Committees

Discussion on the Circular Economy as it relates to the food sector

• Officials from Dept. of Environment, Climate and Communications, Tony Collins, Principal Officer, Marc Kierans, Principal Officer and; Brian Quirke, Assistant Principal Officer
• Representatives from Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. David Flynn, Director, Office of Environmental Sustainability; Mr. Warren Phelan, Programme Manager, Circular Economy and; Ms.. Fiona McCoole, Senior Manager Circular Economy Programme

Discussion on the Circular Economy as it relates to the food sector

• Representatives from FoodCloud, Angela Ruttledge, Head of Public Engagement and; Aoibheann O'Brien, Co-Founder and Director of Development and Innovation
• Representatives from Food Drink Ireland, Paul Kelly, Director; Linda Stuart-Trainor, Deputy Director and; Kevin Maher, Environmental Sustainability Executive
• Representatives from Circular Bioeconomy Research Group (CircBio), James Gaffey, Co-Director and; Dr. Helena McMahon, Co-Director

Minutes of the meeting of 14 May 2024

The need for greater regulation and oversight of the English Language Education Sector (Resumed)

• Officials from Dept. of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
• Quality and Qualifications Ireland

Minutes of meetings.

A Review of the Barnahus Model for young people who have experienced child sexual abuse

• Representatives from Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Mr Des Delaney, Principal Officer, Chief Social Worker and Chair of the Interdepartmental Group on Barnahus Implementation, and Ms Ciara Doyle, Assistant Principal Officer, Social Work Specialist, and Project Lead for the IDG on Barnahus Implementation,
• Representatives from Tusla, Ms Kate Duggan, Chief Executive, Mr Gerard Brophy, Chief Social Worker and Ms Clare Murphy, Interim National Director of Services and Integration,
• Representatives from Health Service Executive, Ms Helen Shortt, Lead Barnahus Model Implementation,
• Representatives from Children Health Ireland, Ms Fiona Murphy, Acting Chief Executive, and Mr Stephen Flanagan Deputy Chief Executive, and
• Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, Organised and Serious Crime, and Detective Chief Superintendent Colm Noonan, Garda National Protective Services Bureau.

Review of Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations

• Officials from Dept. of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
• Representatives from Dublin City Council
• Representatives from Dublin Fire Brigade

Engagment with resident Ambassadors to mark Africa Day and to discuss the relationship between Ireland and the various countries represented

• Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco H.E. Dr Lahcen Mahraoui
• Ambassador of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria H.E. Mr. Mohamed Belaoura
• Ambassador of Arab Republic of Egypt H.E. Mr. Mohamed Selim
• Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of South Africa Ms Mabet van Rensburg
• Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Sudan Mr. Mohammed Elbashir
• First Secretary, Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Mrs Mamoratehi Mary Bokopane

Engagement with Ms Dorothy Donovan BL, Chairperson Designate, Property Services Appeal Board

Committee Stage consideration of the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023

• Joe O'Brien, Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and at the Department of Social Protection and at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Committee Stage consideration of the Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2024

• Joe O'Brien, Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and at the Department of Social Protection and at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Committee Stage consideration of the Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024

• Dara Calleary, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Imeachtaí of Select Committee meetings of 14 February 2024

Minutes of the meeting of 14th and 15th May 2024

The employment of consultants and non-consultant hospital doctors in public hospitals

• Representatives from Irish Medical Organisation

Tuarascáil an Chomhchoiste: Earnáil Scríbhneoireachta, Foilsitheoireachta agus Léitheoireachta na Gaeilge

• Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta, an Teachta Dála Thomas Byrne

Aon Ghnó Eile

Further Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals: COM(2023)406 on Draft Amending Budget No 3 to the General Budget 2023

• Representatives from AFRI
• Representatives from Transnational Institute
• Officials from Dept. of Defence
• Officials from Dept. of Finance
• Representatives from European Commission

Minutes of previous meetings

Supports for the development of Regional Film and TV Production (resumed)

• Representatives from Screen Producers Ireland
• Representatives from Animation Ireland
• Representatives from Ardmore and Troy Studios
• Representatives from Telegael
• Representatives from Ardán

Engagement on ComReg’s enforcement functions concerning end-users of electronic communications services.

• Representatives from ComReg

Further Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals: COM(2024)139 on Proposal for a Regulation on agricultural and environmental condition standards, schemes for climate, environment and animal welfare, amendments to CAP Strategic Plans, and review of CAP Strategic Plans

• Officials from Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Further Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals: COM(2023)411 on Proposal for a Regulation on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques and their food and feed, and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/625

• Officials from Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
• Officials from Dept. of Environment, Climate and Communications
• Representatives from Teagasc

Progressing children’s disability services (resumed)

• Dr Noreen O’Leary, Lecturer, School of Population Health, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland & Ms Geraldine Moran, Assistant Professor, School of Allied Health, University of Limerick

Appropriation Account 2022 Vote 35 – Army Pensions

Appropriation Account 2022 Vote 36 - Defence

Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022 Chapter 12 – Stock management in the Defence Forces

Area of interest: the Reserve Defence Force

Minutes of the meeting of 16 May 2024

Accounts and Statements

Correspondence

Consideration of Draft Committee work programme

Any other business

Finance & Economics - Discussion on the all-island economy (resumed)

• Representatives from Dublin City University (DCU), Professor John Doyle, Vice President for Research
• Representatives from Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Dr. Adele Bergin, Associate Research Professor and Dr. Seamus McGuinness, Research Professor

Engagement on the Work of the Committee

• Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and at the Department of Foreign Affairs and at the Department of Defence

Approval of the minutes of previous meetings

Public Petition No. P00036/22 “REOPEN ENNIS, NENAGH & ST JOHNS Emergency Departments” from Midwest Hospital Campaign Group

• Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health
• Officials from Dept. of Health, Ms Siobhan McArdle, Assistant Secretary with responsibility for Unscheduled Care and Ms Tracey Conroy, Assistant Secretary with responsibility for Acute Hospitals Oversight and Performance
• Representatives from Health Service Executive, Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer and Dr Rosa McNamara, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, St Vincent’s University Hospital Dublin and Advisor to the Emergency Medicine Programme

Consideration of Public Petition Number P00034/24 “Future of the Dean Maxwell Community Nursing Unit, Roscrea”

Consideration of Public Petition Number P00036/24 “Action needed for derelict buildings in Youghal, Co. Cork”

Consideration of Public Petition Number P00037/24 “Mandate life-saving measures for babies born at 22 weeks in all Irish hospitals”

Any other business

Committee Stage consideration of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024

• Micheál Martin, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs; and Defence

Minutes of the meeting of 21 May 2024

Roundtable Discussion on Climate Action and Sustainable Development Education in Post Primary and Tertiary Education

• Irish Second Level Students Union (ISSU)
• Union of Students in Ireland (USI)
• 3 Post Primary Students/Climate Change Activists

Discussion regarding the finalisation of the draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and nLTS

• Eamon Ryan, Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications; and Transport

Detailed scrutiny of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons (Amendment) Bill 2021

• Jim O'Callaghan, TD

The Impact of Means Testing on Carer’s Allowance and other Social Welfare Schemes

• Representatives from One Family Ireland
• Representatives from Family Carers Ireland
• Representatives from Care Alliance Ireland
• Representatives from Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI)

The Impact of Means Testing on Disability Allowance, Disablement Pension and other Social Welfare Schemes

• Representatives from Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI)

Minutes of the meeting of 22 May 2024

Engagement with Mr. Ciarán Devane, Chairperson Designate, Health Service Executive

• Ciarán Devane

The challenges facing community-based cancer support services in the context of the National Cancer Strategy

• Representatives from The Alliance of Community Cancer Support Centres and Services

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses (Resumed)

• Representatives from Amazon
• Representatives from Google Ireland
• Representatives from Microsoft Ireland

Discussion on the results of the European Movement Ireland EU Poll 2024: Ireland and Northern Ireland.

• Ms Noelle O' Connell, CEO of European Movement Ireland
• Ms Lorna Hayes, Deputy CEO, Policy and Research

Engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre on its activities and operations

• Representatives from National Cyber Security Centre

Rights-based approach in Day Services

• Representatives from Ability West, Mary Foyle, Area Service Manager, Day Services, Stephen Boyle & Sarah Molloy, Day service Managers
• Representatives from Delta Centre CLG, Joe Meany, Chief Executive Officer & Suzanne Morrissey Forde, Deputy CEO & Finance Manager
• Representatives from National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers, Alison Harnett, Chief Executive & Teresa Mallon, representative on Working Group on the Development of an Outcomes Focus (New Directions)

Further Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals: COM(2023)769 on Proposal on improving the rules on the welfare of cats and dogs and their traceability

• Officials from Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Compliance with the Nitrates Directive: Implications for Ireland (resumed)

• Representatives from IBEC (Dairy Industry Ireland)

• Representatives from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board
• Representatives from Health Service Executive (HSE)
• Officials from Dept. of Health

Minutes of the meeting of 23 May 2024

Accounts and Statements

Correspondence

Consideration of Draft Committee work programme

Any other business

Women and Constitutional Change (resumed)

• Sophie Nelson, Policy Development Officer, HERe NI

Approval of the minutes of previous meetings

Public Petition Number P00030/23 “Create a walking and cycling greenway on the closed railway from Sligo to Athenry” from Western Rail Trail (resumed)

• Officials from Dept. of Transport, Mr Garret Doocey, Assistant Secretary, Land Transport Division and Ms Elizabeth Hayes, Assistant Principal Officer, National Roads, Greenways and Active Travel Division

Consideration of Public Petition Number P00036/21 “Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings” (resumed)

Consideration of Public Petition Number P00006/22 “Bye/By Elections in Ireland may comply with legislation however they do not comply with the Constitution” (resumed)

Consideration of Public Petition Number P00008/24 “Employment Equality”

Any other business