Results 1-20 of 1,494 for speaker:Deirdre Clune

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Sex Offenders Treatment Programme (11 Mar 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I would have believed that mandatory participation treatment programmes would have been linked to prison sentences. If an offender refuses to participate in a programme, then his or her sentence should be extended. Has there been any research into the outcomes for sex offenders who have participated in such programmes?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Sex Offenders Treatment Programme (11 Mar 2014)

Deirdre Clune: Will the Bill be published this month?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Sex Offenders Treatment Programme (11 Mar 2014)

Deirdre Clune: We can have further discussions with the Minister then on this important area.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Sex Offenders Treatment Programme (11 Mar 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, for coming to the House to respond on this issue on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality. The issue I wish to raise concerns the treatment of sexual offenders in our prisons and in our communities after release. This issue was brought to my attention again last week when we had the deplorable case of two little girls of six and nine...

Seanad: Economic Growth and Job Creation: Statements (4 Mar 2014)

Deirdre Clune: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Economic Growth and Job Creation: Statements (4 Mar 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I welcome the Minister and thank him for his contribution. The Government today published its report on being in office for three years. If we look back three years, the economy was in a state of collapse, there was a fear that there would be a run on the banks and that we were going to fall off a cliff. We all remember the headlines and the fear, but three years later, we are not in that...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Post Office Network (25 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I welcome what the Minister said, particularly about the proactive approach the Government is taking in addressing the issue across a range of Departments, encompassing central and local government. I am sure that as a result, it will be possible to provide services through the post office as a front office of government. That would be a very welcome development which I am sure would be...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Post Office Network (25 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this item. I appreciate that the Minister is here to respond. The Minister is probably hearing a lot about the concerns communities throughout the country have about the future of the post office network. The issue has been raised on many previous occasions. The concern from the post officer workers, the network and the Irish Postmasters' Union,...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation recently had a very interesting presentation from Mr. Sean O'Sullivan, whom the Cathaoirleach probably knows from "Dragons' Den". He presented to us the report of the entrepreneurship forum that the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, asked him to establish and lead. It is a valuable document that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Strengthening the Start-up Community: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: Does Mr. O’Sullivan think the criteria should change?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Strengthening the Start-up Community: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: Who is responsible for that, Science Foundation Ireland or Enterprise Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Strengthening the Start-up Community: Discussion (25 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I thank Mr. O'Sullivan and his team for the report. I agree with all or much of it. The area I was struck by was education. We have heard before that we need an entrepreneurial strategy throughout our system. I am pleased that the deputation put it as the No. 1 recommendation because we need to turn our education system on its head. I have been at parent teacher meetings and seen big...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters.: Data Protection (18 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I fully agree with the Minister of State in respect of the last point she made. Had she not, I would have made the point that it is important for security reasons to protect against terrorism threats. We have surveillance but it must be controlled. I also agree with the Minister of State that there is a sense of personal responsibility in all of this in terms of using free Wi-Fi and so on....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters.: Data Protection (18 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: It is great what they can do.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters.: Data Protection (18 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I am concerned over the personal data from individuals, who are using leaky smartphone apps, which can be gathered and used for surveillance or sold on for commercial reasons. It is becoming quite serious. I believe there has to be surveillance of some sort from a security point of view in the fight against terrorism. However, do we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: It is intriguing as to how the challenge will be dealt with at the Council meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (18 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I also wanted to ask the Minister about the energy aspect. Obviously, there is a great deal of interest in that matter among members. Will the Minister indicate how this matter will be approached at the Council meeting? Will it be the subject of informal discussions beforehand? Has it been discussed previously? This issue seems to present a challenge for Europe, particularly in the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Flood Prevention Measures (5 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the Minister of State for highlighting the commitment to progressing the projects. It is important we keep hearing that. He recognises the fact there is frustration in the city centre. When will these projects start construction? Could certain elements of the scheme be advanced once identified? The floods of the past week will have provided further information.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Flood Prevention Measures (5 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: Go raibh maith agat.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Flood Prevention Measures (5 Feb 2014)

Deirdre Clune: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to respond to my Adjournment matter. I raise the matter of the flooding in recent days and in particular flooding in Cork city which was devastated last night. Cork has experienced many flooding events over the years. The two flooding events this week are related to high tides, a lot of rain and winds from the south east. This...