Results 1,901-1,920 of 8,978 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages (30 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 710. To ask the Minister for Health the average wait time for approval of a home care application; the level of delayed discharges from Letterkenny University Hospital while waiting on a home care package or community bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59009/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (30 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 711. To ask the Minister for Health the number of community hospital beds in County Donegal available to patients on discharge from acute hospitals; if he plans to increase community bed capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59010/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (25 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 259. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has plans to address the problems faced by primary schools in securing temporary cover for teachers who may be unable to attend the classroom due to illness, close contacts to Covid-19 cases or for other reasons. [58148/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (25 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 260. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the three school campuses in Buncrana, County Donegal would be suitable for an accelerated build programme in view of the long delay in securing a suitable site and the very urgent need to relocate pupils from schools (details supplied) in County Donegal. [58149/21]

Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (24 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: My colleague, an Teachta O'Rourke, has already outlined Sinn Féin's approach to this Bill. We see it as a missed opportunity and hope the Minister of State will work with us on the substantive amendments that we will submit on Committee Stage, aimed at strengthening this legislation considerably. I want to offer my solidarity to all of the families who have found themselves in the...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: When the Minister was the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on agriculture and food, his colleague, the then Deputy, Pat The Cope Gallagher, was the spokesperson on the marine. As the Minister knows well, he had serious problems with the penalty points system that was being introduced in a statutory instrument by the then Minister, Deputy Creed. He worked with the industry to try to find a...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank the Minister. As he said, when he was the Opposition spokesperson for his party on this matter, he spoke on this and it is on the record what he said in the Dáil. I will let people measure what he said then and the position he is taking now.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: My recollection of the Minister's speech in the Dáil was that the statutory instrument as it is currently constituted does not reflect a fair penalty points system and there needed to be further consultation with the industry to try to come together. As he will be aware, there was a letter from the industry. When there was this hiatus between ministerial appointments and the Taoiseach...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will tell the Minister what the commitment is. It is what is in these amendments. These amendments are the position of my party.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is the commitment. Here is the thing. Given the speech the Minister gave during that statutory instrument annulment debate, people can see his position then and his position now. This is our position. We will be tested in government at some stage, hopefully, the sooner, the better, and certainly for the fishing community. We will be tested on where we stand based on these...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am saying to the Minister that this current penalty points system that the Minister is proposing to bring in is profoundly unfair. We would seek to have one that reflects the concerns of the industry, particularly on the issue of “beyond a reasonable doubt”.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: It is very clear.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I just want to respond to the points the Minister made.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is fair enough. I will make way.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank the Minister for a comprehensive response in an earlier exchange, although the question on the European comparison was missed. Can the Minister tell me what other countries have implemented this legislation to back up the penalty point system? What other country has used the words "beyond a reasonable doubt" in their legislation? Is there any other example in Europe where they have...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: For example, we talk about common law. The UK has a common law system similar to our own. The Minister will appreciate that I am not trying to be a smart alec here and I know he cannot have every possible answer at his disposal. However, his colleague might want to avail of the opportunity to speak. The UK has a common law system. Has the UK introduced a penalty point system?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The official is not an invited guest. Okay, that is fair enough. If the answer is not available today maybe it can be sent on.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is fair enough and I appreciate that. Perhaps, if we cannot get the answer today, it could be sent on to committee members. To be clear, I am asking about Britain and the Common Fisheries Policy, before they left the European Union. Did the system they have in place refer to the balance of probabilities? They have a similar legal system to Ireland so I make a comparison. I want to...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is not what I asked. I said before they left the EU.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am conscious that we are talking here about legislation that could potentially take away the livelihood of people. That is a pretty severe sanction. Obviously, it would impact on their reputation if they were issued with penalty points. There are all sorts of implications here. It is quite a big deal. I ask again, if this information can be given to the Minister, for him to articulate...