Results 4,681-4,700 of 8,978 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: There is a division in the Dáil. There are three Government and three Opposition Members present. We have an option here to continue, as we are paired off. Do the members agree to that or do they wish to go and vote? I am happy to stay. Is it agreed that we continue? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is Mr. Dowling saying that, with regard to the European tendering process, there is no legal barrier-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The RIA is operating legally.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is it Mr. Dowling's understanding that in terms of the legal framework, there is flexibility to factor in the issues that he has raised?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Yes, one question at a time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is that the Deputy's first question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Deputy can put his question again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I have a suggestion for everybody present. I am mindful that the Minister of State agreed to come here before the working group reports. He said he would have preferred to come before us afterwards in order to have a more constructive debate on the outcome. I very much appreciate the fact that the Minister of State, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, has come today to allow us to get on with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank the Minister. We shall book a date in the autumn session on which to revisit these issues when we have had a chance to look at the recommendations of the various reports.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am conscious that the transcript of today's meeting will be sent on to the working group and that it will have a chance to listen to the perspectives expressed. Understandably, there is public disquiet and concern about the resignation of Sue Conlan, but I also wish to send the clear message to the working group that we wish it well. We will wait with anticipation for the outcome and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Senator Ó Clochartaigh has indicated that he wishes to make an additional point but I will make some comments before that. Our committee visited four direct provision centres and I am pleased we have done so. There are issues of commonality between those who run and manage the centres and the asylum seekers. It is universally agreed that the length of time for people remaining there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: This committee has already stated that we support the request of the ombudsmen and the Commissioner to have their jurisdiction extended. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the meeting, as it has been a really helpful exchange. We thank the Minister of State and his officials for their time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Undocumented Migrants: Immigration Control Platform (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I think it is important to be honest. If one were to follow the report of this debate on thejournal.ie, the majority of the comments would be in support of the two speakers. If we talk about asylum seekers and the direct provision system, the majority of comments on thejournal.iewill be opposed to the asylum seekers and supportive of those who would ask they be deported. We have a major...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Undocumented Migrants: Immigration Control Platform (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I had better clarify this. When this debate is reported on thejournal.ie this evening, and in respect of previous debates on this subject matter, I am saying that the majority of the comments will be in support of Ms Ní Chonaill's view. We have to be honest that her view is not some view on the fringes in Irish society. Large numbers of Irish people share her perspective. That is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Undocumented Migrants: Immigration Control Platform (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will put the question again, because Ms Ní Chonaill obviously did not listen to it. My first point related to sentiment expressed on thejournal.ie, which I clarified for the witness. On my second point, I said that the suggestions I have heard in respect of possible Government policy do not include a proposal for an open-door approach. What is being proposed is the regularisation of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Undocumented Migrants: Immigration Control Platform (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: When representatives of Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, MRCI, appeared before the committee, they produced evidence that if we were to regularise the position of the 20,000 or so migrants who have lived here for more than three years, there would be a net economic benefit for the State. Internationally, likewise, there is a range of empirical evidence to show that regularising the status of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Undocumented Migrants: Immigration Control Platform (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I asked for empirical evidence which was backed up by research, preferably from a university, to support Ms Ní Chonaill's proposition that the State would lose out economically by regularising the position of immigrants. However, I will move on and put my final question. In Ms Ní Chonaill's view, should all of the hundreds of thousands of Irish emigrants working illegally in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Undocumented Migrants: Immigration Control Platform (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am asking Ms Ní Chonaill for reasons of consistency. If she is using international examples to back up her argument for asking migrants who have come to this country to leave, would it not be consistent for her to call for Irish migrants throughout the world who have gone to other countries illegally to work to be deported back to Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Undocumented Migrants: Immigration Control Platform (1 Apr 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I apologise, Chairman, but I must leave to attend another meeting.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (31 Mar 2015)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 614. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will review the cuts to funding for the next round of the Leader programme through to 2020; and if consideration will be given to the implementation of a parallel line of Government funding to compensate local communities across the State for this serious financial loss. [12734/15]