Results 4,281-4,300 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Criminal Law (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Referral to Select Committee (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice and Equality pursuant to Standing Orders 84A(3)(a) and 149(1).

Criminal Law (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Second Stage (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I thank the Deputies for the broad support for the Bill this evening. Deputy Ó Laoghaire said this is one of the issues on which we can all agree. When I was Chairman of the justice committee, we did a lot of work in this area and there was broad support and constructive debate on this important issue. Pending the passage of Second Stage this evening, the Chairman of the Select...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: As it probably was not heard the first time, I wish to stress again that the deployment of Garda resources, including personnel, to specific areas is solely the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner and his management team. It is very important that colleagues understand this. The Minister has no role whatsoever in interfering with that. As already alluded to, community policing is at...

Criminal Law (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Second Stage (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am delighted to introduce the Criminal Law (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) Bill 2018 to the House today on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, following its passage through the Seanad last month. The Bill is the last legislative action required to enable Ireland to ratify the Istanbul Convention on...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I acknowledge Deputy McConalogue's interest in and passion for this issue and I thank him for raising it. I apologise for the Minister for Justice and Equality who cannot be here this evening. I wish to reiterate for the House yet again that the deployment of Garda resources, including personnel, to specific areas, as the Deputy will appreciate, is solely the responsibility of the Garda...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Garda Stations (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I acknowledge the serious interest taken by the Senator in this matter. I know that she is speaking about a very nice part of north County Dublin. I compliment the Senator on her work for the people there. The Minister, Deputy Flanagan, sends his regrets as he cannot be here today due to other commitments.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Garda Stations (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I am sure you will. The Senator will be aware that A Programme for a Partnership Government commits to a pilot scheme to reopen six Garda stations, urban and rural, to determine the possible positive impacts that such openings would have on criminal activity, with special emphasis on burglaries, thefts and public order. The Garda Commissioner's final report, which is available on my...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Garda Stations (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I compliment the Senator on her interest in pursuing this important matter and I thank her for raising. Again, I assure her of the Government's commitment to the pilot Garda station reopening scheme, which is intended to determine possible positive impacts that such openings would have on criminal activity. That is the reason it is going ahead. As I have said, An Garda Síochána...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: The tender process for the provision of premises within the Kildare region (radius of 40 km from Newbridge Town Centre), including the provision of management, catering, housekeeping, general maintenance and security services for persons seeking international protection will be completed on Thursday, 14 February 2019 on the expiration of the requisite standstill period provided for under...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Resettlement Programme (12 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: On 10 September 2015, as part of Ireland's response to the migration crisis in central and southern Europe, the Government established the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). Under this programme, the Government committed to accepting up to 4,000 people into the State, through a combination of the EU Relocation Programme (established by two EU Council Decisions in 2015 to assist Italy...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Budgets (7 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: The Justice and Equality Vote Group includes the Department of Justice and Equality, An Garda Síochána, the Prison Service, the Courts Service, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Policing Authority. Vote 25 relates to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC). As the Deputy is aware, IHREC is an independent statutory body, established under the...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I thank colleagues. I have listened carefully to the debate and, as usual in this House, it has been constructive, reflective and positive. I am happy to be here to discuss the Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017. I will be speaking to amendments Nos. 1, 2 and 3, which propose to amend section 6 of the Parental Leave Act 1998. If I brought a Bill before the House, my colleagues would...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: We are ahead of the game here. One of the key points of the proposed directive calls on member states to provide ten days' paternity leave to be paid at a rate determined by member states. We are doing it, we brought it in. Some 55,000 dads have already taken that up. I did not hear anybody talk about that this morning. It is done, we did it. The proposed directive also indicates that...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: Other Senators said the same thing. I chair the committee responsible for the national strategy for women and girls. We had a meeting yesterday. Senator Higgins referred to the number of women who fall out of the labour force, a matter that was highlighted at the committee's meeting. The need to encourage more men to, like Senator Gavan, take on the caring and childcare role was...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I am very supportive of increasing the flexibility and choices for working parents and giving them the opportunity to spend more time with their children. That is a worthwhile aim that we all share. For the record, the Government never voted against this legislation anywhere. We have been supportive of it. I have tried to engage in a positive way throughout the process. We have been...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I understand there are premiums in some of the areas. For example, if a nurse is to be replaced we get an agency nurse in, which is more expensive, and then there are administrative costs, among others. When the costs were added up that is the figure we got. I accept that not everybody is going to take the leave but if the take-up is 10% then the cost is approximately €1.2 million,...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: The work-life balance directive refers to a non-transferable right to nine weeks of paid parental leave per parent. What will happen at the end of this year is that parental leave will be treated in the same way as paid paternity leave the Government introduced. I believe the State pays €240 per week to the 55,000 fathers who have availed of it. The same is planned for paid parental...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: Employers could top up the payment if they so wished. The State is paying the benefit for fathers and will do so for both parents at the end of this year. Paid parental leave encourages both parents to take parental leave. As I said earlier, we need to encourage fathers to take more of a sharing role in caring for children. We have to be careful that we do not do anything to push the...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: I thank colleagues for their discussion on the three amendments. Senator Bacik is adamant that there is no significant cost to the State. Senator Noone mentioned maternity leave for Oireachtas Members. They are among the few groups who do not have an entitlement to maternity or paternity leave. When we were introducing the paid paternity leave legislation a little while go, a colleague...

Seanad: Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2019)

David Stanton: This amendment is a technical amendment to section 7 of the 1998 Act. It is necessitated by the original intent to increase the entitlement to parental leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks by the Bill. Paragraph (a) amends section 7 of the Parental Leave Act 1998 to reflect the increase from 18 to 26 weeks. Paragraph (b) replaces every reference to "18 weeks" or "18 times" to a reference to "26...