Results 21-40 of 97 for garda speaker:Michael Collins

Garda Siochana (Functions and Operational Areas) Bill 2021: Second Stage (22 Sep 2021)

Michael Collins: .... I need to see that they will not dilute services on the ground to the people of west Cork who have seen a dilution of services in recent years. Some years ago, we had the closure of many Garda stations under the then Fine Gael-led Government. This led to the decimation of rural Ireland and started a flood of closures of local businesses, post offices and so on. The local Garda...

Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence: Statements (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Collins: Tackling violence in domestic situations can be difficult for local gardaí. It helps when the local garda has some knowledge of a person. This is why we must encourage gardaí to settle into our communities and become involved in the area. A worrying recent development has seen Ireland being placed on a watchlist by the US Government due to failure to combat human trafficking....

Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 Jun 2021)

Michael Collins: ...customers will be kept more than 1 m apart and could be told to leave the premises where they may be eating or having a drink. That is very unfair and I will not support it. It will also be difficult for An Garda Síochána to administer these extended powers if they are used again. The Garda in west Cork worked hard during the pandemic. Gardaí were always present in...

Private Security Services (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 May 2021)

Michael Collins: ...an offence under this legislation. Another amendment states, "the execution of a warrant shall only be authorised between 12 noon and 5pm on weekdays (excluding public holidays)". It also states: "An Garda Síochána shall be permitted to intervene by issuing a caution and/or arresting, where assault or battery (by anyone present) is exercised with any level of excessive force."...

Companies (Protection of Employees' Rights in Liquidations) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (12 May 2021)

Michael Collins: ...liquidation laws to workers. A spokesperson for former Debenhams workers on Patrick Street, Valerie Conlon, said they fully supported the Bill. Two weeks ago a story emerged that members of the Garda had forcibly removed Debenhams workers from the picket line in Dublin. In doing so, the Garda's actions allowed the receiver, KPMG to break the protest and remove stock from the premises in...

Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (28 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: ...Consequently, the purpose of the Bill is to remove any instances in legislation where such a mandatory penalty occurs. If this Bill helps to prevent crime and save the public and members of the Garda from criminals, I will fully support it, as it is hard on the honest working people out there watching criminals getting away with crime that at the end of the day, the taxpayer must pay for....

Vaccination Programme and Covid-19: Statements (1 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: ...his party's candidates will suffer at the doorstep in the next election campaign due to his failure to respond to simple questions week after week. Today I raise the concerns of members of the Garda, as I have done over recent weeks. They have been dropped down the list for vaccines. They have been working on the front line throughout the pandemic but are left at the back of the pack...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (31 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: ...feedback on social meeting yesterday was to express anger, annoyance and frustration. Carers are ringing us asking if they have gone down the list in terms of getting the vaccine. Members of the Garda are seeking to be vaccinated. They have been on the front line for more than 12 months and have been completely forgotten. It is time for the Taoiseach to put proper action in place.

Criminal Procedure Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (11 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: ...and something which should not have been allowed. In general, we must change the way in which some criminal proceedings are carried out. Many cases would not go before the courts if the local garda had been left in local communities. It is unfortunate that local gardaí were taken away from society. They lived in the local village and always nipped crimes in the bud. Those...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements (11 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: I will concentrate my efforts on the Garda. I will be making statements and I would appreciate it if the Minister would give me a written reply. I have asked a lot of fair questions about the vaccines and I have never got a reply. Shop assistants are asking me when they will be considered. They have been on the front line for quite some time. Many people on islands off west Cork are...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (25 Feb 2021)

Michael Collins: ...their farm practices. They went from the Mizen Peninsula to a place near Bandon and were held up on the way back and given fines of €100 each. There was no appeals system in place for them. The gardaí in question got that 100% wrong. It was very unfair that these people were penalised to that extent because €300 is a lot to a farmer. They were able to identify where...

Health (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2021)

Michael Collins: ...asked me not to be causing problems that are not there. When I passed on her so-called advice to a certain student in west Cork, the student then travelled to her accommodation. The bus was stopped en routeby the Garda and they severely reprimanded the student and told her they had better not catch her on the bus again. The Minister of State obviously did not have her facts right. That...

Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (27 Jan 2021)

Michael Collins: ...countries? Is it the case that the Bill is more about protecting eastern European countries? Will the Minister of State address these questions? We are speaking about the EU, and we are part of the EU, but the Garda needs more resources to apprehend criminals such as these and all other criminals. Is there a new budget for them? We also need to thank our local gardaí for all...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: They are putting more work on the Garda.

Scrambler Motorbikes and Quad Bikes: Motion [Private Members] (17 Nov 2020)

Michael Collins: ...situation, that is not what we are doing. If there is wrongdoing, then it is right. However, I look at situations where we tried to turn things around in my constituency with our young people and Garda youth awards. This encouraged young people to keep away from mischievous behaviour or crime. It turned their lives around in some ways. Some of those kids were going in the right...

Community Safety and Fireworks: Motion [Private Members] (22 Sep 2020)

Michael Collins: ...go back to the root of problems as it is mainly our youth who involve themselves in these mindless acts. Not all youth are involved in disruptive behaviour, however. This can be seen from the Garda youth awards in west Cork. Year after year, we see great young people win awards for their excellent work in their community, thanks to the encouragement given to them by great community...

Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No. 4) Regulations 2020: Motion [Private Members] (9 Sep 2020)

Michael Collins: ...Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, the Labour Party, the Green Party, the Social Democrats and the so-called Independents in the Regional Group, all turned their back on the hard-working people of this country. The Garda representative groups - the Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors - cast doubt on the Bill. Astonishingly, within hours,...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Michael Collins: ...of this country. As I said, we supported any legislation that was brought before us in the past few months. I personally feel that any legislation brought before us should be strong enough to enforce, if the gardaí are there to enforce it, but even the Garda representative body has made it very clear they are not overly supportive of this because they do not have the manpower to...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Michael Collins: ...plan is to rush new Covid-19 enforcement laws and powers through the Dáil, and it is nothing short of draconian. There are two aims to the Bill: to provide additional enforcement powers to An Garda Síochána to shut down bars and restaurants; and to give gardaí the powers to go into every house in the country. What in the name of God are we doing? We in the Dáil...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (Resumed) (14 Jul 2020)

Michael Collins: ...hardship, the threat of losing their homes, domestic abuse, bereavement or separation from a loved one who is dying, the personal trauma must be quite profound. Every teacher, school staff member, garda, health professional, social welfare officer, housing officer and provider of social care needs to know how to respond appropriately to their service users so as not to retraumatise them....