Results 281-300 of 2,918 for speaker:Malcolm Byrne

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: On 10 September 2024, the Cabinet in the previous Government agreed to a Bill that would provide for further regulation of nicotine inhaling products, particularly with regard to a ban on disposable vapes and restrictions on advertising, colours, flavours and imagery used on nicotine inhaling products. It is also in the programme for Government. This is a public health emergency. It has...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Is there a timeline for the Bill?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I welcome our witnesses. Before we delve into some of the issues, I am enormously appreciative in general of the work the Arts Council has been doing. There has been a step change in terms of funding and support for the arts here. We do have some serious issues that we need to address, and I will come to those challenges, but it is important to put it on the record - notwithstanding those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I do recall it. The reason this IT system came in was because there were many complaints from artists about the application process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: By the way, I certainly share the desire to see funding extended to comedy and musical theatre, which we talked about, and broadening the remit of the Arts Council. My question is less about the governance issue and more about other aspects, including who advised on the IT system. If I am going to purchase a new laptop or have something installed in my house, I know I am not a techie. Who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I get that. We all get the business case. I know I need advice when I need a new laptop, so who advised the Arts Council on its system and identified the one that needed to be installed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Mr. O'Sullivan gets my point, though. Ultimately, whose was the recommendation that this was the system to go with?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: The business case was signed but people work on the basis of the advice they are given. Ultimately, who told the director this was the system to go with?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: The reliance was on that basis and the Department was happy with that process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Who gave the thumbs up to the Minister to go ahead with it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Ultimately, however, there must be somebody who provides advice. We all rely on somebody who tells us what system we should go with. Who was the technology expert who said that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I appreciate that, but somebody ultimately had to give advice. We all rely on somebody down the line.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I did hear some of Mr. Ó Coigligh's earlier contribution. This strikes me, however, as a situation where people were doing things because the file was passed up to them and then passed on again. Ultimately, however, we all rely on advice and the question is who said this was the best system. I do not know if this was in the Arts Council or in the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: It was the consultant's recommendation. It was what the consultant said and it was not interrogated by anybody in the Arts Council or anybody in the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: It was interrogated on a business case but what about on a technical case? If I buy a laptop, the business case is whether I can afford it or how I will fund it and the technical case is whether it will meet the needs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Mr. Ó Coigligh looked at the business case. In other words, it is the old line about the critic knowing the price of everything but the value of nothing. It is a crucial question. We can pay any amount for a computing system but if it does not do its job-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I am now worried there was nobody technical, including in the Department, if the Department was aware of the case.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Does it have them now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I ask Mr. Ó Coigligh to forgive me. Perhaps he is an expert in technology and these systems-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (11 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Mr. Ó Coigligh was asked if it was a ministerial decision regarding Ms Kennelly's continued appointment. Did the Minister ask for Mr. Ó Coigligh's advice?