Results 3,321-3,340 of 5,534 for speaker:Maureen O'Sullivan

Leaders' Questions (29 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I want to return to a very significant and moving moment which took place in the Dáil on Tuesday, 19 February 2013. Part of its significance was due to the reaction of the ladies from the Magdalen laundries, who were present in the Gallery that day, to the apologies offered by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and others. During his apology, the Taoiseach stated, "I, as Taoiseach, on...

Leaders' Questions (29 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: The time they spent in An Grianan is not being accepted under the redress scheme. However, that spent by their counterparts at similar training centres in Summerhill in Wexford and Stanhope Street in Dublin is covered under it. Will the Tánaiste, the new Minister for Justice and Equality and the Government ensure that there will be no additional delays or interruptions in respect of...

Leaders' Questions (29 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: Most of the organisations involved have welcomed the fact that the State intends to introduce the legislation to which the Tánaiste refers in order that all of the relevant material will be preserved. The Human Rights Commission and the UN Committee Against Torture, UNCAT, repeatedly requested a statutory and thorough investigation into what happened in the laundries. Preserving the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Development Fund: Motion (29 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I share some of the concerns expressed by Deputy Smith. We acknowledge the contribution of €30 billion from the EU, which is the largest donor. Everybody wants to ensure that the people for whom it is intended gain the most benefit from it. I note that part of the agreement is that the recipient countries will engage in good governance, human rights and democratic principles. We...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Autism Support Services (29 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 22. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 243 of 4 February 2014, his views on the way his Department's early intervention preschools, set up to support children with a diagnosis of autism, are functioning; if there has been engagement with the primary school teachers and special needs assistants working in these preschool classes as to their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Redeployment (29 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 23. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether June is too late for the appeals board to sit in relation to teachers from primary schools; if he will consider bringing it forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23292/14]

Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I have five minutes and Deputy Wallace has ten minutes. We know of the litany of issues that have been brought to light in the course of this Dáil, including issues relating to penalty points, whistleblower revelations, the bugging of GSOC, the resignation of the Minister for Justice and Equality, the resignation of the Garda Commissioner, and access by the former Minister to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Situation in Nigeria: Ambassador of Nigeria (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I welcome the ambassador. I take the opportunity to acknowledge the work of the outgoing Irish ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Paddy Fay, and wish his successor, Mr. Sean Hoy, every success, as well as a productive and positive time in Nigeria and other west African countries. When we listened to what had happened to the schoolgirls, I cannot help but recall the Dublin second level schoolgirls...

Other Questions: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 11. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the conclusions in the 2014 annual report to the European Council on EU development aid targets at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 19 May 2014, his views on another significant shortfall in the EU's collective overseas development aid, ODA, which, despite an increase from €55.3 billion...

Other Questions: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: My question relates to the shortfall in the EU's overseas development aid budget and what can be done about it.

Other Questions: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: I refer to the Council's conclusions and annual report while acknowledging the Minister of State's comment that, despite the continuing budgetary constraints, the EU's collective ODA provision increased to €56.5 billion. However, it remained at 0.43% of EU GNI. There was a slight increase in total ODA provided by individual member states but, in percentage terms, it equated to 0.41%...

Other Questions: Workplace Safety (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 9. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will raise at European level the International Labour Organization's Decent Work campaign and Turkey's refusal to sign the ILO convention, in view of the recent mining accident which saw the deaths of 301 persons and in view of the fact that many are still unaccounted for; if his attention has been drawn to the fact...

Other Questions: Workplace Safety (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: My question relates to the most recent mining accident in Turkey which was the latest in a series of mining accidents in the country; the nature of the engagement of the Government; and whether there will be engagement on its part at the International Labour Organization conference in June.

Other Questions: Workplace Safety (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: There have been quite a number of serious mining accidents in Turkey. Since 1983 there have been 600 accidents. In the past 73 years there have been over 3,000. Everybody is entitled to safe working conditions and anyone going out to work should have an expectation that he or she will go home that night, but Turkey's record has been appalling. There are many positives in the Minister of...

Other Questions: Workplace Safety (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: In June 2011 the United Nations Human Rights Council endorsed the guiding principles on business and human rights, implementing the United Nations Protect, Respect and Remedy framework for business and human rights which was prepared by the UN special representative, Mr. John Ruggie. Ireland must be more proactive in respect of these principles and I hope this will be part of the continuing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Policy (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: One of the five could end up spending the rest of his life in jail. That is very serious. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, various international human rights groups, trade unions, legal experts, Nobel prize winners, religious organisations, members of parliament in various countries and Amnesty International feel that there is a terrible injustice here. A commission of inquiry...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Policy (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: 5. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has made or will make representations to the United States authorities on the continued unjust incarceration of three of the Cuban five, in view of revelations regarding the undercover construction of a mobile phone message system by the United States with the goal of overthrowing the Cuban Government; and if he will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Policy (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: My question concerns Cuba and the group of men known as the Cuban five, particularly in view of recent activities under the ZunZuneo programme.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Policy (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: There have been 50 years of a rather unjust policy between the United States and Cuba. We saw this in the case of the blockade. I understand only three or four countries in the United Nations disagree with lifting the blockade. The aim of the ZunZuneo programme was to destabilise the government and economy of Cuba. The Cuban five, or Miami five, were arrested in 1998. This arose out of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (28 May 2014)

Maureen O'Sullivan: Everybody in the House agrees that we are all on the same wavelength when it comes to bringing an end to violence; nobody wants to see a return to violence. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware that an Oireachtas group has been paying frequent visits to prisoners in Northern Ireland. I stress again that our focus with the prisoners is on their human rights...