Results 81-100 of 5,208 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Fire Safety (24 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: Before I call the Minister of State, I welcome to the House Deputy James Geoghegan and his guest, Patrick Finlay.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Fire Safety (24 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: Before we continue, I welcome guests of Senator Rabbitte, namely the students from St. Ita's Primary School, Loughrea, who are visiting Leinster House. I ask the Acting Leader to propose that we suspend because a vote has been called in the Dáil. We will come back immediately after it is held. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Passport Services (24 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State to the House.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Passport Services (24 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State. I understand the Minister of State is staying with us for the next two Commencement matters. I thank her very much for her time.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I want to raise the naming of the new children's hospital. I do not know if it was discussed in the Cabinet but there was media coverage of suggestions that the Cabinet had actually made, or was going to make, a decision about the name of the hospital. My colleague, Senator Sharon Keogan, and I brought forward a Private Members' motion, as did Fianna Fáil, in the names of Senators...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Residential Institutions (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State for coming here to take this Commencement matter. It relates to Westbank orphanage in Greystones, County Wicklow. I have raised the need for the Minister to explore all options to provide supports and redress for the survivors affected and by persons who availed of its services. This organisation is very well known. This matter has been well documented on...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Residential Institutions (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State. The one line that jumps off the page in his official written response is that the Westbank was not generally regarded as a mother and baby home but, rather, as an orphanage. What is the difference? Abuse is abuse. Emotional abuse, physical abuse or sexual abuse in any setting, whether in a State school, this building or anywhere else, is not acceptable and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Residential Institutions (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: The first issue I want to raise is the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Government has proposed that all Stages of the Bill will be guillotined in this Chamber today, but we do not have to agree with that. It is up to the Members to decide. We are the Upper House and a revising Chamber. We are meant to revise legislation. It was 5 p.m. yesterday when the time for...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister. I do not think I have had the opportunity since he became Minister to welcome him and wish him well. I have served two terms on the Oireachtas joint committee on housing. With regard to Rebuilding Ireland and Housing for All, we have just talked them out. I know there are challenges and difficulties. I am not going to be a hurler on the ditch, hurl abuse and say...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I wish to speak on this. This is a group of amendments. The Leas-Chathaoirleach ruled one of the amendments, which was in my name, out of order.

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I wished to indicate in respect of an earlier amendment, which I would like to speak on briefly. When I looked at the debate in the Dáil and the commentary in the stenographers’ report, the reasons for the ruling out of order of amendments were missing. As the Leas-Chathaoirleach will know, it is provided for that Deputies can make a request of the Ceann Comhairle in that...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: One thing about this Bill is in respect of those who are excluded. There are too many people excluded from this legislation. The Minister talks about Sage and I welcome all of that, and also the advocate. This morning I had a Commencement matter in respect of Westbank in Greystones, at the heart of the Tánaiste's constituency. I have a substantial file on communication and promises...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: Thank you, a Leas-Chathaoirligh.

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: Just for the record, it is important that if an amendment has been ruled out of order that it is read into the record because it puts it in context.

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I also extend a welcome to Councillor O'Heney and everyone in the Gallery. I will refer to the section. It is very interesting. I opened earlier by talking about the consultation with survivors of institutional abuse and the themes and issues that were addressed in July 2019. It is now 2025 but back then, in 2019, the issue of access to the HAA medical card was raised. There is nothing...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I hear what the Minister is saying but let us be honest. There are caps on the funding and the money is not realistic. There are caps on the health assistance. The Minister made the point about the HAA and the special needs. Mental health is a health issue and it is very hard to quantify that. There are people who want mental health supports and cannot afford them. It is expensive,...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: I am conscious of time. The Minister made the point about winding down to provide the supports. We do not have to wind down. We can wind down Caranua. We should have been providing supports anyway. The supports should never have been conditional on Caranua. We know they were processed. We know people went through a process of redress and were interviewed, etc. These are most basic...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: That is really interesting. There is a divergence now between the many millions of euro and €50,000. The Minister thinks that was-----

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Victor Boyhan: What I would say, because it is my intention to pursue it, is that there should be an audit and an investigation. I do not know if that is the Committee of Public Accounts or if it has that remit - I do not know that yet - but I certainly will be looking for it and I ask the Minister to promote the idea. Accountability is really important with regard to the administration of any funds, be...