Results 221-240 of 10,922 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Select Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh. He must be exhausted after all that. I thank him very much for going into such level of detail.

Select Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I want to reassure the Deputy. There are representatives from RAAP in the Gallery today, and I join with the Chairman in welcoming them. A meeting has been scheduled to meet with the officials in the coming weeks. Of course, we will do anything we can. The intention of all of us is to get this right and make sure that the producers as well as the performers, and the performers have been...

Select Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I would prefer to deal with them as a group, if that is okay with the Deputy.

Select Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank colleagues for being here with me today. I thank the Chair and members of the committee for facilitating Committee Stage and for the support for the Bill on Second Stage in the Dáil. I am delighted to bring the Bill to Committee Stage today on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke. As the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, set out on Second Stage, the Bill has a very...

Select Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I will come back to Deputy Ó Snodaigh on the matter. Is the Title normally dealt with at the end?

Select Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I might have further information at that point. I do not think there is any particular reason, and we can clarify this for Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Inflation Rate (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The Government recognises the financial pressure that rising grocery prices place on households across the country. Ensuring fairness, transparency, and robust competition in the retail sector is a key priority. A comprehensive framework is in place to monitor supermarket price inflation, involving several agencies and initiatives: The CCPC is central to monitoring pricing practices and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Consumer Protection (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is an independent statutory body. As Minister, I do not direct the CCPC to investigate individual cases or potential breaches of competition or consumer protection law. The CCPC operates independently in its decision-making, in line with its statutory remit. In general, businesses in Ireland are free to set their own prices for the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Consumer Protection (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: As Minister, I respect the independence of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). As an enforcement body, the CCPC does not comment on actual or potential investigations, and I do not have a role in directing or influencing its enforcement decisions. Misleading discount practices fall under consumer protection law rather than competition law. The European Union...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Artificial Intelligence (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: On 31 October 2024, in compliance with the first obligation under the AI Act, Ireland published a list of nine national public authorities responsible for protecting fundamental rights under the AI Act:An Coimisiún Toghcháin.Coimisiún na Meán.Data Protection Commission.Environmental Protection Agency.Financial Services & Pensions Ombudsman.Irish Human Rights &...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Regulations (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: As the Deputy is aware, there is a particular focus on simplification and burden reduction at EU level with a view to improving EU competitiveness and ensuring there aren’t disproportionate burdens on business, particularly SMEs. In this context, the Omnibus on sustainability was published in February 2025. Following negotiations over a series of meetings, the Polish Presidency...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Artificial Intelligence (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I am aware of the concerns and recent media coverage on the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence on jobs. Much of the independent research available to date indicates that AI has been augmenting rather than replacing jobs. AI is evolving rapidly, and it is too early to predict with accuracy the full impact that AI will have on the labour market, but what is clear is that the...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Artificial Intelligence (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is clearly a transformative force that holds immense potential for our economy and society. Harnessing the benefits of AI is essential for Ireland to future-proof our industries and remain globally competitive. Equally, AI is a disruptive technology and I am acutely aware of the concerns regarding the impact of AI on the labour market and the recent media...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reviews (17 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: 399. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will review an application (details supplied); if the decision will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40571/25]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (16 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Deputy Ardagh has made the case well for Scoil Eoin. It is important that we, as public representatives, who have the opportunity to listen to the real-life stories of parents and teachers, such as in Scoil Eoin relay that to Department officials as well as the Deputy's sense that to make any change will dismantle something that works, that is good and that is providing the care and the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Trade Relations (16 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The Tánaiste and other Ministers have been vocal and constructive voices at the table to ensure the EU's approach remains measured and appropriate. The Government's constant and consistent position has been, and remains, that we need substantive, calm, measured and comprehensive dialogue with the United States. This is also the position of the EU. Our objective remains to reach...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (16 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for her emotional presentation. I know she is acutely aware of the requirements that should be in place. She has the experience of a school that is doing the job really well. As she asked, why fix something that is not broken? Her experience of this school has obviously been a positive one. The Government is committed to the provision of additional special school...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Middle East (16 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I concur with the Deputy’s sentiments. His parting thoughts leaving at the weekend were of the young people and the mentality of the young people having suffered what they had suffered. Yesterday, during Leaders’ Questions, we discussed the occupied territories Bill. The Taoiseach talked how if it were not for media and social media, we would be blind to much of what was...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Trade Relations (16 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for his presentation. I concur, particularly with his opening piece on the vulnerabilities within Ireland. I disagree with him in the sense that he talked about the vulnerability. I sit on the trade forum established by the Tánaiste since the trade war, or the utterance of trade wars, began. All the Government agencies and State bodies, such as Fáilte Ireland...