Results 1-14 of 14 for data protection speaker:Emer Higgins

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Directives (18 Apr 2024)

Emer Higgins: The directive on adequate minimum wages in the EU was published on 19 October 2022 and must be transposed by 15 November 2024. The directive aims to ensure that workers across the EU are protected by adequate minimum wages, allowing for a decent living wherever they work. The directive includes three sets of measures. One of its goals is to increase the number of workers covered by...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023: Second Stage (4 Oct 2023)

Emer Higgins: ...contrasted with the mere 293 adult victims and 25 child victims identified by An Garda Síochána between 2015 and 2019. The latest figures from 2021 show 44 victims of human trafficking. European data, by the way, shows 20,000 victims across the EU. This discrepancy suggests that a significant number of victims are being overlooked or misidentified. It is no longer enough to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: ...of need and the delivery time frames. I would like both of those organisations to elaborate on those points. Does PII have its own estimates based on the preliminary Central Statistics Office, CSO, data and the real-time lived experience of the delivery of homes? That would be helpful. I was disappointed by CIF's statement on zoned lands and the need for an assumption of permission...

Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (2 Feb 2023)

Emer Higgins: I welcome the Bill. This positive and proactive legislation will improve not only how we tackle and prevent crime but also how we protect members of An Garda Síochána as they work to keep us and our streets safe. I know there has been discussion and criticism of some parts of the Bill. I refer in particular to the potential implications for privacy and civil liberties. I very...

Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Bill 2022: Second Stage (26 Oct 2022)

Emer Higgins: ...for an additional 6,500 rental properties annually, according to the housing needs and demand assessment. Owners of one or two rental properties represent 86% of registered tenancies. Preliminary data from the RTB survey of landlords show that taxation is a major factor for exiting the sector. Notwithstanding the various protections for tenants, it is clear that extra steps are required...

Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Sep 2022)

Emer Higgins: ...of many social media platforms, and that so many of them are based here gives us a great opportunity to become true leaders in this area. Democracy is fragile and there need to be laws to protect it and citizens throughout the globe, whether they are in Ireland or Myanmar or on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, however, as we have seen, social media companies can be weaponised and can...

Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Apr 2022)

Emer Higgins: ...of other countries fighting for a free and fair political system and for just governance. It ingrained in me considerable respect for our own democracy and a real sense of responsibility to help protect it and never to take it for granted. That is why it is so important that we protect our democracy from outside interference, be that foreign money or foreign technologies, such as bots,...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Ms Frances Haugen (23 Feb 2022)

Emer Higgins: ...headquarters of many of the platforms in question, to use her industry experience and inside knowledge to make the online world a safer space. Democracy is fragile and there need to be laws to protect it and citizens across the globe. This is true whether you are in Ireland or Myanmar or on Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, social media can become a weapon that threatens to destabilise...

Covid-19: New Measures: Statements (24 Nov 2021)

Emer Higgins: ...of Surgeons all suggest that low vitamin D status may be associated with poorer clinical outcomes and increased mortality among those hospitalised with Covid-19. These results complement the data coming from St. James's and Connolly hospitals, where studies were conducted independently and on different patient groups. These scientific studies show that increasing vitamin D intake among...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Sep 2021)

Emer Higgins: Over the last couple of months, we have become all too familiar with scam telephone calls and text messages. This week, the Central Statistics Office, CSO, published data which showed a 40% increase in fraud by comparison with this time last year. This month alone, I have received ten scam text messages and dozens of scam telephone calls. My constituents report being inundated with scam...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Emer Higgins: ...in Kosovo while they built up a brand new democracy. Seeing the real-life experiences of other countries ingrained in me a huge respect for our democracy and a real sense of responsibility to help protect it. I want to protect our democracy from outside interference, be it foreign money or foreign technologies such as bots that can create undue influence. I will now put some of my...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Electoral Reform Bil 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (20 May 2021)

Emer Higgins: ...could use that strategy for its political gain. I had intended to put a number of questions to the general secretary of that party, but instead they selected a politician to give political answers to data questions, questions on the register of electors and questions on facts. I find it interesting that nobody in Sinn Féin headquarters seems to have the authority or knowledge to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of Electoral Reform Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2021)

Emer Higgins: ...me. My view is that this legislation needs to be very well proofed. It needs to be future-proofed from a technological advancements perspective and it needs to be accuracy-proofed to ensure we protect the integrity of the register of electors. The Office of the Data Protection Commission identified three sections of the Bill in respect of which it considered impact assessments were...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Substance Misuse (15 Jul 2020)

Emer Higgins: ...to start recording how many people are affected by abusing nitrous oxide. At the moment we are relying on media reports to tell us of hospitalisations and deaths. There should be official HSE data recording this problem so that we can understand it and the extent of it and I welcome the Minister of State’s move to gather this kind of information. We need to limit the...