Results 2,101-2,120 of 24,567 for speaker:Róisín Shortall

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (17 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: 372. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to a disability allowance appeal (details supplied); the reason for the delay in an appeal decision being made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45255/23]

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: Before we get under way, I wish to make a point of order. I am seeking clarification about the closing date for amendments. We were circulated with a closing date that came and went. Further amendments were submitted after that. I do not recall being informed about a second closing date.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: While there were subsequent amendments, I am not sure we were informed.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: It is not something that is just said at a meeting. There are Standing Orders covering committee meetings.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: Yes. I have no recollection of seeing any notice from the Bills Office that the closing date was being extended.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: Can we have clarification from the clerk whether that was the case?

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: It is an important point, procedurally.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: I will speak to my amendments Nos. 3 and 9. This committee spent a considerable amount of time doing pre-legislative scrutiny on this legislation. We had several sessions and consulted large numbers of interested parties. We made 22 recommendations and, as far as I can, see none of those has been taken on board at all. We were not doing this for fun. We approached this task in a serious...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: This is a ludicrous situation. Here we are with a Bill before us that is capable of addressing all of our concerns and all of the public health concerns about vaping. There is an urgency about that but the Minister is telling us he is only going to move ahead with one particular aspect of this issue. He is basically kicking the can down the road on all of the other public concerns there...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: My amendment No. 5 seeks an outright ban on disposable vapes and will enable the Minister, at whatever point he and his Government colleagues decide is the appropriate time to ban disposable vapes, to do so. I believe that should happen as quickly as possible, although I recognise that another process is under way and the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, is working on that. Again, my...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: I do not see why the Minister would be restricted in any way by EU requirements in simply having an enabling provision in the Bill. It is when he would propose to regulate that there might be an issue with that, but this is about allowing him to do something, or not do it, depending on what his advice is, at a time of his choosing but in a way that will not require him to go back to the...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: The Minister is making the case that if we do anything further in this Bill, the EU will have to be notified.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: No, I have another question. Say in nine months' time, the Minister decides to legislate, at that point the EU would have to be notified. Is that correct?

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: Supposing-----

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: I contend that the purpose of this amendment is to enable the Minister to do just that by statutory instrument, by regulation. This would provide the primary legislative basis for doing so. In a best case scenario, say in six or eight months' time, the Minister comes back with a second Bill - he has a lot on his plate, especially after yesterday - as part of that process, the EU will have...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: We were talking about the three-year timescale for reviewing the legislation. There is no great sense of urgency there.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: I do not know who the Minister got the legal advice from but I do not see that enabling him to do something would pose a problem. The Minister can notify in terms of the regulations but this enables him to do something without having to go back to the drawing board.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: I want to get back to the issue of disposable vapes. The Minster of State at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ossian Smyth, had a consultation on disposable vapes, which closed on 11 August. There were 3,246 submissions to that consultation. Some 85% of people supported the banning of disposable vapes. The public is behind the Minister on this and is...

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: I move amendment No. 3: In page 9, after line 37, to insert the following: “Review of operation of Act 10. The Minister shall, 12 months after the passing of this Act, carry out a review of the operation of this Act.”.

Select Committee on Health: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (12 Oct 2023)

Róisín Shortall: Since July, in fact - four months ago.