Results 3,841-3,860 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Family Law Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: In March, the Minister published the text of the amendments to be proposed for the referendum on divorce and published the draft general scheme of a family law Bill. The proposal in that draft general scheme was to reduce the minimum living apart period specified in section 5 of the Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996 to two years during the previous three years, from four years during the...

Family Law Bill 2019: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: I thank Deputies for their constructive remarks and Deputy O'Loughlin and others for their work during the referendum itself. I also pay tribute to the officials who worked very hard on the legislation to get it to where it is today, to the Ceann Comhairle and his office and to the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Madigan, for her input at the beginning.

Family Law Bill 2019: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: I wish to thank Deputies for their engagement with the Bill and for their contributions to the debate. As Deputy Cullinane said, the people have spoken and we have all listened. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin said the same thing and outlined the actual percentage, which was quite high. At the heart of the Government's proposal to reform the law in this area, with the amendment to Article 41 of...

Family Law Bill 2019: Order for Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Family Law Bill 2019: Second Stage (16 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time". I am pleased to introduce the Family Law Bill 2019 in this House and I look forward to our discussion of its provisions. Deputies will recall that the Thirty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Dissolution of Marriage) Act 2019 was signed into law on 11 June, following its approval by the people in a referendum on 24 May. The Act amended...

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: The proposed section 21 put forward by this amendment is taken from the Parental Leave Act 1998. An equivalent provision is not included in the Adoptive Leave Act or the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act. Instead, these Acts rely on provisions similar to section 20 of this Bill. Section 20 gives the employee the right to return to the same job he or she held before going on leave. Where...

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: As I said earlier, what is in place at the moment is working well. This is a follow-on from the paid leave already provided for. We want to ensure that when someone takes the leave, he or she can go back to the same job. Otherwise there may be a disincentive to take the leave in the first place. What is in place is working well. I contend there is also a typographical error in the...

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: I thank Deputies for their consideration and I acknowledge again the lacuna in the adoptive leave legislation. There is no discrimination in this Bill but it is in other legislation and we want to correct it. I am committing to it. I am sorry we are not in a position to do it now but we want to ensure we get this right. Deputies would be the first to take me to task if we brought...

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: Anois.

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: In the case of paternity, paid maternity and paid adoptive leave, all employment rights, except the right to remuneration, are preserved while the person is on leave. In the case of unpaid maternity or adoptive leave and unpaid parental leave under the 1998 Act, in addition to the remuneration, superannuation benefits and contributions are not preserved either. This amendment would apply...

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: As I pointed out, in the case of paternity, paid maternity and paid adoptive leave, all employment rights, except the right to remuneration, are preserved while the person is on leave. In the case of unpaid maternity or adoptive leave and unpaid parental leave under the 1998 Act, in addition to the remuneration, superannuation benefits and contributions are not preserved. This amendment...

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: Both.

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: Yes.

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: Yes.

Parent's Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 [Seanad]: Second Stage (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to address the House on the Second Stage of this Bill. It has its origin in a commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government to increase paid parental leave in the first year of a child's life. Leave for parents at this time has a significantly positive impact. It benefits children. It benefits parents and, in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: My Department is responsible for offering accommodation and related services to international protection applicants while their claim for protection is being examined. Due to an unexpected rise in applications (figures are up 53% in the first nine months of this year), existing Direct Provision Centres, which offer accommodation, food, utilities and a suite of State services, have reached...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parental Leave (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Bill 2019 will provide for two weeks of parent’s leave and benefit for all new parents in employment or self-employment in respect of children born or placed for adoption on or after 1 November 2019. This will facilitate parents in spending more time with their children in their critical first year of life. The Bill gives the Minister power to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: The number of people employed in each direct provision accommodation centre is a matter for the contracted service provider. Such statistics are not maintained by my Department. As the Deputy may be aware, the agreed National Standards for accommodation offered to people in the protection process were published by my Department in August 2019. The Standards will apply to all service...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Support Services (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: I can inform the Deputy that, as part of the Department’s Transformation Process, the Reception & Integration Agency (RIA), as it was formally known, was divided into two new sections within the Immigration Service Delivery Function; International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) and International Protection Procurement Services (IPPS).  IPPS takes responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications Data (15 Oct 2019)

David Stanton: My Department is responsible for offering accommodation and related services to international protection applicants while their claim for protection is being examined. These services are demand led and generally it is difficult to predict demand far in advance. Due to an unexpected rise in applications (figures are up 53% in the first nine months of this year), the 38 existing...