Results 6,681-6,700 of 8,984 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Private Members]: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I commend Deputy Wallace and his colleagues on bringing forward this Bill. It is a thoughtful contribution and it is overdue in terms of what we need. Much of the focus in recent times has been on issues that are certainly important but they are not the most important in terms of what we need from An Garda Síochána. I believe every Member of this House would agree that the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: This whole process is deeply worrying. The Parliament is being asked to give permission to the Government to opt into a measure for which we do not know the final form.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We do not if the Minister looks at our record in the European Parliament. He is being mischievous.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The joint supervisory body will have an important function in overseeing all of this. The proposal refers to the fact that the existing regulations are strong and robust. It was stated that the level of data protection introduced by the proposed regulation, in view of the new competences of Europol, is a clear retrograde step compared to the existing level of data protection set out in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is an entirely reasonable point, but I wish to clarify something. When the Minister has completed his negotiations, will the finalised proposal also come before the Houses for a vote?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: This is a bizarre process. As parliamentarians, we are being asked to support a proposal that we do not agree with right now. We are also being asked to give the Government the green light to go ahead and see if it wants to negotiate and improve it. We are therefore being asked to vote for and support something that we have not seen in a final format. I do not think that is acceptable....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Europol Joint Supervisory Body has some concerns about this in terms of data protection. It argues that the existing data protection system within Europol is very strong and it believes what is proposed in the regulation is weaker than what is already in place. The definition of the types of crimes Europol can examine has changed to a more broader definition. The concern would be that...

Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will withdraw the amendment on the basis of the Minister having indicated that he proposes to look at the issue again. I appreciate his advice on the matter.

Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move amendment No. 2:In page 12, to delete lines 36 to 39, and in page 13, to delete line 1 and substitute the following:“ “(5A) (a) Bona fide representatives of the Press, in order to be permitted to attend proceedings referred to in subsection (1), shall be required to provide accreditation of the form prescribed in paragraph (b). (b) Accreditation for the purposes of...

Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move amendment No. 3:In page 20, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: “PART 4 INADMISSIBILITY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT COMMUNICATIONSAmendment of the Criminal Evidence Act 1992 22. The Criminal Evidence Act 1992 is amended by the insertion of the following sections after section 30:“31. (1) Where a person under the age of 18 gives evidence as a witness in any criminal...

Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I did not get a chance to speak to the second amendment directly. The Minister will appreciate that we support the objective of the Bill. One of the initial objectives was to ensure accountability in judgments in family law courts and to have a reporting system to ensure same. The Minister has tried to provide a counterbalance in the Bill of protecting the privacy of the parties, in...

Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move amendment No. 1:In page 9, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following:“(b) Subject to paragraph (b), no more than one bona fide representative of the Press shall attend proceedings to which the relevant enactment relates. (c) The court will retain discretion as to the relevant and appropriate bona fide representative of the press to where more than one applies to...

An Bille um an Tríú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Cúirt Achomhairc) 2013: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-third Amendment of the Constitution (Court of Appeal) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Sinn Féin supports the Bill and will support a "Yes" vote in the referendum. When one considers the pressures on the Supreme Court at present the Bill is necessary. A total of 605 cases were appealed to the Supreme Court last year, which is a 21% increase on the year before. It issued judgments in 121 cases compared to 64 judgments issued by the US Supreme Court and 85 judgments...

Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I apologise but the schedule of business I have states the Child and Family Agency Bill is to be taken after the Thirty-third Amendment of the Constitution (Court of Appeal) Bill 2013 and I do not have my documentation on the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 with me. I presume it must have changed. I apologise again.

Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank the Minister.

Order of Business (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I would like to ask about the Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Bill 2013, which was introduced in this House by my colleague, Deputy Ó Caoláin, to assist the survivors of symphysiotomy. This is really becoming a mess. It was supposed to go before the Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality in order that progress could be made, but it was delayed. I understand it is now...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The regulation issue is interesting. As the Minister knows, the Competition Authority did not recommend that the regulatory authority would have sole regulation powers. In Britain there is a practice of regulating the regulators and there is a difficulty in Ireland that is acknowledged by the Law Society. It rigorously defends the independence of the complaints procedure but there is a...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am speaking to the amendments.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: It is amendment No. 21 in particular. The amendments from Deputies Collins and McGrath would essentially remove the regulatory function from the authority and facilitate a process of regulating the regulators, as it is with the British model. Will the Minister elaborate on the issue? I have an open mind on this but will the Minister explain why he feels so strongly about the matter when it...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Will the Minister comment on the issue of the chairperson?