Results 5,401-5,420 of 7,583 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I thank the Minister for her comprehensive response and my colleagues for the points they raised. I am very grateful for the tone of the debate. With all that has happened in terms of the failure to protect children in our society - failures by the State, by religious institutions and within families - the topic can sometimes have a very toxic feel. That is a sad reality in our national...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I also thought he put it very well.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Tairgim leasú a 2: I gCuid 1, leathanach 7, líne 10, ?suntasach? a chur isteach i ndiaidh ?dochar?, agus I gCuid 2, leathanach 9, líne 10, ?and significantly? a chur isteach i ndiaidh ?prejudicially?. I move amendment No. 2:In Part 1, page 6, line 10, after ?dochar? to insert ?suntasach?, and In Part 2, page 8, line 10, after ?prejudicially? to insert ?and significantly?.I welcome the...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome the promise by the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, that he will bring proposals on alcohol policy to Government in the near future. Many of us have spoken about this in recent days and there is concern that the Government has not been fully alert to the sheer urgency of a new, fresh approach to the problem of alcohol in our society. We will await delivery on what the...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2012)

Rónán Mullen: The Senator can show her all the tricks of the trade.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Let us have a transparent system of selection.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 Oct 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I do not think the social services came out of the case shining. I reject the notion that it was simply an attitude of property; that possibly demeans in some way the motivations of the natural parents. However, that discussion is for another day. We are approaching the issue in a constructive spirit. It is a good proposal and is the fruit of much hard work. It appears to be balanced in...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 Oct 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I congratulate the Minister on the long journey she has taken with her Department during which time a lot of hard work has been done by many people. On the day the wording was announced I expressed my sincere view that it achieves an important balance. It maintains the principle that the State may only intervene to supply the role of parent in exceptional circumstances, and then only...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I agree with what Senator Darragh O?Brien said on child benefit. We need to hear from the Government what its precise intentions are. I, for one, am worried. Universality has always been an important principle. There must be another way by which more privileged members of society can be taxed. Given the importance of the principle involved, I would be sorry to see universality go. I,...

Seanad: Life-Limiting Health Conditions in Children: Motion (26 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Ba bhreá liom tréaslú leis na Seanadóirí Mary Ann O'Brien and Jillian van Turnhout as ucht an méid atá ráite acu. Chuala mé an díospóireacht ón tús. Bhí mé tógtha go mór le cé chomh praiticiúil is a bhí an méid a dúirt siad. Is léir nach ceist acmhainne atá anseo. Is ceist bainistiú acmhainne atá anseo. Is trua mór é nach...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Is the Senator suggesting it should be changed to ombudsperson? That still ends in "son" and the Senator would still have a problem.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: Ombudsperchild.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: She might mention his name the next time.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: They are displaying confidence in their colleagues.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: What Senator O'Keeffe said is sensible and well worth hearing. I hope much more could be done in schools to address these issues around bullying and how people treat each other. It is a broad and difficult issue but I compliment the work of those who go into schools to promote positive mental health. I am aware of Positive Mental Health in Galway, for example, where students and young...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: When are we going to get serious about this issue? We cannot, on the one hand, talk about the health service, how much it is costing us and cost overruns, and, on the other, ignore the fact that the abuse of alcohol is a significant cause of the problem now and will be into the future. It is not just the harm to family, friendship and career that is involved but it is its impact on...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: We should keep these events at arm's length, otherwise we are sending mixed signals about the consumption of alcohol in our society. I would be grateful for an early debate on this issue and for some feedback on what the Government's intentions actually are.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: I am coming to a conclusion shortly. The decision should not be one for the Minister or the Department. We need to put an appropriate body in place which will make such decisions in an impartial manner. Another area where we need reform, also concerning the role of the Minister for Justice and Equality, is the appointment of judges. There is no doubt we have high quality judges. When they...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: ------yet there are criticisms that can be made about the way in which judges come to be appointed. On the subject of reform, where we are not seeing reform-----

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Rónán Mullen: -----is in the cuts in allowances in the public service. The Government is reaching less than one twentieth of its initial savings target.