Results 4,601-4,620 of 10,372 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: 133. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the way the underfunding of the housing adaptation grant results in families being unable to get sensory rooms fitted out; his further views on the fact that when families apply for this funding from Monaghan County Council that the money allocated has been spent; his views on the impact that this is having on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: 163. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason for the delay in obtaining passports for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38378/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: 238. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the circumstances under which a person can access rent supplement and or HAP when they are not on a local authority housing list. [38385/21]

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Business of Joint Committee (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I welcome my colleagues. We have a few formalities to deal with before we get into the interesting part of the meeting. I ask that the draft minutes of our public and private committee meetings on Wednesday, 30 June, and our public committee meeting on Wednesday, 7 July, are formally agreed as there are no matters arising. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I welcome our witness, Assistant Garda Commissioner John O'Driscoll, from the organised and serious crime unit of the Garda Síochána, who is attending remotely. The format of the meeting is that I will invite our witness to make an opening statement, which will be followed by questions from members of the committee. As he is probably aware, the committee may publish the opening...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I hope it is not a cyberattack.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the assistant commissioner and Deputy Griffin for his question. I invite Senator Warfield to join the debate. He has five minutes and I thank him for his patience.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: Does Senator Carrigy wish to come back in?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I wish to tease out further something that has been touched on by my colleagues. Many witnesses, organisations and groups have appeared before the committee over the last couple of months for our pre-legislative scrutiny on this topic, including the element of reporting, the steps taken by An Garda Síochána and how tangible these tech giants are in terms of accountability. We...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: Can I stop you there?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I do not mean to be rude, but I am trying to get this clear in my head. What I am asking is not a reflection on An Garda Síochána. I am trying to elicit the agreeableness and the forthcomingness of the tech giants when the Garda has an issue and approaches them. I have been told that one will never get contact with Facebook, TikTok or Twitter immediately on the telephone to...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: Exactly.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I am trying to establish how helpful the social media companies are. The Garda can only do so much. It needs willingness from the tech giants to give it the information that is required to enable it to follow through on its investigation. That is what I am trying to nail down. How willing to help are those companies? What can we, as legislators, do to progress that? The anecdotal...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: There are challenges in terms of the constraints on the Garda under the legislation in place at the moment. The legislation does not provide for the flexibility the Garda needs to act in a more immediate way and force the tech giants to give it the information it needs.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the assistant commissioner. That brings us neatly to the end of today's session. I thank the assistant commissioner most sincerely for his time and the preparation he put into his comprehensive presentation. His contributions very much assist us in the pre-legislative scrutiny work we are doing around this cyber and online regulation Bill.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2021)

Niamh Smyth: This meeting has been convened in the context of the committee's continued pre-legislative scrutiny of the online safety and media regulation Bill 2020. I welcome Mr. Ciaran Moore, helpline manager with Samaritans Ireland, and his colleague, Ms Louise Hamra, policy manager for Samaritans Ireland. Both witnesses will be joining the meeting remotely via Microsoft Teams. The format of the...