Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as an gceist seo. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley, who is regrettably unavailable. I send best wishes to Deputy Durkan and Deputy Catherine Murphy and thank the Deputies for working on this issue together. It is admirable. I will outline to the House the position with regard to the provision of permanent accommodation for Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad, County Kildare. As the Deputies may be aware, Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad was established in 2020 as a …

As the initial notes stated, the Department has approved funding to KWETB to undertake refurbishment works. If they have not commenced, it may be a local matter regarding getting contractors to carry out the work.

We can find out locally. It is positive that the options study was furnished to the Department. That gives a chink of light. The Department is assessing and examining those proposals. It is important that all of the Deputies keep a bit of friendly pressure on the Minister to get this really important matter advanced as a matter of priority.

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that, in light of the ongoing consultation of interested stakeholders on the preparation of a hydrogen strategy, the response period for which will close in eight weeks' time, the Green Hydrogen Strategy Bill 2022 be deemed to be read a second time this day six months, to allow for the development and implementation of the hydrogen strategy for Ireland, and for that then to be taken into account in the furt…

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis na Teachtaí go léir. I thank all the Deputies. I do not have time to respond to all the issues raised. Deputy Gino Kenny raised the issue of income thresholds. The review is now complete and the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, are considering the findings with a view to making recommendations. Deputy Canney raised the issue of the RTB in respect of systems of payment. We will take that up again. I apologise again because I cann…

I will take this question. I thank the Deputy. It was a very effective working group and a lot of good work was done. Great credit is due to all partners, including Leitrim County Council. I have engaged with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, this week in regard to the compensation issue. My understanding is that there are negotiations with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on that. We are looking at wider issues regarding land use around that tragic event in Drumkeeran. I have been asked to convene a…

I appreciate the issue being raised by Deputy Howlin. Specifically on amendment No. 31, the proposed section 161 provides that the electoral commission may publish codes of conduct in respect of online electoral information or online electoral process information. Section 161(7) provides that where a person to whom a mandatory code is addressed has failed to comply with the code, the commission may apply to the High Court for an order directing the person to comply with the code. The word "mandatory" is in square b…

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to the amendments that were approved in the Seanad during the course of the Bill's passage through the House. The first group of amendments assigns a monitoring and investigatory role to an coimisiún toghcháin in order that an coimisiún can protect the integrity of our electoral processes in the online sphere, in particular during electoral events. Members will appreciate that the online world now provides unprecedented opportunities to spread false or misleading inform…

Points were made specifically in regard to this important part of the Bill. I closely followed the deliberations of the Oireachtas joint committee, where it was widely debated. I commend the committee on its deliberations at pre-legislative scrutiny stage. These were concerns that were raised in pre-legislative scrutiny, as Deputy Ó Broin mentioned. They are fundamental citizens’ rights and fundamental to the robustness of our democracy and, from that point of view, they are very important to us. I appreciate the c…

The broader issue around citizens’ rights is important in the context of recent experiences across the world and we all have plenty of examples of it. This demonstrates that many of the most pressing threats to the integrity of our democracy and electoral processes are based on harmful techniques for distorting or manipulating public expression. In that context, it is important to note that the State has obligations, under both the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, to support and protect eac…

There has been significant debate on all Stages of the Bill.

I thank Senators Moynihan, Hoey, Sherlock and Wall for this amendment, which proposes that the establishment date of the electoral commission be appointed as a day not later than four weeks from the passage into law of the Electoral Reform Bill. I do not propose to accept this amendment for a number of reasons. First, the Bill is subject to commencement provisions as set out in section 1(5). These are not time-bound. The placement of such a time-bound provision in the Bill would not be advisable from a technical pe…

I thank Senators Higgins, Ruane, Flynn and Black for these amendments, which relate to the membership of an coimisiún. I welcome the sentiments behind them, which relate to participation in, and wider engagement with, our electoral process, as Senator Ruane outlined. That is what this Bill, in its overarching thrust, sets out to achieve. Amendment No. 2 relates to the gender balance among ordinary members of the commission. Section 18(5) states that when recommending to the Government persons for appointment as ord…

I thank the Senators for the proposed amendment, which will require that the commission lays a record of all contracts for consultants or advisers before both House of the Oireachtas an a biannual basis. Appendix B5 to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies: Business and Financial Reporting Requirements requires that expenditure by public bodies on external consultancy and advisory services be set out as part of their annual report. Given that the commission is required to lay its annual report bef…

I thank Senators Higgins, Ruane, Flynn and Black for these amendments, which propose that the chief executive of an coimisiún may only be reappointed once. Section 20(6), as passed by the Dáil, limits the chief executive of an coimisiún to serving no more than ten years in total where a term of office is a maximum of five years. Amendment No. 7 and amendment No. 8, the withdrawal of which I accept, propose to remove section 20(6) and instead insert that the chief executive can be reappointed "only once". Both of th…

I thank Senators Ruane, Higgins, Black and Flynn for tabling these amendments, which relate to requiring that an coimisiún undertake a review of the Electoral Act 1997. As the Senators will be aware, Chapter 9 of Part 2 of the Bill provides for an coimisiún to take on a new policy, research and advisory function. As part of its work, an coimisiún will prepare research programmes, conduct research on electoral policy and procedure and provide advice as required to the Minister and the Government on electoral issues.…

I thank Senators Ruane, Higgins, Black and Flynn for these amendments, which seek to amend the existing provisions relating to the publication of information by the electoral commission. Amendment No. 12 specifies that in addition to an coimisiún's annual report being published that it be published in an accessible manner. Amendment No. 15 specifies that as part of an coimisiún's referendum functions, the statements which it prepares and publishes to explain the subject matter of referendums will be published in pl…

I again thank Senators Higgins, Ruane, Flynn and Black for amendments Nos. 13, 21, 24, 35, 36 and 44, which all relate to the franchise for Seanad Éireann. Before I speak specifically to the amendments, I appreciate the level of debate, in particular the very passionate debate by Senator McDowell and others yesterday and by Senator Higgins today. I note that and I would say in response that we cannot be prescriptive about the piece of research the commission is going to carry out. On the point by Senator Gavan abou…

I thank Senators Moynihan, Hoey, Sherlock and Wall for these proposed amendments, which relate to the publication of the register of political parties. These amendments were previously tabled by Deputy Nash in the Dáil on Committee Stage. In respect of amendment No. 18, when bringing across the 1992 Act’s existing provisions in respect of the making available of the register, I removed the stipulation that the register be made available for inspection at the offices of the registrar, making the text in section 51 o…

I will not mention the war. I know the county boundary Senator Cummins is referring to.