Results 401-420 of 11,589 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy for his question. I am conscious that many young people emigrate from Ireland and go to Australia. That happened many years ago as well as now. I am sure, as the Deputy said, many go to try to get accommodation. I would advise that when they get to Australia they will find there is a similar housing issue there. Accommodation costs and the price of housing in Australia...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy. I am concerned about the impending increase in private health insurance. It is obviously a big issue for people who are hit with these increases. In terms of what can be done with insurance companies, I will obviously speak to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, in respect of the Department of Health and what can be done in respect of that in terms of her position as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist a chuir sí orm. Is ceist an-tábhachtach í. Bhí imní orm nuair a chonaic mé na daoine taobh amuigh den Dáil cúpla lá ó shin agus iad ar stailc ocrais. Beidh mé ag caint leis an Aire oideachais faoin gceist sin. I am also very concerned about what I have seen recently. This issue...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will speak to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, in respect of the matters the Deputy has raised. It is unfair to say that the State does not face up to its financial responsibilities arising from terrible events that happened in the past. It clearly has done. I identified the Magdalen laundries scheme and other redress schemes that have been introduced. People have been provided for. I am...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am not going to identify the other EU country as of yet.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I do not want to put the focus on that country or the entity. In terms of the issues that arise, one of the difficulties is that many of us have granted permission to use apps to gain certain services on our mobile phones, for instance weather apps, location apps or maps. This can have the impact that we are giving information out about our location. I am not suggesting all responsibility...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Of course it does not but notwithstanding that, if we manage to put ourselves in a situation where we are not making the information available it cannot then subsequently be sold on. This is a recommendation I make. It is certainly inappropriate for it to be sold on and I know the DPC is looking at it. Further engagement will take place in respect of it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I have not noticed any elbows out at Cabinet when it comes to budget negotiations. In fairness to Ministers, their objective is to try to ensure they can get sufficient resources to fund their Department for the year ahead. In my area of justice, it is something I am seeking to do but I also have to be conscious and responsible that we need to keep restraint on public spending....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is unfair of her to describe the budget introduced last year as "a giveaway on steroids". When the one-off measures were introduced, I do not recall anyone in opposition describing them as that. In fact, they were wholeheartedly accepted and there was no criticism of them by Opposition Members.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Child poverty is an extremely important issue from the point of view of the Government. I have no doubt that when Members see the budget that will be announced next week they will see recognition given to the importance of child poverty from the Government's point of view. In terms of a second tier of children's allowance, as the Deputy identified, I cannot give an assurance or confirmation...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: All of the contracts are being reviewed as they are come up for expiration. That is why I have managed to bring about a situation where we have achieved savings of over €50 million this year as a result of renegotiating 100 contracts. The Deputy asked whether or not I accept the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General. It is apparent from the report and if the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: -----that in respect of each recommendation, the response of the Department of justice is agreed. We agree with the findings set out in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report. What we need to do, however, is to try to ensure that we can reduce the cost on the State. We have a new rate card in place which will ensure we pay lesser amounts for the accommodation. The new...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will certainly ensure there are efficiencies in the system. I am achieving efficiencies in the system. I want to get more State accommodation purchased but we need to recognise that when the contracts are coming up for negotiation, I and my Department will ensure that we get the best deal possible for the State.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy for her question. I did see the “Prime Time” programme two weeks ago and I thought it was very concerning. It was an issue of considerable concern to me, not that fact that I or, indeed, other politicians were identified in it, but the potential that was there for brokers, of whom we were unaware, to sell on the market details about an individual’s...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy for her question. I welcome that yesterday the Comptroller and Auditor General's published his report for 2024. One of the items in it, as she identified, was a chapter on the management of IPAS contracts. That report is helpful because it sets out, what no doubt the Deputy believes as well as I believe, how spending on IPAS has increased significantly in recent years....

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I think I had indicated everything I wanted to say. I am conscious that it was last July we were here, so just to remind people, the amendments we are talking about seek to change the situation in respect of the proposal to abolish juries. One of the points I mentioned the last time is that the law at present is that the plaintiff, the person taking the defamation action, can decide whether...

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will make a brief one. I suppose the point Senator Stephenson is making is a court could direct that a defamation action would be heard with a jury, if it were in the interests of justice to make such an order. Again, how is a court supposed to determine that one case should be heard by a jury in the interests of justice and the other should not? We would need to have a statutory scheme...

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Senator McDowell for his interesting contribution. At the heart of it is his submission that the proposal within the Bill is illogical because we will have a situation where defamation actions will now not be heard by a jury, whereas other actions, such as assault, could be heard by a jury. It is important to emphasise at the outset that when you look at the civil law system that...

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: They might be told they are better off going in front of a jury because overwhelmingly the jury is going to like and respect them. However, that gives a distortion to what the administration of justice is about. It is not the administration of popularity. Cases are not determined on the basis of who is more popular or who is less popular. Cases are determined and justice is administered...

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Senators McDowell and Ruane for their contributions. For anyone watching, it is important to point out that this is not just Senator McDowell's amendment. I do not want to give the impression that he is a lone voice here. This amendment has been put down by Senators McDowell, Boyhan, Clonan, Conway, McCarthy and Keogan. All those Senators want to retain juries in the High Court....