I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: "acknowledges that: — there is a strong commitment to improved animal welfare in this sector in the Programme for Government ‘Our Shared Future’; — future funding of the sector is contingent on welfare standards being upheld on an annual basis and compliance with welfare standards in the sector will be strictly monitored; — the greyhound sector is particularly challenged by Covid-19; — the increase in the betting tax on a…

The purpose of amendment No. 1 is to include a penalty provision in respect of section 5(1). This penalty is an unlimited fine on the basis that only a body corporate can commit the offence, a reference to a penalty of imprisonment would not be appropriate. Amendment No. 2 is a renumbering amendment which arises from the insertion of the subsection.

I thank the House for the opportunity to speak on this important topic. The Department of Justice continues to work on delivering our vision of a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland. An important part of this is our ongoing and intensive efforts to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. We are improving our systems and processes to ensure they protect those at risk, support those who are victims, bring to justice those who inflict harm, and create a society that does not tolerate or turn a blind eye to any…

I wish to share time with Deputies Bruton and Ó Cathasaigh.

I echo my ministerial colleague, Deputy McEntee, in thanking the House for the opportunity to discuss this important topic today. The Minister has spoken of her understanding of the full meaning of community safety. While we can all agree that crime prevention measures are critical to improving the quality of life for all communities, crime prevention is just one facet of community safety. Community safety in the most complete sense requires the proactive and ongoing input of a range of public and community service…

I would be obliged if, in accordance with Standing Order 196, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle would direct the Clerk to make the following verbal correction to the text of the Bill: On page 36, line 10, to replace the words "Designation of competent authorities" with "Each Member State shall inform the General Secretariat of".

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It is important to note that the DPC is independent in the performance of its tasks and the exercise of its powers. Therefore, the Senator will appreciate that I cannot comment on legal proceedings in which the commission was or is involved. Nor can I comment on findings of the courts, given that they are also independent in the exercise of their duties. The case referred to arose from a complaint referred to the DPC in June 2013 concerning the transfer of personal data …

I assure the Senator that the Government's position is reflected in our ongoing commitment under the programme for Government to recognise the domestic and international importance of data protection in Ireland. Moreover, we will ensure that Ireland delivers on its responsibilities under the general data protection regulation. The DPC finds itself at the fore of many key data protection decisions in the EU due to the presence of many of the world's leading technology companies in Ireland. As the Senator is aware, t…

I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter. The visiting teacher service for children with hearing and visual impairments in Ireland provides support for the education of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and for children who are blind or who have significant visual impairment. Support is provided for parents in schools at the preschool stage and at primary and post-primary school levels. An independent review of this service was concluded in 2013-14 by two UK-based specialists in hearing and…

I thank the Senator again for raising this important matter and I understand and appreciate his disappointment at the reply and a lack of commitment to a review of the delivery of the results. The Senator has expressed his view that there is good work being done, but it could be done better. I will certainly raise his concerns with the Minister of State after this Commencement matter has been completed. I will endeavour to have her contact him on this very important matter.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this extremely important matter in the county of Kildare and surrounding areas. As the Senator may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. Kildare, Newbridge and the Curragh are three of the designated sch…

Once again, I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising an important issue around school capacity in Kildare. I hear her genuine concerns about this matter and will certainly convey to the Minister that there is a real sense of a need for urgency to deliver the new school and to ensure that until the school is effectively built and opened, appropriate and necessary measures are put in place to ensure there is sufficient capacity for students in the Newbridge-Curragh area of County Kildare.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for her remarks and I acknowledge the intent and work behind this Private Members' Bill. The area of hate crime is of particular interest to the Senator and I am aware of her track record and considerable work in trying to advance the legislative position in recent years. The proposals in this Bill reflect the vital public interest in protecting persons from the harm caused by crimes motivated by hate and prejudice. I thank Senators for their contributions. I will address some of the issu…

I thank all the Deputies who have contributed this evening. I think we all agree on the importance of ensuring this issue is effectively addressed. It is an issue of serious and genuine concern that makes our public and social spaces unsafe for others and creates a sense of real fear among the public. Anti-social behaviour in any form negatively impacts on the quality of life of our communities and it is an issue that as Minister of State I am keen to address. Those who engage in the reckless or dangerous misuse of…

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for bringing forward this Bill. At the outset, let me state that the Government fully understands and appreciates his reasons for bringing it forward and is supportive of the important public policy objectives that underpin it. For this reason, the Government has decided not to oppose the Second Stage of the Bill. However, I would like to advise the House that the Government will be bringing forward legislation in this area which will achieve a similar objective to Deputy Ó Laoghaire's Bi…

I listened carefully to Deputy Ó Laoghaire and the other contributors. It is important to highlight there is a common and shared objective, namely, to bring persons involved in the execution and enforcement of court orders, including orders for repossession, within the definition of "security service". It requires licensing under section 2 of the Private Security Services Act. The Government will not oppose the Bill and is not opposed to the principle underlying it. The case for bringing legal certainty to this sit…

Where one has difference in style, one will have a difference in debate. It actually speaks to a bigger issue, namely, the lack of plain English. That puts up a serious barrier in law for people to be able to access their rights. We heard much commentary about the lack of proper eviction notices. Very often people do not know their rights and when they go to look them up, it is hard for them to understand their actual rights. We still often see legal doublets in our law such as "null and void" and "without due care…

I thank Senators for the opportunity to address this resolution, the purpose of which is to extend the sunset clause in the Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020. Senators will know that section 17 of the Act provides that it shall continue in operation until 9 November 2020 unless a resolution approving its continuation has been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before that date. A resolution was passed by Dáil Éireann on Wednesday evening. Covid-19 continues to pose a grave threat to pub…

I thank the Senators for their contributions on this resolution. We had a very good and wide-ranging debate and everybody who wanted to contribute was able to do so. I will start by addressing the amendment put forward, which effectively seeks to change the extension in the sunset clause from the one proposed by the Government to a date in February. A similar amendment was put forward in the other House and rejected. I cannot accept the amendment in this House. All of us need to be realistic. Covid-19 will not be a…

I am pleased to introduce the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2020. The purpose of this relatively short Bill is to complete the transposition of Directive EU 2017/1371 on the fight against fraud to the Union's financial interests by means of criminal law, commonly referred to as the "PIF directive". This directive further harmonises the approach across the EU to the criminalisation of fraud affecting the Union's financial interests. I am hopeful the Bill will receive broad support in t…