Results 4,181-4,200 of 9,147 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Garda Commissioner (11 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly commissioner carried out an extensive examination of cross-Border crime over the course of a year. The commissioner met senior police officers in An Garda Síochána and the PSNI, the various local authorities and a range of agencies across the Border. It was an excellent report. One of its 16 key recommendations was the establishment of a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Garda Commissioner (11 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Garda Inspectorate has produced two reports in recent years. The first was on the issue of fixed penalty points. The second was on the findings of a three-year investigation into crime. It is welcome that the Commissioner and the Minister for Justice and Equality have fully endorsed both reports. I understand that working groups are in place to implement the recommendations. Can the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Garda Commissioner (11 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We are almost two hours into this meeting and people are coming late to put questions, which is fair enough. There has been much misrepresentation of a letter sent by the Commissioner to me. In fairness to her, at no stage did she state that the IRA does not exist, either in that letter or at any stage orally or in written form, and it is important to put this on the record. I disagree...

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I also listened to Deputy Barry's speech and his appeal that we respect free speech. I point out to him that hundreds of Irish citizens felt it was acceptable to log on to thejournal.iewebsite and give a thumbs-down to expressions of sympathy, including a simple "rest in peace" and "my heart goes out to the families" from decent Irish citizens about the fact that ten human beings - ten Irish...

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That was a shocking speech.

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Deputy is in a bubble.

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Has the Deputy anything good to say about Travellers at all?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The joint committee has received a total of 152 petitions to date since the launch of the petitions system. The secretariat has been examining them to establish their admissibility and decide how best to make progress with a petition for consideration by the joint sub-committee. Some 133 of the 152 petitions received have been brought before the committee on at least one occasion. Of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is that agreed? Agreed. We will move on to petition No. P00015/15 which relates to cearta vótála - voting rights - and is in the name of Mr. Norman Wilson. The petitioner who is an Irish citizen residing in Australia is requesting that citizens of Ireland who live abroad have voting rights in Oireachtas and European Parliament elections. In its fifth report which was published...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Community Alert Programme: Muintir na Tíre (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am a great admirer of Muintir na Tíre and I thank the organisation for its help in establishing the community alert and text alert programmes in my county of Donegal. I attended a number of meetings at which Muintir na Tíre representatives spoke about their experience in other areas. It is a tremendous organisation. Its recommendations and the issues that arise at community...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Community Alert Programme: Muintir na Tíre (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The issue of Garda station closures in rural areas has received much prominence. What Mr. Cronin has asked for, rather than focusing on Garda station closures, is more resources for community alert and text alert programmes. I am a big supporter of these programmes, having seen waves of crime and criminal gangs so many times in Donegal. The only way to truly defeat them is with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Community Alert Programme: Muintir na Tíre (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We will all help community alert by knocking on people's doors.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: White Paper on Defence: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank Mr. Richardson for his presentation. My colleague, Deputy Crowe, my party's foreign affairs and defence spokesperson, cannot make it today because there is a meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. I was my party's previous defence spokesperson and I am fairly well placed to represent him here today. The issues during my time as defence spokesperson were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: White Paper on Defence: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I assume the transcript will be sent to the Minister for Defence anyway. That is the standard practice. I commend the RDFRA on the employer engagement working group. I understand they will send on the handbook to us. I look forward to getting that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: White Paper on Defence: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Absolutely. I assume they will send it to spokespersons too. The specialist Reserve issue is an understandable inclusion in the White Paper. In fairness, the RDFRA's points, that it has a considerable range of expertise available, are understandable too. I refer to those who have already signed up and committed to being Reserve Defence Force members. On consultation with the RDFRA...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: White Paper on Defence: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am delighted to hear it. Deputy Stanton is passionate about it, and he is a champion of the RDF and the wider Defence Forces. It has not always been the case through this five-year term and I am pleased it is the case now. Regarding unemployed reservists, we support the concept of a defence contribution to employment support schemes for 18 to 24 year olds. The RDFRA is enthusiastic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Bail Bill 2015: Discussion (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Similar to Senator Ivana Bacik, I commend all the witnesses on their presentations. Even though I was late, I had the presentations with me to read. I agree with some of the analysis that we can have a panic reaction sometimes to waves of crime but that does not make for good law and we need to be thoughtful. Our committee has a strong track record in that regard, having compiled a report...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Bail Bill 2015: Discussion (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Representatives from Muintir na Tíre appeared before this committee today. I am sure the witnesses are familiar with that organisation and its excellent work on the community alert and text alert schemes in rural areas and its initiatives in partnership with An Garda Síochána. Muintir na Tíre welcomed the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill 2015. There are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (4 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 209. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the procedures and policies that have been introduced in passport offices, in the wake of the decision of the Supreme Court in a case (details supplied) which clarified the interpretation of reckonable residence in the State, to ensure that children who are Irish citizens are able to access Irish passports; and if he will make a statement...

Travellers' Rights: Motion [Private Members] (3 Nov 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is one point on which we can agree.