Results 3,561-3,580 of 4,787 for speaker:Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (23 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I cannot comment on why the GRA did not speak before the justice committee. The current arrangements for the issuing of directives to the Garda Commissioner by the Minister are to be found in section 25 of the principal Act. In particular, Government approval is required before any directive can be issued. Where a directive is issued, it must, except in certain cases relating to sensitive...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (23 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Section 38 of the principal Act makes provision for the Garda Commissioner to authorise the installation and operation of closed circuit television schemes in public places for the sole or primary purpose of securing public order and safety in public places, by facilitating the deterrence, prevention, detection and prosecution of offences. In the development of the principal Act, section 38...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (23 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The wording sought to be deleted by the amendment is concerned with the terms and conditions of the members of the Garda audit committee. They are standard provisions found in many statutes. The fixing of such terms and conditions is an administrative rather than a core oversight function. It is the standard practice that the terms and conditions of State appointees, such as the members...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (23 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: A key aim of the Government in establishing the authority is to provide a system of oversight of An Garda Síochána that is effective and fully independent. In this context the Government is of the clear view that the membership of the authority should not include serving politicians, and the Bill provides that they will be ineligible to be members. I recognise that the Senator's...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (23 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: WWW00500 type: 1 --> I am aware that the general scheme of the Bill provided that the authority would monitor and address human rights compliance by An Garda Síochána in policing matters. However, this element was subsequently removed from the Bill prior to publication so as to avoid duplication of the functions of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC. Senators...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (23 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The effect of this amendment is to remove the requirement for the consent of the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform where the authority is seeking to enter into contracts with persons or appoint consultants. The requirement for ministerial consent is a standard requirement in such circumstances and it is an important aspect of good...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (23 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The purpose of these amendments is to make provision for a chief executive designate of the authority and they have been introduced in consultation with the chairperson designate. They are also in line with the statutory procedures that have been adopted for other State agencies. Senators will be aware that I am making arrangements for the authority to operate in shadow format pending the...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (23 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: Senators will recall that among the provisions of the Garda Síochána (Amendment) Act 2015 was a provision inserting a new section 102B into the principal Act which brought the Garda Commissioner within the scope of GSOC investigations for the first time. This was a significant development and one to which the Government attaches a high degree of importance. The issue of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes (17 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: There is a problem with street injecting in Dublin and elsewhere. This creates a public nuisance, and is unhygienic and unsafe for drug users. Supervised Injecting facilities exist in a number of other countries and it is a policy I am very interested in. I recently received a draft legislative proposal from Ana Liffey and the Bar Council's Voluntary Assistance Scheme which would allow for...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Misuse of Drugs (17 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: In September 2014, the HSE, in partnership with a local voluntary service provider, the Housing First service and An Garda Síochána set up an assertive case management programme to engage with a high-risk cohort who are involved in anti-social behaviour and/or public drug use. The pilot programme aims to provide shared care planning for these individuals, who have complex needs, and...

Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage [Private Members] (16 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank Deputies Coppinger, Higgins and Murphy for bringing this Private Members' Bill before the House. Deputies will be well aware of my strong convictions on the need to amend section 37(1) of the Employment Equality Act 1998. I entirely agree with the Deputies proposing the legislation that it is wrong to discriminate or exclude people from employment or to deny them services under the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Migrant Integration (16 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 442 together. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a call for applications for funding will be made shortly. The full details of the call, including the level of funding, have not yet been finalised but I can say that it is likely that projects will be of more than one year's duration.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Drug Treatment Programmes (16 Jun 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.

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy Budget (16 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: In line with the National Drugs Strategy, the Department of Health administers a Drugs Initiative which primarily funds community based drugs initiatives supported by Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces. The budget allocation for the twenty four Local and Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces for each of the years referred to by the Deputy is set out in the table. LDATFs 2010...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Drugs Strategy Implementation (16 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: As Minister with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, I will be leading the development of the Drugs Strategy for the period after 2016. My intention over the coming months is to lay the groundwork for a concise and focused policy, placing a clear emphasis on the practical implementation of actions. This work will include an assessment of the extent to which the current...

Direct Provision Report: Motion (12 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. As I said previously, this is one of the issues that goes beyond politics in this House. I have been impressed by the level of interest that Deputies and Senators from different parties have taken in this discussion on this area of direct provision. However, references to welfare fraud do not help when we are discussing the issue of direct...

Direct Provision Report: Motion (12 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the report by the joint committee. Although important in itself, this will aid in the decision process to be engaged in by Government in the context of recommendations to be made in the forthcoming report of independent working group on improvements to the protection process, including direct provision and supports for asylum seekers. I understand that report will be presented to...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (12 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I too welcome the students in the Visitors Gallery, including the teachers, some of whom I recognise. I thank all Members who have contributed to this debate. As I outlined earlier, the Government cannot support the Bill tabled by Deputy McGrath. Although I appreciate the sentiment behind the Bill, as I have already stated, the legislative and policy framework put in place by this...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (12 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: This development was another milestone along the road to achieving a single, standardised national service throughout the country, with a greater focus on those who use the public services. Such progress would not have been possible without strong co-operation between Irish Water and local authorities, which have decades of experience of providing water and wastewater services with great...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (12 Jun 2015)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The utility surpassed its end of year target in 2014 six weeks ahead of schedule, and is delivering a programme that is sustaining approximately 1,050 jobs throughout the country, providing the kind of economic stimulus we need. Some 80% of these jobs are held by people in one of three social inclusion categories, namely, the unemployed, employees of small and medium enterprises, or...