Results 4,281-4,300 of 6,137 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: As I prepared my remarks I reflected on the fact that the very first contribution I made at a Sinn Féin meeting after I joined the party was to ask a councillor what was the state of play with the expansion of the city boundary. That was in 2007. Talk of it has been rumbling on for years at that stage with little progress being made. I was informed by councillor Fiona Kerins that it...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Urban Renewal Schemes (7 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister of State's response is not particularly clear, enlightening or encouraging. There is no timeline and he merely restated the process, with which we are more than familiar. The people of Cork are also more than familiar with it. The response speaks of the latest financial projections provided by Cork City Council for the Department which indicate a significant increase in the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Urban Renewal Schemes (7 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: When will a decision be made?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Urban Renewal Schemes (7 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh, agus má thagann an Teachta Barry, ligfidh mé isteach é. It is, incredibly, 1,000 days since the sod turning for the Cork event centre. It has been 1,000 days of missed deadlines, uncertainty and the people of Cork getting increasingly frustrated. It is not even as if that was the start of the story. We heard that work was due to start in the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Yesterday, the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment discussed the Digital Safety Commissioner Bill, which I proposed. The Bill is supported by the ISPCC, CyberSafeIreland and the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman. Industry bodies were also quite open to the concept yesterday. The Government’s action plan for online safety states that it will...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It is a very simple question. Is the Minister in favour of the office?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I welcome the opportunity to again address the committee on the Digital Safety Commissioner Bill. There is no doubt that online safety has become one of the most significant challenges facing Irish society and, arguably, one of the most significant child protection issues of our time. We face major challenges. Many people, particularly parents, are concerned about what is happening in that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Deputy Howlin's Bill addressed updating section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. We supported that Bill. Section 10 is out of date and needs to be updated because it does not take account of the very significant changes which have happened. In relation to offences, Deputy Howlin's Bill and mine had their origins in the LRC paper published in early 2016. In drafting the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank Senator Lombard for his kind words. We have come a long way from the county council and discussions about who is responsible for cutting ditches and verges.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Nov 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I take on board the point that was made about the definition. The value of this process is that it allows for discussion and for the teasing out of those issues. The committee will get a draft, and I repeat to any of the organisations that are here or that are listening in that it would be valuable to hear their views on what the definition should be or any ideas they have about the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the Chairman and congratulate the Minister. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to present this Bill this afternoon. It has been discussed in previous meetings of the committee and I commend the Chairman and am encouraged by the sentiments expressed by the committee on the need for a digital safety commissioner at this time. There is no doubt that online safety has become one...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There were a few points. First, merely to clarify, what I outlined is a general basis for a definition of harmful communication. The behaviours I enumerated were general behaviours rather than specific offences. They are not necessarily all criminal offences. Some of them are proposed criminal offences from the Law Reform Commission paper. That is for the purpose of drafting this. My...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister might be able to answer that better. We are doing this pre-legislative scrutiny and we need to consider the details that arise. We should have Committee Stage of the Bill in the spring and then progress beyond that. While we have to take stock of the issues raised in these hearings, I do not see any reason not to proceed with the legislation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This has been a good discussion in which a fair few issues have been outlined. I am looking forward to the next session because it will be very interesting. To boil down the point made by the Minister, he seems to be arguing that self-regulation is no regulation, which is fair enough, but also that the regulator should not be involved in the advisory or policy side of things. That does not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017: Discussion (25 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Execution is not necessarily envisaged for the regulator. It is for those who have the powers of statute. The co-ordination and development of policy is something else. These matters can be considered further. The people who want to see changes are engaging with the social media platforms. None of that is to say that Government agencies and Departments would have no responsibility. It...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Avoidance (25 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Comptroller and Auditor General report states that there are 140 high-wealth individuals, millionaires 50 times over, who had a taxable income of less than €125,000. Some 83 of these people have taxable income of less than the average worker. Clearly, there are those in society who are not paying their fair share. Will the Minister commit to bringing in the necessary changes to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tax Avoidance (25 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: We all appreciate the work of the Revenue Commissioners, and in fairness, on some issues where my colleague Deputy Doherty and others have identified unintended or unjustifiable tax breaks, the Department, the Minister and the Revenue Commissioners have acted. There are concrete steps that could be taken here that have been ruled out. For example in Britain all taxpayers with income over...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (25 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 164. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the contracts between direct provision providers and RIA include requirements for the provision of menstrual hygiene products; and if not, the reason therefor. [44326/18]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Swimming Pool Programme Data (25 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 321. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of public swimming pools, including swimming pools which are in contract with local authorities' PPP or similar arrangements, in each local authority; and the percentage this represents in terms of swimming pools per head of population by local authority. [44294/18]

Sale of Illicit Goods Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Oct 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will begin by welcoming the Bill and thanking Deputies Breathnach, Lahart and Troy for bringing it before the House. We will not oppose the passage of the Bill to Committee Stage. There are flaws in it, which the Minister of State has identified. We hope to work constructively to improve it on Committee Stage. We will support it because in principle we believe that where somebody is...