Results 17,441-17,460 of 33,581 for speaker:Catherine Connolly
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Does the Office of the Ombudsman have them?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Again, there is a substantial number of children in direct provision-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: -----and a substantial number of children in emergency accommodation.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Do those standards cover provisions for children? Do they cover basic things in direct provision centres, such as playgrounds and play facilities?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Does that refer to all new centres?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: And all centres getting a contract renewed?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: I understand that under the directive and the regulations that brought into law, there is an obligation to carry out a vulnerability assessment on each asylum seeker within a specific period of time.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Does the Office of the Ombudsman have an obligation to monitor whether those vulnerability assessments are being carried out?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: I welcome the positive changes. I come from Galway and am fully aware of the controversy there and the housing crisis as well. The Department of Justice and Equality has been forced to bring in changes every step of the way. That is my opinion. Here is something very important, namely, the requirement in law to conduct a vulnerability assessment. The Office of the Ombudsman is the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Very good. Mr. Tyndall spoke about expansion. My colleague mentioned that the Office of the Ombudsman would like to see its role expanded to cover the administrative side. Could Mr. Tyndall tease that out?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: My colleague asked Mr. Tyndall when that is likely to happen and about the progress that has been made. Mr. Tyndall said that he had been in contact-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: I understand that. Does Mr. Tyndall have any idea when the Department will respond?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: So the approach of the Office of the Ombudsman is to talk to the Department first and if there is no response, there will be a more formal engagement.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: It seems to be a very important request because in the first place, longer delays are wrong when it comes to asylum seekers. They also allow a vacuum to develop where the most appalling attitudes are being expressed by a small number of people. It is important that the Ombudsman should be enabled and empowered so that the system is as it is supposed to be, namely quick and efficient in...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: I agree totally without reluctance or hesitation. However, it is equally important that when a vacuum is created and information is not forthcoming to a local community, comments are made by a small group of people. There is a role for us as politicians and for the Ombudsman's office and there is certainly a role for the Government and Department. Mr. Tyndall referred to access to GP...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Directly related to the number of people in emergency accommodation, 950 people are in direct provision who should not be there. The numbers are astounding and one is nearly balancing the other. The increase in numbers fluctuates. I have looked at the graph over the past number of years. There have been times when we have had more or fewer coming to the country. They are not huge numbers.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: That is compared to two years ago. Did the office look back further along the graph at the position since direct provision was brought in?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: If one looks at the graph, it is up and down since 2000. Finally, I refer to visits. Are the Ombudsman's visits unannounced?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: How many are planned each year? Is the office doing enough to get a good feel for it? My experience of talking to people generally in any institution is that they are afraid to complain. That is any institution, not just direct provision.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision: Discussion with Ombudsman (25 Sep 2019)
Catherine Connolly: All politicians.