Results 24,001-24,020 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I hear the Senator’s passion and clear commitment to the issue. We are absolutely in agreement that the improper use of disabled parking is extremely selfish and causes grave disruption for people with disabilities who need access to those spaces. They are provided to people with mobility difficulties who need access to parking close to shops and other amenities and where the bays...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I am very glad to be informed.

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The texter is correct. I was uncertain as to that fact. Our office pushed for the increase in fines. As I said, we have never been shy about trying to protect this. To respond to Senator Higgins, when I speak about dangerous driving I am concerned about the people and not the vehicle. We also try to protect vehicles but we are all of a similar view that it is the human being we are...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I would be happy to support such a stepping up of efforts or a "blitz" as Senator Boyhan calls it. The timing would be appropriate. One of the things that did happen during Covid-19 was that much of the behaviours on our roads such as parking, use of bus lanes and other areas worsened when people maybe felt there was not the same policing operation in place due to the restrictions. I will...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: It is the remit of An Garda Síochána as to how it deploys its resources. I certainly will join calls in making a case and pushing for that.

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: These amendments are designed to allow the Revenue Commissioners to issue fixed-charge notices in certain circumstances. To explain the background, in 2002 the system of fixed-charge notices for certain offences relating to traffic and vehicles was introduced. Under this system, which applies to lesser offences, An Garda Síochána issued a fixed-charge notice in advance of taking a...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Of all the measures dealt with in this complex Bill, it is probably fair to say that the ones which attracted the most attention were those to do with electric scooters. These vehicles have become very popular in recent years and have a great deal to offer as an environmentally-friendly form of micro mobility. At the same time, the laws needs to take account of them like any other vehicles...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Pedal bicycles, including cargo bikes, are not in this PPT category. The treatment of such bicycles is dealt with in a separate section of the Bill. As regards cargo bikes in particular, it depends on the power capacity. Where there is a maximum continuous rated power greater than 0.25 kW, there are particular legal requirements. Anything below that is treated in the same way as all other...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I am happy to return to the issue on Report Stage and, I hope, clarify it for certain.

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: These two amendments are small but are important refinements to the definition of a cycleway in the Roads Act. A cycleway is a specific track intended for cyclists and is not the same as a cycle lane, as defined by markings on a road. It is our intention that powered personal transporters will be able to use cycleways, however, cycleways are first and foremost for cycling. The amendments I...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I thank Senator Ruane for her comments. I completely agree with her that this issue about the regulation of facial recognition technology, artificial intelligence and machine-based learning technology systems is something which we have to treat with real attention. It is a significant issue with regard to getting the balance right between the deployment of technology, the protection of...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: On amendment No. 36 and the subsequent amendments, Nos. 43 to 45, inclusive, 47 to 52, inclusive, 54 to 56, inclusive, and 58, I propose to extend the provisions relating to the use of cameras by local authorities and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to include other similar devices and to address some technical issues in the text to improve the clarity of the text without changing the...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I agreed in the previous amendment with the broad concern the three Senators set out around how we use facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence and the general risk - reality in many jurisdictions - of the surveillance of citizens that is totally inappropriate. I absolutely accept that. I said in my response to the earlier amendment that we all seek to get the balance...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I do not agree. I fear we could end up in a situation where we would have to go back to amend primary legislation in an evolving area where we have different types of electronic devices which might want to use the data. I agree with Senator Ruane's earlier contention that we need to regulate how devices using facial recognition technology or artificial intelligence, AI, which could have a...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I do not disagree with this issue. It is an issue obviously with mobile phones where there is a very serious issue around all the information, controversially. We have to be careful here not to try to address this whole complex issue through a piece of traffic management regulation. If we are starting to get down to specifics and that every device might be a data sharing device, we would...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: It is a useful and important discussion. One could look at it the other way. One could say that by being specific in primary legislation, which may only be amended by going through this House and the Dáil, we could end up with a situation where other devices are gathering data that are completely unregulated and outside any control system. That would be a big risk and as Senator...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: On what basis? They would not be contained in the law.

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: It is far better to have that broad definition and say where there is a device that can collect data, it is part of any regulations and therefore any amendment the Senators have suggested would then have impact. It is better to do it that way than try to set out in primary legislation what exactly each and every device is.

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The legislation has provisions, or includes provisions elsewhere, that when we are referring to "personal data" it states it "has the same meaning as it has in Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016". Therefore, everything works. Once you are designating something as a "data-gathering device" then the broader European GDPR and other...

Seanad: Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Feb 2023)

Eamon Ryan: This is a very useful discussion. The proposed section 77A(6), to be inserted by section 45 of this Bill, sets out that the Minister must set out the regulations to "provide for data obtained using cameras operated by or on behalf of a road authority".It also sets out, in some detail, that a data protection impact assessment and so on should be carried out under the terms of section 84 of...