Results 741-760 of 912 for speaker:Tom Clonan

Seanad: Ireland's Military Neutrality: Motion [Private Members] (23 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber for this important debate. I hope it will involve an exchange of light rather then heat. Far too often, when we discuss Ireland's military neutrality, it can be quite polarising because it is an emotive and emotional issue. My position on the matter and that of the Minister probably are not that far removed from each another. I hope this...

Seanad: Ireland's Military Neutrality: Motion [Private Members] (23 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: And the students of Trinity College.

Seanad: Ireland's Military Neutrality: Motion [Private Members] (23 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: I thank the Minister for his candour and his frank responses. All present would agree on his sincerity in respect of these matters. I appreciate the efforts he is making to reinvest in the Defence Forces. I will briefly address some of the contributions that were made.

Seanad: Ireland's Military Neutrality: Motion [Private Members] (23 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: I will not take long.

Seanad: Ireland's Military Neutrality: Motion [Private Members] (23 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: Senator Wilson referred to our track record in peacekeeping. We do not do just peacekeeping. In the late 1990s we did peacekeeping for the UN. Now we do peacekeeping and peace enforcement for the UN, NATO and the European Union when there is a UN Security Council mandate. We have participated in missions in places such as Afghanistan and Kosovo. I appreciate the moral offence that...

Seanad: Ireland's Military Neutrality: Motion [Private Members] (23 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: -----the repatriation of downed Royal Air Force pilots. Our neutrality is a complex thing. There is so much emotion invested in it but it is very important. Churchill and De Valera agreed a plan, namely, Plan W, which provided that in the event of a German invasion involving those two army groups, the British and Irish armies would unite and form a front west to east, from Galway to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol: Discussion (10 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: Yes. I apologise for being late. I had an issue, ironically, with my son's service this morning. I listened to Mr. Clyne and appreciate his evidence and input. I will just listen in. I again apologise for being late.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: It is with a heavy heart that I raise the issue of ongoing sexual harassment, sexual assault and sexual violence in our armed forces. It has been brought to my attention in recent days that female personnel, who have been targeted in this way in our armed forces, on settlement of their claims have been obliged to sign non-disclosure agreements. This is a particularly toxic phenomenon given...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Safe to Create Programme: Statements (9 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: I thank the Minister for coming today. I want to make a brief appeal to her. I have received a number of representations from disabled artists and like every other artist in the country, they want to have a meaningful and self-supporting role in society and to contribute meaningfully to Irish cultural life and Irish art. However they face steep challenges. Without going into too much...

Seanad: Safe to Create Programme: Statements (9 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Safe to Create Programme: Statements (9 Nov 2022)

Tom Clonan: Hear, hear.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: HIQA's Overview Report - Monitoring and Regulation of Designated Centres for People with Disabilities in 2021: Discussion (27 Oct 2022)

Tom Clonan: The delegates are very welcome. I thank them for coming here this morning. I have a couple of questions. In the documentation provided, it is noted that there has been a 30% decrease in the number of persons with disabilities living in congregated settings. Have the delegates information as to where those people have gone? I have received hundreds of representations in the six months...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: HIQA's Overview Report - Monitoring and Regulation of Designated Centres for People with Disabilities in 2021: Discussion (27 Oct 2022)

Tom Clonan: I would be grateful. Must the service providers' plans include returning persons with disabilities to their parents?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: HIQA's Overview Report - Monitoring and Regulation of Designated Centres for People with Disabilities in 2021: Discussion (27 Oct 2022)

Tom Clonan: I apologise for interrupting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: HIQA's Overview Report - Monitoring and Regulation of Designated Centres for People with Disabilities in 2021: Discussion (27 Oct 2022)

Tom Clonan: It was a matter of public record at the time. The details of the case were published widely in the print media. I spoke about it at length on the national broadcaster. There was no response and certainly nothing from the HSE. I made direct inquiries with the HSE in respect of that case and it absolutely refused to engage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: HIQA's Overview Report - Monitoring and Regulation of Designated Centres for People with Disabilities in 2021: Discussion (27 Oct 2022)

Tom Clonan: I thank Mr. Colfer. I do not know if he saw this but it was recently reported that a lady in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area donated the family home to a care agency. I do not want to comment specifically on her because that is her decision. However, a part of me feels very uneasy about that. We have arrived at a point where a parent, somebody like me or a carer, feels the only...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Schemes (25 Oct 2022)

Tom Clonan: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. My Commencement matter relates to the back-to-work enterprise allowance, which has been dramatically reduced for persons with disabilities or disabled citizens. I wish to put a human face on this. The text of my Commencement matter refers to supports for people with a disability establishing businesses.This matter is drawn from one of hundreds...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Schemes (25 Oct 2022)

Tom Clonan: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response and his kind offer to assist in this matter. I am trying to make a more general point about citizens with disabilities. Equality does not mean treating people the same. It means treating people differently recognising and celebrating difference. We cannot treat disabled citizens in the same way we would treat other citizens who...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Oct 2022)

Tom Clonan: I want to raise an issue that has come to my attention through the national media and a number of representations I have received. I was approached by a couple, Michael Rynne and his wife, Jan. She was diagnosed with a blood cancer in 2011. It cannot be treated, but luckily she managed to get on a drug trial outside of the jurisdiction in Leeds that saved her life. She went from a 98%...