Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join others in welcoming the publication of yesterday's report. It is crucial that action is taken. Every workplace should be safe. The members of Women of Honour deserve to be recognised for their whistleblowing. They have done the State great service in so doing. Like Senator Wall, I recognise the work of our colleague, Senator Clonan, and Katie Hannon for the radio documentary that did much to bring attention to this issue.

In a Commencement debate this morning, I raised an issue I have often brought up in the House, namely, the deployment of closed-circuit television, CCTV, and other technology to catch illegal dumping. I have brought in legislation on this issue, as has Senator Wall. My Bill was eventually folded into the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022, which was enacted last year. In the Commencement matter, I asked what progress had been made in commencing the order that would allow CCTV to be used by local authorities. I asked the same question last October of the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, and nobody from the Department came in here to answer it. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, had to read out the answer that was provided. I have to question whether ChatGPT was being used in the Department to provide answers. Somebody in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications just asked for an answer to Malcolm Byrne raising questions again about the deployment of CCTV.