I move amendment No. 4: In page 14, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “(3) There may be paid by the Commission such allowances for expenses (if any), incurred by lay members on a panel established under section 46(2) , as the Commission may, with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform,determine.”. The amendment makes provision for the payment of allowances for expenses, if any, incurred by lay members on a panel established under section 46(2), with the new subs…

What we have said is "at least three". I felt one or two would not be sufficient. Three would ensure that we have at least one lay member, one member of the Judiciary and one additional person but it could be four. It can be additional numbers. In speaking to the Chief Justice, it would be desirable not to have the same three people all the time. That is something that will be made clear and we would need to make sure that happens. In terms of the competencies, it will be a matter for the commission to make sure th…

My view on this is that I do not see why any Attorney General, be they serving or retired or having moved on, should be disbarred at all for any particular period from applying. On the judicial appointments commission we have the Chief Justice and two other judicial members. We are not saying that they should at any point recuse themselves or not apply for a promotion or position for at least two years. They of course will be allowed to apply to progress their career in the same way.

They are but the Attorney General is not a member of Government; the Attorney General advises Government. I am not sure it should be a disadvantage to a person that they have taken on quite a significant and busy role. They would then be at a disadvantage having done that and having served not just the Government but the country in general. I am not sure that putting them at a disadvantage as opposed to other members of the commission is the right thing to do. The commission is independent and will set the criteria…

I thank the Senators for facilitating this motion today. Yesterday, the Government approved my request to seek its approval to opt in to this EU Commission proposal for a directive combating violence against women and domestic violence. The Dáil passed its motion on this matter yesterday evening. The political guidelines presented by the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, highlighted the need to prevent and combat violence against women, to protect victims and to punish offenders as a key priority f…

I thank Senators for the, I think, unanimous support for this motion. I appreciate there was short notice or a short timeframe but that is the way the opt-in motions work. It is important we send a very strong message not just nationally on what we are doing but also on an EU level and internationally that we will not tolerate any form of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence or violence against women. Opting into this at the start means we can be part of the legislative process to steer and direct how this EU …

I thank the Acting Chair for the opportunity to address the House on the actions my Department has taken, as well as my forthcoming plans, in respect of insurance reform. Insurance reform is a key priority for this Government, as we clearly heard from the Minister of State. It is reflected in the programme for Government, the Government’s action plan for insurance reform, and in my justice plan 2022. This is a whole-of-government effort. My Department has responsibility or part responsibility for 34 of the 66 actio…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combatting violence against women and domestic vi…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating this motion. Today, the Government approved my request to seek the House's approval to opt in to this European Commission proposal for a directive combating violence against women and domestic violence. Commission President von der Leyen's political guidelines highlighted the need to prevent and combat violence against women, to protect victims and to punish offenders as a key priority for the Commission. The European Parliament has also repeatedly called on the Commissi…

I thank Deputies for their unanimous support for this motion to opt into the Commission proposal. It is vital that we opt in, not just to show we are committed to dealing with this issue but also to make sure, at the very outset, that we are part of the discussion and conversation regarding any changes that may be necessary as this protocol is developed and legislation is drafted in order that it will work with our domestic legislation and with the legislative basis that exists here. More generally, there is a lot …

I too welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue. At the outset, I stress that we all want what is best for the people of Meath and the surrounding counties. That includes our family members and friends. We want to ensure everybody gets the best possible healthcare, that we have appropriate access to that healthcare in appropriate timeframes and that we are seen in the best possible places by the best possible people. That needs to be said clearly. That is what we all want. There have been understandable concern…

I apologise for being late. I had hoped to be here from the start. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, for stepping in. As Senators probably have outlined, this is legislation we were not perhaps expecting. I really appreciate the response and speed at which we have received support from both Houses to pass it. That one court alone had 120 cases that had to be adjourned speaks to how much we need to introduce the legislation as quickly as possible. We are undertaking a number of reviews in the Depar…

I concur with colleagues that it is important for all of us to stress how grateful we are to An Garda Síochána for the work it does, not least throughout Covid. I do not think there was a day off for anybody and Garda members stood up where they were asked and went above and beyond their duties. On my behalf, I thank them for that. I fully agree with all the Senators that the more visibility there is, the safer people will feel and will actually be. About 250 new recruits have come out of Templemore in two attestat…

I thank my officials, who have worked very hard to get this Bill passed so quickly.

I thank Deputy Kenny for putting this amendment forward. I note the concerns of the Deputies. The primary objective, as Deputy Howlin has said, in bringing this legislation forward is to restore the system as it currently is. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, acknowledged yesterday the speed at which the legislation has come through. I very much appreciate Deputies' support and assistance in making sure that happens. There has probably been insufficient time to look at amendments, as is suggested, but I …

I might not take all of my 20 minutes. I thank the Ceann Comhairle and Deputies Cian O'Callaghan and Nash. I am grateful for the opportunity to set out the Government's position on this Bill. At the outset, I want to inform the House that the Government must oppose this Bill. I will set out the reasons for that. It is not because we do not support greater transparency with respect to commercial property transactions because we do. It is not that we do not want to deal with the issue of hoarding, land prices or anyt…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The programme for Government contains a broad range of policies and proposals that represent a coherent approach to enhancing and sustaining a more safe and just society. To deliver a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland, we must have a system that has all the necessary tools to ensure that, after due process has been served, the sentence handed down matches the crime. As part of my Department's work programme set out in Justice Plan 2022, there is a commitment to examine ref…

It is important to put on the record that the average length of time a life sentence prisoner will serve is approximately 20 years. The length of time before such prisoners can come before the parole board is now 12 years, which has increased from nine years. The period of 20 years acknowledges that people do serve this length of time. For me what is important is not only making sure the sentences match the crime and that we give judges discretion but also the impact this has on victims or their family members or s…

There is a balance with restorative justice and making sure we are focused on trying to reform people, particularly where heinous crimes have been committed. At the same time I believe the punishment should match the crime. This is why I want to give greater discretion to judges. We have also seen changes in recent times for burglary. The maximum sentence is 14 years but for aggravated burglary someone can serve up to life in prison. There are also mitigating factors and repeat offenders. In 2015 we saw changes to …

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Delivering family justice more effectively is a priority for me and is a major element of my Justice Plan 2022. The report of the Oireachtas joint committee, to which the Deputy referred, made 38 recommendations across a range of areas in family justice relating to the family court structure; the specialisation and training of professionals, lawyers and judges; resourcing; transparency; and the voice of the child, which is at the centre of everything that we do. Key among t…