Results 121-140 of 1,037,119 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Paul Gavan OR speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Pat Buckley)

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Pat Buckley: Absolutely.

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: You are okay.

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: I might help. A girl called Michelle O'Shea from Golden, who is disabled, has a video out at the minute about access. I encourage people to look at her video.

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Pat Buckley: Mr. Deering said in his opening statement: "To ensure public bodies respect the dignity and worth of every individual interacting with them, we developed a guide for staff of the Office of the Ombudsman in 2023..." Has that guidance been rolled out? Sometimes, people come into our offices to talk about how terribly they were treated by such-and-such an organisation. They describe people...

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: We also want to be associated with what Senator Craughwell has said. Coming back to the immigration end of it and the integration in communities, we see people being moved who have been living, for example, in Borrisokane in my county of Tipperary, for ten or 12 years and are integrated into the football clubs, the Tidy Towns and the whole lot. What are the Ombudsman's views on that? We...

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: Senator Craughwell was talking about the language that is being used. The Ombudsman himself said it. Has the Ombudsman had many complaints about, for example, local radio or national radio? As we said, it is scandalous that people are being painted as rapists, paedophiles, undocumented and unvetted. In some stations, there does not seem to be any impartiality to try to stop that kind of...

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: In 2020, the then Ombudsman, Mr. Peter Tyndall, was dealing with complaints about water services. Irish Water, or Uisce Éireann as it is now known, was set up to take control of this. We see boil-water notices daily, and there are places with water outages, etc., for months. There is frustration among the public and ourselves. We have a direct line to the organisation, trying to get...

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: In his opening statement the Ombudsman said, "The Ombudsman team has developed a strong and insightful knowledge and empathetic approach to dealing with complainants and complaints in what can be delicate and emotive circumstances." With the Ombudsman's current resources, what does the future look like? Does he reckon that future will guarantee timely, efficient and effective resolution to...

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: Is Mr. Deering satisfied the recommendations his office has made are being implemented? He has noted his frustration about the implementation of recommendations outlined in the Wasted Lives report on the nursing homes issue. Are there other areas in which he is finding there is more resistance and is there anything the committee can do to improve that?

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: I give a guarantee on that and I think other members will as well. We hope to get Mr. Deering back as early as possible in the new term to address the housing issues discussed earlier and disability.

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: I hope so. Does Deputy Buckley have any comments?

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Pat Buckley: None other than thanking Mr. Deering. It has always been a pleasure. Some committees think it is a bashing competition, but we like to try to make it as progressive as we can. When you open up the art of conversation, it is amazing what things you can do and the things that can happen. The Chair mentioned Uisce Éireann. Its to-and-fro servicing, even with us as elected...

Committee on Public Petitions: Office of the Ombudsman Annual Report 2022 and Related Matters: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: I can guarantee that as Cathaoirleach, and I would say there will not be a problem with it. We will do what we can and encourage Mr. Deering to make contact once he gets a reply from the HSE. We can then ask him back again. As others have said, it has been very informative and it is lovely to get someone in who is so forthcoming with information. As we all know, there are times dealing...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: I propose that the petitions considered by the committee at this meeting and previous meetings may be published, and that the replies from the Departments and other bodies may be published. Is that agreed? Agreed. We have four petitions for consideration. The first is P00002/24 and is entitled "Fairness for Existing Work Permit Holders: We want to stay and contribute". It was submitted...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (11 Jul 2024)

Pat Buckley: Yes, Chair, I want to make a brief comment. I know the building and it is an eyesore. In fairness to this lady, she has ticked every box that she is supposed to and she does not seem to be getting any help, at any angle. We are the petitions committee - the last resort. Could we also write to the relevant Minister and flag this lady's case? We need to find out, once and for all, who is...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: I agree. It is crazy that a family is living under that kind of pressure. The Derelict Sites Act 1990 and the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1964 can be applied in this case. Surely someone in the county council or the Department should be able to identify who owns the site. They should be forced to take measures to make it safe. Health and safety seems to be a big issue there.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (11 Jul 2024)

Pat Buckley: There could be issues with preservation orders and so on. We have a Department that looks after that as well.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (11 Jul 2024)

Martin Browne: I second the Deputy's proposal that we write to the Department and Cork County Council to try to get answers for the petitioner. Is that agreed? Agreed. P00048/24, "Request for an Oireachtas committee to consider extensions to maternity, adoptive, paternity, parental and parents leave in the case of multiple births", is from Mr. Christopher McCann. The petition states: I request the...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (11 Jul 2024)

Pat Buckley: I would be interested to see what comes back.