Results 6,061-6,080 of 7,312 for speaker:James Browne

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

James Browne: The only person who should be ashamed here this evening is Senator McDowell. He has made outrageous allegations against my good name, the officials in the Department of Justice and the Government, effectively accusing people of being bought and paid for with no evidence whatsoever. It is a shameful thing to come in here and make an accusation with zero evidence.

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

James Browne: Listen back to your own transcript.

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

James Browne: Listen back. Let me respond. I did not interrupt you.

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

James Browne: It is absolutely shameful.

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

James Browne: What you have tried to do in here is to relitigate your own failings to regulate the gambling industry when you were in a position to do so on several occasions, and you did not do so.

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

James Browne: You did not do so. This section is here for a particular reason. We sought to ban inducements but to allow promotions, as the Oireachtas committee did not propose the banning of promotions in the gambling industry. I have amendments here from both sides. Some are saying I have gone too far, and others say I am not going far enough. People are entitled to make legitimate arguments and...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second and Subsequent Stages (3 Oct 2024)

James Browne: I welcome the opportunity to present this Bill to the Seanad. It is short but important legislation that addresses constitutional infirmities in law recently identified by the High Court. I thank Senator Ward, who has done a large amount of extremely important work in respect of the legislation. Last month, the High Court ruled that a person who commits murder when under 18 but who turns...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second and Subsequent Stages (3 Oct 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Senators for their contributions. I will address a number of matters when dealing with amendments on Committee Stage. In particular, I would like to outline why treason is not included, particularly as that is an obvious issue. We are not including treason at this time. The purpose of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2024 is to deal with infirmities identified by the High...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second and Subsequent Stages (3 Oct 2024)

James Browne: I certainly hear Senator Ward's frustration. He was very much to the forefront in seeking legislation to address what is an unconstitutional element in our legislation. Senator Ward deserves significant praise for this. He highlighted it to the Department a long time ago. Unfortunately, perhaps through not heeding the Senator's warnings, we have ended up in a situation where urgent...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second and Subsequent Stages (3 Oct 2024)

James Browne: I will frustrate Senator Ward again by saying he makes eminently sensible points on the sentencing options, the principles of which I agree with. The general scheme of the children (amendment) Bill was published in July by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and will go to pre-legislative scrutiny in the very near future. I agree with Senator Ward. I agree with the sentiment and the drafting of...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second and Subsequent Stages (3 Oct 2024)

James Browne: I recognise there is currently no power to suspend sentences for children and this is being addressed in the general scheme of the children (amendment) Bill 2024 that I previously discussed. As I mentioned, the general scheme was published in July. During the development of proposals in this general scheme, my Department consulted widely on this issue, including with the judiciary. The...

Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2024: Second Stage (3 Oct 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, for bringing forward this very important legislation, the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill, and compliment him on really hitting the ground running since his appointment as Minister of State at the Department of Transport and bringing forward some really important legislation and reform and doing Kildare North very...

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (8 Oct 2024)

James Browne: I thank Senators Ruane, Higgins, Black and Flynn for tabling their amendment. I certainly understand where the Senators are coming from but we are satisfied that we achieve what the amendment seeks to achieve through our currently drafted legislation. I am satisfied that these devices are already provided for in the Bill as the reference to "the Internet" in paragraph (a) of the definition...

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (8 Oct 2024)

James Browne: The matters raised in amendment No. 8 are already addressed within the Bill. Section 33 provides that the authority may consider existing emerging practices in gambling and gambling activities, including activities that are similar to or may be gambling. Where the authority identifies an issue of concern, it shall prepare and submit a report with any recommendations to the Minister for...

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (8 Oct 2024)

James Browne: It is a matter of law that all persons and bodies are bound by the provisions of the GDPR and the 2018 Act. The law is strict as regards a person’s health and financial data. It is not the role of the authority to request or receive sensitive health-related information in respect of people who are gamblers, neither is it permissible for the HSE to share such data. In that regard, I...

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (8 Oct 2024)

James Browne: I will respond to amendments Nos. 11 and 12 together. It is important to reiterate that in the drafting this Bill, I consulted the Data Protection Commission and the commission did not specify a need for such a provision to be included. Furthermore, the national gambling exclusion register prohibits licensees from communicating with any person on the register. Licensees need to maintain a...

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (8 Oct 2024)

James Browne: I thank Senator Ruane for tabling this amendment. Unfortunately, I cannot accept it for two reasons. First, all persons and bodies hoarding personal data are obliged to comply with the obligations set out in general data protection regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. This is an existing legal requirement, and I cannot see a need for any person to make a statement as to how they...

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (8 Oct 2024)

James Browne: On amendment No. 16, as the Senators will appreciate, at its core, the Bill is a public health measure aimed at protecting people from gambling harm, including children, younger people and those more vulnerable in our communities. In this context, section 159 includes extensive provisions concerning the sponsorship of events by licensees to protect children, breaches of which constitute a...