Results 9,741-9,760 of 19,379 for speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Social Welfare Bill 2014: Second Stage (6 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom an ardú de €5 sa liúntas leanaí a chur i gcomhthéacs. Is é seo an t-aon rud amháin atá á dhéanamh sa Bhille seo. Is trua nár thapaigh an tAire an deis déileáil leis na ciorruithe eile a chur sí i bhfeidhm go dtí seo, nó fiú roinnt de na ciorruithe a chur an Rialtas...

Social Welfare Bill 2014: Second Stage (6 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: The Minister of State may encourage this, but he is not willing to pay for it and use money to back up his words. The exact opposite is the case, as money has been taken away from people continuously over the past three and a half years. The Tánaiste indicated that water charges would be capped at €300 - this may be the Government's line, or perhaps the Tánaiste was on a...

Order of Business (6 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: No, we were not. We did not even have a debate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I have a number of questions. The ombudsman mentioned that he agrees the term of office should be five years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: My question is on Mr. McCourt's own view on being able to have a further term. Is it his view that someone could be in post for five years and could be appointed again for a further five years-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: -----or the equivalent? Does he believe there should be some limit? For instance, the President in the United States can be appointed for two terms only.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Another issue was that the ombudsman explained that members might re-examine the exclusions in the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act. Have such exclusions caused problems for the ombudsman's office or is it that they have caused problems for complainants in trying to get access? As a consequence, if the exclusions are causing difficulties, are those the cases that end up bypassing the...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Development Projects (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: The Minister made the point that it was for nine months. In the document I have before me we have annualised the figures and the figures I quoted to the Minister still show a 23% reduction in the case of Ballyfermot. This is the smallest of the allocations, but it is the equivalent of a cut of €163,191. In the case of the canal community and Rathmines partnership, it is the...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Development Projects (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Like the other Deputies, I cannot see the logic behind an announcement by the Government that austerity is over and there will be no more cuts, while the equivalent of a cut of €2 million is being made in this vital sector. Deputy McDonald outlined the effects of this in the north inner city and I know from a meeting I attended in Ballyfermot that a potential effect of the cut is the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I cannot say it was a marriage of convenience. One must be careful not to make it difficult for people who intend to get married while, at the same time, protecting the State and our society from people abusing the marriage registration system. This is a concern, but it is not something on which I will divide the committee. It probably was taken on board when this provision was being...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: One of the problems is that the evidence is anecdotal.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Perhaps the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality would be best placed to give us a read on the aspects concerning the trafficking of women. We are aware of it but statistics-----

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I understand this, which is why I will not oppose it.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: It is a pity we do not have the statistics as they would show approximately 3,000 Irish citizens married non-EU citizens per year at the height, and one could find out very quickly how many of these were marriages of convenience by seeing how many divorced at the earliest possible time. It would give a read on the situation, although it may not be any better than what we have anecdotally.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: It would be useful to have them prior to Report Stage.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Does that mean while the couple is on site?

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: The problem with this, if one goes by the anecdotal evidence, is that the characters involved would be an immediate flight risk and may carry out the marriage elsewhere, whereas if the registrar forms an opinion he or she should not bother the Department of Justice and Equality but inform the Garda Síochána because it is a criminal act. The couple is sending a form to the registrar...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Yes.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: I raised some queries about this section of the Bill, which relates to marriages of convenience, on Second Stage. What is the relevant level here? The major change we are being asked to agree will make it quite difficult for non-EU citizens to marry. At the very least, it will make them jump through an extra loop through which Irish citizens do not have to jump. Due to the level of...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Although I am in sympathy with this section, it is a major change in society and there has not been enough discussion. However, I will not hold up the passage of the Bill. Given the substantial change, it is interesting that those who would normally lobby us in terms of human rights and changes to the law, such as the Law Society of Ireland, have not been in contact on this. There is a...