Results 1,661-1,680 of 4,465 for speaker:Jim Walsh

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: This has all to do with this.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: The Acting Chairman came in late to the debate.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: It is because part of the reason the Minister gave was that all the words have to be taken in context. The word ?proportionate? was one the Judiciary would be taking into account when evaluating parents failing in their duties. My second question has to do with the word ?duties?. The Minister?s predecessor, Barry Andrews, had done much preparatory work on the wording of the referendum. He...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: With the greatest of respect to the Acting Chairman, I have been here from the start and have followed the debate very closely.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I am sticking precisely to it.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: If one reads the amendment, it seeks to add the word ?significantly?.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: It has all to do with the phrase ?failing their duty towards their children? to such an extent that the safety and the welfare of the child is likely to be prejudicially affected. It has all to do with that particular phrase that we are debating.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: If you stopped interrupting me, I would have been finished by now.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I do not see any significant difference between duty and responsibility. What was the reason for changing it? Much of this goes to the heart of the welfare of children. In a paper I prepared recently, I pointed to research which showed children in a married family fare better in a whole range of areas than children in other different family units. Senator Norris reminded me the greatest...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Senator Power has mentioned this is only the start and she is right. Wording in the Constitution will probably not change the position of children substantially. What we do on the ground and attitudinal changes will make the most significant difference. Senator Power also referred to the all-party committee. I commend the Minister for changing the wording proposed by the committee. She...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I ask the Minister to respond to the point I made on the rights of a father and a mother.

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the Minister's reply, particularly her comments on the schemes undertaken by the Department with Barnardos to address situations where families are in difficulties and parents are separating or divorcing. Such schemes ensure that the interests of the child are paramount. The amendment is pertinent. An expressed intention of the referendum is that we try to achieve a situation...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (3 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: If it were possible, it would be ideal to incorporate Senator Cullinane's sentiments. We have to acknowledge that children are born into varying circumstances, including socio-economic and attitudinal. As a consequence I am persuaded by the Minister's response. I acknowledge she has done a good job in crafting the amendment for the Constitution. There was a certain challenge in balancing...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I fully support Senator Darragh O'Brien's proposal, as seconded by Senator Paschal Mooney, for a debate on the forthcoming budget. In fact, I propose that we have a series of debates on a variety of expenditure areas, as agreed by the party leaders. A week should not go by in this House between now and December without a debate on some aspect of economic policy in the context of the budget....

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Will the Leader agree to a series of debates on all of these issues? Such debates would help to inform a more enlightened Government policy in respect of the budget in December.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2012)

Jim Walsh: Senator Bacik knows who they are.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2012)

Jim Walsh: When will we have the report? That was my question to the Leader.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2012)

Jim Walsh: The Leader is avoiding the question. When will we have the report of the expert group?

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2012)

Jim Walsh: The Leader is avoiding the question and the Minister is doing likewise.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2012)

Jim Walsh: The Government is trying to deceive the public.