Matt Carthy

I do not know if the Minister realises, but he has undershot the entire premise and logic put forward for this Part. If I am right, he dismissed the costs that might be incurred but he said there might be an impact on the time. I would argue that the time saved would be minuscule. The Minister seems to accept that we are now in a situation following the Higgins case where there is a parameter and …

I feel the Minister is chasing his tail trying to find reasons to support this provision when he knows in his own heart, and with his own legal experience, that there is no credible reason to do it. This was a move on the part of a predecessor of his, predominantly pressed by large-scale media outlets and owners, to address one particular issue and then a number of other issues were thrown in, inc…

I move amendment No. 6: In page 6, lines 22 to 24, to delete all words from and including “a” in line 22 down to and including line 24 and substitute the following: “the court may, on the application of any party to a defamation action in the High Court, or a question of fact or an issue arising in such an action, order that the action or any issue of fact in the action shall be tried without a …

I will make a couple of points. On the retail defamation, as it is called, and section 8, as I have indicated before, it is incredibly important that we have this defence. It is equally important that this defence is not abused. There is clearly a communication issue. I met a retailer in the House today, a member of a representative organisation, who expressed real concerns that this section will …

I thank the Minister for his remarks. Most people will welcome the clarification that these amendments bring. However, we need to be very clear as a House in terms of setting out precisely the need for this, if you want simplification of the defence of public interest. My position on this matter is fairly straightforward: media organisations or anybody who is publishing information pertaining to i…

I do not argue with the Minister about any of that and that is why we are not opposing this section. I will make one point. The Minister suggested that the media never go out of their way to lie about someone. Can I suggest that he is saying that with the luxury of being a Fianna Fáil representative? If he were a representative of my party, he would not be able to say that. There have been instanc…

I support these amendments.

I also hope these provisions address the issues the Minister outlined. I do not dispute anything he said, including the argument that politicians should have thick skins. I endeavour to live up to those standards daily. I am a passionate advocate of freedom of speech. I believe it is essential in a functioning democracy that people can feel to say things - even nasty things or critical things - ab…

And the Black and Tans.

Ba chóir go mbeadh náire ar an Rialtas seo as an méid atá á dhéanamh aige. The Government's attitude to the GPO is part of a long history of failure in respect of O'Connell Street, its history and heritage. The street where the Irish Republic was declared and where the workers of Dublin fought the Dublin Metropolitan Police, DMP, during the 1913 Lock-out has now been taken over by fast-food chains…

-----the GPO and the Moore Street site.

13. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if she will ensure that a CT scanner and MRI scanner are located within Monaghan Hospital. [34678/25]

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for his latitude. The Minister may be aware there has been a long saga in respect of Monaghan hospital since emergency and other services were removed by a previous Fianna Fáil Government. Will the Minister help with the evolution and redevelopment of Monaghan hospital by ensuring there is a CT and MRI scanner located on the hospital campus?

Cavan and Monaghan hospitals might be put together for operational purposes but it cannot be claimed that a service in one is equal to a service in the other. There are 47 km between the two sites. Perhaps that does not seem like much to some people, but if people are living in an area with no public transport and a poor ambulance service, that matters. When the Minister says that Cavan Monaghan G…

The difficulty is that the application for scanners at Cavan hospital is made, as the Minister said, by Cavan Monaghan General Hospital, but Monaghan hospital needs these scanners and as I understand it, the staff there want them. The difficulty is that they have to go through this convoluted process Micheál Martin established that put Monaghan and Cavan hospitals together. What happens? Prioritie…

Deputy Carroll MacNeill is the Minister. I am asking her to ask.

Yes, I am not happy with the response so I am asking the Minister to ask.

136. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the steps Monaghan County Council should take to secure funding for a swimming pool in Carrickmacross. [34630/25]

My question is more of an appeal to the Minister and the Minister of State to work with Monaghan County Council, the local community and all elected representatives to help ensure that we can deliver a swimming pool complex in the town of Carrickmacross.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I urge him to ensure that the new round of funding is opened as quickly as possible. There has long been a demand for a swimming pool among the people of Carrickmacross. When the previous local authority swimming pool programme was in place, there was a substantial fundraising drive in the town but it did not result in a swimming pool. That was larg…

I am pleased to report that Monaghan County Council is now being proactive. As I mentioned, the pop-up pool has been a huge success. A feasibility study has been conducted by the local authority, which shows and reinforces that the demand is there. The reason there is a national strategy for swimming is that it is much more than a sport. In fact, people involved in every sport benefit from utilis…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide victims of sexual violence with the right to seek civil protection orders. I am pleased to introduce the Bill. I thank those who have engaged with me on this issue and whose personal experience prompted myself and my party to bring forward this Bill. In particular I want to commend Sonya Stokes, Leona O'Callaghan and Sh…

It is clearly not.

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Tá Sinn Féin i gcoinne an Bhille seo mar atá sé comhdhéanta faoi láthair. Is drochreachtaíocht í. Ní féidir linn glacadh leis an alt a bhaineann le gríosú. Sinn Féin is opposed to the Bill as it is currently constituted because some of its provisions are authoritarian, uncalled for and open to abuse, particularly regarding the section that would expand the definition of public provocation to comm…