Results 561-580 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: I want to give the Minister an opportunity to let us know what good work is taking place in his Department and at third level in order to expand and further develop further education courses for people with disabilities and for others who are seeking to avail of second-chance education and training.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: 68. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to report on Ireland’s national artificial intelligence strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23264/24]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: 125. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views with regard to the situation of the Baha’is community in Iran; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23393/24]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Inshore Fisheries (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: 243. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way his Department is supporting inshore fishermen in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23380/24]

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: I have been looking at this section for a while and believe it contains a number of loopholes. I agree that persons in uniform who are obviously members of the Permanent Defence Force should not be making political statements or commenting on Government policy. As a former member, I feel that would be a step too far. However, the Bill also says "or otherwise making himself or herself...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: It explicitly states "from the member's commanding officer", so I am not sure about this. Maybe "with prior authorisation" is sufficient, but it would imply that the immediate commanding officer could give authorisation. It is unlikely that he or she would because they would be extraordinarily careful, but there seems to be a lacuna.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: What the Tánaiste said was not quite right. He said "or otherwise identifiable" but the wording is "or otherwise making himself or herself identifiable", which is different. A member making himself identifiable implies an action on his part, through his saying he is a member of the Defence Forces or wearing some badge or emblem-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: They must take an action to make themselves identifiable. They could be present and identifiable as members of the Defence Forces but not make themselves identifiable. There is a little bit of-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: But they could still be known by others to be members of the Defence Forces.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: I will not die in a ditch over this, but the issue I have is that an external oversight body has to in some way criticise the Department. Does it make things awkward for the members if the head of the Department is sitting on it? Would the Secretary General be naturally defensive of what his or her Department is doing? I noticed the report mentioned by the Tánaiste states that the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (22 May 2024)

David Stanton: Will the Taoiseach tell us the date on which the call for the next round of the excellent urban regeneration and development fund, the fourth such round, will be made? The people of Carrigtohill and Cobh in my area are very interested in this because it is an excellent fund.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

David Stanton: The Minister of State may have answered the question I was going to ask. How high is the level of awareness of Microfinance Ireland among businesses?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

David Stanton: I ask because, in my interactions with businesses, I have not heard anybody talking about it. When I bring it up, they seem to be surprised it is there. Is there a plan for some kind of public or business awareness campaign to make it easier for enterprises to interact and do business with the body?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

David Stanton: To return to the issue of the board, will there be any role in that regard for the Public Appointments Service, PAS, in nominating the persons to be appointed to the board or will the Minister have carte blanche to appoint anyone he or she wants?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

David Stanton: No. That is one way of doing it but I am not sure that is the reason it has been raised. It is just that the Public Appointments Service is not mentioned in the section; rather, it refers only to the Minister making the appointment. Perhaps there is some overarching policy whereby in respect of all these boards, the Minister appoints whomever the Public Appointments Service proposes.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

David Stanton: Okay. It is just that PAS is not mentioned in the section in any shape or form. A Minister could appoint whomever he or she wishes without any recourse whatever to the Public Appointments Service.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

David Stanton: I expect that to be the case but the primary legislation would probably override everything else. Perhaps there is a way to include some reference to PAS before Report Stage.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (22 May 2024)

David Stanton: 126. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the funding, if any, her Department has provided to Cork County Council to fund community-based CCTV security systems; if so, the amount provided for each respective location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23203/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Insurance Industry (21 May 2024)

David Stanton: The number of complaints to the Financial Services Ombudsman last year rose considerably. Many of those complaints related to insurance and a number of them related to the delay in making claims and the difficulty in making claims in the first place. Delays in payouts was the big complaint. Will the Minister of State undertake to look at what is available to the consumer? Perhaps a faster...