Results 4,601-4,620 of 6,454 for speaker:James Lawless

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: Yes. I can take Deputy Ó Ríordáin if the two gents want to take a few minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: Following up on what Deputy Pringle said, I attended at a conference on some of these issues at the weekend. The point was made that there could be an online news website that has text that is considered newsprint, video content that is considered broadcasting and a comment section that is considered an intermediary space. Three different items of legislation would apply to one website...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: Returning to what I said at the outset, the organisations are not present and cannot respond. I absolutely hear what is being said but I note they may something different if they were to come in. That does not take from what the witnesses said at all; it is just to put that on record.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: Possibly, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: I am extremely sympathetic to the positions advanced. The only issue is the discussion is a little bit moving into where the media committee and broadcasting committee would be. As much as I would love to invite certain organisations in and have certain debates, we are constrained to the justice arena in this committee. There is obviously knock-on. Some of the speech that is being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: Yes, exactly, so we stay within the lines of the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: I thank Ms McDonald. While I will go to Deputy Ó Ríordáin in a second round, before doing that I will come in with something myself. It strikes me that a lot of what we are talking about is misinformation and disinformation that is being propagated, intentionally in many cases. Is there more that the State or the authorities collectively can do with regard to positive...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: I am going to take follow-up comments, if anyone wants to come in again. I will start with Deputy Ó Ríordáin and go on in the same order as the first round.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: Before the next member comes in, Mr. Malone makes a very interesting point about there being a right to freedom of expression but no guaranteed right to freedom of amplification. That is a really interesting point. Another point I will add to that is if my freedom of expression is being impaired by another person asserting a very hostile direct narrative, usually online, then that does not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: On a procedural matter for the committee to discuss, the fact that GDPR is engaged with respect to that recommender algorithm gives the committee a hook and allows it to become seised of the issue because the GDPR comes under our remit. That is a point we might pick up again when we are offline. That might allow us to further investigate some of these issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: I think that is good enough to finish on and concludes the time. I thank both witnesses and their organisation for being here. I commend the work they do.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: I propose to members that we publish all the opening statements on the committee website. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: I welcome the witnesses to the committee. The purpose of our engagement this evening relates to the arson attacks. We heard from the Hope and Courage Collective a few minutes ago. The witnesses are probably aware that the collective is a group that does advocacy in this area. It disseminates information and combats some narratives. We now turn our examination to engagement with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: I am going to move on to the next slot. I will ask a few questions myself at this stage. If any members who have not already contributed want to do so, online or in person, this should get my attention. I listened with interest to the points made on EU case law and the fact that there may be, in certain circumstances, the right to block a road. We have to be careful how we couch that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: I do not expect Dr. Coxon to go into operational issues. It is more whether she can reassure the committee that that is being done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: Very good. The next question is on the detection rate. It is a source of frustration to me, as Chair of this committee, that we have not seen more arrests, investigations and prosecutions. I know there is a sequence and people do not go straight to court. Obviously, the Garda has to investigate, detect, arrest, question and charge. There is a cycle and lead time involved. However, I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: Good. The types of techniques I mentioned, involving identification of cause at the seat of the fire, as commonly used in the insurance industry and, I am sure, in police forces, are being employed. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: Very good. We heard from the Hope and Courage Collective, and I have heard the same from my work on the ground, that there have been times when concerned members of the community who have put their hands up to warn of trouble or that something will kick off because an issue is festering somewhere have found it difficult to get through to a relevant person in the Garda. We speculated in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Arson Attacks: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: I am sorry for interrupting, Deputy Ward. I have a commitment at 7 p.m. so Deputy Ó Ríordáin will take the Chair. We are scheduled to finish at 7 p.m. but we may go five or ten minutes over, with the agreement of witnesses and members. I thank the witnesses for coming in today.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Middle East (20 Mar 2024)

James Lawless: 13. To ask the Taoiseach for a report on his joint correspondence, along with the Spanish Prime Minister, to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the situation in Gaza. [7943/24]