Results 61-80 of 12,824 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (13 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Senator for raising this issue around the Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and the Minister, Deputy Foley. As the Senator knows, this project requires the provision of a new site. The site acquisition process has been progressed in respect of the requirement in question and in line with the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (13 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I have noted the Senator’s remarks. As I said, there is engagement around a site process and, as the Senator will understand, there are commercial sensitivities, so we cannot go into detail. However, the school can be assured that engagement is under way.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (13 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this very important issue. He is absolutely right. The level of distress caused by pyrite and mica in defective concrete blocks is extreme, particularly for those families who are having to live through it. On behalf of the Minister, I am in a position to give an update on the two issues raised. The Department has received a copy of the EU petitions...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (13 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: No.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (13 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank Senator Wall for raising this issue. A priority for this Government is to ensure all children have an appropriate school placement and that all the necessary supports are provided to our schools to cater for the needs of children with special educational needs. It is important to remember that the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Schemes (13 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: 623. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has received an application from a group (details supplied) via the community centres investment fund; if she recognises the importance of the organisation to Ballina and the strength of their funding application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6088/24]

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Civil Engagement Group for putting forward this amendment. It is grouped with No. 2. I cannot accept them as both relate to amendments associated with references to the name of the Digital Services Co-ordinator in Ireland, which is Coimisiún na Meán. This new body was established in 2023 under the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media through...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: It is always good as a Mayo person to welcome Galway people to anywhere, except MacHale Park. I want to say to in advance that I am not going to be accepting any amendments today. However, I thank the Civil Engagement Group members for their engagement with the Bill. It might be useful, and I can set this meeting up, for them to meet the officials to get a full understanding of how we have...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I share the Senator's concerns about algorithmic safety. The European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency deals with this issue. This organisation will be able to work and use research from the risk assessments and audits carried out through the Digital Services Act. However, I will also bring the Senator's proposal to the attention of both the digital services commissioner, John Evans,...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Senator. I oppose amendment No. 8, which is grouped with amendments Nos. 9 to 12, inclusive, 21, 43, 52 and 53. All those amendments relate to proposals to make certain actions obligatory for Coimisiún na Meán or the Consumer and Competition Protection Commission, CCPC. The Digital Services Bill provides that during an investigation into a suspected contravention,...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: Amendment No. 14 is grouped with amendments Nos. 15 to 19, inclusive, and 45 to 50, inclusive. As all of these amendments relate to the making of a final decision either by Coimisiún na Meán or the CPCC following a request for a matter to be reviewed, as received from the European Commission under Article 59(3) of the digital services regulation. As it stands, the Bill provides...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: Amendment No. 20 is taken with amendment No. 51. These amendments mirror each other except they apply to Coimisiún na Meán and the CCPC, respectively. In determining the amount of the sanction to be imposed, the Bill sets out that regulators must take account of the unique set of circumstances of a given investigation. This includes, for example, the nature and gravity of the...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: It was not a decision made by us. It was way above our pay grade.

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an mbeirt Sheanadóir. I oppose amendment No. 23, which is grouped with amendments Nos. 24, 25 and 26, all relating to vetted researchers. Amendment No. 23 seeks to include a provision that an accredited journalist or representative of an NGO may be deemed to have met the vetted researcher designation conditions if they can demonstrate their access to data...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I am happy to respond at the end.

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I will speak on the amendments. Amendments Nos. 27 to 34, inclusive, are grouped together because they all relate to trusted flaggers. Amendment No. 27, as proposed by Senator Keogan, requires an additional provision in the Bill stating that Coimisiún na Meán will "ensure the status as a trusted flagger is not awarded to an entity which is partisan and seeks the status as a...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: To pick up on Senator Higgins's comments first, I spoke earlier, even though the amendment was not accepted, around the Civil Engagement Group's amendment on algorithmic issues. I stated that first, the risk assessments audits that will be done in this process will give some information to the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency to start building up a European profile that will...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: They are very technical issues but I will absolutely engage with them as part of their work post enactment of the Bill to build confidence in that space.To come back to Senator Keogan's overall points, this Bill does not define hate speech. It is a very technical Bill that also relates to content moderation. With regard to content moderation, the DSA seeks to define the rules on content...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: Again, this is the DSA and this puts the DSR into effect. We were able to use the provisions of the digital services regulation on the night of the Dublin riots to alert online providers to stuff that appeared on their platforms encouraging people to come and destroy people's property and potentially people's lives. That is of huge benefit and if it can be used in terms of public security...

Seanad: Digital Services Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Feb 2024)

Dara Calleary: I assure the Senator, and this was previously raised by Senator Ruane, that whole space is an area of concern. It is something I will raise with Coimisiún na Meán in view of its work on this at a European level. It concerns all of us, especially in view of what we have heard today.