Results 5,641-5,660 of 10,445 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: Thank you. We will go to our members next. Deputy Munster has three minutes.

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I support the idea of a letter to the Minister. We do not want to make the weeks of witnesses coming in here to give their statements, and our scrutiny, futile. It would make no sense. We will do that and it is a good suggestion. Moving on, I call Senator Cassells.

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: Is Senator Carrigy online? Perhaps not as he was not earlier. If he is, he might indicate or I can bring him in later. Is Deputy Mattie McGrath online? I call Senator Malcolm Byrne.

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I imagine that Senator Byrne's thoughts and feelings would be reflected by most members of the committee.

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I concur with Deputy Dillon's comments.

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Ms Quill and Mr. Shanley for being here today to inform the committee. The information we got at the outset was quite shocking. I refer to the Minister's decision, or hope, to bring forward this legislation before the committee has completed its prelegislative scrutiny work. That makes absolutely no sense to me. I have to concur with Senator Cassells that we might as well not have...

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: Can I tease this out further? Why would the secretariat of this committee not also be aware the prelegislative scrutiny was going to run way past when the Government and the Department intended to present the legislation?

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: Am I right in saying the prelegislative scrutiny is pointless if the legislation is going to come forward before the prelegislative scrutiny is finished?

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I reiterate that I appreciate the work Ms Quinn and Mr. Shanley have done. I do not want to be shooting the messenger in any shape or form. However, I am deeply frustrated to hear what we have heard today. I note Deputy Munster is indicating. Does she want to come back in?

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: The Deputy has raised an important point. If this is to continue in this vein we will find the Bill will get buried in committee with amendments if the prelegislative scrutiny does not have the input and the effect we had hoped it would have. Are there any other members online who would like to comment on that or support Deputy Munster’s suggestion?

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I am sensing unanimous agreement for that approach to the correspondence.

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for that.

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: Like all members, I appreciate the urgency in terms of the infringement proceedings. It is something we talked about at length at the beginning of this process but we made a conscious decision as a committee that it was more important we did it robustly, transparently and as thoroughly and comprehensively as possible. That is why we have spent week and after week bringing in various...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (29 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: 21. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the status of the Commission on the Defence Forces. [34600/21]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (29 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: 54. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of new recruits who have enlisted in the Permanent Defence Forces in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34599/21]

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Niamh Smyth: To finish on that point, is there a particular reason the Minister did not seek the waiver that was available to her?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Facilities (1 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: 12. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) cannot get assistive technology assistance to help with their education going forward. [35110/21]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Facilities (1 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I will continue in that vein and thank the Minister and the Minister of State for the July provision. I have had numerous schools, special needs assistants, SNAs, teachers and parents contact me who will benefit from that and it is wonderful to see. I want to ask about a particular student, namely, Aoibhinn O'Reilly. She is a student at St. Mary's National School, Crosserlough, who is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Facilities (1 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive reply and detailed outlining of the requirements. I have been in a classroom and have seen how assistive technology can have an enormous positive impact on the needs of students in participating in mainstream education. For teachers, it is an extra piece of work to do when they have assistive technology but for the students, the benefits...