Results 221-240 of 1,179,193 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:George Lee OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Patricia Ryan OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Michael Creed OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Thomas Gould OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Ivana Bacik OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Brian Leddin OR speaker:Patrick Costello OR speaker:Paul McAuliffe OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan)

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I also welcome this legislation and commend the Minister on bringing it to this point. I hope we will get it through all the processes. It seems the Minister is determined to do so and that is welcome. This is a very important Bill to close all the gaps we have seen in legislation relating to maternity leave in recent years. The provision on illness is particularly important. The...

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is built in.

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I am delighted to hear that because it is really important. With regard to maternity leave for Oireachtas Members that is also very welcome and something we have been waiting a long time for. To date we have expected women either not to serve as politicians or to hide when they get pregnant and not go back to work. We made it very difficult for them. Enabling this is something I hope...

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: Deputy Sherlock is most welcome. I thank the Minister and welcome this important legislation. It is clear the Minister was very adamant this was done and passed and that we would move swiftly to do so. I commend him in this regard. This legislation has important elements. I welcome them and acknowledge all the Minister's work in this regard. Allowing the postponement of maternity leave...

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I commend the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, on bringing forward this legislation into these sittings of the Oireachtas. It may be recalled that on 20 March this year, I introduced the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2024. It sought, in effect, to do exactly the same as the Minister is seeking to do in this legislation. Obviously, I am...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: Today's meeting has been convened to consider the Supplementary Estimate for Vote 29 as it relates to programmes A and B. I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and his officials. I will read the note on privilege. I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank the Minister for his opening statement. We will first consider subhead A11. Do any members wish to come in on this very much technical one? It relates to the just transition fund of €440,000 and an overpayment by the European Commission. I will move on to subhead B5, which is the energy-efficiency programmes. This relates to the SEAI and HSE pathfinder programme. It was...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank the Minister for that. There are no other questions on subhead B5. We will move on to subhead B11, which is the electricity credit. Do colleagues wish to come in on this one? Deputy O'Rourke is muted on our end. We will try to resolve this if the Deputy gives us a moment. He is back and we can hear him now.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I will add to Deputy Bruton's point if I may. It is a really important one about how often our projections are conservative and we do not decide to make these investments. We spoke about this in respect of the Minister's transport portfolio in the Dáil earlier. If we were conservative in doing our business case, analysis and feasibility, we might not make the investments. We might...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: It is the first time I have heard the quadruple helix mentioned in the committee but hopefully not the last. It sounds very important. We have reached the end of our consideration of the Supplementary Estimates. I thank members for their questions, the Minister for his answers and the officials for attending. The last day the Minister was here I said my goodbyes so I will not repeat them....

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Message to the Dáil (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: In accordance with Standing Order 101, the following message will be sent to the Dáil: The Select Committee on Environment and Climate Action has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimates for public services for the year ending 31 December 2024: Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications. Under Standing Order 100(2), the message is deemed to be the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the National Cyber Security Bill 2024: Cyber Ireland (17 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Honan for his attendance. This is a very complex area that has developed incredibly quickly and continues to develop. I have no expertise in this area. Sometimes I struggle to comprehend the risks that exist in cybersecurity and the challenges for us to try to counter these risks. When somebody speaks about cybersecurity I tend to think of very high-level national security....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the National Cyber Security Bill 2024: Cyber Ireland (17 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: This is my view and I just wanted it clarified. We are doing pre-legislative scrutiny on the heads of a Bill that has been presented to us. We will produce a Bill and legislation on this. Mr. Honan has made points on the prioritisation of national cybersecurity. Does he believe that what is contained in the general scheme meets this and that we are prioritising national cybersecurity?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the National Cyber Security Bill 2024: Cyber Ireland (17 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: I get the point on our energy transmission systems, telemetry systems and transport. These are our very high-level cyber networks that are at risk. The supply chains go on and on, down to small businesses. Should we apply a cyber safety integrity level system, considering where a company is in a supply chain or what type of SME it is?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the National Cyber Security Bill 2024: Cyber Ireland (17 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: I suppose it is only when you are hit by something that you take it seriously. It is something that happens somewhere else and then you think "God, were we not lucky that it was not us?". A lot of the time it probably is luck. On the cyber-resilience rating for equipment, the equipment remains vulnerable to the actual user. You can design a system that is very safe but issues can arise...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the National Cyber Security Bill 2024: Cyber Ireland (17 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: Mr. Honan mentioned the data centres. Ireland is a data centre hub. Some people are very much against that. Others are not as concerned about it. However, one third of EU data is stored in Ireland. It is obviously in private companies' interests to ensure that we have the highest level of cybersecurity but it is also in the interests of the EU in general. Mr. Honan mentioned cloud-based...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the National Cyber Security Bill 2024: Cyber Ireland (17 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: That will obviously require risk assessment. You have to carry out a risk assessment to know where the weaknesses are and where needs the most investment. When speaking in public meetings, I am always very conscious of the danger of discussing risks in Ireland and potential gaps in our cyber network but these risks need to be assessed. Is there a national risk assessment?