Results 1-20 of 1,103 for garda speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Seanad: Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Apr 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: ...the Senator stated. It got significant debate on Committee Stage in the Select Committee on Health. I understand the rationale and intent behind these proposals but cannot accept the amendments. An Garda Síochána has indicated it is not possible under the current configuration of the PULSE system to centrally record warnings. It must be remembered that the Garda has a long...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Investigations (9 Apr 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: ...are also applied throughout the health and social care sector, including, for example, legislation in relation to reporting certain offences against children or vulnerable persons to An Garda Síochána, vetting, equal status and assisted decision-making. Existing governance measures Key governance provisions currently in place include: The significant inspection and other...

Written Answers — Department of Health: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: My Department assesses situations as they occur and contact An Garda Síochána where deemed necessary. No incidents have related to physical threats to Ministers or staff. There are departmental procedures in place to address such issues through the Health & Safety team, and to escalate to An Garda Síochána, who investigate and taken any appropriate action.

Seanad: Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (27 Feb 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: ..., as he has, it really does take some neck. I will address two of the points he raised.Can someone commit an offence inadvertently? No. It is very clear in the Bill that is the point of the Garda warning. Now, of course, we come to your claim that none of this is happening, women are not being intimidated. This country has a dark history when it comes to women's healthcare. It has a...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Feb 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Deputy Pringle for raising the issue. It is undoubtedly the case that gardaí need to be able to access expert medical help if they are dealing with somebody who has severe mental health issues. As Deputy Pringle is aware, we are in the middle of a significant investment in primary care in Donegal, including multiple primary care centres and enhanced community care teams...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Ministerial Staff (30 Jan 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: One civilian driver is assigned to Minister Butler, with a total of 720 hours worked in 2023. The working pattern of a driver is seven days on and seven days off on a week-on week-off basis. Two Garda Drivers assigned to Minister Donnelly who are staff of the Department of Justice and Equality and any information regarding their hours is with that Department.

Select Committee on Health: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Jan 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: ...is some material to be looked at. It requires the intending parents to answer some questions and at least then there is a requirement on the provider to look through those. It does not require Garda vetting. That is not the point. Both Deputies have asked the fair question as to what "satisfied" means. Legally, how can the clinics say they have met their legal obligations under the...

Seanad: Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Dec 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...The aim of this overarching approach is to ensure the effect of the proposed legislation on the rights of those affected is proportional to the objective sought to be achieved. Section 4 sets out the powers of An Garda Síochána. The section contains a requirement for a Garda warning as a precursor to the commission of an offence. This mechanism was introduced to enhance legal...

Seanad: Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Dec 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: .... It does not interfere with the right to advocate. That applies to both sides of the abortion debate. Section 3 sets out the exemptions that apply with regard to prohibited conduct. The mechanism for the Garda warning also enhances legal certainty. There was a lot of debate on this in the Dáil and on Committee Stage and I have no doubt that we will have further discussion of it...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (7 Dec 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...18,000 to 24,000 in the lifetime of this Government. We have invested at a level that has never before been seen. When all of those funded posts were filled, as is the case with every school and Garda station, and as is the case here in the Oireachtas and with every employer in the country, we had to stop hiring because there was no more funding. The same applies to medical and nursing...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...workers in the two hospitals. They are shook by what happened. They were worried leaving the hospitals on Thursday night. I know several of them were harassed on their way home. An Garda Síochána responded superbly to several hospitals where they were concerned, and our healthcare workers were full of praise for the Garda response in helping them to keep the hospitals and...

Select Committee on Health: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...were made. The Deputy and his committee colleagues will be aware, for example, that when we reached 6,100 funded posts, we said the HSE had to stop. That is the same as happens in every school, Garda station and county council, here in the Oireachtas and in every business in the country. When you have hired the staff you are funded to hire, you have to stop hiring. That is perfectly...

Policing, Protests and Public Order: Statements (28 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...vicious and racist response from some on Thursday night. Our own healthcare workers were worried about leaving our hospitals. They were worried about our hospitals being targeted. I thank the gardaí for everything they do to protect our healthcare workers and healthcare facilities. Many healthcare workers yesterday expressed their deep gratitude for the response from the Garda. ...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Abortion Services (28 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...certain conduct aimed at impeding access or influencing decisions in relation to termination of pregnancy services will be prohibited. Such conduct only becomes an offence if it continues after a Garda warning has been issued.

Health Service Recruitment Freeze: Motion [Private Members] (21 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...early this year. Having filled the posts it is funded to fill, which is the third year of record recruitment in a row, at that point the HSE stopped hiring. That is how it works in every school, Garda station, local authority and business. You have money to hire a certain number of people and when you have hired that number you cannot hire any more. That is how it works. Yet, the...

Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023 (Bill 54 of 2023): Report and Final Stages (15 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...hate people watching this debate to think that somehow they could inadvertently be arrested or commit an offence on the basis of the Bill. This cannot happen. In fact, the written warning from An Garda Síochána is there for precisely this reason. If anybody protesting in good faith finds themselves in a safe access zone and does not know it, or is not aware of the provisions...

Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023 (Bill 54 of 2023): Report and Final Stages (15 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...and secure the stated objectives of privacy and freedom from harassment for women and healthcare providers. With regard to Deputy Bríd Smith's amendments, the legislation as worded allows the Garda the necessary flexibility within the confines of its existing systems. Critically, it permits the future use of centrally recorded warnings. There is nothing that precludes this. We...

Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023 (Bill 54 of 2023): Report and Final Stages (15 Nov 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: .... Many of us were involved in that referendum, but in fairness to Deputy Bacik, she has significant standing and history of advocacy and work over many years. The first amendment seeks to give An Garda Síochána the ability, other than in writing, to record warnings, that is, digitally and so forth. The advice I was given is that "in writing" covers all of that. Whether a...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: ...three amendments from that perspective. I understand where the Deputy is coming from. I also read the committee's report and saw some of the proceedings and some of the concerns being raised. An Garda Síochána has indicated that it is not possible under the current configuration of PULSE to record these warnings centrally. This matter was raised by the committee. The advice...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (25 Oct 2023)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not disagree with the rationale or the intent. It comes down to two issues. One is a practical point, which is that the gardaí themselves do not have a system for this. I imagine that this will evolve over time and they will have a system in time, and I imagine it will then be recorded centrally over time. However, regardless of anything we put into this Bill now, they could not...