Results 9,781-9,800 of 19,411 for speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh

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...

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 debated it. Some of these consequences were debated at the time.

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: At the time we found it difficult to understand why there were two different ages of consent.

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 welcome the Attorney General's advice and although there is a case before the court, I had hoped that would have been an end to it because it would have addressed what families have asked to be addressed. If it does not stand the test of the court, I urge the Minister of State to look at it again to ensure there will not be a difficulty in the future. The Bill does not address it and 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 can raise it in a later section but since we are dealing with definitions, part of this Bill concerns marriages of convenience. If the Minister of State prefers, I will deal with it when the section comes up.

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: That is fine.

Leaders' Questions (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: It is a legacy issue.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: 42. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when she will make the report on the review of rent supplement levels available. [42282/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: National Internship Scheme Administration (5 Nov 2014)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: 45. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that every JobBridge participant is covered at all times by their host organisation's employers liability and public liability insurance. [42297/14]