Results 141-160 of 199 for like to work speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment ) Act 1998: Motions (19 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Here we are again. At the same time every year we debate this. Every year we in Sinn Féin oppose it and argue for more time to debate it and every year we are denied and the motion passes. We all will be aware of the background to the Offences against the State Act and I am not going to rehash it yet again today. This legislation undermines human rights, civil liberties and...

Public Sector Management (Appointment of Senior Members of the Garda Síochána) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (18 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I commend Deputy Ross on his Bill. Given the various scandals that have emerged in the administration of justice, we need to challenge the political control of policing and particularly the appointment of senior police officers by a Minister and, in turn, backed by the Government. We have seen various examples of this. The former Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, announced the closure...

Death and Burial of Children in Mother and Baby Homes: Motion [Private Members] (10 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Whenever we start to digest the full horror of all the stories that have emerged not recently but for several years we must go back to its roots. Where did it all go wrong? What was at the root of it? Let us consider this building, in particular. We are surrounded by the leaders of the 1916 Rising and icons of our struggle for independence. They helped to formulate the Proclamation, the...

Reform of Judicial Appointments Procedures Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The Reform of Judicial Appointments Procedures Bill 2013 was published in January last year and it seeks to increase transparency and accountability in judicial appointments. Confidence in the justice system is contingent on a Judiciary which is free from political control and political or other bias. It is essential that there is an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Annual Report 2013: Office of the Ombudsman (4 Jun 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will recommend that the clerk to the committee meet with the witnesses soon. He has considerable experience of working in these areas in respect of innovations and so on. I could also attend that meeting. Will the Ombudsman write to us about any outstanding issues relating to medical cards which have not been addressed? We can then write to the Department. The Ombudsman’s...

Guerin Report: Statements (15 May 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: ...reflect on the lessons that must be learned. As Sinn Féin spokesperson on justice I will give the Minister a fair wind. Although I am happy with the announcements she has made so far in response to some of these crises, I will detail, with the Minister present, what has gone wrong. The Morris tribunal in my home county, Donegal, revealed an appalling abuse of power by the Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Protected Disclosures in the Public Interest (7 May 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Minister cannot resist the opportunity to pass the buck. His stewardship over two Departments is an absolute bloody disaster. PDFORRA, which represents the vast majority of men and women serving in our Defence Forces, has expressed grave concerns about the decision he made in this matter. No aspersion is being cast on retired Colonel Anthony McCourt, but PDFORRA is making the obvious...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014: Discussion (9 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The Law Society of Ireland submission made an important point. The submission referred to this welcome legislative development and suggested structural reform should take place in tandem. It referred specifically to the commitment in the programme for Government for a family court system. This links in to the view expressed by One Family on the need for a court welfare system and the...

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: ...at that time against Jewish people and Gypsies. The Nazis slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Gypsies and Roma during the Holocaust and this is not often given the focus it needs. We need to learn the lessons of that period and I condemn the dangerous morons responsible for some of the incidents against the Minister in recent days. All right-thinking citizens utterly condemn such...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Report on Human Trafficking: Scoil Phobail Bhéara (2 Apr 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: ...and challenges in the State but every now and again one is pleasantly surprised in politics when one least expects it. I found the presentation inspirational. It gives me much excitement as to what the future holds for this country to see young women of such calibre make an outstanding presentation. I wish to indulge the students. Ms O’Shea quoted William Wilberforce. I am...

Government's Priorities for the Year Ahead: Statements (Resumed) (5 Mar 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is the respect he has for this House. It was a load of bloody nonsense. If Ministers can schedule three days to make congratulatory speeches, they can listen to the responses from the Opposition following their nonsense speeches. There are three Ministers in the Department of Justice and Equality, but not one of them is here to engage with us. It is an absolute farce. However, I...

Allegations in relation to An Garda Síochána: Statements (Resumed) (26 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: There is a predictable pattern to these statements. Obviously, the Opposition will express criticism and deal with our concerns and the Government Ministers and backbenchers will speak to the virtues of the Minister and so on. I will get that out of the way first. The Minister has been extremely hard working and has brought through a large amount of legislation. In the main, he is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Child Care in Ireland: Discussion (20 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank the Chairman for giving me the opportunity to speak here today. I am very familiar with the work of the Donegal County Childcare Committee, as is my colleague, Deputy McConalogue. We are very fortunate to have members on that committee of such professionalism and capacity to assist us with addressing child care issues as they arise in the county. Regarding the report before us, I...

Reports of Unlawful Surveillance of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Statements (11 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The report in The Sunday Times was disturbing and alarming for citizens across this State. To put it kindly, we have had a problematic 18 months in terms of public confidence in the Minister's ability to preside over and assist, depending on what body it is, the GSOC or An Garda Síochána. When previous issues came into the public domain relating to the GSOC, the Minister's...

Other Questions: Penal Policy Review Group Report (5 Feb 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We had some engagement on this already, but I would like to say that our committee worked very hard over quite a period of time putting together our penal reform report, and we have five key recommendations, including the reduction of prison numbers by one third through decarceration over the next ten years, by examining the Fines Bill and by not imprisoning people for minor offences. The...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Department of Defence (Revised) (29 Jan 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: ...one very proud when one sees the calibre of people who are representing the country at that level. It is understandable that the Air Corps regularly submits requests for upgrades, new planes and to have older aircraft replaced. Those in charge want to have the best aircraft and equipment to the members of the Air Corps in order that they can do their jobs properly. I tabled a...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (22 Jan 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I move amendment No. 4: In page 8, line 4, to delete "12 months" and substitute "24 months".I welcome the Minister to the committee. This Bill is very much welcome, particularly in the context of the report on overcrowding in Cork Prison that was published some weeks ago. Unfortunately, many judges continue to imprison people for non-payment of fines, a practice which causes great...

Leaders' Questions (16 Jan 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Yesterday, the daughter of Máire Uí Dhomhnaill, an elderly cancer patient, told her mother's story. She was brought to that hospital at 5 p.m. last Monday evening and waited in the accident and emergency department for 14 hours in unbelievable conditions until 7 a.m. the following morning. Another woman who attended the accident and emergency department with her husband said:The...

Third Report of the Constitutional Convention - Same-Sex Marriage: Statements (17 Dec 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I congratulate the Constitutional Convention on its excellent work to date. I had some reservations initially but I am pleased to see the Constitutional Convention take on a life of its own and begin to undertake the task of making some much-needed changes to Bunreacht na hÉireann. When the Constitutional Convention met in April 2013 it was meeting to consider same-sex marriage. The...

Second Report of the Convention on the Constitution (Women in the Home): Statements (Resumed) (10 Oct 2013)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will only be approximately ten minutes. The rightful position of women in Irish society is as equals in every way. The 1937 Constitution should be amended to entrench unambiguously women's equality in all aspects of life as part of a comprehensive bill or charter of rights. Constitutional recognition should also be given to the unquestionable economic and social value of unpaid...