Results 5,561-5,580 of 8,986 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Reform of Judicial Appointments Procedures Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The Reform of Judicial Appointments Procedures Bill 2013 was published in January last year and it seeks to increase transparency and accountability in judicial appointments. Confidence in the justice system is contingent on a Judiciary which is free from political control and political or other bias. It is essential that there is an...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Staff (5 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 102. To ask the Minister for Health the criteria for paramedics who are on a panel seeking a transfer from one region to another. [24004/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service Staff (5 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 103. To ask the Minister for Health the number of whole time equivalent paramedics that are employed in the north west region; and if any paramedics are currently being recruited in that region. [24005/14]

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move amendment No. 12:In page 26, line 31, to delete “56 days” and substitute “42 days”.The Human Rights Commission has argued that this should remain at 42 days, as opposed to 56 days.

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move amendment No. 7:In page 20, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following:“(7) The number of staff seconded to the Commission from the Department of Justice and Equality, or any other government department, should not exceed 25 per cent and never be more than 50 per cent of the total workforce of the National Human Rights Institutions. Senior level posts in the Irish Human...

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: To clarify, the Minister believes the amendment would contradict the stated objective.

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move amendment No. 9:In page 21, line 15, after "sufficient" to insert "in the view of the commission".This concerns the budget allocation to the relevant body, which section 26 indicates "with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to be reasonably sufficient for the purposes of expenditure". We are asking that the commission should be "reasonably sufficient" by...

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move amendment No. 5:In page 15, line 24, to delete “a criminal” and substitute “an indictable”.This is straightforward. There is a concern that somebody who was involved in a human rights protest could be caught up under the wording "criminal offence". I ask that it be reconsidered. With this amendment, such a person would not automatically be excluded...

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: A person who was convicted of a public order offence for protesting for the rights of the Palestinian people, for example, and went on to become a leading human rights advocate, would not be ruled out by virtue of such an offence. Is that the Minister's interpretation?

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is fair enough.

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move amendment No. 2:In page 9, between lines 18 and 19 to insert the following:"8. Pursuant to the Good Friday Agreement, an international agreement of which this Government is a co-guarantor, the Irish Government will take steps to further strengthen the protection of human rights in its jurisdiction. The Government will bring forward measures to strengthen and underpin the...

Topical Issue Debate: Crime Investigation (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank the Minister for her statement and her efforts to address this. As I stated, what will be of profound concern to the public are reports that there is a possibility a person responsible for level 5 child pornography, which is the most heinous category, would not face the full rigours of the law due to an inordinate delay over a number of years in taking the case to prosecution. If...

Topical Issue Debate: Crime Investigation (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: My Topical Issue matter follows a second report in The Sunday Timesnewspaper about the challenges faced by the computer crime investigation unit of An Garda Síochána. The challenges, in terms of resources and the apparent poor level of modern technology to keep up with changes, has led to a significant backlog. It is reported that there is a backlog of 1,000 cases. I hope the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Annual Report 2013: Office of the Ombudsman (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will recommend that the clerk to the committee meet with the witnesses soon. He has considerable experience of working in these areas in respect of innovations and so on. I could also attend that meeting. Will the Ombudsman write to us about any outstanding issues relating to medical cards which have not been addressed? We can then write to the Department. The Ombudsman’s...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Annual Report 2013: Office of the Ombudsman (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank the Ombudsman, Ms McNally and Mr. Morgan for coming here today. We greatly value our partnership with the Ombudsman and take seriously our responsibility to follow up on the concerns and recommendations that he raises with us. We will meet him again soon to exchange ideas.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Annual Report 2013: Office of the Ombudsman (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Can I make a suggestion? We need to deliberate after the meeting today because a number of actions arise from the annual report that we need to follow up with the Government and seek assurance on the five key points raised in the annual report. Perhaps it would be helpful if Mr. Tyndall were to send us a brief report after the meeting today outlining the outstanding issues that he remains...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Annual Report 2013: Office of the Ombudsman (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We will do that. Did Deputy Mulherin want to deal with the motorised transport question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Annual Report 2013: Office of the Ombudsman (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: As the Ombudsman noted in his opening comments, we will have the Secretary General before us in private session, so we intend to continue to pursue this matter. This committee shares the concerns about the delays in putting in place the new schemes. We will probe those matters and complete our report. We are happy enough to delay making our report until we have seen what the shape of the...

Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 May 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: People say a week is a long time in politics and refer to how circumstances can change. I recall when Deputy Wallace introduced this Bill last year, it was resisted and it was seen as wishful thinking, ill thought out and so on. As recently as February this year, I asked the former Minister for Justice and Equality about an independent policing authority and he robustly rejected the notion....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Guerin Report: Department of Justice and Equality (28 May 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: May 2009.