Results 6,181-6,200 of 33,322 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: The Minister is right on this one in the sense that it is of benefit, but we are all in the position of having to read something very quickly and then trying to fit in everything else we want to talk about because our amendments have been ruled out of order. That is all I have to say. I thank the Minister for the clarification.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: It is St. Brigid's Day. Brigid was a significant woman in Christian and pagan times. I try to take strength from her because we are tired. We do not want to do this but we have no choice. We have listened to people's sheer frustration, upset and disbelief. I lost a little patience with someone I talked to yesterday because I thought that person was still hopeful. I was left in the...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: This refers back to an earlier amendment. I asked the Minister but he could not come back in a second time at that point. He might take the opportunity now to clarify the point that the deciding officer “may” share the documents with the applicant.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: In regard to the previous redress scheme, which I referred to earlier, it was an offence if someone disclosed the award. Is that what the Minister is changing here in regard to an applicant who got an award under that system? The Minister is making specific provision to have St. Patrick's Institution included, which means somebody who may have gone to the residential redress board and got...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: I want to speak to the importance of this. I am looking at the advisory paper to the interdepartmental group from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission independence and oversight. It states: The UN Special Rapporteur has set out minimum requirements that a domestic reparation programme should fulfil, including that the programme be: “monitored through processes that...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: I support the amendment. That the role be as independent as possible has been called for by the joint committee which is cross-party. It is set out in the committee's recommendations of which there are 27. It stated: "The independence of the Chief Deciding Officer will be critical to this and should be shored up as much as possible." Similar points were made in a slightly different way by...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: Perhaps he might come back on another amendment.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: I have it marked it here and what I have underlined is "may". The chief deciding officer may share with the applicant a copy of information assessed. The word "may" is worrying. Who is going to guide the officer if he or she decides not to share the information? A decision was made not to share how the Minister came to the decision that every child under six months should be excluded...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: Do we not get an answer?

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: Perhaps he might come back on another amendment.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: I understand Deputy Funchion’s concerns, but the legislation clearly sets out that after five years, the scheme will cease and that is it. The issue is if we are interested in having a meaningful review, the review could come up with a recommendation that the scheme should go on for longer. I am fundamentally opposed to the Bill in the manner it is laid out. I am now tweaking...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: I did not know that. An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will have to guide us in that regard. Seven minutes were displayed on the clock.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: I am sorry, and I would be the first to keep the rules, but I am simply going by what is on the clock.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: That is not helpful. We need to know when we start off. I constantly make mistakes in the Chair but-----

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: I understand each person on the amendment can have a seven-minute contribution, uninterrupted.

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: I get confused myself; I am the first to put my hands up. I was referring to the chief deciding officer and the documents. If he or she requests further documents to help making a decision, there is no provision in the Bill for those documents to be shared with the person coming forward, the applicant. Perhaps the Minister could point out in which section can be found an obligation on the...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: It is noteworthy that the Minister is sitting on his own and there is not a single other Minister or backbencher beside him. That in itself tells a story about the Bill. In his seven-minute contribution the Minister outlined that no scheme will cover everything. The point about this scheme is that we are meant to have learned from the past. I spoke about the situation in 2012. Deputy...

Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Feb 2023)

Catherine Connolly: In my seven minutes, I would like to deal with the amendment, because when I am in the Chair, I make people deal with amendments with relevant contributions. It is difficult not to refer to the overall context of this amendment. We put our names to that amendment. I thank Deputy Sherlock for having the foresight to see that this amendment might be left in while the others were ruled out....