Results 2,001-2,020 of 5,132 for speaker:Trevor Ó Clochartaigh

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Transport Eligibility (16 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I thank the Minister of State for his response, but in this case the law is an ass. We are not making the child's needs paramount; rather, we are putting rules and regulations within a system of administration before him. I am very sorry that this is the response we have received. I ask the Minister of State to seek a specific review of the case, because if the child has to move to a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme and GLAS: Discussion (14 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Cuirim céad fáilte roimh na finnéithe agus gabhaim mo bhuíochas leo. Cuirim fáilte ach go háirithe roimh an eagraíocht nua, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers' Association. I listened intently to all the presentations. There are many common threads in them and in what has been said here. The IFA said it was too late for a working group to do the job and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus tréaslaím leis. Tá sé ráite leis cheana go bhfuil sé ag gniomhú ar an gceist seo agus aontaím go hiomlán leis go bhfuil sé fíor-thábhachtach gníomhú ar an gceist. We could discuss many issues relating to direct provision, but we-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I will focus on a number of issues. I have been on trips to some of the centres. Many issues were raised concerning the system's oversight, which was the initial reason for this meeting. The Ombudsman also raised issues. We have received interesting presentations. For example, Doras Luimní highlighted how social services had been alerted to more than 1,500 child protection or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Based on that, does the Minister of State accept what the Ombudsman for Children and the Ombudsman are saying? Even if a stay were to last no longer than six months, such a system would need an independent oversight mechanism. It is unacceptable that there is no such mechanism in place currently.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The Minister of State alluded to something that is key to most of the issues, namely, signing up to the EU's reception directive. It is a fundamental principle, but the decision to sign up can only be taken by the Government. That decision will inform whatever legislation is to be introduced. My understanding is that only two EU countries have not signed up to the directive. It would give...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Yes. Many of the issues raised with us when we visited the centres related to how people must sit around in centres, cannot work and have no right to an education. A part of the reason given for this is that we have not signed up to the reception directive, which would give people those rights. Whenever this matter was raised in the Houses, we were told that the directive would be covered...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Is the Minister of State concerned that one of the key stakeholders in the working group resigned last week because it was not allowed to comment on the heads of the Bill? The group requested that the heads and the legislation's extent be discussed. The stakeholder stated that issues like the reception directive, which should be taken on board during the Bill's development, were not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: That is what Ms Conlan said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It is important to put on record that Ms Sue Conlan has spoken for herself. In her letter of resignation she said:The decision not to allow the Working Group, which contains experts on international protection law as well as lay people, to have sight of and indeed comment upon the Heads of the Bill is regrettable. In addition, the intransigence from officials from the Department of Justice...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Was there an initial tender process?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Was that done at the beginning?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Is the Department not obliged, under EU law, to tender? Are the rules against that type of thing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: With all due respect, up to now every time we have visited a centre we have been told that RIA provides accommodation and food and is not responsible for providing other services. Since the system began the Department has known what it had to contract for.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I agree.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Is it overseen by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform or the Committee of Public Accounts?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Has it ever been investigated by the Committee of Public Accounts?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Does DPER have oversight of it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Does it do regular checks of the expenditure, the tendering process, the contracting etc.?