Results 12,741-12,760 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: I raised this issue last night and Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív has also articulated it, but it has not been addressed. Significant powers are assigned to the Minister under subsections (1) and (2) of section 4. As I said, I accept that it is not the intention of the current Minister to bring in significant regulations under these provisions. The reality, however, is that once this...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: With all due respect to the Minister, I am disappointed that he is not prepared to address the substantive issue I have raised. For the sub-committee's information, the word "prescribed" is used 11 times in the Bill. From the outset, therefore, there are 11 opportunities for the Minister to introduce regulations under subsection 4(1)(a), never mind in regard to the other categories. In...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: With all due respect to the Minister of State, if he goes back through the Official Report he will see that I have raised the very same issue in the context of every single Bill with which I have engaged. I have been entirely consistent on this issue. Anybody with experience of the Opposition benches knows how frustrating it is when there is no opportunity for debate on a controversial...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: Last night I was dealing section 4 which makes provision for the laying of regulations before the Houses of the Oireachtas. While I know it is not the intention of this Minister to bring in significant regulations at present, there is nothing to stop a Minister in the future from bringing in significant regulations. The wording of my amendment or the alternative wording in Deputy Ó...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (3 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: 53. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he will take to address the increasing numbers of special needs pupils at primary level, in view of the curtailment in funding to support such pupils; if he has assessed the impact of the curtailment of special needs assistants on children with special needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32188/13]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (3 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: 56. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an assessment of the impact the changes to pupil-teacher ratios is having on class numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32189/13]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: After-School Support Services (3 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: 204. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she intends to take to address the lack of availability of after-school services for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22386/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Benefit Issues (3 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: 229. To ask the Minister for Health the total amount paid out in maternity cash grants to medical card holders in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32455/13]

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: I would be happy-----

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: I would be happy to support a provision whereby any substantive regulation would be put before the committee. I would not have a difficulty with this. However, I do have a difficulty with substantial regulations being laid before the Houses and, if not annulled within 21 days, being signed by the Minister, after which there is no further scrutiny. It is important that people realise what...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: I move amendment No. 12: In page 8, to delete lines 14 to 19 and substitute the following:"(3) The Minister shall not make regulations under this Act without it being laid before and approved by each House of the Oireachtas.".The reasons I tabled this are twofold. First, I believe that regulations on a piece of legislation such as this should have a positive vote of the Oireachtas. The...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: Will we deal with this point?

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: I said at the start of my contribution that I accept this may not be an ideal wording, but I do not accept that the definition of "reasonable opinion" provides the type of clarity which the Minister and Minister of State believe it does. I accept their intention, which I said at the outset. We are all looking for the same thing. I do not believe that clarity is provided in that definition...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: I thank the Minister for his response. I am trying to get clarity on the right to terminate a potentially viable foetus. The Minister said that the legislation clearly states there is not a right to terminate a potentially viable foetus. Will he clarify where that is in the Bill? I have not found it. That specific provision is very important in respect of some of the concerns that have...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: The reason I have concerns about that definition is in regard to the example I gave earlier, that is, where a psychiatrist believes there is a real and substantial risk that a woman will follow through with terminating her own life unless she gets a termination of pregnancy and her suicidal ideation, or the reason she is suicidal, is that she does not want to give birth to a baby. The normal...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: I move amendment No. 6: In page 6, lines 30 and 31, to delete “as far as practicable”.This is the only amendment in the grouping in my name, the rest being in the name of Deputy Billy Kelleher. This amendment tries to address the issue of potential late-term abortions. It is not the intention of the Government to provide legislation that facilitates late-term abortions....

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: The Minister of State, Deputy White, made a cogent argument - I can see exactly where he is coming from - about the way in which the Constitution is worded at present. I have two questions. First, has the Government any intention of or has it given any consideration to putting before the people such an amendment to clarify the issue regarding fatal foetal abnormality? In the context of the...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: We are speaking about parents who are told their babies will not be viable outside the womb and mothers who are told their pregnancies will not result in the birth of babies. I thank Deputy Healy for tabling these amendments because it is important for these issues to be teased out and clarified in the context of this Bill. I agree with Deputy Conway that we must try to find practical...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: I accept what the Minister is saying, but he failed to address the question I asked. How is he going to deal with the issue of consent in the interim? Will we still let it be referred back to the courts? What is the timeline for that capacity legislation? This was consistently raised during the hearings we had on the issue. The committee requires clarification on what will happen in the...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2013)

Denis Naughten: Are the heads of the Bill coming before the Cabinet, or is it the Bill itself?