Results 1,841-1,860 of 2,476 for speaker:Malcolm Byrne

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Accessibility for Individuals with Disabilities in Arts and Culture: Discussion (16 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Did anyone wish to comment on the issue of festivals?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I join with Senator O'Loughlin. I have called in this House before for a debate on the future funding of higher education. We are no further along that track. While the announcement is welcome that will result in the reduction of fees for students at third level, it cannot be at the expense of core funding for higher education institutions. We need clarity on the future funding of those...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, into the House. I agree with Senator Higgins with regard to the public transport provisions. I am aware of the measure introduced by the Minister for reduced fares for younger people, which is very welcome, but it should go further. It represents a good start. I agree with Senator Higgins that if we introduce a 20% reduction in the cost of public...

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

Malcolm Byrne: It is good to see Senator Pauline O’Reilly in the Deputy Leader’s chair. I look forward to hearing her response to the Order of Business. I raise the question of the Winter Olympics, which are to open in Beijing tomorrow. They will be the most shameful Olympic Games to have taken place since those in Berlin in 1936. We all know about the ongoing human rights abuses in China,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Information and Communications Technology (2 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, for coming before the House to take this matter. He is aware we are in the middle of a period of radical technological transformation, where we are seeing a convergence of a range of new technologies from artificial intelligence to blockchain to 6G and the Internet of things. Today I want to talk about the metaverse, an augmented and virtual...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Information and Communications Technology (2 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I hope that will be the case, although the evidence to date suggests it will not. Yesterday I spoke about the approach of the Central Bank, for example, to fintech and financial services companies. We saw the decision by Revolut to move its operations to Lithuania.Many fintech companies do not believe that the regulatory sandbox that is required to allow these companies to start is being...

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

Malcolm Byrne: I listened to the contributions of Senators Norris and O'Loughlin and they spoke about Joyce in Irish literature and how international Joyce is. We heard discussions about Zurick, Trieste and Paris. It is worth noting that Joyce was a UCD graduate and that the Museum of Literature Ireland, MoLi, as part of UCD has programme plans for this year, including an interactive programme that needs...

Seanad: Passport Office Service: Motion (2 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. As colleagues have said, none of us necessarily wants to be having this debate but I commend the Fine Gael group on putting forward the motion. It is an issue that has been raised in a cross-party way across the House. I commend the Minister and his officials on the efforts they have been making to address this. It is important to put on the record our...

Seanad: Passport Office Service: Motion (2 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I could be outdoing Senator Mullen in no time. These were all periods of suffering. It seems that the approach of the Department of Foreign Affairs when it comes to first-time applications is that you are going to have to wait for 40 days and 40 nights before you have any chance of your passport being processed. If people think about it, that is 40 working days. We are talking about three...

Seanad: Passport Office Service: Motion (2 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: In a future coalition arrangement, perhaps.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh a athair freisin. Guím beannachtaí na Féile Bríde oraibh go léir. Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis an Seanadóir O'Loughlin freisin agus í ag feidhmiú mar Cheannaire Gníomhach. I congratulate Senator O'Loughlin on the fact that it is her...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I am just glad Senator Craughwell did not have to fight the Russians.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jan 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. I echo the calls of Senators Chambers, McDowell and others for the debate on our Defence Forces. What is happening at the moment exposes the fact that Ireland on its own cannot deal with this. I agree with comments made by Senator Craughwell and others that this is not a neutral country. We are a non-aligned country and I am very proud that we...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Jan 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: With him at the head of it.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Water Quality (26 Jan 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. He will be familiar with the fact that last summer there were two very serious E.coli outbreaks, one in Ballymore Eustace, which provides much of the water supplies of Kildare and Dublin, and the other in my home town of Gorey. There were 52 confirmed illnesses, and potentially more, as a result of those outbreaks and the difficulties...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Water Quality (26 Jan 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the Minister of State. I welcome his stance and that of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. We were proactive in addressing this issue and we have seen progress from Irish Water as a result of the audit of those 26 water treatment plants. When will it be extended to all of the other water treatment plants, many of which serve smaller communities? I note that 35% of the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Jan 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I will start by agreeing with Senator Kyne. Several of us have been calling for debate on the Passport Office. It is now becoming a matter of serious urgency, so it could be arranged in the next week or two, it would be appreciated. Yesterday, I referred to the appointment of the expert panel that is due to be set up to examine how an individual complaints mechanism could operate with the...

Seanad: Final Report on Impacts of Brexit of Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (26 Jan 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I am sharing my time with Senator McGreehan.

Seanad: Final Report on Impacts of Brexit of Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (26 Jan 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the Minister, not just for coming to the House, but for all his work and that of his officials on this matter. At times he must be tearing his hair out because it can be very frustrating. Every time we seem to move one step forward, another challenge arises. Genuinely, his work in this area deserves much praise. I join colleagues in complimenting the Chair of our committee,...

Seanad: Local Government (Surveillance Powers in Relation to Certain Offences) Bill 2022: Order for Second Stage (26 Jan 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."