Results 81-100 of 636 for speaker:Joan Freeman

Seanad: Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018: Second Stage (12 Dec 2018)

Joan Freeman: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The purpose of the Bill I am introducing is to safeguard children from exposure to harmful and age inappropriate content online by placing responsibility for the distribution of such information on Internet service providers. I am speaking about content that contains encouragement of and incitement to suicide and self-harm and encouragement...

Seanad: Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018: Second Stage (12 Dec 2018)

Joan Freeman: I thank the Minister of State and welcome his comments and concerns. I truly want to work really hard with him on this, on making the amendments and changes required, and I do understand there is a lot of work involved. The problem I have is that things are quite slow in the Oireachtas. Senator Lombard made the point that his seven year old probably knows more about the Internet than he...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2018)

Joan Freeman: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 16 be taken before No. a1. I hope the House will agree to the amendment.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2018)

Joan Freeman: It is my Bill, the Children's Digital Safety Bill.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2018)

Joan Freeman: I was just going to explain it. I advise the Members of the proposed legislation, namely, the Children's Digital Safety Bill 2018, which seeks to fill a gap in regulations as regards access to unsafe online material, in particular content containing an encouragement and incitement to suicide and the encouragement of prolonged nutritional deprivation that would have the effect of exposing a...

Seanad: Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018: First Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Joan Freeman: I move:That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to regulate legal but age-inappropriate content by way of take down enforcement procedure. This procedure will operate where material falls within the definition of harmful material set out in this Act.

Seanad: Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018: First Stage (6 Dec 2018)

Joan Freeman: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: Two distressing issues came to my attention in the last 24 hours. Senator Ó Ríordáin was with me last night at Scoil Chiaráin in Donnycarney where we met parents of children with special needs who are being utterly neglected. Scoil Chiaráin is an ordinary primary school and yet almost 50% of its pupils have special needs or are on the autism spectrum. While the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: One of my questions is similar to one asked by Deputy Sherlock. When Mr. Elliott spoke to the Minister last night, did he outline a procedure to put in place a protocol for the victims? Is action on funding the only punitive measure the Department wishes to consider to deal with this revelation? As the Minister said there are 50,000 members of Scouting Ireland. Is just withdrawing funds...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: I know the Minister only received the figures last night and is just as much in the dark as everybody else. My fear is that when this becomes public there will be vast numbers of victims. The answer is probably "No, not yet," but will there be a protocol ready to handle the impact of this information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: I will leave it at that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: This is also a statement. I brought this up before the meeting started this morning. I too have been contacted by somebody who is very grateful, not necessarily to counsellors, but to the staff of Scouting Ireland. Obviously some mechanism is now in place that is allowing the staff to handle these queries and to handle the victims.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: Ms Kelly's distress is almost palpable and members also feel great distress for the thousands of members of Scouting Ireland. I am sure the new board, the staff of the organisation and the volunteers have a difficult and challenging time ahead. We were told by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, that she was advised last night about the 71 perpetrators and 108...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: We are aware of that. The question I asked, though-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: -----was whether Mr. Elliot had information before the Minister was informed yesterday evening.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: I ask Mr. Elliot to address my question on capacity and talk me through the protocol that is in place.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: My next question is for Dr. Lawlor in his capacity as chief executive officer. Scouting Ireland is being contacted by people daily. How are his staff handling that and are they receiving support, given that this must be distressing for them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance Issues in Scouting Ireland: Discussion (21 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: I thank Dr. Lawlor.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Nov 2018)

Joan Freeman: Last year €10 million was spent on counselling and talk therapy in comparison with €400 million spent on anti-depressants. We have seen a significant increase in the use of anti-depressants in this country, with one in ten people being prescribed them, not necessarily because they are depressed but because 80% of general practitioners who are the first stop in terms of primary...