Results 1-20 of 1,296 for and speaker:Malcolm Byrne

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: ..., for the most part, out of a series of prefabs dotted around a soccer pitch. We have a school here that has been in place for more than a quarter of a century. In 2017-18, in discussions between the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board, the Gaelscoil and Gaelcholaiste na Mara, the second level school in the area, agreement was finally reached to the effect that a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: ...investment in schools right across the country. However, I am aware of many other school projects which started after that relating to the Gaelscoil in question. Planning permission was obtained and the sanction was granted for the development of this project, but it has been leapfrogged by projects relating to other schools. The building work relating to those schools has either been...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: The Order of Business is No. 1, Employment Permits Bill 2022 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 3.15 p.m. and to adjourn at 5 p.m. if not previously concluded; and No. 2, Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024 – Second Stage, to be taken at 5 p.m. and to conclude at 7 p.m. if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank all Senators for their contributions. There were a number of requests for statements on various issues, which I will bring back to the relevant Departments. Senators Dooley and Hoey raised the question of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the horrific scenes we are currently witnessing in Rafah. They welcomed the decision of Ireland, along with Norway and Spain, to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: -----for capital gains tax in the context of durable relationships, providing a definition could certainly be helpful. Senators McGreehan and Boyhan raised the issue of victims of thalidomide, as both have done in the House previously. They have both been very strong advocates on behalf of the Irish Thalidomide Association. I agree that this has gone on for far too long. What the House...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: ...request that we have a debate. Senator Craughwell knows that I agree with him on the defence issues he raised.Whenever there are elections, there will always be questions as to who gets coverage and who does not, and inevitably some people will be aggrieved. There is the difficulty of trying to give coverage to everybody. We all have our own views as to who should or should not have...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: It needs to be much more discursive and evidence based. As the Senator said, there is very clear evidence that we are seeing climate change and a biodiversity challenge. It is important that all of us within society are equipped with the tools to be able to respond to that. It should be done very much on an evidence base. I am quite certain, and it is quite welcome, that the education...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Climate Action and Sustainable Development Education: Discussion. (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank all the witnesses for their input. I might touch on the question of the specific subjects of climate and sustainable development. Within higher education, there are very specific courses that look at sustainable development. Would it be better to have specific subjects looking at those issues or should these themes underpin every aspect of our education system? Whoever wants to do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Climate Action and Sustainable Development Education: Discussion. (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: Ms Murphy is right about many of the initiatives that students have undertaken. I compliment them on that. I would argue that it should be students and young people should be educating older generations far more about the need for climate action and sustainability development. I do not doubt the importance of peer education or younger people mentoring older people on some of these matters....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Climate Action and Sustainable Development Education: Discussion. (28 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: Can I ask this final question, to any of the witnesses who want to take it up, around the message? Students and young people for the most part are very strongly convinced around the need for climate action and to tackle the biodiversity crisis. I think the challenge is sometimes that it is certain older generations who may need educating. I would even say that within these Houses, there...

Seanad: Protection of Private Residencies (Against Targeted Picketing) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (23 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for taking the Bill and for allowing it to go forward. I am quite happy for further scrutiny. I am certainly happy for all of the issues in the legislation to be teased out. This is part of the reason I brought it forward in 2021. I appreciate that the Minister of State is acting on behalf of the Minister for Justice. When we went through Second Stage the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: Today, as the Acting Leader will be aware, Ireland has taken a very significant decision, along with Norway and Spain, to formally recognise the state of Palestine. That formal recognition will take effect from next week, from 28 May. This has been a long process. In fact, looking back on the records, the late Brian Lenihan Snr., as far back as 1980, spoke about a two-state solution and...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Business of Joint Committee (22 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: We are joined by Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan and Senators Annie Hoey and Shane Cassells online. Others will be joining us. I convey the apologies of Deputy Niamh Smyth. She will be joining us later but as she is running slightly late, I will be in the Chair for the moment. We have received apologies from Deputy Imelda Munster. Before we start, I seek approval of the draft minutes of...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Support for Development of Regional Film and Television Production: Discussion (Resumed) (22 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: Today we are having a discussion around the support and development of regional film and television production. Our committee has been strongly supportive of this and we are very appreciative of the work of everybody within the sector and indeed of the golden period that Ireland is currently experiencing. We want to look at ways in which we as a committee can support that and in terms of...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Support for Development of Regional Film and Television Production: Discussion (Resumed) (22 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: ...ag Paul Cummins. He may be aware that while his audiovisual presentation was running, it appeared on screens around the House. I got a text message from a colleague wondering whether we had Elmo and Peppa Pig giving evidence before the committee. I would not comment on the quality of the witnesses, were they to come in. The final presentation is by Mr. Alan Duggan of Ardán.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Support for Development of Regional Film and Television Production: Discussion (Resumed) (22 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: I am conscious of time and Mr. Hickey, Mr. McCabe and Mr. Duggan were all signalling. If they are succinct, we will probably have time for another round of questions.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Support for Development of Regional Film and Television Production: Discussion (Resumed) (22 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: We need to move on. It now falls to me. We may have time for other questions. Our objective here and I think everybody's objective is, if I can use the chicken and egg analogy, to create a bigger chicken that is producing more golden eggs. We have been lucky. We have certainly seen the Irish content creation industry continue to grow and go from strength to strength. There is a lot more...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Support for Development of Regional Film and Television Production: Discussion (Resumed) (22 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: The tax credit here is currently at 32% and we had the regional uplift. We know the issues that are there. Would it make more sense as a simple move to increase that tax credit?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Support for Development of Regional Film and Television Production: Discussion (Resumed) (22 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: Let us also talk about capacity, which was something that was discussed and we might touch on issues around studio space and crews and so on and obviously, we need to have the flow of training. I get that certainty is part of that. Apart from specific tax and other investment measures coming on the part of Screen Ireland, have we the capacity to cope here in Ireland?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Support for Development of Regional Film and Television Production: Discussion (Resumed) (22 May 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: I might specifically ask about animation. I have got to say that Mr. Muldoon referred to Animation Ireland as AI and I have been used to dealing with AI, the technology kind and the agricultural kind. We now have a third form of AI, but specific to animation.