Results 4,641-4,660 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (27 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: The Report of the Working Group to Report to Government on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers, also known as the Justice McMahon report, was published in June 2015. Its recommendations have implications for a number of Government Departments and services. My Department has since published three progress...

Special Needs Assistants: Motion [Private Members] (26 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I welcome the contributions of Members to the important debate we are having this evening. The SNA scheme is one of the main components of the overall support structure for children with special educational needs which is provided by the Department of Education and Skills. In 2011 the Department spent some €1.247 billion on special educational needs. This year the Department will...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: National Traveller-Roma Integration Strategy (26 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) Steering Group has been tasked with the development and oversight of the implementation of the actions contained in the strategy. Since the launch of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy in June 2017, the NTRIS Steering Group has met four times - on 2August 2017, 18October 2017, 13 December 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Resettlement Programme (21 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: As the Deputy will be aware, the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration (OPMI) is the primary entity within my Department responsible for resettling refugees.  It has overseen the humanitarian resettlement programmes run by Ireland since they were established in 2000.  The Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was subsequently established in September 2015 and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Resettlement Programme (21 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: As the Deputy is aware, the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) commenced in September 2015 with the first significant tranche of protection applicants only arriving in Ireland under in June 2016, due largely to delays in the establishment of hotspots and related arrangements overseas by the beneficiary States.  Large scale resettlements in counties therefore...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Adoption Legislation (19 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: As the Deputy is aware, Section 6 of the Adoptive Leave Act 1995 provides for an entitlement to 24 weeks adoptive leave for an employed adopting mother or a sole male adopter. Following adoption of the 34th amendment to the Constitution and its subsequent legislative changes, my Department identified a lacuna in the Adoptive Leave Act 1995 that prevents male same-sex married couples from...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (19 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: Accommodation centres under contract to the Department have a limited number of rooms for single adults and most single adults share rooms.  The capacity of each room is entirely dependent on the size of the room as per building regulations. The number of persons actually allocated to the room will depend on that capacity.  Currently, the numbers allocated to individual rooms...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Youth Diversion Projects (14 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 109 together. I am of course aware of the recent media coverage of this matter and, in response to previous questions in this House, I have already provided details of actions that are in train in this regard. As the Deputy is aware, a number of issues which impact on the effective administration of the Garda Diversion Programme were identified...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Juvenile Offenders (14 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110, 111 and 112 together. The operation of the Garda Diversion Programme is monitored by a Committee established under Section 44 of the Children Act 2001, whose annual reports are laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. These reports provide a breakdown of categories of referrals to the Garda Diversion Programme. The information requested by the Deputy...

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I move amendment No. 4:In page 3, line 16, to delete "8 years"," and substitute "8 years".". The purpose of amendments Nos. 4 and 5 is to modify the Bill's approach to those parents who have already used their full entitlement to parental leave and those parents who were unable to use their full entitlement to parental leave previously. The Government policy is that both sets of parents...

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: No.

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: Since we have made changes earlier, there has been a knock-on effect. I stated we were considering extending parental leave on a phased basis. I still have some concerns about constitutionality. I believe the Deputy's amendments are okay.

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: Agreed.

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I move amendment No. 8:8. In page 4, to delete line 16 and substitute the following: "(3) This Act shall come into operation on 1 January 2019.". This is a straightforward amendment. We must bear in mind the changes proposed that would not be accepted here and that I did not press. This is a straightforward amendment that seeks to delete section 3(3) of the Bill and replace it with the...

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: The actual text is before us now. We should probably do it now rather than in the Seanad. I do not see why we need to wait. If the Deputy is proposing that we wait for the Seanad, we can do that. I am not pushed one way or the other because we can do it in the Seanad, if the Deputy wishes. I am happy to withdraw the amendment at this stage.

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I have listened carefully to what colleagues have said and, as I said at the very start of Second Stage, Government is in favour of extending this unpaid leave. It took a while to get advice and views because this moved so quickly. It was not until now that we got the view of the Attorney General and we have genuinely been told that there is a risk. 9 o’clock I have listened to...

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I move amendment No. 2:In page 3, lines 5 and 6, to delete “to extend unpaid parental leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks; and to provide for related matters”.

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I move amendment No. 3:In page 3, to delete line 12 and substitute the following:“(a) by inserting the following subsection after subsection (1):“(1A) The reference in subsection (1) to a period of 18 working weeks shall be construed—(a) in the year 2019, as a reference to a period of 20 working weeks, (b) in the year 2020, as a reference to a period of 22 working weeks,...

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I have not much more to say at this point. I was just introducing my initial thoughts on the Bill. It is true that it has had a fairly quick turnaround. There was no consultation or pre-legislative scrutiny on it. I said previously at the committee and here that Bills benefit from giving the stakeholders an opportunity to have input into them but that did not happen in this case,...

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

David Stanton: I move amendment No. 1:In page 3, line 5, after "amend" to insert "and extend". Before commenting on the Government's amendments I want to say I am very happy to have the opportunity to discuss the Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017. Increasing working parents' flexibility and choices, and helping to provide them with the opportunity to spend more time with their children, is a worthwhile...