Results 1-20 of 30 for garda speaker:Malcolm Byrne

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: ...have passed motions on the issue. There is general consensus that she would be the appropriate person to name the hospital after. Senators Murphy and Carrigy raised the rather bizarre case of a Garda who because of a humanitarian gesture was subjected to fairly draconian disciplinary procedures. It is only fair to express concerns and solidarity with the Garda. Senator Maria Byrne...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Electoral Process (5 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: ...there is a cost saving to the State because it is using public buildings, but there are other public buildings that may possibly be used. I am thinking about libraries, local authority offices or indeed Garda stations. In the UK, local authorities have a mandate that every five years, they have a responsibility to conduct a compulsory review of all polling places. This would make sense...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: An Garda Síochána (8 Feb 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank him for taking this Commencement matter, which concerns the issue of Garda vetting. I am sure the Minister of State is quite familiar with the issue. We have a National Vetting Bureau and the legislation is in place. The Minister of State will understand the frustration of many individuals and organisations seeking Garda vetting. Let...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (24 Jan 2024)

Malcolm Byrne: I do not think anybody in the Chamber or outside of it doubts the interests of local authority members in community safety or working closely with gardaí. Senator Boyhan, in rather Churchillian tones, spoke about how he will have engaged with them on their work at a local level. As the Minister outlined, public safety is about a lot more than just sitting on a committee. It is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Nov 2023)

Malcolm Byrne: ...to exceed ten minutes and time may be shared, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and time may be shared, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 2, Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 – Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage, to be taken at 3.15 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 1, whichever is the later, and to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Byrne: ...on the court case but it is appropriate that the House would remember the victims, Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee. Anthony Burke was also the victim of a pretty horrific assault in Sligo, and An Garda Síochána clearly identified these as hate crimes. I certainly know from talking to many friends, and the evidence is also there, that we are seeing rising levels of homophobia and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Children in Care (5 Oct 2023)

Malcolm Byrne: ...that there is regular access to those supports, especially out of hours. Tusla talks about an out-of-hours helpline, but frequently, if an incident arises, often the only recourse a foster carer has is to call the Garda. That is not the appropriate course of action that has to happen. The Minister of State and I know that, even looking at this just in economic terms, there is a...

Seanad: Crime and Policing: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Malcolm Byrne: .... It is not just confined to the major cities. Increasingly in towns - and the Minister of State will be aware of this in Wexford as well - people at times feel unsafe because they do not see gardaí on the beat as much as they were. I pay tribute to the chief superintendent for the Wicklow-Wexford division who has made a concerted effort to get more gardaí out on the beat but...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 May 2023)

Malcolm Byrne: ...attack on that student. It should not have taken place anyway but the fact that it seems to be motivated by homophobia, makes it even worse. I certainly hope the school concerned and An Garda Síochána will take strong action. This Government has a very proud record with regard to support for the arts. We have seen a significant increase in Arts Council funding and the...

Seanad: Protection of Private Residences (Against Targeted Picketing) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Jan 2023)

Malcolm Byrne: .... This legislation introduces a very specific offence to address the question of a targeted protest against an individual in his or her principal private residence. This Bill will strengthen the Garda's hand and it will ensure that those who decide to take this kind of action will think twice before doing so. The sanction that I set down will be a fine in the first instance but where...

Seanad: Protection of Private Residences (Against Targeted Picketing) Bill 2021: Second Stage (26 Jan 2023)

Malcolm Byrne: ...is enshrined in the Constitution and the European Convention of Human Rights; - balancing the right to protest with protecting the public and upholding the law is a complex task, and that An Garda Síochána, through its human rights-led approach to policing, seeks to uphold and protect the right to freedom of assembly and the right to protest, while also upholding the law and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Nov 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: ...between 2016 and 2021, there were 1,705 attacks on humans by dogs. There is also concern about attacks on livestock.In the same period, there have been 1,351 attacks on livestock, according to the Garda. Clearly, the regulations that are in place are not strong enough. It must be asked whether we should continue to allow some of these dangerous dogs to be licensed at all. I fear it is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: ...expressing our sympathies to the people in Creeslough and the wider Donegal community. We thank those from north and south of the Border who rushed to try to help on Friday. I raise the matter of Garda numbers. I very much welcome that up to 1,000 extra Garda recruits have been sanctioned by the Government. However, we should look at making greater use of retired members of the force...

Seanad: Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Statements (4 Oct 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: ...Australia was subject to Russian-originating cyberattacks. This is going to be the warfare and battles of the future. It is interesting that only today, both the National Cyber Security Centre and the Garda Síochána warned about an increase in the number of cyberattacks happening here in Ireland. That is the experience of small businesses and higher education institutions. We...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (21 Jun 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: ...are going to be away from the polling station on the day for legitimate reasons. Some people can do that for work purposes. There would have to be the necessary safeguards whereby a person would go to a Garda station, produce the necessary identification and vote in front of a garda. The ballot would then be protected. We all know the people of whom we speak and we should try to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Water Safety (31 May 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: ...sports is important, but people should do them responsibly. However, at the moment, we are allowing unlicensed, uninsured and untrained people out on these very powerful vehicles. When one talks to the Garda and the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard does not want to be spending its time chasing errant jet skiers and the Garda is not often in a position to be able to do it. It may be that at...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 Mar 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: I do not intend to. I wish to raise the issue of Garda numbers. I have raised previously the fact that the Garda numbers for the Wexford division stood, at the end of November last year, at 341. At the end of February, the total Garda numbers in the Wexford division fell to 334. The reason I raised this matter specifically is because of the increased traffic at Rosslare as a result of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Feb 2022)

Malcolm Byrne: ...influences and shapes international discussion. I would join everybody else in saying that this is a great day to be able to celebrate the centenary of Ulysses. I also wish to raise the issue of Garda numbers. I tried to raise the issue by way of a Commencement matter but was advised that as it is an operational matter, it was not possible to do so. According to figures for the end of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Dec 2021)

Malcolm Byrne: ...makes up its mind? I compliment RTÉ on the series "The Case I Can't Forget". Last night it showed the Don Tidey case. Next week will mark the anniversary of the murders of Private Patrick Kelly and Garda Gary Sheehan. We should always remember them. Their families are still entitled to justice for their murders.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Malcolm Byrne: ...with the purpose outlined by Senator McDowell. That was never the intention of the GDPR, which was very much designed so that data would only be used for a specific purpose. In this purpose, the Garda is not looking for Graham Dwyer's data to find out where he ordered takeaways or anything. It is seeking to establish whether he was engaged in a crime. This is a very serious issue and...