Results 501-520 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: We all accept the Minister is doing her best to ensure her Department complies with everything the commission requires and, as Deputy Enright said, we are not talking about the current Minister. However, we are talking about a principle whereby a Department is sponsoring a commission of inquiry in which it is directly involved and which is investigating it. We are concerned about that...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I intend to press the amendment.

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: My amendment provides for the adequacy or otherwise of the manner in which responsibilities were discharged by persons in authority, including judges. The decision-making process that put so many of these young people into institutions must be part of the commission's work. The judicial process was a central part where decisions were made to incarcerate children for what were in some cases...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: If none of these amendments is accepted, the existing wording will simply state "to inquire into the manner in which children were placed in, and the circumstances in which they continued to be resident in, institutions during the relevant period". This is vague and general language, whereas any of the three amendments — I concede the first two are more comprehensive than my own — are...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 4: In page 7, line 8, after "period" to insert the following: "including in particular the adequacy or otherwise of the manner in which responsibilities were discharged by persons in authority, including judges".

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I also support these amendments. It is a fundamental aspect of this that, after the apology and the setting up of the commission, one of the fundamental points made to survivors was that they would be allowed to tell their story. What is happening in these proposals from Government and from Mr. Justice Ryan is that many of the survivors will not be allowed to tell their story, other than for...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: This issue is essentially about power. People were put into institutions in positions of total powerlessness when things were done to them over which they had no control. Essentially we are trying leave as much power as possible with them in their dealings with the commission. In effect what is happening, if none of these amendments are accepted, is that they will not have the power and will...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 14: In page 14, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following: "(3) The Commission or a Committee may invite a person who has given evidence or made a submission or statement to or before it before the passing of this Act to supplement that evidence, submission or statement having regard to changes made to the functions or procedure of the Commission or a Committee by...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 15: In page 14, between lines 33 and 34, to insert the following: "'educational service' means a service provided by a recognised school or centre for education (within the meaning in each case of the Education Act 1998) or by a person or body specified by the Minister who provides a programme of education, training or instruction;". This amendment inserts a definition of...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I can see the point the Minister is making. We do not want to be too prescriptive, and driving lessons may be the very thing that someone needs, but in some cases people may need other supports like child care, in conjunction with an educational course. Such flexibility should be granted. At the same time there is a danger in going too far in the other direction and leaving it too open. There...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 19: In page 15, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: "(7) The First Schedule to the Freedom of Information Act 1997 is amended at paragraph 1(2) by inserting 'the Education (Former Residents of Certain Institutions for Children) Finance Board' after 'the Defence Forces,'.". This amendment seeks to ensure the education finance board is included in the Freedom...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: Is that a categorical assurance?

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: Can it be done immediately?

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I will take the Minister's word on trust.

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I have received the same correspondence as Deputy Enright. I understand the Office of the Ombudsman wanted to add the education finance board to Part 1 of the First Schedule of the Ombudsman Act. That is not exactly what amendment No. 21 provides. The powers provided to the Ombudsman by the amendment would have been stronger if they were provided in Part 1 of the First Schedule to the Act...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: We must tease out the issue further as it is very complicated and relates to the Ombudsman Act, the Bill and the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Act. I am not sure the amendment achieves fully our aim of ensuring the board is covered as fully by the Ombudsman Act as any other body over which her office has jurisdiction. While we cannot do more today, we may well have further...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: While I do not want to vote against the amendment, which is better than what was previously provided, it may well need to be re-examined in the Seanad.

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I move amendment No. 26: In page 20, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following: "34.—Nothing in the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 prohibits an applicant from disclosing the fact that he or she made an application to the Board and the name of the institution, the category of abuse and injury and the amount of the award that are referable to that application.". As everyone...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I appreciate the Minister's statement that her Department is taking an interest and is involved in trying to address some of the issues that have arisen while respecting that the board is independent. These issues are serious for some and it is important that the Department have a role. As other Deputies stated, my amendment is quite conservative. It is not seeking full disclosure but the...

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage. (15 Jun 2005)

Jan O'Sullivan: I do not accept that. Everybody knows that the board does not apportion blame or conduct a trial in any sense and that it assesses what is said and makes a decision on payment. I do not understand why naming an institution would automatically be considered as apportioning blame. We know payments are being made to people who resided at one of a list of institutions. I forget how many are on...