Results 1,941-1,960 of 7,648 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome all our guests and thank them for their very interesting input. My first question is for Professor Hymel. I was very struck by what she said about moral disengagement and the challenge in that regard. She made the point that it may be difficult to talk about this with children, given that they are not, as it were, fully formed morally at the point at which they appear to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Rónán Mullen: That is interesting. I was also struck by what Professor Hymel said about the evidence showing that we are reducing bullying by only some 20%, with little evidence of effectiveness at secondary level. That suggests to me that early intervention is required. Thinking about what Dr. Downes said, it seems clear that parent training is a key issue here. There may be negative experiences...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Rónán Mullen: My final question is to Professor Hymel, although it may be relevant to all the witnesses because it is a general question in a way. The more I have learned in recent weeks about the diversity of pretexts, means and contexts for bullying and the diversity of approaches to dealing with it, I am struck by a particular point. We live in a time when there is very much a focus on identity,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jun 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I join the Cathaoirleach in congratulating our Danish friends today. These days, when colonisers and attempted colonisers are being brought again before the bar of history, perhaps it is time that we asked the Danish Government for an apology for the appalling murder of Brian Boru. The fact that he might have had some Irish co-conspirators or there might have been someone involved is no...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome our guests and thank them for their interesting contributions. I will pick up on the social media issues and ask a devil's advocate-type question. I note from the NAPD's submission the need for a separate and exhaustive investigation into the abuse of social media, its destructive bullying and the impact on young people’s mental health. In this culture we live in where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Can I ask Ms O'Connor how parents have lost their nerve to a point where it is even possible for children to have access to technology at such a young age and so late at night? Even with the discussions that have gone on at this committee, I worry that we have such a therapeutic-type culture that we do not call out poor parenting for what it is anymore. Do we need to talk about education...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I use a smartphone myself; I am not a complete Luddite. I thank Mr. White for a comment he made. I have heard so much at meetings of this committee from people obsessing over faith-based schools and constantly implying they are somehow soft on bullying of a certain kind. It is often due to a misunderstanding over the culture of inclusion in our schools. Sometimes it is anti-religious...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2021)

Rónán Mullen: We know the good it does but there is clearly something wrong. It is a question of some kind of access.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Well-deserved tributes have been paid to the great Bob Dylan in recent days as he has reached that great milestone of his 80th birthday, but another legend, an Irish one, deserves to be remembered here too, and that is the great Barney Curley, who went to his reward in recent days. He had a particular connection with these Houses. We have important debates that we need to have on gambling...

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: The Minister may recall that in the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan met President Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, he began with a famous line, saying that he would let Gorbachev know why he could not trust him. That is a question that I find myself having to ask the Government at this point as we discuss emergency powers in this House yet again. Throughout this crisis, I have been among many who...

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Will the Senator take a point?

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: It is because babies have rights too. The Senator should not be frightened of that.

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I was clear that I was not comparing the Government with a repressive regime but we need to be aware of the dangers.

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Will the Minister take a point from me?

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I will be very brief. I thank the Minister for his reply. I look forward to getting that letter. A holding letter is always acceptable. On the issue of the point being moot, the concern people have about these matters is that these measures can always come back. The very big question of whether it is actually constitutional to enforce these measures is hanging in the background. While...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I welcome our guests and thank them for their rich insights. I was struck by what Mr. Mulconry said about people having shorter concentration spans these days. I wonder whether it means anything that we are only being allowed six minutes to concentrate our questions to our guests. I was struck by Ms O'Dwyer's comments on the vicious circle of a child being bullied because of his or her...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I am happy for people to pull from the pie.

Seanad: Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021: Second Stage (24 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I support this Bill. Anything that assists any of our citizens who are in need of assistance, be it financial, social, emotional or spiritual, in respect of their health needs deserves our support. I supported the principle behind the Labour Party period products legislation some months ago and had planned to speak on that, but I had to travel...

Seanad: Organisation of Working Time (Reproductive Health Related Leave) Bill 2021: Second Stage (24 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: The point is the Bill is ambiguous to say the least. In certain quarters, the phrase "reproductive health" is generally used in a way that is intended to include termination of pregnancy. Do those cases also qualify for leave under the Bill? If not, what is the reason for that? If so, why is there not greater specificity about it? I would appreciate clarification from the sponsors of the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Records (18 May 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Go raibh míle maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Official documents that are produced by the authorities of one country, and which are intended to be submitted to the authorities of another, would ordinarily need to be certified as authentic by the Government of the originating country in order to be accepted abroad, and further inquiries then...