O’Mahony questions Minister over Sport‘s Development at Arts, Sports and Tourism question time 24th June 2008.

66. Deputy John O’Mahony asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when he willenact legislation to give official recognition to the institute of sport as envisaged in the Athens and Sydney reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. Read more

Cut backs force closure of mental health unit days before official opening – O’Mahony

However, on Friday last, Mayo Fine Gael TD, John O’Mahony, was informed by local Fine Gael councillor, Joe Mellett, that the unit will close as a result of cut backs in the mental health service and the official opening will not now be going ahead. According to Deputy O’Mahony, it’s the first occasion that he can recall when a facility has been closed before it’s even been officially opened.

“It’s an appalling set of circumstances,” he said. “Those people are among our most vulnerable and this is how they are being treated. The Willows, like similar facilities in Kiltimagh and Claremorris, was hugely successful and the people attending there were making real progress. But now it’s just been taken away from them because someone somewhere saw it as a means of saving money. The reality is that the sums of money allocated to mental health in the budget is relatively small anyway but taken away what is there is just an appalling way of treating people. It’s mind boggling that this can happen and this is an issue that cannot be allowed go unchecked. The decision has to be reversed and The Willows must not be closed,” he said.

Freeze fuel tax for truckers sake – O’Mahony

According to Deputy O’Mahony, people in the road haulage industry are facing ruination unless something is done to address their issues. “It’s a time to be innovative and one area that could be looked at is what the Government receives from the fuel tax. A freeze on the fuel tax would be a start, a small start maybe, but at least it would offer some respite. “What happens now is that every time the price of diesel goes up the Government receives more income from fuel tax so what I’m suggesting is that while we are in the midst of this crisis that they freeze their tax take. We also need to look at the cost of toll charges. One man told me last week that he pays over €60,000 each year on charges. My suggestion is that the hauliers are given the option of purchasing an annual toll ticket instead of having to pay the charges individually. “Businesses won’t survive in the current climate.It’s similar to the fishermen who are also facing huge issues in their industry. I’ve talked to Mayo hauliers and they are paying thousands of euro extra a week for diesel than this time last year. That extra cost on top of the huge toll charges they face will put them to the wall. It’s that simple and the Government must face up to that reality. What business could afford an increase of €10,000 per week on top of toll charges of over €60,000 per annum? The figures just don’t add up and ultimately, we’re all being affected because if the hauliers end up having to charge more for transporting goods then the cost of living has to go up too. In many ways they are suffering more than their colleagues in other parts of the country because they have the longest journeys to travel and the road network in the west, while good, is not up to the standards that exist, say on the east coast,” he said. The latest price survey from the road haulage industry shows that the retail price of petrol has gone up by 13% since October. The price of diesel rose by almost 30% in the same period. Petrol now costs 130.5 cent, and diesel 142.9 cent per litre. The average price of a litre of petrol is now 6.6% higher than May. However, diesel has risen even faster and is now 10.5% more expensive than in May. Even though tax on diesel is slightly lower than petrol, international demand has increased, which is pushing the price up. With oil prices continuing to rise and demand still high across the world, there is unlikely to be any relief in July and August.

O’Mahony welcomes new Garda Appointments

“This is an issue that is never far away from the concerns of people and it is encouraging that the resources are being put in place for those towns.

The decision to allocate the resources is excellent news as it’s something that has been at the top of my agenda for several months now and I have met Garda authorities on the matter. I would hope that in the short term there extra resources deployed to other towns in the region including Charlestown”.

Revised leaving cert timetable still treating some students unfairly – O’Mahony

“The revised leaving cert timetable has created new problems. The criticism with the old timetable was that first three days were front loaded with Irish, English and Maths. While attempting to solve that, the new timetable is unfair for students sitting Home Economics, Chemistry and Geography. These subjects are still scheduled on the same days as English and Maths meaning the students who take them are still experiencing a full day of intense writing. They also have the added pressure of sitting totally different subjects on three consecutive days. “I would like to see the timetable extended by two days so that on the days of the English and Maths papers there are no other subjects to sit. The students recommended this to the Minister but their need for a writing break was not accommodated. “Overall, I believe, efforts could be made to reduce the amount of written examination with extra weighting for practical, project and course work.”

O’Mahony highlights the danger of inappropriate and offensive material on the internet for children

“I know ultimately that the Government cannot legislate for every scenario and if there is little or no supervision on the usage of the internet in a home then there is not a lot that can be done but the point I was making was that there was an urgent need to highlight the downside to internet usage and also to create an awareness of the systems in place to control the access to such dangerous material.

“Parents, and teachers, are rightly concerned about this issue and it’s an area that we have to monitor very carefully. No one could ever question the value of the internet but, unfortunately, it has its negative side and that’s what we must never forget,” he said.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern TD, told Deputy O’Mahony that he was very aware of the concerns of parents, teachers and voluntary organisations regarding the content available to children via the Internet. The recent establishment of the Office for Internet Safety (OIS) as an executive office within the Department will continue to build on the work of the Internet Advisory Board which was set up in 2002 following the Report of the Working Group on the Illegal and Harmful use of the Internet.

The OIS will oversee and further develop the self-regulatory regime for the Irish internet service providers, encourage best practice procedures; promote awareness of the internet downside issues and provide advice and facilitate research on internet related issues regarding child safety.
The OIS will also continue to oversee the operation of the Hotline (www.hotline.ie) – the system for dealing with reports of illegal content on the internet). The Hotline is funded by the Internet Service Providers’ Association of Ireland with support from the EU Safer Internet Action Plan. It accepts and investigates reports from the public in relation to child pornography and other illegal material on the Internet. It plays an important part by accepting reports, providing the resources to validate them and channelling those that are illegal directly to the appropriate jurisdiction and authority. If the material is hosted in Ireland, it will request the relevant Internet Service Provider (ISP) to remove it, in accordance with their Code of Practice and Ethics. Special protocols operate between the Garda and the Hotline that maximise cooperation on law enforcement issues. The Hotline provides a first port of call for parents and members of the public in general who encounter illegal material on the internet.

 

 

Note Editors below is the Parliamentary Question tabled by John O’ Mahony TD

QUESTION NO: 412

DÁIL QUESTION addressed to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Ahern)
by Deputy John O’Mahony
for WRITTEN on Tuesday, 27th May, 2008.

 

* To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the mechanisms in place to protect children from offensive, age inappropriate or dangerous multimedia activities that are easily accessible; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

- John O’Mahony

REPLY.
Protection of children from the inappropriate use of multimedia activities is a very broad and encompassing term, but I take it that the Deputy is referring particularly to the internet, video games and mobile phones. I have no function in the regulation of broadcast media or phones but I can inform him as to the child protection arrangements in place in respect of a number of other media formats.

I am very aware of the concerns of parents, teachers and voluntary organisations regarding the content available to children via the internet. The recent establishment of the Office for Internet Safety (OIS) as an executive office within my Department will continue to build on the work of the Internet Advisory Board which was set up in 2002 following the Report of the Working Group on the Illegal and Harmful use of the Internet. The OIS will oversee and further develop the self-regulatory regime for the Irish internet service providers, encourage best practice procedures; promote awareness of the internet downside issues and provide advice and facilitate research on internet related issues regarding child safety.

The OIS will also continue to oversee the operation of the Hotline (www.hotline.ie – the system for dealing with reports of illegal content on the internet). The Hotline is funded by the Internet Service Providers’ Association of Ireland with support from the EU Safer Internet Action Plan. It accepts and investigates reports from the public in relation to child pornography and other illegal material on the internet. It plays an important part by accepting reports, providing the resources to validate them and channelling those that are illegal directly to the appropriate jurisdiction and authority. If the material is hosted in Ireland, it will request the relevant Internet Service Provider (ISP) to remove it, in accordance with their Code of Practice and Ethics. Special protocols operate between the Gardaí and the Hotline that maximise cooperation on law enforcement issues. The Hotline provides a first port of call for parents and members of the public in general who encounter illegal material on the internet.

You may be aware of the booklets in the GET with IT! Series on behalf of the Internet Advisory Board (IAB). There are three booklets in the series, a parents’ guide to new media technologies, a parents’ guide to filtering technologies and a parents’ guide to social -networking websites. These booklets give an overview of new technologies, help parents to understand and use websites and help them to safeguard their children online.

Copies of these publications were distributed widely and can be had on request through a freefone number 1800 24 25 95. They are also available on the website of my Department at <www.justice.ie>.
With regard to video games, the position is that Ireland is a member of the Pan European Games Information (PEGI) system. Video games are classified by age appropriateness at the following levels; 3+: 7+ 12+; 15+ and 18+. The categorisation is then indicated on product packaging. Under these arrangements, video games are categorised according to a robust and consistent system and subject to independent non-industry verification.

A key component of video game arrangements is that the classification systems are designed to provide useful information as to the content of the product. In particular, the intention is to assist parents in making informed choices concerning the media they acquire for their children or which they permit their children to use.

In so far as films and videos/DVDs are concerned, the position is that these must be classified by the Irish Film Censor for sale, exhibition or rental. The age appropriateness of each work is then displayed in cinema and all video/DVD works must carry the age classification on the packaging and video/DVD.

O’Mahony call for immediate setup of task force for Ballina

“We’ve all had enough of talk about task forces and strategy groups being set up to examine ways and means of securing employment for Ballina but the time has past for talking and it’s now time for real action. We have the issue of the proposed Business Park on the Sligo road which despite many promises has not yet come to fruition.

There are 336 extra people on the Live Register in Ballina compared to last year but the impact is far greater; entire families are affected and the knock on effect continues into all aspects of community life. We need real action for Ballina, not just mere words and I’m now calling on the Government to immediately look at the situation that exists in Ballina and prioritise it as an unemployment black spot that needs immediate investment,” he said.

While Ballina may be the blackspot, according to Deputy O’Mahony, the figures don’t make for enjoyable reading for anywhere in the county with 1,477 extra people on the Live Register countywide compared to June of last year. “There are significant increases throughout Mayo. Take for example, Claremorris, this time last year there were 380 people on the Register but today there are 584, an increase of 204 people. These are startling figures that should alert everyone to the reality of life in Ireland today,” he said.

O’Mahony raises green flag for Mayo School

Deputy O’Mahony said it was a great pleasure for him celebrate with the puplis, teachers staff and parnents the awarding of the frist green flag to Bekan National School. “The green flag initiative by Mayo County and An Taisce is a very practiacl way in undertaking the importance of our enivorment in the modren world Deputy O’Mahony especially paid tribute to the teachers who have encouraged their pupils to take an active role in learning about the earth and helping to turn the tide on environmental damage. Other speakers on the day at the flag raising cermony were Mr Vincent Kenny, School Princpal, Cllr John Cribbin and Ms Mary Forde Mayo County Council.

O’Mahony calls for a ‘YES’ vote on Thursday

Deputy O’Mahony asked his constituents to vote for what is best for their interests.

“The Lisbon Reform Treaty is designed to allow the EU to tackle issues which Ireland, acting alone, cannot hope to have addressed. Areas like the development of a European knowledge economy, coping with climate change and sustainable development can only be confronted by 27 Member States acting together. These issues are vitally important to our small open economy, which is dependent on imports and exports to support our standard of living.

“I have studied the Treaty, and I have listened objectively to the debate that has surrounded the referendum campaign. I am satisfied that there is no threat to our vital national interests.

“Since 1973 we have been at the heart of Europe, at the heart of influence, and at the heart of decision-making. We have been the EU’s outstanding role model for what that has meant, and every Irish person has benefited from that.

“I ask you to use your vote to enable a modernised EU to deliver more to Irish citizens in the future. Vote ‘YES’ on Thursday.”

O’Mahony welcomes commitment on WTO VETO

“While this is welcome and should allay the fears of the farming community in County Mayo it is disappointing that this clarification could not have come sooner”.

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