Results 2,141-2,160 of 2,806 for speaker:Malcolm Byrne

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: International Programmes (3 Mar 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Listening to the reply that has been prepared for the Minister of State, I am reminded of the Oscar Wilde description of a cynic as somebody who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. It is clear the Minister of State's response has been written by an accountant. It has not been written by somebody who appreciates the value of research. The Minister of State will...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Mar 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I had an unusual experience last night. Last night, the Ukrainian ambassador addressed the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party meeting. While she exhibited the full extent of her diplomacy, she also spoke very personally about the impact of what was happening in the democracy. As we know, this is about the battle of democracy versus autocracy. I was also conscious last night that...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Mar 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: The first issue I wish to raise is the Gorey Educate Together Secondary School. This was announced 18 months ago by the Department of Education and a temporary site was secured, with assurances that a permanent site would be identified. This was after a long campaign locally, with many arguing that the school was needed years ago, but we still do not have a permanent site. Despite several...

Seanad: Situation in Ukraine: Statements (1 Mar 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Let us be very clear in response to the question Senator Craughwell has raised. This country has not chosen the side of Russia but is very much on the side of the Ukrainian people. We stand in solidarity with them. We also stand in solidarity, as the Minister of State said, with the ordinary people of Russia and Belarus. This is not their fight. In calling out Russia, we also need to call...

Seanad: Situation in Ukraine: Statements (1 Mar 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: We need to call out those members of the fifth column who are trying to operate within Irish politics. They have been getting away with it for far too long. They do not represent the Irish people. They are an embarrassment to the people of Ireland and they need to be called out.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Coast Guard Service (24 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, for coming to the House. As she comes from a coastal county, as I do, she is appreciative of the work of the Coast Guard right around the country. From seeing it in action, I know the work of the Courtown-Arklow Coast Guard. The Coast Guard group based in Courtown Harbour is unusual in that it actually covers parts of two counties. It covers...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Coast Guard Service (24 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: It is but at the same time, this has been a really long process. For the crew that is operating there, it is about looking for basic facilities that the rest of us would take for granted. It is particularly the case because these people are going out and saving lives. I invite the Minister of State to visit Courtown Harbour and to inspect the facilities. The Minister of State said the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Like my colleagues, I would like to welcome the ambassador, H.E. Aino Lepik von Wirèn, on this the Estonian national day and share with her our concerns around the unwarranted invasion of Ukraine by Russia and to make very clear from these Houses and this country that we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We have seen troops and military vehicles from Belarus entering...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I start by welcoming to the House a good friend of mine and an active campaigner, Mr. Matthew McGrath, whose campaign about access to beaches I have raised before. He has been very active in this area. It is a privilege to have him here in Leinster House today. I know the view about increasing accessibility, generally, is shared by all within the Seanad. Following the discussion yesterday...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the three MEPs who I know are working very hard on our behalf. I agree with Mr. Kelly on the commitment shown by our MEPs on human rights in particular. I really dislike the title of the programme, Fit For 55. It sounds like a seniors exercise class at my local gym. If there was one change possible, I would ask for that. Our MEPs work very effectively together at EU level...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Ms Frances Haugen (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank Ms Haugen for her contribution to the debate in Ireland and, indeed, internationally. I was conscious of the Rohingya genocide. It was discovered that there was one contractor working in Dublin to observe harmful content in Myanmar and he only spoke Burmese while 100 languages operate in Myanmar. I found it interesting that in September 2018, when human rights organisations wanted...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Ms Frances Haugen (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I take from that answer that Ms Haugen thinks the European Union should stand up to Facebook and if Facebook decides to pull out of Europe, so be it.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Ms Frances Haugen (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I will come in on the question of accountability and transparency in the algorithms, which is key. We are a small country that is trying to enforce accountability on companies. We are trying to deal with the taxonomy of online harms and so on. Does Ms Haugen have a suggestion as to how we might be able to enforce that kind of engineering solution? Does she believe that individual company...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Ms Frances Haugen (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: It was around transparency in algorithms and how we can enforce it through legislation.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Ms Frances Haugen (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Facebook tried to get some independent system to introduce the Facebook oversight board. What are Ms Haugen's views on the oversight board?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Ms Frances Haugen (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Facebook has now rebranded as Meta and is moving into the metaverse space that everyone else will be moving to. There will be challenges for us regulating in the metaverse space as well. Does Ms Haugen think there is anything that we, as legislators, should look at in this regard? Ms Haugen is aware the Data Protection Commissioner here has responded to some of her criticisms and has...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Ms Frances Haugen (23 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank Ms Haugen.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the Cathaoirleach for welcoming the representatives of the Uyghur World Congress and colleagues who attended the meeting to hear about the ongoing abuse of human rights in China. Since we last met and with the storms, we in Wexford lost a very valued employee of Wexford County Council, Mr. Billy Kinsella, who sadly died while out serving his community. He was working hard on behalf...

Seanad: Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (22 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the Minister for coming in with this vitally important legislation. It is critical to how we define our society, culture and democracy. There has been much reference already to the Oireachtas Joint Committee Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media and the work it has done on this Bill. I have to say, along with Senators Cassells, Warfield and Carrigy, and our colleagues in the...