Results 17,401-17,420 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (27 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: It is absolutely accurate because the bilateral agreement in respect of Vietnam made express provision for the monitoring group. When I sought inquiries as to what reports it had published, none were published. When I sought to obtain information as to what internal documentation was available, none was furnished.

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (27 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: The Minister of State and his Department were going down the road of negotiating a bilateral agreement with Vietnam when they pulled out of it. That happened because it started the negotiations too late and then it pulled out because of international draft reports that came to the attention of the Minister of State. There is no point in travelling that route other than to state that people...

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (27 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: In fairness, I did not interrupt the Minister of State. That was why difficulties arose with regard to Vietnam which could have been pre-empted at an earlier stage. The original bilateral agreement should never have contained provision for the making of financial payments for any purposes in Vietnam which could be linked to anything remotely connected to adoption. That was a failure of...

Order of Business. (27 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: I wish to raise two or three matters. It was promised some time ago that when the second prosecution was completed in the Roscommon incest case, the Roscommon incest report would be published and it would be debated in this House. The second prosecution, which resulted in the conviction of the father, was completed some six weeks ago. When will the Roscommon incest report be published;...

Order of Business. (27 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: This is very important and I will be brief.

Order of Business. (27 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: I think there is a confusion about this. I refer to two elements of information which the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs sought following my seeking it back in February and March 2009. The first was the number of children who died in care, which is the information, I gather, we will finally get tomorrow; the second was the number of children reported to...

Order of Business. (27 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: If the Ceann Comhairle did not interrupt me I would have completed my question by now. I gather we will not be informed of the number of children reported to have been at risk who have died. They are the children not taken into care, in some instances because of the failings of health boards or the HSE. I am only asking that the Tánaiste clarify that. If she does not have that...

Order of Business. (27 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will only get the same reply.

Adoption Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (27 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 2: In page 13, after line 37, to insert the following: "(3) Nothing contained in this Act shall prevent any person or married couple who applied to the HSE to be assessed for an intercountry adoption prior to the 1st January 2009 and subsequently obtain a declaration of suitability to adopt from effecting such adoption and having such adoption recognised under the law...

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: On the issue that was previously raised and the legislation to facilitate the Health Service Executive to provide documentation to the review group, what consideration has been taken to ensure the matter is finally addressed correctly? What consideration is being given in the context of the promised legislation to giving a statutory function to the review group that has been formed to...

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: What I am asking, Sir, is in the context of the legislation that has been promised - the Taoiseach has truthfully told the House that until Monday of this week he was given no indication, nor was the Government given any indication - that there was a difficulty on the part of the Health Service Executive in co-operating with this group. We now know that the Government will be alerting staff...

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: I wish to signpost the Taoiseach that other difficulties will arise. If we are going to get to the root of what occurred, which has resulted in an unspecified number of children dying in care, there will be a necessity to give Norah Gibbons and Geoffrey Shannon a statutory role to ensure that further inquiries they need to make are responded to and we get to the bottom of what has occurred,...

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: -----because it is quite clear that when Geoffrey Shannon and Norah Gibbons were appointed no thought was given to what difficulties-----

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: -----might be encountered by them in carrying out the functions-----

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: -----with which they have been bestowed?

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: Quite clearly, when Mr. Shannon and Ms Gibbons were appointed, no thought was given to the difficulties they might encounter in carrying out the functions bestowed on them.

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: The important thing is-----

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: I am trying to be helpful, rather than obstructive. The important thing is that the review group gets the information.

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: The inquiry arising from that information needs to get the co-operation of those in managerial positions in the HSE and the social workers who have been involved in individual cases.

Order of Business (Resumed) (26 May 2010)

Alan Shatter: That is the gap. That is the lacuna that has to be addressed.