Results 1,561-1,580 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Committee on Public Petitions: Election of Vice Chairman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: As there is nobody else, the Opposition does not seem to have turned up against Deputy Devlin.

Committee on Public Petitions: Election of Vice Chairman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: If there is no other proposal, the question is that Deputy Cormac Devlin be elected Vice Chairman of the committee. Is that agreed? Agreed. I congratulate the newly elected Vice Chairman.

Committee on Public Petitions: Election of Vice Chairman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I wish you all the best and congratulate you on your election as Vice Chairman. I look forward to working with you. We have had a good relationship since the committee started and I hope both you, I and the other committee members can continue that.

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: Our next business is an engagement with the Press Ombudsman, Mr. Peter Feeney, on the annual reports for 2018, 2019 and 2020 and related matters. Before we start, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses regarding references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give...

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: If Deputy Devlin and Senator Eugene Murphy are not rushing off, I would be obliged if they would allow Deputy O'Donoghue to speak first as he has to go to the Dáil Chamber shortly.

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: Is there any crossover between the office of the Press Ombudsman and social media companies regarding anonymous accounts? Did Mr. Feeney say he had no remit in this regard?

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: Can these companies even be held to account? As he said earlier, if pictures go up, these companies are able to take stuff down within minutes. We have all heard of tragic cases where people have been bullied online and the companies come out with the excuse that they cannot regulate it. Can it be done through the office of the Press Ombudsman or some other agency or does legislation need...

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: To be clear, I have no problem with anonymous accounts if people use social media in a good way. It is when behaviour becomes abusive that I think companies should have a responsibility and start getting involved. Deputy O'Donoghue wishes to make just one more point before-----

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I call Deputy Devlin. He will be followed by Senator Murphy.

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I agree it is a discussion the committee needs to have.

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I will stop Senator Craughwell there.

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I have a couple of questions, Mr. Feeney. You said earlier that you pass complaints about RTÉ on to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, and the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland. As RTÉ is one of the biggest press outlets in the country, how come it does not seem to be under the remit of the Press Ombudsman?

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: If an article appears on the front pages of a newspaper and is subsequently found to be in breach of the code of practice, what is the rationale for requiring that the reference to the upheld complaint be published in the first four pages of the newspaper in question? Why does it not appear on the front page, like the initial article?

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: Mr. Feeney said he does not have the power to initiate complaints. Given that the Press Council is a non-statutory body, is there anything that can be done to expand its remit in this regard?

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I think Senator Buttimer will get widespread support in the committee for the assertion that it has been a good meeting. We, as politicians or a committee, need to come back to the situation of anonymous accounts and how they are dealt with. I do not see any hands up so I invite Mr. Feeney to make closing remarks.

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I thank Mr. Feeney on my behalf and that of the committee for coming here, even if only virtually. This discussion has been beneficial and informative. I agree with Senator Buttimer that it has probably been one of the better meetings. We have had very good meetings with other ombudsmen, but the depth of information we got from today's meetings----

Committee on Public Petitions: Annual Reports of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman: Press Ombudsman (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: No, we would not even think of that. The information we got from the Ombudsman today has been a massive help. I have no doubt we will come back to it again and we hope Mr. Feeney will be able to visit us in person in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, stay safe.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: We now turn to consideration of public petitions. We have four petitions for consideration today. Petition 1/22m, "Inequality Kills", is from Mr. Liam Doran. The recommendation from the private session is that that this petition be closed because discussion of the subject matter is comprehended by the orders of reference of the relevant departmental select committee, which involve "any...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I also concur. It is a conversation we need to have and perhaps the committee ought to invite someone in and have a conversation about it. Is the recommendation agreed? Agreed. That concludes our consideration of public petitions this afternoon. I invite members of the public to submit petitions via our online portal. A petition may be addressed to the Houses of the Oireachtas on a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (24 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: 161. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of the avenues available to customers of State retrofit schemes who have complaints in relation to sub-standard work that has been carried out on their homes; the level of oversight in place to monitor work that has been carried out; the level of oversight in place to ensure the level of work and materials...