Results 5,741-5,760 of 8,984 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is that agreed? Agreed. The second petition is No. 8/14 from Mr. Desmond FitzGerald concerning access to Leinster House for a member of the public. He states that at present a member of the public is required to obtain sponsorship from a Deputy or Senator or their staff to sit in the Public Gallery of the Oireachtas. What we have agreed after the process of deliberation is that we would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is the view of committee members but we are limited in what we can do by Standing Orders. There is sympathy for his case. I hope he will get a satisfactory outcome by pursuing it through other channels.

Order of Business (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Can the Minister clarify when the mediation Bill will come before the House? Also, when will Report Stage of the Legal Services Regulation Bill commence?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I have a question for the Children's Rights Alliance and Barnardos. Although we are supposed to be a secular State and we are supposed to be legislators, such legislation is often subject to ideological assessments. Although Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus Christ he did a pretty good job of rearing him. One of the earlier presenters said structural issues regarding the family...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Yes, do the witnesses agree that we should deal with the structural issues of a new, dedicated family court system along with this very important legislation, that both should be introduced together?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: It is a hugely important issue. How problematic would it be to synchronise this legislation with the international framework to ensure it is compatible?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: It would be very helpful to get that submission. In respect of heads 10 and 12 of the Bill, the Law Society gives the non-biological father the ability, with the consent of the mother, to have guardianship or co-guardianship. That raises a problem in respect of the biological father who would have to have lived with the mother for 12 consecutive months prior to the birth but that standard...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Surely the litmus test is whether the father has demonstrated an enthusiasm and willingness to step up and be a father. If that has been established it would be very dangerous to take it away. I appreciate the intention behind the changes. We know there have been real difficulties with the non-biological father, who has established that willingness and enthusiasm and assumed the role of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is a very good point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Law Society of Ireland submission made an important point. The submission referred to this welcome legislative development and suggested structural reform should take place in tandem. It referred specifically to the commitment in the programme for Government for a family court system. This links in to the view expressed by One Family on the need for a court welfare system and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I have only one more question.

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I share the Minister's concern at the worrying rise of anti-semitism and the experience of much of the Jewish community in a number of EU member states. It is deeply worrying when one considers the lessons of the Holocaust and the evil that was perpetrated at that time against Jewish people and Gypsies. The Nazis slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Gypsies and Roma during the Holocaust and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (8 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 215. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the provisions that have been put in place for children with Down syndrome starting school this September; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16521/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (8 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 435. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the name of the investigating garda; the Garda PULSE number; the outcome of the Garda investigation and the name of the garda that made the final decision in respect of a Garda statement given by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16342/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (8 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 592. To ask the Minister for Health the action he will take to address the shortage of junior doctors available to the departments of surgery at Letterkenny Hospital, in view of this service now being at breaking point [16201/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Air Pollution (3 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 155. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has made any inquiries or conducted any research into the alleged polluting effects of chemtrails or contrails from aircraft. [15872/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality Budgeting Petition: Equality Budgeting Campaign (2 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We will bring the matter to a close at this stage. The committee will briefly go into private session to work out what we will do next on the issue. We will liaise with colleagues on the Oireachtas committee dealing with education and social protection, and we will consider their perspectives and the visit to the Scottish Parliament rather than duplicate the work. We may have a joint...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality Budgeting Petition: Equality Budgeting Campaign (2 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We will take questions one at a time, as it will allow for a better flow.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality Budgeting Petition: Equality Budgeting Campaign (2 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The witnesses made a presentation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, and reference has been made to that committee's Chairman, Deputy Tuffy, and to Deputy Ó Snodaigh. We will be liaising between the two committees. After the witnesses have presented and we have completed the question-and-answer session, we will go into private session. We will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality Budgeting Petition: Equality Budgeting Campaign (2 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: On behalf of the committee, I welcome the members of the Equality Budgeting Campaign, Ms Louise Bayliss, Ms Louise Riordan and Mr. Richard Keane, and I thank them for their attendance. We will discuss their petition calling for the introduction of equality budgeting in Ireland. The committee initially considered it at a meeting on 27 November 2013. At that point, the committee agreed to...