Results 34,421-34,440 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (1 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I welcome the opportunity to present the Health (Amendment) Bill to the House. The Bill provides for mandatory quarantine at a designated facility for passengers arriving from designated category 2 countries and for those who arrive in breach of the pre-departure negative polymerase chain reaction, PCR, test requirement. We can all see the impact of the Covid pandemic, one year now after...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (1 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank all Senators for their contributions. I am delighted to be back. The debate in this House is excellent. I thank Senators for their kind words and for the debate. This legislation is no joke. I agree with various Senators who said they would never normally support legislation like this. I would never normally support legislation like this. This is emergency legislation and one...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank my colleagues for all their contributions. It is an important and healthy debate and long may we continue to have it. Nobody has all of the answers. The Government does not have all of the answers, nor is there a government anywhere in all of the world that does. It is essential we have a debate and that we listen to each other because we are ultimately trying to achieve the same...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I ask colleagues to think about that. If zero Covid is not the answer, and I do not think it is, why are we doing what we are doing? The advice I have from the Attorney General is that this must have a proportionality test because it is about depriving people of their liberty for two weeks in a designated facility, which is a very serious thing to do. There needs to be a proportionality...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It looks right across. It is not fair to charge our Chief Medical Officer with playing favourites when it comes to giving advice on category 2 countries. In respect of the position of Sinn Féin, which was highly critical of the Government's position in the Dáil debate, I will point out the following. The regime we are bringing in is very similar to the UK regime. As Senator...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It will be communicated in various ways. Some of it will be worked through in the operationalisation of this. One of the main things we want to see is that people are aware of the information when they are booking their flights. There will be a legal requirement for people to pre-book their own accommodation in one of the designated facilities. We are working closely with the carriers...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The only jurisdiction where Sinn Féin is in government is the only jurisdiction that is not looking at hotel quarantine. That is relevant to this debate. I reiterate that there has been very constructive dialogue on a lot of issues, which I accept, but on this issue it is hard not to conclude that Sinn Féin is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. They are demanding it here in...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As I said, that is relevant to this debate. I also could not find any media coverage where Sinn Féin vocally opposed and criticised the introduction in the UK, but it is doing so here. It is difficult not to conclude that there is politics being played here, which I do not think serves what we are all trying to do, which is to bring in a legally sound and robust mechanism. There...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Do I conclude my responses now?

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: No.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: There has been much talk about this legislation being a sham, a piece of theatre and minimalist. It is very important that members of the public, who many be watching this debate, understand that these allegations are untrue and that what we are doing is very real. I am basing that on the evidence. I have with me the latest report from the Department on quarantining across Europe. I will...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: There are many questions. I was going to respond to everything. Is that-----

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I think we will just wait until we get to that.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I wish to check if I am in order. My intention now is to respond to the Deputies on the group we are discussing.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I thank the Deputies for what has been a very useful debate on the first group of amendments. I have taken many notes. I also recognise that other than one or two contributions, everybody who has participated in this debate on the Government and Opposition sides is trying to do the best thing for the country. We are trying to find the best solution we...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It is.

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I was told I had ten minutes. Is it possible to get ten minutes?

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I wanted to try to address as many of colleagues' concerns as possible. Is it not possible to get ten minutes?

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I understand; I just wanted to check. I thank colleagues for their contributions today and yesterday. It is clear there is strong support across the House for hotel quarantine. Many issues were raised during the debate, with a variety of positions given. Some are calling for quicker opening up, others believe the balance is about right and necessary and others believe that further...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Misuse of Drugs (25 Feb 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 to 2016, and the various Regulations and Orders made thereunder, give effect in Ireland to the international conventions on narcotic and psychotropic substances, including the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. These include: - S.I. number 173 of 2017 - Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017 - S.I. number 174 of 2017 - Misuse of Drugs (Designation) Order 2017...