Results 121-140 of 930 for at speaker:James Lawless

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Defamation (Amendment) Bill: Department of Justice (20 Jun 2023)

James Lawless: That concludes our questioning. I think everyone who wanted to get in has got in. A couple of members were watching online and keeping an eye on things as well. That concludes the meeting. That was an extremely comprehensive and useful deliberation. I thank all our witnesses for their time today. There are a couple of housekeeping matters. We normally publish all the opening...

Court Proceedings (Delays) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

James Lawless: The phrase, "justice delayed is justice denied", is often said. I think I heard it in this and in previous debates on the Bill. This arises from the McFarlane decision, which I think dates back to 2010, although the decision was also perhaps spoken about in previous rounds of appeals. On the positive, before getting into the legislation and the new scheme the Minister is bringing forward,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (23 May 2023)

James Lawless: Thank you, Chair, for that. I welcome our witnesses to the committee. To Dr. Browne I say "well done" on what he has done to date. I heard him in a broadcast media interview a few months ago and thought, "Great, we have someone who knows what he is talking about at the top of this important organisation." Kudos for that. He has made a good impression early. I listened with interest to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (18 May 2023)

James Lawless: I thank the Minister of State for her reply and for those figures. I acknowledge her and the Government's commitment to this area. I worry about the figures, however. The Minister mentioned in her reply the special classes that are already in existence, namely, Clane, Enfield, Leixlip, Maynooth, Naas, Prosperous and Sallins. Certainly, Clane, Naas, Prosperous and Sallins are areas that...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (18 May 2023)

James Lawless: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for allowing me to go ahead. I am doing clinics in north Country Kildare later, so I need to progress matters. I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Topical Issue. I know it is a topic of great interest to her, and she has given great attention to it in her Ministry, along with her colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. The...

Consultative Forum on International Security Policy: Statements (18 May 2023)

James Lawless: .... Our other constituency colleague, Deputy Cronin, is also in the Chamber and I expect is about to speak. We have already heard from Deputy Berry so County Kildare is well represented in this debate, as it should be, as the home of the Defence Forces in many ways. I commend the Tánaiste on his work to date on leading this conversation. It is a conversation and not a foregone...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Disinformation and Hybrid Threats in a Geopolitical Context: Discussion (16 May 2023)

James Lawless: ...such expertise and experience available to us. I apologise in advance as I have to leave the meeting shortly after I ask my questions because I have another committee meeting. I will try to catch the answers before I leave. I have a couple of points. All the witnesses touched on this in different ways and Professor Laffan mentioned Ireland was late joining the European Centre for...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (16 May 2023)

James Lawless: 31. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will report on his attendance at the PDFORRA conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22688/23]

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

James Lawless: ...Stage of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023. There is quite a lot in this Bill and we will be here for a while. I welcome the Minister for Justice and his team. Some members are attending online and that is very much in order. I wish to note that if there is a division, all members will be required to be physically present in this committee room and I think that...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

James Lawless: I think it was Conor Brady, who was head of the Garda Commission at one stage, speaking about whether the force was the guardians of the people, or guardians of the big house effectively. They were guardians of the garrison or guardians of the people. I think that speaks to the substance of this amendment too. It is an interesting one. Will the Minister respond?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

James Lawless: It is useful to look at section 77 in that context. I just had a quick look at how that statistical information is set out.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

James Lawless: The Deputy has given a number of recent, contemporary, political entanglements but I am also reminded of such things as Peter Berry and the Arms Trial where information was passed on and which perhaps changed the course of the State. There have been so many significant interventions at certain times that I can see the logic behind the line taken by the Deputy. Did the Deputy wish to come...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

James Lawless: Well, it may or it may not be because if one looks at section 36(1)(a)(i), it refers to “the preservation of peace and public order in the State,” and in the instance of the Arms Trial it was the Northern Ireland state, which arguably is a different state. This is the point. We do not want to end up in a situation where a Commissioner cannot tell the Minister something...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

James Lawless: There were amendments to section 107 from Deputies Daly and Ó Snodaigh but it was being indicated earlier that they would both be withdraw. As there is nobody here to move them, they would fall anyhow. This is to note that the Deputies had indicated at the outset in a block discussion that they were withdrawing them, so I do not think anyone is being done a disservice.

Finance Bill 2023: Report Stage (18 Apr 2023)

James Lawless: I will briefly respond to Deputy O'Donoghue's remark as he asked me a question. I do not have a Government car, but I have another car. I do not drive an electric vehicle, EV, at the moment but I drove a Prius happily for many years. The only reason I got rid of it was that it was destroyed with election posters and cable ties. There were scrapes and scratches on the back of it.

Finance Bill 2023: Report Stage (18 Apr 2023)

James Lawless: I do not at the moment. I would be happy to drive one.

Finance Bill 2023: Report Stage (18 Apr 2023)

James Lawless: ...a hybrid petrol-EV model recently. I drove a Prius for many years before many people did and I found it extremely useful. I live in a rural area in Kildare. The only reason I got rid of it was that it practically fell apart after one election campaign too many. It had a good boot for posters. I can recommend it on that basis. Moving on to the substance of the amendments, I welcome...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency Bill: Discussion (18 Apr 2023)

James Lawless: Good afternoon. Everybody is welcome. We have a number of guests. Members are joining us both in person in the committee room and online too, so people will pop up on video screens at various stages. The purpose of our meeting today is to engage with the stakeholders in the room on the scrutiny of the general scheme of the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency Bill. This is a...