Results 181-200 of 5,900 for speaker:James Browne

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Sports Events (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I am taking this issue on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, who is unavailable to answer this question today as he is abroad on official business. At the outset, it is important to note that, before the Department and Government commits public moneys to supporting the hosting of a major sports event in Ireland, a significant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I fully agree with the Deputy. I spoke with communities in Dublin recently about ensuring consistency in who their community gardaí are, as there can be a high turnover due to gardaí moving on. We do not see the same level of turnover among juvenile liaison officers, who view their role as a longer term position. This issue can be examined to ensure consistency. The Deputy is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Family Law Cases (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter relating to dedicated family law courts. He is certainly correct in that family law deals with very sensitive issues, often involving children or strenuous circumstances of extreme stress, and people deserve privacy, which in turn provides people with dignity in dealing with their very sensitive matters of family breakdown. That is why we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Family Law Cases (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: This matter is one of many reforms being carried out by the Government, not least in the context of family law at the Circuit Court. There will be a family circuit court to deal with those special circumstances in proceedings that might make them more appropriate to be dealt with separately, and we will certainly aim to ensure that, in those circumstances where there might be a reduced...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and all gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. Community policing is also fundamental to the new Garda operating model that is being rolled out throughout the country and has been fully commenced in 13 Garda...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I do not have the 2019 figure.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I apologise to the Deputy and I will certainly undertake to get those figures for him because it was a straight question and the figure has not been provided. I agree community gardaí are essential. In terms of understanding local communities, while all gardaí are community gardaí, having dedicated community gardaí is essential to building up those relationships and a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Family Law Cases (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: As the Deputy is aware, my Department is leading a programme of family justice reform set out in the first family justice strategy, published in November 2022. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, and I have set out an ambitious vision for a family justice system of the future, a system that will focus on the needs and rights of children and which will assist their parents in making decisions that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Crime Prevention (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: There are many complex and interlinked reasons for the use of knives in the commission of offences. When some young people feel unsafe or under threat there can be a temptation to carry knives. Incidents involving knives tend to increase this trend and there are certainly no quick-fix solutions to tackling this type of behaviour, which is long-standing over many generations. Long-term,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Crime Prevention (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: We have had a number of conversations about a knife amnesty. The evidence, from the UK in particular, shows that it can have a short-term and not extensive effect because knives are so readily replaceable. In terms of it being an awareness issue, we would have to be very careful about how to manage it, if it were to happen. We would need to ensure it did not engender fear in young people...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Crime Prevention (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: The difficulty with it just being an awareness campaign is that it could terrify more young people and they may end up carrying knives, which is the last thing we want to happen. There has been an increase, albeit not very significant, in knife carrying in the country. There was an amnesty here in 2006, but it was only to hand in knives that were about to become illegal. The evidence from...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defence Forces (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I thank Senator O'Reilly for raising the important matter of the recruitment and retention of Reserve Defence Force members. I am responding on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, who unfortunately cannot be here. The Tánaiste asked me to pass on his apologies to the House. On his behalf, I welcome the opportunity to respond on this matter and thank Senator...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defence Forces (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I hear Senator O'Reilly's concerns. I again thank him for raising this important matter. I know the Defence Forces are very important to him and I assure him that the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence shares those concerns. That is why he has implemented the regeneration plan, which he intends to advance as quickly as possible. The ongoing staffing challenges in the Defence Forces...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Early Childhood Care and Education (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this very important matter relating to the increase in core funding for ECCE services and, in particular, concerns about Taney Playschool in Dundrum. Investment in early learning and childcare is at unprecedented levels, with public funding for early learning and childcare for the first time reaching more than €1.1 billion in 2024, a clear...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Early Childhood Care and Education (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Senator again for raising the important issue of ECCE funding. I noted his passion and concern for Taney playschool in Dundrum and I will certainly relay his concerns to the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, and ask him to have his officials engage with the organisation.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: I thank Senator Conway for raising this important issue, which I know he is very passionate about. I am answering on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly.The State acknowledges the importance of access to medicines and has made considerable investments in new medicines in recent years. Last year, a record of more than €3 billion of public funding was spent on medicines for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: Investing in the health of our people is exactly what the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, is doing. That is why the Minister has put record funding into medicines and he continues to do the important work he is doing in this area.That funding was not always made available by previous Governments. A medicines sustainability task force has been established as a priority work stream of the joint...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rail Network (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: The Minister for Transport sends his apologies. He would like to thank the Senator for the opportunity to address this issue. Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens' quality of life and addressing our climate action challenge, and this Government is committed to a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland. The Minister for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Rail Network (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank the Senator again for his comments. As mentioned, no decisions have yet been made to alter services on the Rosslare line. Currently, three train services run from Wicklow to Dublin during weekday morning hours.There are gaps of up to approximately five hours between consecutive services in the daytime. Instead of the current train pattern,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Air Quality (23 Apr 2024)

James Browne: The Minister for Transport, and for Climate, Energy and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, sends his apologies. Clean air is fundamental to our well-being and quality of life and is essential for the health of the environment on which we depend, hence the high priority given to improving Ireland’s air quality in the current programme for Government. Ambient air quality standards for...