Results 1-20 of 49 for garda speaker:Mary Seery Kearney

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Sep 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: Last night, we saw frightening lawlessness in evidence in Cherry Orchard, including the ramming of a Garda car. Just before lunch today, the Garda Commissioner, Mr. Drew Harris, condemned the ramming and called it disgraceful and concerning. He stated that the Garda had stood up the public order unit, as it had done over the weekend, and that a full investigation is now under way. I would...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Youth Work: Discussion (18 Apr 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: If I could add to that, I am a DPO for an organisation that is a conduit in Garda vetting. It is the last vestige of my life before the Seanad. I do a monthly briefing with companies and their liaison people who are affiliates for Garda vetting. One of the things I would say with my employment lawyer hat on is that before a company ever decides it is going to go Garda vetting or is going...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Antisocial Behaviour (22 Sep 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...the commitment that is there for the community in Cherry Orchard. We have seen the videos online of what happened and they are horrific. I want to begin by condemning the actions against the two gardaí who went in there. They were treated in the most disgraceful and dangerous way and that is appalling. I express concern for them. I have been working with community groups in the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Sep 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act whereby anything that is on a loose or casual relationship basis does not require the people involved in such work to be Garda vetted. I appreciate that the Minister for Justice has conducted over a number of months a comprehensive and thorough review of the Garda vetting system. I have fed into the review on other...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (28 Jun 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...doubt all in the Civil Engagement Group played their part very well in supporting the Senator on the Bill. Wearing my employment lawyer and data protection officer hat, I have advised employers on Garda vetting and its implementation, particularly in the recruitment industry, which might supply carers and employees to many industries. In this regard, I have always advised employers to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 May 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...believe that this is so serious it deserves to be a stand-alone offence. I pay tribute to Young Fine Gael, which has done a lot of work and advocacy in this regard. Last year, notifications to An Garda Síochána of spiking went from ten to 106. I think 106 is a drop in the ocean in terms of what is going on. I think of work done by people like Noeline Blackwell, who says that...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Nov 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: I echo the statements of Senator Flynn with regard to the people of Ballyfermot, although I stand in solidarity with An Garda Síochána and particularly with the two gardaí who went out to work expecting to come home safely but did not.That should not happen under any circumstances. There is also a community at the heart of this which is full of very good people who have a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Jan 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...committee of Dublin City Council heard a report from Detective Inspector Daniel Kelly on human trafficking statistics and actions for 2021. He said that there were 44 victims recorded by the Garda, 28 of whom were female and 16 were male. Some 19 victims were identified as being of labour exploitation and 25 were victims of sexual exploitation. The Minister of State, Deputy James...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Possible Enhancement of Child Protection Powers of Tusla: Discussion (25 Apr 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: .... I think I heard that if a statement which is made to Tusla contains an express statement that makes allegations around the management of an organisation, you have the ability to go to the Garda and to say you need to go in and investigate more than just the individual, who is the alleged perpetrator, but beyond that. If there is not an express statement, however, you are limited to the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Jun 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...highlight, and find some means by which to explore, the small cohort in society that bullies, harasses, says hateful things and continuously gets away with it. I recently made a complaint to the Garda Síochána about two prominent individuals who are well known to everyone. They are former journalists. They spout racial hate speech all the time. I made a complaint to the Garda...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Functions and Operational Areas) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...concentrated in Clondalkin. There were recent incidents in Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot, that show the effects of such a concentration. In the context of all this, we need a reappraisal of Garda stations. I am part of a task force of local and public representatives that is arguing for such a reappraisal. We need to watch this space and be reassured. I am in touch with the Minister for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic Violence (8 Mar 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...International Women's Day. The most recent report to the Dublin city joint policing committee shows a marked increase in cases involving domestic violence. On the one hand, I am pleased that if the figures to the Garda are increasing, it shows more people are reporting domestic violence. What I believe is happening, however, is an overall increase in people suffering domestic violence...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Monuments and Archaeological Heritage Bill: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (27 Jan 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...St. Catherine’s Church on Thomas Street from a derelict state to its current condition where it is operated by the Church of Ireland. A skull was found in it. That triggered the calling of An Garda Síochána. It is this kind of thing I am trying to get to here. How does one know that this is something that has to be acted upon and in respect of which a declaration has...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...hate crime or racist or religious abuse on the street, as all too often happens, that the shop is a place of refuge. The person will be given a chair and a drink of water and staff will call the Garda and the person’s family. One of the women shared her experiences of this at today's meeting. The Amal Women's Organisation is beginning to roll out this initiative, which it had...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Nov 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...prayers are for them; for that little girl and that care worker. Second, I condemn the violence that we saw on the street and applaud the incredible bravery of members of the public, as well as An Garda Síochána. We cannot depart from the fact that there is a central role here of social media in this. I, too, saw the messages in community groups and people being anxious on...

Seanad: Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Dec 2020)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...x201c;Where would we procure bullets?”, “What would we do?” or “How would we...?”, and this discussion was about and around him. We complained to Facebook and Facebook took it down, but the Garda did not have enough to be able to pursue it in that context. My question is similar to that of Senator Doherty. That was a conversation about my husband, not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Accessing Justice: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...and that there is a necessity to have that power in certain, very exceptional, circumstances, it strikes me that the training and competencies should be questioned. I have enormous respect for the Garda Síochána, but in the heat of a moment, what checking or oversight is there of its members' discretionary use of this? We have checks and mechanisms in other areas of criminal...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Cash-for-Gold Outlets (3 May 2023)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...is no question asked of the bona fides of the person who is selling, and where they got the gold from. I appreciate there has been a huge fall in burglary rates, and I have confirmed that with An Garda Síochána. When we compare 2019 to 2022, it is certainly significant. However, this idea that you can convert gold into cash is striking as an easy way to facilitate criminality,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill: Discussion (14 Apr 2021)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...points from earlier today that we need to look at the powers within that agency. Heads 31 and 32 of the Bill provide for a cessation of the actions of the agency on the ground and refer to the Garda Síochána. There is scope, that can perhaps be emboldened and enhanced, to trigger criminal investigation and the involvement of the gardaí and have that external agency. That...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity) Bill 2023: Second Stage (31 Jan 2024)

Mary Seery Kearney: ...this is merely pyrrhic or in actual fact executable. Within the grooming, there would be family and community loyalties. How are we going to deal with that? Is it going to be the say-so of a garda? I do not see anything in the legislation which states that. Who is going to give evidence and what sort of supports will be put in place by us for that? There is no question but that An...