Results 3,981-4,000 of 5,132 for speaker:Trevor Ó Clochartaigh

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: In fairness, the Minister brought up the point about the subsumption and amalgamation of agencies.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The Minister might make a statement on the matter.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: With all due respect to the Minister, I do not buy his argument. One of the main issues identified in the reports of An Coimisinéir Teanga for several years is the failure of agencies and State bodies to fulfil their responsibilities under the Official Languages Act. The opt-out clause used most often is the one which concerns insufficient staff or capacity to comply with the Act. My...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It is important to put this matter in context. Tá cuid mhaith daoine ann le Gaeilge. Dá mbeadh muid ag leanacht Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, mar atá luaite ag an Seanadóir Byrne, ní bheadh an deacracht seo againn. Is léir nach bhfuil na tuairiscí cinn bhliana a bhíonn ag Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga léite ag an Seanadóir Byrne, mar tá sé luaite ansin go bhfuil cuid mhaith de...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I move amendment No. 24: In page 12, before section 14, to insert the following new section: 14.?Section 10 of the Principal Act is amended?(a) by substituting the following for subsection (1)(a):(1) (a) The Ombudsman may appoint such and so many persons to be members of the staff of the Office (an adequate number of whom should be competent in the Irish language so as to provide service...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The Minister referred to the immigration and naturalisation Bill. We do not know when that will come before the Houses. It has been kicked to touch in recent years. My issue is that we could put this in place for people in refugee and asylum-seeking scenarios. If we must wait for that Bill to come through, how many people will have suffered injustices by the time it is enacted? If we put...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I am not making a Second Stage speech. The Minister mentioned that Bill and it is relevant to what we are discussing. That agency deals with-----

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It is a justifiable debate because of the changes that have taken place in one week. A report came out yesterday which has had a profound impact on the opinions of people. It took over the Order of Business this morning. People were incensed by it and rightly so.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It is of course and the Minister knows it. In a sense this is semantics. The Minister is aware that I am referring to the culture of collusion. This was mentioned. People do not have much belief in the Department of Justice and Equality.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I have and we will be opposing the section. It is a cop out by the Government, which is pandering to the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It is not agreed.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The Minister was not present when this was discussed this morning.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: In addition to Senators Bradford and van Turnhout, Senator Conway, who is present, also stated he supported the proposals and that this was a sad and sorry situation. Senators Healy Eames, O'Keeffe, Colm Burke and Ó Murchú also spoke. That is a cross-section of all Members, which shows there was serious concern regarding this agency and system under the present system. What came across...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: This is what I have been calling for. This matter came to light this morning since Members discussed the amendments I tabled. It is relevant and I believe the Minister will accept that. This gives greater credence to the argument that these agencies and any other agency under the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality also should be included. It should not be exempted from this...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ----- and referred to the culture of bullying among a minority of staff. I again call on the Minister to re-address this issue. I believe the Minister wants to have these institutions included and that the Department of Justice and Equality has been applying pressure to keep them off the list and to have them exempted. What do these institutions have to hide? If they have nothing to hide,...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I accept the Minister's bona fides and that he is doing his utmost on this issue. However, I also note that the United Nations committee against torture has recommended that an independent and effective complaints body, such as a prison ombudsman, should be established.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Moreover, the Irish Penal Reform Trust also believes that an independent prison ombudsman should be established.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I do but my point is that what has come across from the report and what was stated clearly this morning was a sense that there might be a culture of collusion within the Department of Justice and Equality on these issues. The report stated that 28 complaints were made by prisoners over the course of a year, of which 13 related to alleged assaults by prison officers. The investigations...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ----- by the prison authorities were flawed, incomplete and could not be said to concur with best practice.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: I am speaking directly to the section. I am discussing the proposed organisation that will be carrying out a review of the prison system and the inspector's report is telling Members there is a sense there could be a culture of collusion within the Department of Justice and Equality. Consequently, even if this system has been set up under the Department of Justice and Equality, my point is...