Results 5,021-5,040 of 7,126 for speaker:Alan Farrell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: HIQA Inspection Report on Oberstown Detention Centre: Discussion (24 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I appreciate that Minister. I call Senator Freeman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: HIQA Inspection Report on Oberstown Detention Centre: Discussion (24 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Minister and her officials, Mr. O'Donovan, Ms Shannon and Dr. Lynch, for their attendance to discuss the HIQA report on Oberstown. I propose that we suspend to allow for the changing of the guard. We will then begin our very important discussion on the affordable childcare scheme and related matters.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme and Related Matters: Discussion (24 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I welcome from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Dr. Fergal Lynch, Secretary General, who has stayed with us, and Ms Bernie McNally, assistant secretary, Ms Laura McGarrigle, principal officer, and Mr. Toby Wolfe, assistant principal, all of whom have joined us. I thank them for their attendance. I ask members and witnesses to turn off their mobile telephones or switch them to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme and Related Matters: Discussion (24 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I wish to make a couple of remarks myself, if I may. It is fair to say that in building on the initiatives of recent years, including the free scheme, tremendous progress has been made in the relatively recent past on which the Minister and her Department must be commended. Moving us away from having the most expensive child care service in Europe towards having one of the most affordable...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Affordable Child Care Scheme and Related Matters: Discussion (24 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Deputy, and the Minister and her personnel on behalf of all members of the committee. I thank the members for their engagement and the witnesses for their fulsome responses. They answered pretty much everything fulsomely and that is very much appreciated.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Industrial Relations (24 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: 15. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the status of the review of the conciliation and arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3156/18]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Remuneration (24 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: 40. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the position regarding pay for personnel within the Defence Forces with particular reference to the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3155/18]

Report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Statements (Resumed) (18 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I would like to start my contribution like so many others before me by commending the work of the eighth amendment committee, in particular its Chair, Senator Catherine Noone. I also commend the work of the Citizens' Assembly, which continues its deliberations on our Constitution and the matters surrounding it. I commend in particular the members of the eighth amendment committee who found...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (17 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: 39. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the action being taken to provide pension equality for those that were historically penalised for being stay at home parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1986/18]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: Good afternoon and welcome to today's meeting. Today we will hear from the Ombudsman for Children on the annual report for 2016. In advance of that I wish to read a clarification of the official record of the committee's engagement with representatives of Cybersafe Ireland on 25 October 2017 on cybersecurity for children and young adults. The committee has since received the following...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I welcome to the meeting the members of the committee and, from the Ombudsman for Children's office, the ombudsman himself, Dr. Niall Muldoon; Dr. Karen McAuley, head of participation and education; Ms Nuala Ward, director of investigations; and Ms Ciara McKenna-Keane, investigator. They are all welcome and I thank them for their attendance, our previous meeting having been deferred in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: As we must vacate this room at 3.15 p.m. I propose to allocate five to six minutes speaking time to each member. Is that agreed? Agreed. Before I open the floor to Deputy Sherlock, perhaps Dr. Muldoon will outline the affects of mandatory reporting on services across the State since it came into effect, which was prior to publication of this report, and also what engagement he has had with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I thank Dr. Muldoon. I will call, in the following order, Deputies Sherlock and Rabbitte and Senators Devine and Freeman. If other members wish to indicate, please do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I am sorry to interrupt the Ombudsman. Please forgive me. Can his office access the linguistic and translation services in such cases?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I was thinking in terms of the dissemination of information.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: It might be alien to some individuals to report such matters to the likes of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Ombudsman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I call Senator Freeman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I thank Dr. Muldoon. There are 15 minutes remaining and three speakers, so I will have to be very strict on time. Deputy Neville has five minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Annual Report of Ombudsman for Children 2016: Discussion (16 Jan 2018)

Alan Farrell: I thank Deputy Mitchell. On behalf of the committee, I thank the witnesses for the presentation today and for dealing with members' questions in such a comprehensive manner, as well as for rescheduling with us and coming in at relatively short notice. It is very much appreciated.