Results 6,861-6,880 of 7,359 for speaker:Katherine Zappone

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: National Disability Authority: Chairperson Designate (17 Sep 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I thank Ms Guinan for the presentation and I congratulate her and wish her the best. I am delighted to see that she has a background in education and experience at the coalface. In my family life, in the past year and a half, I have begun to deal with the issue of coping with disability and I can see very clearly how far we have to go on priorities in the strategic plan. Ms Guinan...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: National Disability Authority: Chairperson Designate (17 Sep 2014)

Katherine Zappone: How many people are working in the universal design centre?

Seanad: Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: This is a fine Bill. I am in favour of it and what the Minister is doing so quickly. My question relates to section 8(1)(h), the function to provide finance to projects which promote the economic development of the State. Has the Minister given any consideration to whether the strategic banking corporation could serve as a resource to promote social and environmental development? As the...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the Minister and apologise for being a few minutes late. As I understand it, we only have one opportunity to speak on Report Stage, so I want to start with a preface to my remarks on the amendment. I have found it to be a very special privilege, as part of my Seanad work in this Chamber and as a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence, to be...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: As Members will be aware, the Seanad Public Consultation Committee recently held successful hearings on Ireland's obligations under the UN human rights treaty on civil and political rights and we subsequently sent that report in to the United Nations. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, will be before the United Nations committee on Monday next in Geneva for exchanges...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Minister of State very much. It is absolutely clear what her intention is in terms of the policy objective, that is, that in transferring from one list to another they will not be at a disadvantage. Everybody should have a transfer policy and if there is not a list, I presume the policy will mean that perhaps they do need a list if they move on to HAP. Perhaps the Minister of...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Minister of State. What she has said is certainly clear to me. Senator Mac Conghail always speaks well for himself, but it is clear to me what the Minister of State has said. I expect that it should also be clear to local authorities and those who will ultimately be the recipients of this. It is also clear that the Minister of State has taken an additional step in responding...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: Yes.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I move amendment No. 18: In page 50, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following:“(4) The Minister shall, following consultation with the Joint Oireachtas Committee responsible for housing, by regulations make provision for a housing authority to amend an allocation scheme to individual households, which would enable housing assistance recipients to access other forms of social...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Minister for her fulsome response. It was very helpful and necessary. The report the Minister published provides a brilliant example of the type of practice we are suggesting. A similar type of practice could be developed. The Minister referred to the report and I commend her on its publication, the way she responded to it, the public apology and the swiftness with which she...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I move amendment No. 6: In page 34, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following:“(5) Where the Commission considers that in any public body there is evidence of a systematic failure to comply with human rights or equality of treatment obligations, the Commission may invite the public body to⁠—(a)carry out an equality and human rights review in relation to that public...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I thank the Minister for her response and the incorporation into the Bill of the requirement that the strategy and annual report be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This is a progression from the last Irish Human Rights Commission and a positive development. We were attempting to make it more interactive and dynamic. I hear the response of the Minister that it is not possible to...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: The Government and Minister are to be commended on having this directive transposed quickly. My understanding is that this is effectively adding an additional function to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and that it is identified in the directive that in order for a body to be appointed as the point of contact it must have certain competencies in providing or ensuring the...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I agree with the Minister that the body would have the competencies required. My question is, given that the body is now the point of contact and for that reason additional work will potentially arise, in particular in terms of employing its competencies and extending them to issues related to freedom of movement, there may be a requirement for additional resources. I am concerned not that...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I move amendment No. 3: In page 21, line 15, after “appropriate” to insert the following:"and referred for consideration to the Joint Oireachtas Committee with particular responsibility for human rights and equality".The objective of both amendments is to seek to encourage closer co-operation between the new body and the Oireachtas. There are international, European and Irish...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jul 2014)

Katherine Zappone: As I have said before, it is always a pleasure to follow Senator Paul Coghlan. I heartily welcome the Taoiseach's announcement on the holding of the referendum on marriage equality in the spring. When I heard it, I tweeted that the Taoiseach had declared many months ago that he would campaign for marriage equality and he is true to his word, for which I thank him. This morning On "Morning...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Justice and Home Affairs Council: Discussion (25 Jun 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I welcome the Minister and her officials. I have two brief questions. The first one relates to Deputy Mac Lochlainn's question about the data retention directive and the European Court of Justice's decision in respect of it. Did the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 come into play as a result of the basis of the directive as distinct from our own initiative? I will tell the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Justice and Home Affairs Council: Discussion (25 Jun 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I understand. The judgment to strike it down was on the basis of the incompatibility with the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. Let us suppose that the High Court case is not successful so that our Act is found to be constitutional. The fact remains that there is still a European judgment that the Act, or certainly the directive on which it was based, is in conflict with the Charter of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Justice and Home Affairs Council: Discussion (25 Jun 2014)

Katherine Zappone: I understand. Apart from the substantive issue about which we are speaking, my comment relates to the status of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in respect of our law making. I noted that the Minister's presentation contained references to the continuing positive influence of Ireland's Presidency in the EU. That is good to hear. Does the Minister wish to make any further comment? She...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jun 2014)

Katherine Zappone: The Central Statistics Office will issue the national accounts for the first quarter of 2014 in the coming weeks and we hope and expect to see a rise in the estimated GDP levels. This will be very positive news for the Government but I hope also for the thousands of Irish families who have been struggling to make ends meet and who face daily hardship, poverty and even homelessness due to...