Seanad Éireann

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Seanad Éireann Vol. 238 Tuesday, No. 1 17 February 2015 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 17/02/2015A00100Business of Seanad 2 17/02/2015B00200Commencement Matters 3 17/02/2015B00225Commencement Matters 3 17/02/2015B00250Drainage Schemes Status 3 17/02/2015D00100Ambulance Service Provision ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5 17/02/2015F00500Public Relations Contracts Expenditure 8 17/02/2015O00100Order of Business 11 17/02/2015CC00200Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages 24 SEANAD ÉIREANN Dé Máirt, 17 Feabhra 2015 Tuesday, 17 February 2015 Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 230 pm Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer. 17/02/2015A00100Business of Seanad 17/02/2015A00200An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator Denis O’Donovan that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to provide an update on the progress of Bandon’s main drainage and sewerage scheme and to confirm, in so far as is practicable, whether Irish Water is changing the consultant’s recom- mendations in favour of the town’s existing and obsolete drainage and sewerage scheme I have also received notice from Senator John Kelly of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to address the need for more paramedics in the west I have also received notice from Senator Rónán Mullen of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to set out the expenditure by the Saolta hospital group on external press relations consultants for the months of January and February to date and to provide details of outstanding invoices received for these months I have also received notice from Senator Colm Burke of the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to clarify the current position on housing grants which will be made available for the adapta- tion of local authority houses to accommodate individuals within a family with a physical or an intellectual disability I have also received notice from Senator Mary Ann O’Brien of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to provide an update on the Health Research Board’s review of the international evidence on the fluoridation of water and to indicate when its findings are likely to be published, given that they were expected in December 2014. 2 17 February 2015 I have also received notice from Senator Mary M. White of the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to address as a matter of urgency the case of a homeless family, details supplied, in Sandyford, County Dublin I have also received notice from Senator James Heffernan of the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to establish an environment ombudsman office to deal with complaints made against the En- vironmental Protection Agency I have also received notice from Senator Thomas Byrne of the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to urgently reform and implement properly the mortgage-to-rent scheme I regard the matters raised by Senators Denis O’Donovan, John Kelly, Rónán Mullen, Colm Burke, Mary Ann O’Brien, James Heffernan and Thomas Byrne as suitable for discussion I have selected the matters raised by Senators O’Donovan, John Kelly, Rónán Mullen and Colm Burke and they will be taken now Senators Mary Ann O’Brien, James Heffernan and Thomas Byrne may give notice on another day of the matters they wish to raise I regret that I have to rule out of order the matter raised by Senator Mary White as the Minister has no official respon- sibility in the matter Senator Colm Burke has withdrawn his motion 17/02/2015B00200Commencement Matters 17/02/2015B00225Commencement Matters 17/02/2015B00250Drainage Schemes Status 17/02/2015B00300An Cathaoirleach: I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly 17/02/2015B00400Senator Denis O’Donovan: I thank the Minister for coming to the House to discuss this important issue On 19 November 2009 an appalling event occurred in Bandon town when the River Bandon burst its banks. The resulting flooding was of a type seen approximately once in 100 years, causing extensive damage to homes and premises Many property owners in the town are still unable to obtain insurance against flooding. Residents and business owners are dumbfounded that following a costly obligatory consul- tation process on the development of a new drainage and sewerage scheme for the town, Irish Water has apparently torn up the consultant’s recommendation and instead proposes to pursue a solution based on the existing, obsolete infrastructure It seems the company is trying to get 3 Seanad Éireann away with a rather cheap solution in recommending that a one-pipe system will be adequate In rejecting this proposal, experts, engineers and residents note the irony that while home owners and farmers are obliged to upgrade their septic tanks, Irish Water sees fit to put forward such an anti-environmental solution in the current regulatory climate Will the Minister insist on this second-rate solution not being acceptable in Bandon or any- where else in Ireland? Irish Water should not be allowed to get away with it. If it is a ques- tion of funding alone, where is the money that was ring-fenced for this purpose, with cast iron promises from various Ministers in both the current Government and its predecessor? I was in Bandon in the aftermath of that dire flooding and saw premises under 5 ft. and 6 ft. of water. The townspeople have been extremely patient but I am asking the Minister to give a guarantee today that they will get the best scheme possible and construction will begin sooner rather than later. It is past time this issue was addressed. It is almost six years since that appalling flood and nobody can guarantee that a similar event will not take place along the Bandon river basin If it should do so before the drainage infrastructure is in place, it will be a disaster The related flood relief scheme, which is being dealt with by the Office of Public Works, must also proceed as quickly as possible I hope the Minister will give me good news to take back to west Cork 17/02/2015B00500Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Alan Kelly): I hope to do so I thank the Senator for providing me with the opportunity to outline the current status of wastewater services in Bandon State investment in water services in- frastructure was previously channelled through my Department’s water services investment programme and the rural water programme, a function which is now largely devolved to local authorities The high-level goal of the water services investment programme was to ensure the timing and scale of such investment facilitated economic and other development, compliance with statutory requirements for drinking water and wastewater treatment, and the achievement of environmental sustainability objectives Bandon sewerage scheme phase 2 was included in the last investment programme which ran from 2010 to the end of 2013, with work to be carried out under separate contracts for the network and an upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant as well. As the Senator is no doubt aware, since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has had statutory responsibility for all aspects of water planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels This includes responsibility for the delivery of water services capital infrastruc- ture Shortly after the transfer of responsibilities from local authorities to the new utility, Irish Water published its proposed capital investment plan for the period 2014 to 2016, which is available on its website Under the capital investment plan, investment is prioritised where it can deliver the most urgently needed improvements in drinking water quality, leakage, water availability, wastewater compliance, efficiencies and customer service. The Bandon sewerage scheme is included in the investment plan and Irish Water has pro- vided me with an update on progress on the scheme I understand Bandon is served by a com- bined sewer system which collects storm and foul flows. The network suffers from flooding because it is overloaded and I am aware of the floods to which the Senator referred. The initial design included a two pipe system in the town, with new storm and foul combined sewers For practical reasons, the storm pipes were only capable of removing about 25% of the storm flows from the foul system and did not resolve the flooding problem. Irish Water has redesigned a scheme to fully resolve the flooding problem, comply with re- quired environmental standards and to have capacity for future foul flows if they arise. The ini- 4 17 February 2015 tial design of the scheme would have cost some
Recommended publications
  • Political Dynasties and the Selection of Cabinet Ministers∗
    Political Dynasties and the Selection of Cabinet Ministers∗ Daniel M. Smithy Shane Martinz May 16, 2016 Abstract We investigate whether politicians whose family relatives previously served in parliament and cabinet enjoy a competitive “legacy advantage” in progressing from the backbenches to cab- inet. This advantage may stem from two potential mechanisms: a direct effect attributable to the informational advantages of legacies, or an indirect effect that operates through greater electoral strength. We evaluate the relative contribution of each mechanism using candidate- level data from Irish parliamentary elections and cabinets from 1944-2016. Our results reveal that politicians with a family history in cabinet do enjoy an advantage in cabinet selection, and that this advantage cannot be attributed simply to greater electoral popularity. Keywords: political dynasties, ministerial selection, Ireland Word count: 9,156 (excluding references and online appendix) ∗We thank Mark Daley, Anna Gomez, Max Goplerud, Darragh Nolan, and Aaron Roper for research assistance, and Matt Blackwell, Gary Cox, Jon Fiva, Simo Goshev, Torben Iversen, Horacio Larreguy, Phillip Lipscy, Kenneth McElwain, Benjamin Nyblade, Dustin Tingley, David Willumsen, Ista Zahn, and Christopher Kam and three anony- mous reviewers for helpful comments. yAssistant Professor, Department of Government, Harvard University. Email: [email protected] (Corresponding author). zReader in Comparative Politics, Department of Government, University of Essex. E-mail: [email protected]. Under parliamentarism, the cabinet “emerges from” the legislature and represents the apex of po- litical power. Scholars have thus long sought to understand which political parties win cabinet seats, particularly in coalition governments, as the interparty distribution of ministerial portfolios can impact policy outputs (Laver and Schofield, 1998; Strøm, Muller¨ and Bergman, 2003; Back,¨ Debus and Dumont, 2011).
    [Show full text]
  • Taking Ireland Forward Together CITYWEST HOTEL, DUBLIN 16Th – 17Th November 2018
    79th ÁRD FHEIS Taking Ireland Forward Together CITYWEST HOTEL, DUBLIN 16th – 17th November 2018 #FGAF18 CONTENTS Information Connacht/Ulster Candidates 4 17 5 Standing Orders 20 Dublin Candidates 6 What’s Happening 22 Leinster Candidates Message from the Munster Candidates 8 General Secretary 25 General Election Candidates Message from 28 9 An Taoiseach Leo VaradkarTD 30 Accounts Executive Council 10 Nominations 2018 Motions for Debate 32 11 Presidential Candidate 43 Site Maps 12 Vice Presidential Candidates Parliamentary Party Candidates 13 Council of Local Public 16 Representatives Candidates #FGAF18 ARD FHEIS 2018 // 3 INFORMATION REGISTRATION & PRE-REGISTRATION ELECTIONS & VOTING Don’t worry if you haven’t pre-registered for Voting will take place on the Ground Floor of the Árd Fheis. You can still register, but please the Convention Centre between 1.00pm and be aware that you must do so at the Citywest 4.00pm. To vote, members must produce a valid Convention Centre. Membership Card (2018/19) and a Delegate Card and will be asked to produce photo I.D. Registration will take place from 4.00pm to The following are entitled to vote: all Public 8.00pm on Friday and 9.00am to 5.00pm on Representatives, members of Executive Council, Saturday. Constituency and District Officers and five Delegates will be required to produce their delegates per Branch. membership card and photo I.D. Travelling companions will have to be vouched for by a VOTING APPEALS member. The Ethics Committee (Gerry O’Connell, Eileen Lynch, Tom Curran (Gen. Sec), Brian Murphy, COLLECTION OF ACCREDITATION Mary Danagher, Fiona O’Connor, John Hogan) will Delegates who have registered but have not convene in the Carraig Suite between 1.00pm.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Legal Landmarks
    Women’s Legal Landmarks Celebrating the History of Women and Law in the UK and Ireland Edited by Erika Rackley and Rosemary Auchmuty HART PUBLISHING Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Kemp House , Chawley Park, Cumnor Hill, Oxford , OX2 9PH , UK HART PUBLISHING, the Hart/Stag logo, BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain 2019 Reprinted 2019 Copyright © The editors and contributors severally 2019 The editors and contributors have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identifi ed as Authors of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this work, no responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any statement in it can be accepted by the authors, editors or publishers. All UK Government legislation and other public sector information used in the work is Crown Copyright © . All House of Lords and House of Commons information used in the work is Parliamentary Copyright © . This information is reused under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 ( http://www. nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 ) except where otherwise stated. All Eur-lex material used in the work is © European Union, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/ , 1998–2019.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Electoral
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Electoral Institutions and Information Shortcuts: The Effect of Decisive Intraparty Competition on the Behavior of Voters and Party Elites A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science by Melody Ellis Valdini Committee in charge: Professor Matthew Shugart, Chair Professor Lisa Baldez Professor Shaun Bowler Professor Maria Charles Professor Karen Ferree Professor Samuel Popkin 2006 Copyright Melody Ellis Valdini, 2006 All rights reserved. The dissertation of Melody Ellis Valdini is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm: _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2006 iii DEDICATION In recognition of his never-ending support, generosity, care, and love, this dissertation is dedicated to the sweetest person I’ve ever known, Andy Ellis Valdini. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page ...............................................................................................................iii Dedication...................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents...........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Irish Political Review, January 2007
    Workers' Control Douglas Gageby Frank Aiken Conor Lynch John Martin Pat Walsh page 26 page 6 page 14 IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW January 2007 Vol.22, No.12 ISSN 0790-7672 and Northern Star incorporating Workers' Weekly Vol.21 No.1 ISSN 954-5891 The Haughey Settlement ? Blackwash: As far as democracy is concerned, Northern Ireland is a No-man's-land between two Moriarty Presumes states. The two states threw it into chaos in 1969, and Provisional Republicanism emerged from the chaos. The two states have ever since had the object of tidying away After the great age of the Enlighten- the North, sealing it up, and forgetting about it until the next time. ment the Germans brought forth a mouse. It may be that they are about to succeed. The signs are that Sinn Fein is about to sign That was Friedrich Nietzsche's contempt- up for a pig-in-a-poke in the matter of policing; and that the DUP is about to accept as uous comment on Martin Luther and the democracy an arrangement which it understands very well not to be democracy. Protestant Reformation. And we hear that A subordinate layer of local government, conducted under the supervision of the state Dermot "the Kaiser" Desmond has said authority, with its power of decision crippled by peculiar arrangements designed to the same about the Moriarty Tribunal shackle the majority, is not something which would be recognised as democracy by the following the millions it has spent on political strata of the British or Irish states if applied to their own affairs.
    [Show full text]
  • Local Government Arrangements in Cork the Report of the Cork Local
    Local Government Arrangements in Cork The Report of the Cork Local Government Committee September 2015 Contents Contents .............................................................................................................................. 2 Chair’s Foreword ................................................................................................................4 Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 8 Recommendations and next steps ................................................................................... 9 1. Introduction................................................................................................................ 13 1.1 Establishment of the Committee....................................................................... 13 1.2 Work of the Committee .................................................................................... 14 2. Setting the Context..................................................................................................... 16 2.1 A word on areas and their definitions............................................................... 16 2.2 The historical context ....................................................................................... 18 2.3 The international context.................................................................................. 20 2.4 The national context ........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • PUBLIC AFFAIRS IRELAND NEWSLETTER Your Essential Weekly Guide to Legislative, Regulatory and Public Affairs in Ireland Issue 302 February 17 2014
    PUBLIC AFFAIRS IRELAND NEWSLETTER Your essential weekly guide to legislative, regulatory and public affairs in Ireland Issue 302 February 17 2014 Oireachtas Update This week the legislation being considered in the Dáil includes the Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 and the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013. The Seanad will consider the ESB (Electronic Communications Network) Bill 2013 and hear statements on the operation of the Teaching Council of Ireland on Wednesday. The Transport and Communications Committee will meet on Wednesday to scrutinise the proposed Sport Ireland Bill 2014 and the implications of a merger of the Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority. News and Appointments Update Rónán Ó Domhnaill nominated for the position of An Coimisinéir Teanga Mr. Rónán Ó Domhnaill has been nominated by the Government to be appointed to the position of An Coimisinéir Teanga. The appointment will be made subject to resolutions being passed by Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. A motion regarding the appointment of An Coimisineir Teanga will be heard in the Dáil tomorrow and in the Seanad on Thursday. Mr. Ó Domhnaill will succeed Mr. Seán Ó Cuirreáin who will be resigning from his post on 23 February 2014. Mr Ó Cuirreáin resigned his position amid claims that the Irish language is being marginalised by the system of public administration. A protest was staged in Dublin on Saturday calling for more recognition of the Irish language as organisers stated that those living in Gaeltacht areas around the country are not able to access State services through Irish. Mr. Ó Domhnaill has been a political correspondent with Nuacht RTÉ/TG4 for the past seven years.
    [Show full text]
  • Evening Echo by Tim Ryan, Oireachtas Correspondent Extra Funding Sought for Grove Cottage, Togher the Need for Extra Funding
    Evening Echo By Tim Ryan, Oireachtas Correspondent Extra funding sought for Grove Cottage, Togher The need for extra funding for Grove Cottage, the Togher family support service was raised in the Upper House by Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer. Some 77 children and families availed of the service last year, he said. “This group of people fall between private and public funding and cannot afford a service at the prices being asked but are accommodated by the Togher Family Support Service,” he said. “The centre is hugely important in the area of family law and child care and caters for estranged parents in a variety of different relationships.” He said the centre ensures there is an environment where relationships can be rebuilt, advice and support are offered and professional supervision is provided for our most vulnerable at a critical time in their lives, whether they are recovering from addiction or coming out of domestic abuse or sexual violence. In response, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone said the centre receives funding from her Department under the Early Childhood Care and Education, ECCE, scheme and the Community Childcare Subvention, CCS, scheme. “Funding to Togher family centre under both schemes to date in 2017 comes to a total of just over €295,000,” she said. “In 2017, funding of more than €30,000 was also provided by my Department, through the Cork Education and Training Board, for the Togher youth resilience project, which is based in Togher Family Centre.” “My Department has also received an application from the centre for Community Employment Sustainability funding in the early years sector.
    [Show full text]
  • Seanad General Election, April 2011 and Bye-Elections to 2007-11 Seanad Seanad General Election 2011 Rev16 19/12/2012 10:02 Page 1
    Seanad Election Cover 19/12/2012 09:36 Page 1 Olltoghchán don Seanad, Aibreán 2011 agus Corrthoghcháin do Sheanad 2007-11 Seanad General Election, April 2011 and Bye-Elections to 2007-11 Seanad Seanad General Election 2011_rev16 19/12/2012 10:02 Page 1 SEANAD ÉIREANN OLLTOGHCHÁN DON SEANAD, AIBREÁN 2011 agus Corrthoghcháin do Sheanad 2007-11 SEANAD GENERAL ELECTION, APRIL 2011 and Bye-Elections to 2007-11 Seanad BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH ARNA FHOILSIÚ AG OIFIG AN tSOLÁTHAIR Le ceannach díreach ón OIFIG DHÍOLTA FOILSEACHÁN RIALTAIS, TEACH SUN ALLIANCE, SRÁID THEACH LAIGHEAN, BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH 2, nó tríd an bpost ó FOILSEACHÁIN RIALTAIS, AN RANNÓG POST-TRÁCHTA, AONAD 20 PÁIRC MIONDÍOLA COIS LOCHA, CLÁR CHLAINNE MHUIRIS, CONTAE MHAIGH EO, (Teil: 01 - 6476834 nó 1890 213434; Fax: 094 - 9378964 nó 01 - 6476843) nó trí aon díoltóir leabhar. ------ DUBLIN PUBLISHED BY THE STATIONERY OFFICE To be purchased directly from the GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALE OFFICE, SUN ALLIANCE HOUSE, MOLESWORTH STREET, DUBLIN 2, or by mail order from GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS, POSTAL TRADE SECTION, UNIT 20 LAKESIDE RETAIL PARK, CLAREMORRIS, CO. MAYO, (Tel: 01 - 6476834 or 1890 213434; Fax: 094 - 9378964 or 01 - 6476843) or through any bookseller. ------ €12.95 Seanad General Election 2011_rev16 19/12/2012 10:02 Page 2 © Government of Ireland 2012 Seanad General Election 2011_rev16 19/12/2012 10:02 Page 3 CLÁR CONTENTS Page Seanad General Election - Explanatory Notes … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 4 Seanad General Election, 2011 Statistical Summary- Panel Elections …
    [Show full text]
  • Don't Tax Our Health Choices!
    DON’T TAX OUR HEALTH CHOICES! From March 1st 2019 the Government will be applying VAT at 23% to all Vitamin, Probiotic & Food Supplements. These supplements have been VAT free for the last 40 years! A2 POSTER CODE: VAT03 A4 POSTER CODE: VAT04 +23% Available from Wholefoods VAT HEALTH IS NOT A LUXURY! SIGN THE PETITION TODAY! @stopthisvat www.stopthisvat.ie What is happening: The Revenue Commissioners have decided that on March 1st 2019, 23% VAT will be applied to all health food supplements. This includes Vitamins, Probiotics and Fish Oil. What does this mean? On March 1st 2019, retailers must apply 23% VAT to all health food supplements, resulting in a 23% price increase for consumers. Such a sudden and radical increase in taxation will put a huge strain on consumers and cause many to have to reconsider their approach towards managing their health. This is bound to seriously damage the local Irish businesses that are the cornerstone of the industry sector, particularly if consumers turn to the international Internet to try and obtain a better priced product. What can I do: • Sign the petition (online and in-store) which can be found at www.stopthisvat.ie. • Additional petition hardcopies are available from Wholefoods Wholesale (product code: VAT02). Wholefoods drivers will happily take completed petitions back from you. Please ensure that all petitions are returned to Wholefoods by February 18th. • Actively encourage customers to sign the petition and highlight what VAT will mean for their purchases. • Email or write to your local minister or TD. Sample text can be found on page 3 of this document.
    [Show full text]
  • Irish Cabinet 2020-2025
    ROCKwOOD PUBLIC AFFAIRS BRIEFING IRISH CABINET 2020-2025 www.rockwood.ie June 2020 Cabinet 2020-2025 Negotiations on a Programme for Government commenced on Thursday 7th May 2020 between Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. The Programme was overwhelmingly ratified by all three parties on Friday 26th June. On Saturday 27th June, Micheál Martin (FF) was appointed to the position of An Taoiseach by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins following his election by TDs in Dail Eireann. The fifteen senior cabinet positions comprise of six members of Fianna Fáil, six members of Fine Gael and three members of the Green Party. There is also one Government Chief Whip (Fianna Fáil), one "super junior" Minister from Fine Gael and one from the Green Party. All three attend cabinet but do not have voting rights. The Attorney General and the Secretary General of the Department of An Taoiseach also attend cabinet meetings. Newly appointed Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, with President Michael D. Higgins after receiving his seal of offfice 2 Micheál Martin TD | An Taoiseach DOB: 01/08/1960 Leader of the Opposition (Feb 2011-June 2020) Constituency: Cork South Central Leader of Fianna Fáil (Jan 2011-present) Party: Fianna Fáíl Minister for Foreign Affairs (2008-2011) First elected: 1989 Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment (2011-14) Education: University College Cork Minister for Health & Children (2004-2008) Profession: Teacher Minister for Education & Science (1997-2007) Lord Mayor of Cork (1992-1993) Leo Varadkar TD | An Tánaiste & Minister for Enterprise,Trade & Employment DOB: 18/01/1979 Taoisach (May 2017-June 2020) Constituency: Dublin West Leader of Fine Gael (May 2017-present) Party: Fine Gael Minister for Health (2014-16) First elected: 2007 Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport (2011-14) Education: Trinity College Dublin Cllr.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual+Report+2006.Pdf
    Irish Human Rights Commission annual report 2006 Item Type Report Authors Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) Publisher Irish Human Rights Commission Download date 26/09/2021 22:48:17 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10147/74173 Find this and similar works at - http://www.lenus.ie/hse Report interior_SL.qxd 30/08/2007 16:59 Page i Irish Human RIghts Commission Annual Report 2006 Report interior_SL.qxd 30/08/2007 16:59 Page ii Irish Human Rights Commission | Annual Report 2006 ii Report interior_SL.qxd 30/08/2007 16:59 Page iii Irish Human Rights Commission | Annual Report 2006 CONTENTS Contents Mission Statement iv Foreword by the President vi Introduction by the Chief Executive 2 The Commission 6 Casework 12 Legislation and Policy Review 18 Promotion of Human Rights Awareness 24 International Work 28 Corporate Services 32 Appendices 44 iii Report interior_SL.qxd 30/08/2007 16:59 Page iv Irish Human Rights Commission | Annual Report 2006 MISSION STATEMENT “Our mission is to promote and sustain the realisation, protection and awareness of human rights, equally, for all, in law, in policy and in practice” iv Report interior_SL.qxd 30/08/2007 16:59 Page v FOREWORD Report interior_SL.qxd 30/08/2007 16:59 Page vi Irish Human Rights Commission | Annual Report 2006 FOREWORD` Foreword The IHRC continued over the past year to engage in major policy areas where human rights issues The year 2006 marked the final year of the Irish arose, publishing observations or papers on such Human Rights Commission’s (IHRC) first strategic issues as ‘Extra-ordinary Rendition’, child plan, Promoting and Protecting Human Rights in protection, de facto couples, indeterminate Irish Society – 2003–2006.
    [Show full text]