Results 3,461-3,480 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (16 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am very pleased to be before the House today to present this Bill, which provides for important changes to the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 arising from the Government's initiative of 13 May to strengthen support for people in mortgage arrears. The main reform contained in the Bill is the new provision for independent review by the Courts where a proposal for a personal insolvency...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (16 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Nuair a bhí mé ag éisteacht leis an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh, rith an seanfhocal a bhíodh ann tráth dá raibh, "céard a dhéanfadh mac an chait ach luch a mharú" liom - what would the son of the cat do only kill a mouse. When one is dealing with an amoral system, regulations will always be catching up in relation to such amorality. On...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Equality Legislation (16 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The Employment Equality Act 1998 protects employees against discrimination on any of nine grounds (age, civil status, family status, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, race, or membership of the Traveller community). Claims under the legislation can be taken for assessment and adjudication to the Equality Tribunal and a person who considers that he or she has been...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes (16 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days he should contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Data (15 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Social Services and Support: Motion [Private Members] (14 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the motion. It is timely and well constructed. The contributions from both sides of the House serve us well as a Department when we deal with the issues around older people. As the Tánaiste outlined, there have been major challenges in recent years and it is a good time to take stock as to where we are and where we intend to go. One of my responsibilities relates to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Labour Activation Measures (14 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 437 and 438 together. The Employment Equality Act 1998 protects employees against discrimination on any of nine grounds (age, civil status, family status, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, race, or membership of the Traveller community). Claims under the legislation can be taken for assessment and adjudication to the Equality Tribunal and a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Funding (14 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug and Alcohol Task Forces (14 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Funding from the Department of Health's Drugs Initiative Fund is allocated to the Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces to support community based drugs initiatives. Applications for funding for the organisation concerned should be made directly to the relevant Local or Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force.

Topical Issue Debate: National Monuments (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am aware of reports that NAMA is seeking buyers for the loans it holds in respect of the commercial entity that owns the Dublin central development site that includes the national monument at Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street. Contrary to the impression being created by some of those reports, the fact is that it is loans and not properties for which NAMA is seeking expressions of interest. I am...

Topical Issue Debate: National Monuments (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: As part of the transfer of ownership to the State, all loans will be discharged over the monument site and all necessary licences and wayleaves will be put in place to carry out the national monument works. I want to be as clear as I can in the hope that it will dispel the attempt at confusion and uncertainty that has always been the hallmark of certain parties that seem to be more...

Topical Issue Debate: National Monuments (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I wish to emphasise that the Minister has no function in the operations of NAMA and has no role in the disposal of its loans or assets. The Minister's involvement in the Moore Street issue, as she has made clear countless times, arises from the preservation order that was placed in 2007 on Nos. 14 to 17 under the National Monuments Acts. Any plans or proposals for the wider area outside the...

Topical Issue Debate: Cancer Screening Programmes (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank Deputy McEntee for raising this important issue. The importance of early detection of cancer is fully accepted by Government. Population-based screening programmes are an important element of early detection and have been introduced for cancers in Ireland where international evidence supports this approach. At present, available evidence has given rise to population-based screening...

Topical Issue Debate: Cancer Screening Programmes (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: On the consultation process on the new national cancer strategy, I would encourage individuals, organisations the Deputy might know to contribute to that process before the closing date of 24 July. The Department of Health and the national screening service in the HSE will continue to review emerging international evidence on screening, including any developments that arise in relation to...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I hope my visit to the House this afternoon will be more productive than my visit here this morning. Before addressing the content of amendments Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, and amendment No. 19, I hope I may be allowed to make one or two brief introductory remarks. We had an unusual Committee Stage and an unusual journey to get to Report Stage. I appreciate that the rules under which we...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Amendment No. 2 introduces a definition of the "Act of 2000" as we need to refer to the Equal Status Act 2000. Amendment No. 3 deletes the definition of "Minister" as we do not need this as we are amending existing legislation that already has this definition. In Amendment No. 19 we are making consequential changes to the Short Title, collective citation and the commencement provisions....

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The principal equality directives have essentially the same definition of indirect discrimination. I will quote from the Framework Employment Directive 2000/78/EC, which contains the following definition: "indirect discrimination should be taken to occur when an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice would put persons having a particular religion or belief, a particular...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The group of amendments includes amendments Nos. 5, 7 and 9, but, due to the structure of the Equality Acts, part of amendment No. 8 is also relevant. However, as that amendment mainly deals with a different issue related to the position of Swiss and EEA nationals, it has been grouped with amendment No. 18 with which it will be discussed. We are considering a group of amendments that relate...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: When the framework employment directive, Directive No. 2000/78/EC, which outlaws age discrimination in employment, was transposed into law by the Equality Act 2004, reliance was placed on the wording of recital 14 of the directive which states: "This Directive shall be without prejudice to national provisions laying down retirement ages". The conclusion is that it was not necessary to amend...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am informed that we do not have a national framework in this area. Effectively, there is no discrimination on the basis of age if the offering of the fixed-term contract reflects the practice or the nature of the business over a period of time. It is unusual for a termination to take place in the context of this legislation, but we are effectively transposing requirements from EU...