Results 1-20 of 1,040,476 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív) in 'Committee meetings'

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister of State introduced the analogy in terms of primary legislation. Rather than Green Papers or White Papers, we are talking about primary legislation. The language is interesting. There reference in our Standing Orders, which were, of course, agreed by the Government as the Standing Orders of the Houses of the Parliament, is not to a draft statutory instrument but, rather to a...

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is the Government.

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No, let us go through it. If the Government is proposing this-----

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No. To be very clear, the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government is not proposing legislation.

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: If a Department is proposing legislation in terms of a statutory instrument, then the key issue, the gap and the space where this committee was designed to sit - a space now being encroached upon by what I believe is this overreach in terms of the advice from the Attorney General - relates to the process between a proposed statutory instrument and a new statutory instrument that is law. The...

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Excuse me. To be very clear, this is exactly what we are being told.

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We are being told that any copy until-----

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: ----the regulations have been made by the Minister will be subject to legal professional privilege.

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Effectively, it is being stated that the version of the statutory instrument that is about to be signed by the Minister is privileged until it has already been made and becomes law. An Act becomes law and a statutory instrument is law.

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: A proposed statutory instrument is the point at which we, as a committee, should be in a position to carry out parliamentary scrutiny. This is the piece that matters, namely where something as solid as a Bill is ultimately proposed by a Department. It might be stated that the Office of Parliamentary Counsel put together that draft of the Bill and that the intention was to get the relevant...

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No. It is equivalent to saying-----

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: -----that if 50% of the Bills published become Acts without any parliamentary input on the text of those Bills -----

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will let them in, but this is a crucial piece. It is the definition, effectively, of failing to have laws scrutinised. As an example, in the context of the corporate sustainability reporting directive, we were told there was a list of stakeholders who were regularly updated by email during that process. The parliamentary community, however, was not.

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will clarify something. It was the instruction that we were to be-----

Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (17 Jul 2024)

Alice-Mary Higgins: And I believe that was the instruction. I just wanted to clarify that.

National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (11 Jul 2024)

Réada Cronin: I accept everything the Minister of State said. The Bill is about making sure children and vulnerable adults are safe. That is what is most important. There are different areas of risk. The Bill's provisions are relevant to people going for certain jobs or looking to do volunteering. During the Covid period, there were people in my area delivering food shopping to older people living...

National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (11 Jul 2024)

Paul Donnelly: I do not have much to add to what has been said by my colleagues. This important Bill needs to progress. I hope it is done in a speedy manner and that we have the opportunity to get it passed before the general election. I am not pre-empting the calling of the election. Perhaps the Minister of State will tell us today whether it will happen in September or October. I wish all my...

National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (11 Jul 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: This is vital legislation. We must ensure we have absolute due diligence and a streamlined process in regard to vetting. I am saying more than I usually would while in the Chair. I received a telephone call just before the debate started concerning a new facility in County Louth to deal with vulnerable children. The caller is dealing with a particular issue and asked me whether I know...

National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (11 Jul 2024)

Question put and declared carried.

National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (11 Jul 2024)

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 7.13 p.m. go dtí 2 p.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 18 Meán Fómhair 2024. The Dáil adjourned at at 7.13 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 18 September 2024.