Results 521-540 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: I will put it to the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. In fairness to the Minister of State, he has been honest and direct. It is now 12.09 a.m. and I have spent five or six hours at committee meetings and then waited five or six hours to do this now.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: Wait a second though; the floor is mine but the Minister of State is saying that I withdrew this matter. I did not. It is on the system, as we can see with our own eyes. Obviously, I would expect the Minister of State to have a briefing. In actual fact, I believe the Minister or the Minister of State responding should be from the relevant Department. Is there any point in me doing this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: We have received an apology from Deputy Micheál Carrigy. I ask all present to ensure their phones are on silent or switched off. Today's meeting has been convened with officials from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, which is a new title. Where has arts gone? We are also joined by representatives from Coimisiún na Meán, RTÉ and Screen Ireland for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: I thank Mr. Carson very much. I now invite Ms to make her initial contribution.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: I thank Ms McQuillan very much. I appreciate that. Members will now ask some questions and engage with the witnesses. We will push this out to ten minutes as we have only four members at the moment. Deputy Brennan is the first person on my list.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: Who would like to take those questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: I have a few questions and then we will have a second round of approximately four minutes. My question is for Screen Ireland and RTÉ, because they can be more open in a certain format. They are not the regulatory authority or the Department, in other words. They will get one chance perhaps to say this and I will get one chance to ask it. What do they see as the main weakness of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: Okay, very diplomatic. I fundamentally disagree with the ministerial decision on the levy order. I have said so publicly. Most people who cannot really offer an opinion agree with me. It takes away the independence of Coimisiún na Meán and it is not in the spirit of what was initially sought. It was a retrograde step. Deputy Ó Snodaigh did a bit of toing and froing with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: Basically, the Minister has to ask Coimisiún na Meán to do something and then he or she will then have to approve it when an coimisiún sends it in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: Basically, there are two layers for the same thing. The Minister will have to kick it off as well as finalise it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: I suppose if one was a belt approach, this is a belt and braces approach. I am not sure we needed the braces. There is a weakness here in the sense that it goes against the spirit of this legislation, which all of us in the Oireachtas broadly agree with. It gives an unnecessary power to a Minister over an independent regulator. That is not the case in most other scenarios in Ireland or in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: It is too long. I said that at the meeting with our colleagues Ms Taaffe and Mr. Larragy. Three years is too long. This whole area of media is moving so quickly, but I suppose the review is helpful. I will ask a specific question about local radio and local newspapers. All of us in politics who are from a rural background live and die by them. There are various schemes. The current...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: I am aware of them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: What is the timeline for them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: That is the timeline. Is Coimisiún na Meán confident it will meet all these dates and timelines that have been stated previously, that is, by year end?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: On the schemes' effectiveness, what key performance indicators, KPIs, does an coimisiún have in place? Mr. Ó Domhnaill said they would be reviewed after a year. Presumably, that will be a year from when each one is launched.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: What are the KPIs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: An coimisiún has measurement techniques in place for all this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill: Discussion (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Kelly: Does it have enough resources? Is it happy? Now is the time to ask for more.