“I am backing a call from my colleague Fianna Fail Whip in Seanad Éireann, Diarmuid Wilson for a debate on the behaviour of financial institutions who are contacting consumers who default on payments. While I fully recognise that financial institutions have every right and obligation to pursue those who default in repayments of loans to them or outstanding balances on credit cards, I have heard some very distressing stories recently. Since I opened my constituency office in Drogheda, the number one issue I have dealt with are constituents who have come under what they perceive to be undue pressure from financial institutions. I have heard stories of people receiving telephone calls at all hours of the day, on an hourly basis. Many people facing personal debt now have never experienced it before. Job losses, reductions in hours and pay can all have a serious impact on household and personal budgets. I think that it is important that people are supported as they face up to their changing circumstances. Financial providers should deal with people with compassion and understanding in the first instance and try to work with them to reach agreed solutions.”

Posted: Feb 4, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment      

A Chathaoirleach,

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Curran.  It is the first opportunity I have had to do so since I became a Member of the Seanad seven weeks ago.  His presence and that of the Minister, Deputy Harney, show how seriously the Government is taking this issue.  I welcome that both were present and I congratulate the Minister on her performance on “Liveline” earlier today regarding savings made on different drug schemes.  Obviously, these are legal medicinal drugs, not what we are discussing now.

  I was heartened to hear Senator Healy Eames talking about the link between alcohol and drugs because that is a very significant issue.  Many studies in Scandinavia have shown that the way to tackle addictive substances such as alcohol and legal drugs, including products of head shops, is to increase price or have tighter regulation.  These are the two paths we must go down regarding the entire range of drugs and drug related problems.

  I was contacted personally, as were many Members, in my case by teachers in the Louth-east Meath area I represent.  They spoke of the responsibility they have in this area, trying to stay one step ahead of drugs and the potential problems they might cause.  I was told a horrifying story less than an hour ago about a young person who was seen by a community garda.  He had no recollection of the previous two days of his life.  He had taken drugs, or products from head shops, and just as Senator Healy Eames described, he woke up two days later without any recollection of where he had been.

  If the pun can be excused, these shops are growing like mushrooms around the place and that is the reality we must tackle.  A further element is that the shopkeepers or those who own such premises seem not to care about the effects of the drugs.  Their sole care is that they have a business and they will try to make as much money out of it as possible.  As I heard it from people who have gone to shops of this kind to research them, there is no regulation about how much of any product one can purchase.  The only limit seems to be how much money one has in one’s pocket.  The worry is that a person could literally buy the entire stock of a shop.  That is a grave concern I have.

  The other associated factor is the cost factor to the State, the health services and the Garda, whether in the resources spent by the State dealing with people who are suffering from the side effects of the drugs or the gardaí who must deal with the consequences of what people do or the hospitals that have to deal with the serious consequences.  We saw this at Christmas when some people were caught up in this situation.

  I welcome the Minister of State’s strong response last week to the threat that issued from the head shops in regard to so-called legal and herbal highs.

We must co-ordinate our response to these establishments across the various Departments involved.  Some are concerned that certain Departments operate almost as silos or bunkers and do not co-operate with each other in order to tackle problems.  The Minister of State has a unique role to play in this regard, particularly because he holds portfolios in a number of Departments.  It is great that he has met various Ministers and officials to develop a strategy to deal with this matter.  It is essential that a cross-departmental approach be taken.  Such an approach should involve the Ministers for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Health and Children and the Minister of State present.

  I am somewhat perturbed by statements from other Members to the effect that by changing one chemical component of an illegal drug, it suddenly becomes legal.  Senator Norris inquired as to whether we might consider the legislative position in other countries such as such as the United States or other EU member states to discover how they are tackling this problem.  The concern is that the Executive and legislative arms of the State will be rendered impotent by virtue of the fact that one need only change one chemical component of a drug to make it legal and prevent action being taken.  I hope the Minister of State will give consideration to this matter as soon as possible.

  As stated, we must consider how matters relating to drugs and alcohol are regulated and how they tie in with other aspects.  The main such aspect is the sexualisation of young people through advertising, nightclubs or their perception of so-called role models from the media and pop music spheres.  Some role models appear to comment on the matters under discussion in a jovial manner.  In the 1990s, for example, mere weeks after a young woman in England had died after taking half an ecstasy tablet, Brian Harvey of the band East 17 stated ecstasy was great.  Certain members of the media and sports stars take the major responsibility of being a role model very seriously.  Perhaps the Minister of State might encourage sports stars to point out to young people that if they want to be the next Brian O’Driscoll, Robbie Keane or Shay Given, they should not consume drugs or alcohol.  Those who engage in such behaviour would never be capable of replicating the sporting successes this country has enjoyed during the past 18 months.

  I was interested to hear about the experiences of other Members in this matter.  I have learned a great deal from what was said.  I am 26 years old and as the youngest Member of the Oireachtas, I hope I can bring a different perspective to the matter.  In that context, it is important to bring a mixture of youth and experience to debates on the various topics debated in the House.

  I thank the Minister of State for coming before the House.  The major concern that arises relates to the fact that certain drugs, regardless of whether they are legal or illegal, are becoming freely available in society.  The reality is that people are able to get so-called legal highs from taking that which is on offer in head shops.  The only people who will frequent these shops at 4 a.m. are those leaving pubs and nightclubs and who will perhaps already have imbibed alcohol or taken other drugs.  I do not know whether the Misuse of Drugs Acts can be used in respect of this matter. However, I hope legislation to regulate the position on head shops can be brought forward as quickly as possible.

  We must ensure we deal simultaneously with issues relating to alcohol, so-called legal drugs and the changing of chemical components to make illegal drugs legal.  I reiterate that we have to consider increasing prices or introducing tighter regulation to deal with this matter.

ENDS

Posted: Feb 3, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment      

The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, today [Monday] launched an interactive website to improve teaching and learning of spoken Irish in post-primary schools in a move backed by popular comedian Des Bishop.

Welcoming the annoucement, Senator James Carroll said “Abair Leat! is a virtual online language laboratory in which students can improve their Irish by interacting over the internet with native Irish speakers.”

“Students can use the website to listen to native Irish speakers, record their own material in Irish and undertake self-correcting exercises.”

Further aspects of the website are teachers can assess students’ work on the website and give spoken feedback online or written feedback by email.

The pilot phase of Abair Leat!, which will be rolled out in 14 post-primary schools initially, is aimed at supporting the oral syllabus in first year of post-primary school.

“The website encourages independent learning by allowing students to practise their oral Irish at home and in the classroom and it gives teachers the opportunity to assess them online. Des Bishop has generated significant goodwill for Irish and championed the cause of the language as a living part of the community”, Senator Carroll added.

“The proportion of marks for oral Irish in the Leaving Certificate examination will increase from 25pc to 40pc from 2012 so it is timely to examine new ways to improve students’ oral competency by leveraging the power of the internet.”

Des Bishop will now embark on a tour of a number of the pilot schools demonstrating Abair Leat! to students and teachers.

13 of the 14 schools are part of the Government’s €16 million high-speed wireless broadband plan.

It is expected that these schools will have wireless broadband speeds of up to 100 megabits per second before the Summer.

Abair Leat! is at www.abairleat.com

Posted: Feb 1, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment      

Posted: Jan 30, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment      

Local Senator James Carroll has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey TD for a new provision to facilitate the mutual recognition of driving disqualifications between Ireland and the UK, which comes into operation on 28th January 2010.

“The mutual recognition of driving disqualifications marks a very significant road safety measure because it aims to target some of the most dangerous drivers on our roads” Senator Carroll added.

Examples of offences that are included in this new measure are:

• Reckless or dangerous driving including breaking the speed limit

• Wilful failure to carry out the obligations placed on drivers after being involved in road accidents (hit-and-run driving).

• Driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other substances affecting or diminishing the mental and physical abilities of a driver. Refusal to submit to alcohol and drug tests.

Last year saw the lowest number of road deaths on Irish roads since records began. 2009 also saw Ireland take some very decisive steps to address road safety issues. These included the publication of the Road Traffic Bill, the introduction of a new certification and registration scheme for driving instructors and the finalisation of the safety camera contract by the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern and Garda Commissioner Murphy. This year will see other important measures coming into effect, as new items will be tested as part of the NCT to improve vehicle safety.

Senator Carroll said: “The purpose of this new Order is to put in place a mutual structure to recognise disqualifications between the UK and Ireland. By implementing this new measure, we are sending out a clear message that the most dangerous drivers on our roads are being targeted. With effect from 28 January 2010, Irish drivers disqualified in the UK and NI for certain road traffic offences will have their disqualifications recognised and applied in this country. Similarly, UK and NI drivers disqualified by Irish Courts will have their disqualifications recognised in their home country.

“County Louth has suffered for years from speeding and dangerous driving from Northern Ireland drivers and this is a vital step in tackling this problem,” Senator Carroll concluded.

ENDS

Posted: Jan 28, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment      

The recent period of bad weather has taken a huge toll on our roads, especially many of our local and regional roads.

I am aware that many Local Authorities are already taking action to repair badly damaged roads. In order to facilitate Local Authorities in their work I have asked the Department to issue instructions to Local Authorities as follows:

1. Local Authorities should now prioritise works on roads damaged in the recent adverse weather;

2. Local Authorities can spend up to 25% of last year’s road allocations immediately under the Restoration Improvement grant, Discretionary Maintenance Grant, Discretionary Improvement Grant and Special Block Grant to address the damage caused by recent severe weather while they await their 2010 allocations;

3. Local Authorities will be allowed flexibility to revise their 2010 Restoration Improvement Programme. Any revisions should be forwarded to the NRA as a matter of urgency.

The role of the Department in relation to local and regional roads is to provide grants to SUPPLEMENT road expenditure by Local Authorities. Some Local Authorities contribute as little as 5% to their total road expenditure from their own resources. Local Authorities need to prioritise increased expenditure from their own resources on their own roads this year in view of the current difficult situation.

The full allocation of €411 million will be notified to Local Authorities in the next few weeks.

I have also asked Local Authorities to submit details of the extra expenditure incurred by them on ‘gritting’ the roads during the bad weather and to report on the scale of the damage caused by recent weather conditions.

Posted: Jan 20, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment      

The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, is to dissolve the National University of Ireland (NUI).
Minister O’Keeffe acknowledged the important role the NUI has played in Irish education for more than a century.
‘However, the central role of the NUI was significantly reduced in the Universities Act, 1997, and the need to have a separate body undertaking what is now a limited set of functions has been outlived.
‘The NUI’s four constituent universities – University College Dublin, University College Cork, NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth – have the same statutory status as the State’s three other universities but a small number of administrative and academic functions are still carried out on their behalf by the NUI.
‘Work will now be carried out on redistributing the remaining functions of the NUI and it is envisaged that many of them will be undertaken by the constituent universities,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.
In the October 2008 Budget, the Government announced that the NUI’s functions would be considered in the context of the establishment of an amalgamated qualifications and quality assurance agency.
The McCarthy Report recommended the dissolution of the NUI.
A Bill to establish a new qualifications and quality assurance agency for the further and higher education sectors is now being drafted.
‘I am simplifying the qualifications and quality assurance landscape by amalgamating existing agencies in that area.
‘That pursuit of institutional coherence has led me to conclude that the NUI’s role in higher education is no longer sustainable.
‘This is consistent with the Government’s public sector reform agenda,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.
NUI has awarding relationships with a small number of recognised colleges.
Most of these colleges have already been exploring possible future options for award-making and when the dissolution is completed these colleges will need to enter new awarding arrangements.
One option for them will be to link with one of the former constituent universities.
The NUI has a role in the election of three members of Seanad Éireann.
Minister O’Keeffe will address this issue by working closely with his colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, in the context of wider plans for Seanad reform.
ENDS
Note for Editors: NUI
Background
The NUI was founded under the Irish Universities Act 1908 as a federal university with three constituent colleges in Dublin, Cork and Galway. These constituent colleges later achieved university status and the NUI also formed links with recognised colleges, including Maynooth College which achieved university status in 1997.
Structure
The NUI was restructured, with significantly reduced powers, in the Universities Act 1997. The NUI has four as autonomous constituent universities:
University College Dublin;
University College Cork;
National University of Ireland, Galway; and
National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

The degrees and other qualifications awarded by the constituent universities are deemed to be degrees and qualifications of the NUI.
NUI has five recognised colleges for which it makes awards:
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland;
National College of Art and Design;
Institute of Public Administration;
Shannon College of Hotel Management; and
Milltown Institute.

The Chancellor of the NUI – Dr Maurice Manning – chairs the Senate which is its governing authority. The composition of the NUI Senate is set out in the Universities Act 1997: the chancellor, presidents of the constituent universities and NUI registrar are ex officio members; there are members elected by the governing authorities of each of the constituent universities and by the graduate body of the University (NUI convocation); and there are four members appointed by the government and four co-opted members.
Functions
The primary function of NUI is to provide central services to its constituent universities.
NUI is also responsible for:
providing documentation and certification services to graduates and employers and an information service for schools and the general public;
administering awards schemes, awarding fellowships, studentships, scholarships and prizes;
maintaining a register of NUI graduates and administers the election in the NUI constituency of three members of Seanad Éireann;
providing the secretariat for the NUI Senate and for committees of the Senate;
supporting convocation of the NUI;
supporting and promoting the language and history of Ireland, scholarship and research in Celtic Studies (common to all four constituent universities) and Irish cultural heritage;
printing parchment for the making of awards for the recognised colleges and for the making of NUI awards by the constituent universities.

NUI retains a number of statutory functions in relation to the constituent universities as follows:
the appointment of external examiners and the determination of their functions with the concurrence of the constituent universities;
the setting of basic matriculation standards;
reviewing the content and teaching of courses.

NUI carries out the following additional functions in respect of its recognised colleges:
agreeing quality assurance arrangements;
reviewing the effectiveness of the quality assurance procedures of the recognised colleges; and
the making of awards.

ENDS

Posted: Jan 20, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment      

The deterrents and obstacles which can discourage marriage and cohabitation will be analysed with the country’s two leading one parent family support groups at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affairs, today, (20th) at 11 am in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House.

There are 190,000 one-parent families in Ireland today (18% of all families), one in five children live in one parent families while research indicates that you are 4.5 times more likely to live in poverty if you live in a one-parent family.

The meeting will consider aspects of the tax and social welfare system which could militate against marriage and co-habitation and examine what reforms could be introduced to address this matter. The meeting will also debate the issues facing one-parent families and to hear from those organisations that represent them regarding financial disincentives to marriage and cohabitation.

ENDS

Posted: Jan 20, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment      

Local Senator James Carroll is encouraging Louth parents with children eligible for the free preschool year who have yet to register with their local preschool service or Louth County Childcare Committee to do so immediately.
“There is still time to register with your local preschool provider to avail of the new free preschool year. Children born between 2 February 2005 and 30 June 2006 are eligible to participate in the Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) scheme. If parents have not already enrolled their child, they should immediately contact either their local preschool service or Louth County Childcare Committee at 041-6859912 or at info@louthchildcare.ie”, James Carroll said.
“The cold snap, which has caused the closure of many primary and preschools has probably delayed the start of the ECCE scheme for most services. Therefore, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Barry Andrews TD will be as flexible as possible in accommodating late enrolments. The original date for participating services to make an electronic return with the children’s details was January 22nd. Recognising the current weather conditions, we will extend this date to January 29th. This will give parents an extra week to register with service providers, which they are asked to do by January 20th. In the event that parents are experiencing difficulty accessing a place, they should immediately contact Louth County Childcare Committee.”
Some participating services may be concerned that they will be financially penalised for not commencing the scheme this week. This is not the case. The Minister said, “we do not want parents and children taking risks because of pressures to attend preschool. In light of this, participating preschools will be paid for the days they were forced to close because of the inclement weather.”
Services will receive their first payment next week provided correct bank details have been supplied. No delay in payment is expected and as such there is no justification for services charging parents for what will be a free service.
“This new ECCE scheme is an historic step in the journey to develop a Government supported preschool system. The provision of a free preschool year to all children, regardless of income or circumstance, will enhance the social and educational development of our children.”
“It will give each child in the country an equal chance to arrive in Junior Infants with improved personal development, speech and language skills,” Senator Carroll concluded.
ENDS

Posted: Jan 11, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment      

Arising from an update on the weather, the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, has decided that the normal arrangements whereby schools decide to open or close based on local circumstances should be re-instated. This means that schools in a position to open tomorrow [Tuesday] should do so. Minister O’Keeffe took his decision based on weather advice given to this morning’s meeting of the Government’s emergency planning group and the unexpected rise in temperatures that has occurred in parts of the country.

ENDS

Posted: Jan 11, 2010       Comments: 0       Add your comment