Results 4,121-4,140 of 7,126 for speaker:Alan Farrell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: That was the initial question I asked.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: In fairness, the Minister did allude to that response following my initial question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: I am not casting aspersions on anyone, but that was what I had gleaned earlier. As Chairman, I believe there is a question about this document. It has been shared with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the board of the Oberstown centre, HIQA, the Attorney General and the Minister. It has been shared with these four institutions and their relevant heads. The committee is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: I am referring to either the full document or an engagement with the board of the Oberstown centre to flesh out the views of the members of the board and the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: The Minister spent some time at the beginning of her contribution in referring to the fact that HIQA had provided relatively positive reports on the Oberstown centre, albeit some issues remain outstanding. This represents progress since the incidents in 2016. The facility has shown a clear pathway to improving standards. Following my visit not long ago, it was clear to me that some of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: Some of the recommendations were published, but I want to be confident that the Minister has confidence that HIQA has reviewed the reviewers' report and taken it into consideration on an ongoing basis in the course of it business.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: Deputy Chambers has referred to whether the Minister took the view that there would be a requirement at any point in the future for a further review. The Minister has said she believed HIQA was fulfilling that function. I am alluding to her answer to the last question. My only observation is that there may be certain elements of the unpublished report that received the attention of those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: In the interest of members of the committee and Oireachtas Members in general, it would be beneficial to us. Perhaps the Minister could correspond with the committee secretariat so we could provide it to all members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: It would be worth doing. While the Minister was responding to other members, I was looking at the cost of the report. I was absent last week so I did not have an opportunity to review it. I was unable to find the answer in the parliamentary questions of last week or the week before. Does anybody with the Minister have the figure and, if so, will she please provide it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: The only point I can make as Chairman is that committee members have an oversight role as to the operation of Oberstown and the Department and there should be a mechanism, if there is not already, for such matters to be dealt with in a confidential manner. Members of the committee and Oireachtas Members in general who have queried this matter would feel a lot more confident. Deputy Sherlock...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: I accept the Minister's point to the effect that it is open to members to ask the board of Oberstown to make themselves available to us. Without seeking to second-guess my colleagues, that is probably something we will seek in the new year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: Deputy Sherlock referred to the fact that he does not want to leave this room with his questions unanswered. I suspect, given the look on his face, that may prove to be the case. Rather than the Minister having to field constant questions, freedom of information requests, segments on RTÉ radio and everything else that has taken place in recent months, if members were provided with a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: Perhaps a mechanism should be put in place in future in the unlikely event that this issue should arise. I suspect that members may request an audience with the board of Oberstown.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: I was informed that the Minister had to vacate the premises by 7 p.m. so I was operating on the assumption that proceedings would run until that time Is the Minister stating that she must leave at 6.30 p.m.?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: Correct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: There is no closing time. I was just informed that the Minister needed to be off the premises by 7 p.m. I ask members to be brief.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: I do not want to take up Deputy Mitchell's time, but my observance of this is that we, as Members of the Oireachtas, have spent an inordinate amount of time addressing this issue, as have the media queries, but the process is disjointed. The report was provided to the board of Oberstown and at that point legal advice was sought, which led to further legal advice from the Attorney General,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: -----is somewhat disjointed and, therefore, Deputies and Senators have spend time analysing this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Dec 2018)

Alan Farrell: They have come to the same conclusion, which is that if the board of Oberstown had been more forthcoming in its dealings with the committee an awful lot of supposition may have been avoided, as could stories generated through the provision of freedom of information requests which, in themselves, can often be disjointed. This is not casting any aspersions on anybody reading freedom of...