Results 41-60 of 11,899 for speaker:Niall Collins

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Child Protection (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: To be clear, the Deputy has told me that he has already written to the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, and the Minister, Deputy Foley, with regard to this. Arising from today, I will speak to the relevant officials within our Department, and I will ensure that the correspondence and communication the Deputy has sent to the Department via the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan's office, is acted...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Child Protection (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: That is fine.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Thalidomide Victims Compensation (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank Deputy Ward for raising this important issue. I also wish to extend the apologies of the Minister for State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Naughton, for being unable to attend today. She is currently on a delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina on behalf of the Government to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. The Minister of State has also...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Child Protection (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality are committed to promoting safe and high-quality practices in areas of alternative care. The Child Care Act 1991 is the statutory framework for child welfare and...

Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: Statements (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I acknowledge the very fine work of my colleague the Minister in this area and, indeed, the work that has been done across government and beyond to implement the zero-tolerance strategy. The fight against domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is one we all need to engage fully with. As we have heard from the Minister, affecting substantial change in this area is possible. We can,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Promotion (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Senator for giving me this opportunity to speak on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, and outline the progress being made by the Government in this area. The promotion of physical activity for health is a priority under the Healthy Ireland framework, Ireland’s national strategy for improving the health and well-being of the population. This was evidenced by...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Promotion (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: As the Senator mentioned older adults, I will outline what my colleague, the Minister for Health, has been doing to make physical activity opportunities available to this group. Physical activity for older adults is promoted by Age and Opportunity, a national development organisation working to enable the best possible quality of life for this population group. This organisation is a key...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disability Services (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: The Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Naughton, thanks the Senator for raising this important issue, and I am responding on her behalf. The HSE provides specialist disability services, including day services and rehabilitative training, to people with disabilities who require such services. While day service funding does not include transport, some transport...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disability Services (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: The ambition of this Government is to bring about a step change in the services for people with disability in Ireland. The Minister of State with responsibility for disability and the Government are committed to the expansion and reform of disability services in order to maximise people's independence and help to support them to live their lives on the same basis as all other citizens. In...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank Senator McCarthy for the opportunity to address this important issue. Ireland's climate action plans recognise the need for the electricity sector to become more adaptable and flexible, in response to the ever-increasing volume of distributed renewable energy sources on the grid. To ensure reliability in such a distributed energy system, as well as to minimise the network upgrades...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Policy (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: The rapid expansion of renewable sources of energy is critical to lowering costs and protecting those in or at risk of energy poverty. As we move to higher levels of variable renewables, it will be necessary for electricity demand to become much more flexible to match when renewable electricity is plentiful and prices are at their lowest. The Department is leading on a new...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together. Peace Commissioners are appointed by me, in my capacity as Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, in accordance with section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. A person who wishes to be considered for appointment may make an application to my Department. I regret to advise the Deputy that the number of Peace...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (9 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I am advised by officials in Immigration Service Delivery of my Department that the person cited by the Deputy may apply to the Domestic Residence and Permissions Division for an extension of their immigration permission on student conditions. Further information on the application process is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/my-situation-has-changed-since-i-arr...

Seanad: Data Protection Act 2018: Motion (8 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I am pleased to be here with Members of Seanad Éireann today to seek approval of regulations under section 64 of the Data Protection Act 2018 in respect of the Data Protection Commission, Office of the Information Commissioner and the Comptroller and Auditor General. The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the GDPR established the protection of personal data as a fundamental right and...

Seanad: Data Protection Act 2018: Motion (8 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank all Senators for their contributions and support for the motion. There is no doubt that GDPR is hugely important and has significantly benefited many people in terms of protecting their rights, enhancing their privacy and ensuring that their personal details are held properly and safely. That is really important. As Senator Wilson said, sometimes friction arises in the area of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Strategies (8 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: Community safety is a top priority for my Department and everyone has the right to be safe and feel safe in their communities. Rural Ireland is no exception. In 2019, the National Rural Safety Forum was established. The Forum comprises of a broad range of organisations, including my Department, An Garda Síochána, the IFA and stakeholders who share the common purpose of ensuring...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (3 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: The programme for Government commits to creating a transport security force. While this is a priority, responsibility for its establishment lies with the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority. On 18 June, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, met with the Minister for Transport to discuss the proposed transport security force. The Department of Transport is developing...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (3 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: The Deputy is right that this is at the early stages and is in development. It is a priority, as I have outlined. The new transport force will have to interact with An Garda Síochána and that will be an operational issue for both organisations. It is primarily a matter for the parties involved to work out how they will operate the new system once the new transport security force...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (3 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: We discussed at length earlier the whole issue of Garda recruitment. As the Deputy knows, it is a significant priority in the programme for Government to increase Garda recruitment by about 5,000 over the lifetime of this Government. We have made a very good and resounding start. Last month, in June, another 170 trainees entered Templemore, following on from 201 in March, the largest...