Results 3,501-3,520 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: It is a well-established line. One person's interpretation of what a ring means is different from somebody else's. As Senator Bacik has clearly said, one's family status or civil status cannot be taken into consideration in these matters as undermining anything.

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: It is explicit. There are nuances in schools and wearing a T-shirt with a particular political slogan on it would be considered inappropriate. There are many professions, such as the Garda Síochána and the Civil Service, in which expressions of political preference or ideology would not be appropriate. There is a line. If one answers a factual question and gives information that...

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: That is a statement of fact and it is explicit in the legislation that a person is not undermining anything by being who he or she is and having a marriage into which he or she has entered.

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

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The intention of these amendments, which were introduced following consultation with the Department of Social Protection and the Department of the environment, Community and Local Government, is to prohibit, in the provision of accommodation, discrimination in regard to a tenant or prospective tenant on the basis that the person is or is not in receipt of rent supplement, or that the person's...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Drugs Rehabilitation Framework (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I appreciate what the Deputy has said. We had an interesting conversation at the North Inner City Drugs Task Force. I have visited various drugs task forces around the country, particularly in the Dublin area, since my appointment to this post. I share the Deputy's concern about how this situation is changing, in that it is worsening and becoming more acute in certain parts of the country...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Drugs Rehabilitation Framework (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I agree with everything the Deputy has said. In regard to controlled substances, I found quite disturbing what Inspector Des McTiernan of the inner city drugs task force had to say about the mother who told him it would be almost impossible for him to convince her child to get a minimum wage job in Dunnes when there is €1,000 a week to be made selling certain substances on the street...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Drugs Rehabilitation Framework (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The national drugs rehabilitation implementation committee, chaired by the HSE, has developed a national drugs rehabilitation framework. As Deputy O'Sullivan is aware, people in recovery have complex needs and may require multiple interventions from a range of agencies to assist them in their recovery. The aim of the framework is to provide a continuum of care for the recovering drug user...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the invitation to address members of the Joint Committee on Health and Children and the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality on the national drugs strategy. I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to take on a ministerial role in this area. I see it as a vital role that needs the attention of a dedicated Minister. From my work as a teacher and principal in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: How long do I have to respond?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: A wide range of issues have been raised and I appreciate the contributions that have been made. Deputy Ó Caoláin raised the issue of psychoactive substances and the effectiveness of the 2010 legislation. We have a cultural problem with addiction in Ireland. Every family in Ireland has an addiction problem. It is in every corner of the country. There is a traditional...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank members for their contributions. I agree with Senator John Crown's sentiments about it not being enough to continue on with what has been handed down to us but that we must instead form a logical view of what is happening and what needs to be done. As I said earlier, there is no point in clogging up the courts system and criminalising people for what is a medical need. There can be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: National Drugs Strategy: Minister of State at the Department of Health (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Prior to the court case earlier this year, the Minister had the power to control substances. It was the court case that caused the confusion and the emergency legislation and that is why we are in this position. If I might suggest, the pre-legislative stage in this committee or committees would be key to teasing out those issues, be it the justice committee, the health committee or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes Policy (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: There is currently a problem with street injecting in Dublin and elsewhere which is unhygienic and unsafe for both drug users and the general public. Medically supervised injecting facilities exist in a number of other countries, and have been suggested as a response to the problem of street injecting in this country. According to a recent report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes (9 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Medically supervised injecting facilities exist in a number of other countries, and have been proposed as a response to the problem of street injecting in this country. According to a recent report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, drug consumption facilities can be effective for difficult-to-reach populations of drug users and have resulted in immediate...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes Policy (8 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Medically supervised injecting facilities exist in a number of other countries, and have been proposed as a response to the problem of street injecting in this country. According to a recent report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, drug consumption facilities can be effective for difficult-to-reach populations of drug users and have resulted in immediate...

Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I appreciate that, a Cheann Comhairle. On behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, I thank Deputies for their contributions to the debate on this legislation. I might use the time available to me to remind the House of the main features of the Bill. It will abolish imprisonment for non-payment of debt and provide for two new District Court measures for the recovery of modest debts....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: UN Conventions Ratification (7 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I refer the Deputy to previous answers on this issue on 16 April, 23 April and 19 May 2015. The Government has given a firm commitment to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and intends to proceed to ratification as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to ensure all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are met....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Religious Discrimination (7 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Insofar as my area of Ministerial responsibility is concerned, I can assure the Deputy that we are robust in our protection of the rights of non-religious and minority faith persons. We have strong legislative protection against discrimination on 9 grounds, including religious belief, in the Employment Equality Acts, which cover discrimination in the workplace, and the Equal Status Acts,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (7 Jul 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I am aware that the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Committee in its recent country review recommended, inter alia, that Ireland expedites the enactment of the Family Leave Bill to ensure a statutory entitlement to all family-care related leaves, including paternity leave. As already announced, the Government has approved the drafting of the Family Leave...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Rehabilitation Clinics (7 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.