This week Senator Barry Ward speaks to Senator Rebecca Moynihan (Labour – Administrative Panel - Dublin South-Central), who has sponsored the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill 2021 about what her bill will do to ensure that we avoid period poverty in Ireland and establish a regime whereby simple period products are available to people when they need them. A similar bill, entitled the Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021, was introduced by Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fáil – Taoiseach’s Nominee - Dublin Fingal ) and debated in the Seanad on 8 February 2021.

 

You can read the Labour Party’s Period Products (Free Provision) Bill 2021 here: https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2021/2/eng/initiated/b0221s.pdf

You can read Fianna Fáil’s Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021 here: https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2021/4/eng/initiated/b0421s.pdf

You can read the Seanad debates on the Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021 (8 February 2021) here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/2021-02-08/15/

 

Learn more about Any time of the Month by going to their web site anytimeofthemonth.com; you can also follow them on Twitter @AnytimeMonth, on Instagram @anytimeofthemonth, on Facebook at anytimeofthemonth, on LinkedIn at anytime-of-the-month or on TikTok @anytimeofthemonth.

 

You can follow Senator Rebecca Moynihan on Twitter @RebeccaMoy, on Instagram @rebeccamoynhandsc, on Facebook at RebeccaEMoynihan, or find out more about her at rebeccamoynihan.ie.

 

You can follow Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee on Twitter @LorrCliff, on Instagram @lorrainecliffordlee, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LCliffordLee.

 

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

Happy Christmas! A number of people have been in touch to ask that we would do an episode about voting in Leinster House. This episode looks briefly at how votes happen in Leinster House (and the Convention Centre), what the bells mean and the different types of vote. Thank you for all your support and loyalty in the last few months; the Irish Legislation Podcast with Barry Ward will return in 2021, when the Houses of the Oireachtas resume sitting in January.

 

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

This week, Senator Barry Ward speaks to Senator Ivana Bacik (Labour – University of Dublin) about her bill to provide a path to citizenship for children born in Ireland who do not otherwise have a right to citizenship. Barrister-at-Law and immigration law expert, David Leonard also gives the benefit of his experience in this area and his take on what the Bill’s effect will be on the current immigration and naturalisation system. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018 was first published in 2018 and went through Second Stage in the Seanad on 21 November 2018. It was opposed by the then Government and was re-introduced by Labour senators earlier this year. Committee Stage in the Seanad was taken in Labour private members’ time on 2 December 2020 and the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has indicated that she supports the Bill with some modifications. It is anticipated that Committee Stage will resume in 2021 and the passage of the Bill will continue from there.

 

You can read the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018 here: https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2018/124/eng/initiated/b12418s.pdf

You can read the Seanad debates –

Second Stage (21 November 2018) here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/2018-11-21/21/

Committee Stage (2 December 2020) here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/2020-12-02/18/

 

You can follow Senator Ivana Bacik on Twitter @ivanabacik, on Instagram @ivanabacik, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bacikivana, or find out more about her at www.ivanabacik.com.

 

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

In this episode, Senator Barry Ward is joined by long-standing Wexford TD, former senior Minister and former Leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin, who talks about his private member’s bill, which is currently working its way through Dáil Éireann. First published and debated (at second stage) in 2017, the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017 proposes a number of important criminal, sexual offences, and will be discussed at the Dáil Select Committee on Justice, tomorrow (Tuesday 1 December 2020) at 4pm. You can watch the debate and the consideration of amendments with Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, here: www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/cr2-live

 

You can read the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017 here: www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2017/63

You can read the second stage debate (16 May 2017) here: www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2017-05-16/4

 

You can follow Brendan Howlin TD on Twitter @BrendanHowlin or find out more about him at www.labour.ie/brendanhowlin

 

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

In Episode 7, Senator Barry Ward talks to Sinn Féin Housing Spokesperson and Dublin Mid-West TD, Eoin Ó Broin, and Associate Professor of Law at Trinity College Dublin, Dr David Kenny, about the Thirty-ninth Amendment to the Constitution (Right to a Home) Bill 2020, which is currently one of a number of housing private member’s bills before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This episode explores the effects of enshrining a right to housing in the constitution, the purpose of private member’s bills like this, how best to effect change in housing policy, and to what extent the Courts should be tasked with interpreting government housing policy.

 

You can read the Thirty-ninth Amendment to the Constitution (Right to a Home) Bill 2020 here: www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2020/21/

 

You can follow Eoin Ó Broin TD on Twitter @EOBroin, find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eoin.broin, or find out more about him at https://eoinobroin.wordpress.com/.

 

You can follow Dr David Kenny on Twitter @dkennytcd or find out more about him at www.tcd.ie/research/profiles/?profile=kennyd4.

 

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

In episode #6, Senator Barry Ward speaks to Neale Richmond TD (Fine Gael – Dublin Rathdown), the Fine Gael Spokesperson on European Affairs, and Noelle O’Connell, Executive Director of European Movement Ireland (EMI), about the Brexit Omnibus Bill 2020, which is currently going through the Houses of the Oireachtas. This legislation will address the multitude of issues arising from the UK exit from the EU, across health, tax, finance, customs, social welfare, justice, extradition, finance, employment rights, immigration, and divorce. The consequences of Brexit and Ireland’s place in Europe are also discussed, and Neale and Noelle are asked if there is anything good that will come from Brexit?

You can read the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020 and follow debates, here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2020/48/

 

You can follow Neale Richmond TD on Twitter @nealerichmond or check him out at https://www.finegael.ie/our-people/tds/dublin/dublin-rathdown/neale-richmond/

 

You can follow Noelle O'Connell on Twitter @Noelle_OC or find out more about her at https://www.europeanmovement.ie/about-us/meet-the-team/

You can get more information about the work of European Movement Ireland at www.europeanmovement.ie and you can download their “Green Book” at https://www.europeanmovement.ie/programmes/grad-jobs-in-europe/#greenbook, where you can also subscribe to their mailing list. For information on EMI’s upcoming career talks, or to arrange one, contact [email protected].

 

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

Senator Barry Ward talks Seanad reform in Episode 5. Barry is joined by two former TDs: Senator Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fáil – Wexford); and former Leader of Seanad Éireann and current Chancellor of the National University of Ireland, Dr Maurice Manning.

Malcolm Byrne was elected to the 32nd Dáil for the Wexford Constituency in a by-election in November 2019; he was subsequently elected to the 26th Seanad on the Cultural & Educational Panel and is the author, along with his fellow-Fianna Fáil Senators Pat Casey and Shane Cassells, of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2020. This episode explores the role of the Seanad, the upper house of the Irish parliament, its potential and what reforms are needed to broaden its scope.

Follow Senator Malcolm Byrne on Twitter @malcombyrne, on Instagram @malcolmbyrne, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/malcolmbyrne, or at www.fiannafail.ie/reps/senator-malcolm-byrne.

Maurice Manning was a member of the Oireachtas, the Irish parliament, for 21 years, serving as a Senator on the Cultural & Educational Panel in the 15th , 18th, 19th, 21st and 22nd Seanaid, and as TD for Dublin North-East in the 23rd and 24th Dála. Maurice Manning also authored the Manning Report on Seanad Reform in 2015, which recommended extensive “root and branch” reform of the upper house, and which formed the basis for the Seanad Bill 2020, sponsored by Senators Michael McDowell, Gerard Craughwell and Alice Mary Higgins.

Find out about Dr Maurice Manning at www.nui.ie/about/chancellor.asp and www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Maurice-Manning.S.1981-10-08.

You can read about the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2020 here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2020/11/

You can read about the Seanad Bill 2020 here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2020/47/

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

This week’s bill is the controversial Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020, which deals with the pending winding up of the Murphy Commission of Investigation into 14 Mother and Baby Homes, and four county homes, where terrible abuses were perpetrated against people over decades. We’re joined by Sinn Féin’s Spokesperson on Children, Youth, Disability, Equality & Integration, and TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, Kathleen Funchion; Leader of the Green Party in Seanad Éireann, Senator Pauline O’Reilly, from Galway-West; practising barrister and Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration & Privacy Rights, Senator Mary Seery-Kearney, from Dublin South-Central; and one of the foremost campaigners for the victims of Mother and Baby Homes, Dr Maeve O’Rourke, who a Lecturer in Human Rights at the Irish Centre for Human Rights in NUIG and Co-Director of the voluntary Clann Project;

You can watch and read the debates on the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020, here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2020/38/

Follow Kathleen Funchion on Twitter @Kathleensf1, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KathleenFunchionTD, or at https://www.sinnfein.ie/kathleen-funchion.

Follow Senator Pauline O'Reilly on Twitter @paulinegalway, on Instagram @paulinegalway, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Pauline4Galway, or at www.greenparty.ie/people/pauline-oreilly.

Follow Senator Mary Seery-Kearney on Twitter @seerykearney, Instagram @mseerykearney, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SenatorMarySeeryKearney, or www.finegael.ie/our-people/senators/dublin/dublin-south-central/mary-seery-kearney.

Follow Dr Maeve O'Rourke on Twitter @maeveorourke, or at www.nuigalway.ie/business-public-policy-law/school-of-law/staff/maeveorourke.

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

Thanks to Dylan Hutchinson for research.

This week we talk to Gino Kenny TD (People Before Profit - Dublin Mid-West) about the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020, which he has sponsored, and which is a revival of former Deputy, John Halligan's, Dying with Dignity Bill 2015.

Also joining the discussion are Senator Rónán Mullen (Independent - NUI panel), Councillor Sarah Kiely (Fine Gael - Limerick City East) and Consultant Geriatrician at Tallaght University Hospital, Professor Des O'Neill.

You can read the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020 and track its progress here: www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2020/24

Follow Gino Kenny TD on Twitter @Ginosocialist, Facebook www.facebook.com/CllrGinoKenny and at ginokenny.com.

Follow Senator Rónán Mullen on Twitter @ronanmullen, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/senatormullen, and at www.ronanmullen.ie.

Follow Councillor Sarah Kiely on Twitter @sarahleekiely, on Instagram @sarahleekiely, and on Facebook www.facebook.com/VoteSarahKiely.

Follow Professor Des O'Neill on Twitter at @Age_Matters and at www.tcd.ie/medicine/staff/DONEILL.

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

Thanks to Dylan Hutchinson for research.

In episode #2 of The Irish Legislation Podcast, Senator Barry Ward talks to Government Chief Whip and Minister of State, Jack Chambers TD, about the published Legislative Programme, the role of the Chief Whip, and the tools that the Government uses to get its agenda through the Houses of the Oireachtas. Minister Chambers also talks about money messages, re-introducing lapsed bills, pre-legislative scrutiny, the Oireachtas Business Committee and new, socially-distant voting procedures in Leinster House.

Jack Chambers is Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin West; you can follow him on Twitter @jackfchambers or Instagram @jackchamberstd.

The Irish Legislation Podcast is presented by Senator Barry Ward.

Follow Barry on

Twitter twitter.com/barrymward;

Instagram www.instagram.com/barrym_ward;

Facebook at www.facebook.com/BarryWard.ie;

or his web site: www.barryward.ie.

E-mail [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.