unlike some of my colleagues, I am not afraid to amend my legislation if circumstances change. I must tell Deputy Michael Woods that the Senator thinks he is an angel because it was he who introduced quality service.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: The ethos of the Department has changed considerably due to the training and customer service initiatives in place, which have developed. Staff have also met members of the community and such interaction has led to good action being taken on the ground. As that methodology has stood its stead well within the Department, I would like it to continue. However, if glaring problems arise in regard...
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: I am referring to two new panels.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: Yes.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: They will be established simultaneously on the enactment of the legislation and will have an advisory role. Often issues will arise where those people will have to be brought together and asked what direction they consider should be taken. I will not, nor I am sure will the Senator, negate my role as a legislator. Arising from the difficulties that have been brought to our attention, this...
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: It is a duty of any parent to do what is the most important action on behalf of a child, namely to register it. Given that we have allowed the registration of a birth in any registrar's office, it is an important and imperative duty on parents that they appear before the registrar to authenticate the identity of their child. It is important that the information is absolutely accurate. As...
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: In modernising the facility we have also extended the opening hours, thus appreciating that some may not be able to register their children during work hours. Linked to this is the fact that, in the larger maternity hospitals, we can now facilitate the registration of a birth before the mother goes home through the Department of Health and Children. This is also very important. Every effort...
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: Normally, births occur in a hospital or a home â these are easy to determine â but there are instances, such as that alluded to by Senator McCarthy, in which a child is born in transit between two places. In the main, the townland would be included as the place of birth in such cases. In the particular case to which Senator McCarthy referred, the townland was not known. If the townland...
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: Certainly, the normal practice is to use the townland in which the birth occurred.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: Yes.
- Seanad: Civil Registration Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (18 Feb 2004)
Mary Coughlan: I hope that is not a reflection on my registrar.