Results 1,201-1,220 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Under the Bill, is it possible that legally a Minister could designate a private company as a public body for the purpose of sharing data?

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: We are happy to support both amendments. They are consistent with the terminology relating to necessary and proportionate in the GDPR articles and the data protection legislation, and the Minister of State committed to the Seanad to do so.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I also ask the Minister of State to withdraw amendment No. 22. We will support No. 23, but given that No. 22 reverses an amendment the Minister of State accepted in the Seanad, similar to those he withdrew previously, I ask him to withdraw this one for consistency. We can discuss it before Report Stage and he can always resubmit it then.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I do not get from where the Minister of State is coming. We are talking about the functions of the board. The Bill reads "The board shall" and lists what its functions will be, of which No. 5 is, "The Minister may enter into an arrangement for the provision of consultancy, advice and other services to the board". The Minister of State is proposing to take out the line, "Any contracts in...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I do not accept that. I sit on the Committee of Public Accounts and one of the consistent findings in most of the Comptroller and Auditor General's reports concerns the failure to comply with public procurement law. It happens across all Departments where there is a failure in certain cases to comply with public procurement law. I see nothing in the Bill that it should be subject to public...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: The Minster of State is a nice guy, but my trust levels are very low when it comes to Ministers.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I will agree that, if the Minister of State leaves in the lines, I will reflect on the issue and if he comes up with an alternative wording, I will be more than happy to vote in favour of that amendment.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: The Minister of State should withdraw the amendment.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: We will study the wording and, if it is appropriate, we will support it.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I would like to have a bit of discussion on this amendment. It is diluting some of the safeguards that were secured in the Seanad amendments. The main impact of this change in the wording is that the condition of necessity and proportionality - this is my reading of it - is being removed. The reason it is being removed is not 100% certain. We have already accepted amendments from the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: That is okay.

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: No one was vilifying Deputy Mattie McGrath. We were just pointing out the flaws in his amendment. If it were not for us, he would not-----

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Regardless, we are debating the proper amendment with the right sections tonight. Let us debate the merits of the amendment. I have some concerns with it. For instance, the references to parental notifications in respect of sections 11, 13 and 14 can be done away with provided that an application to that effect is made to the High Court. That application can be made by any interested...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I am pro-life.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: The Christmas bonus is never in the budget because it would take away the Santa effect for Governments. On the issue of overheating, which we touched on previously in regard to non-residential construction, if we were to ramp up house construction we would have to dampen that sector, perhaps by way of stamp duties. The new heat map produced this year by the council indicated that another...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: How do we address overheating in terms of employment? Outside of bringing in workers, what can we do to increase the workforce? We hear constantly that we do not have a childcare system in this country conducive to people working long hours. Instead, people in many cases work for reduced hours because of childcare costs. If we had a proper childcare system, would that help to free up...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: Deputy Pearse Doherty wants to ask a question about corporation tax.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: I recognise that funding for disability services has increased and nobody is denying it but there is a fundamental issue here. There is more money going in but fewer services being delivered. There are more people on waiting lists but fewer hours are being provided. Something is not working and we need to get to the bottom of it. The transition from child services into adult services is a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments Waiting Times (5 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: 90. To ask the Minister for Health the number of times Cork University Hospital broke its 24 hour emergency department waiting times for persons over 75 years of age to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50870/18]

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Agency Staff Data (5 Dec 2018)

Jonathan O'Brien: 120. To ask the Minister for Health the number of agency staff employed in nursing posts in the southern hospitals group in 2018; the cost and number of hours worked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50872/18]