Results 1-20 of 72 for going forward speaker:Seán Haughey

Nature Restoration Law: Statements (7 Mar 2024)

Seán Haughey: ...involve the restoration of terrestrial, coastal and freshwater ecosystems, including wetlands, grasslands, forests, rivers and lakes. As regards peatlands, EU states will be obliged to bring forward restoration measures for drained peatlands on at least 30% of such areas by 2030, 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050 and to scale up rewetting. These are ambitious targets and will be very...

Consultative Forum on International Security Policy Report: Statements (22 Nov 2023)

Seán Haughey: ..., my initial reaction was to wonder what all the fuss was about. When the forum was established, a storm of controversy erupted. We were told that this was all part of a sinister plot by the Government to commence the process for Ireland to join NATO. The chairperson, Professor Louise Richardson was criticised, including by people who should have known better, and protesters attempted...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Union and the Commission Work Programme: Discussion (25 Oct 2023)

Seán Haughey: ...for letting me in here. I thank Ms Nolan for that comprehensive presentation. The EU generally and the Commission in particular has done well over the past four years with regard to the ongoing fallout from Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, the distribution of the vaccines, the war in Ukraine, climate change which we have just discussed, and also the energy and cost-of-living crisis. By...

European Council Meeting: Statements, Questions and Answers (12 Jul 2023)

Seán Haughey: ...roost. We are still dealing with the fallout from the Brexit shambles, but the Windsor Framework has now been agreed, as we know, between the UK and the EU. The task now is to get on with its ongoing implementation. Turning to Palestine, Israeli violence in the occupied Palestinian territory continues to escalate out of control. We recently witnessed the brutal Israeli raid on Jenin...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future of the EU-UK Relationship: UK Ambassador to Ireland (12 Jul 2023)

Seán Haughey: ...That is the first question. Linked to that is the DUP opposition to the Northern Ireland protocol and its consideration of the Windsor Framework. There is talk of the British Government bringing forward legislation relating to trade and sovereignty to reassure the DUP. Where is that at? Is that the position, namely, that these talks are under way and there is a possibility that the DUP...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency: Discussion with Spanish Ambassador (5 Jul 2023)

Seán Haughey: ...ambassador for his comprehensive report on the forthcoming Presidency. I hope it does not have too many unexpected events or black swans, as he calls them. I welcome that Spain's Presidency is going to be a sustainable Presidency and that it is very conscious of that. It is obvious that a lot of preparation has gone into this Presidency. A general election is taking place on 23 July....

Pre-European Council Meeting: Statements (28 Jun 2023)

Seán Haughey: ...policy now that it has concluded. Certainly, I found the discussions and debates very interesting and informative. Thankfully, those who tried to disrupt it did not succeed and the wider public got a chance to consider the issues that now must be addressed. In fact, you would have to wonder what all the fuss was about. I spoke in the Dáil debate on the forum, held on 18 May...

Europe Day: Statements (9 May 2023)

Seán Haughey: ...is so devastating. It threatens our values and everything we stand for. That is the reason we must face this challenge head on. In that regard, I welcome the latest round of sanctions brought forward by the Commission. Existing sanctions must be enforced by member states and we cannot allow them to be circumvented. The Russian invasion of Ukraine follows various challenges in recent...

Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: Statements (26 Apr 2023)

Seán Haughey: Our reflections over recent weeks on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement are drawing to a close. It was fascinating at the conference in Queen's University in Belfast last week listening to the insights of the main players involved in reaching the agreement. I think in particular of Senator George Mitchell who chaired the peace talks. All of us on these islands owe him an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Parliamentary Delegation from the Republic of Georgia (29 Mar 2023)

Seán Haughey: ...Samkharadze and Mr. Songulashvili when we visited Tbilisi last year. It is great to have them in Dublin. When we were there, the decision of the European Council came through that Georgia was not going to get candidate status. That was a great disappointment. All of the parliamentarians we met were very disappointed. It is very clear that Georgia wants to be a member of the European...

Pre-European Council Meeting: Statements (22 Mar 2023)

Seán Haughey: ...visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia is ominous. We are told that the two countries reaffirmed their close ties. This comes after the ICC issued its arrest warrant. The peace plan put forward by Mr. Xi has been rightly rejected by the EU given that, inherent in it, is an acceptance of Russian territorial gains to date. The Chinese President’s visit to Russia puts in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Northern Ireland (21 Mar 2023)

Seán Haughey: As we have heard, the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is due to become law later this year. There has been widespread opposition to this Bill from the Irish Government, from all of the political parties in the North, from victims' groups and their families, and from several human rights organisations. The Bill was published unilaterally by the British Government...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Rule of Law Report: Engagement with European Commissioner for Justice (24 Nov 2022)

Seán Haughey: ...to present the report. This current Commission is very open and accessible. The President of the European Commission is addressing both Houses of Parliament in Ireland next Thursday. That is a good sign of openness, transparency and a willingness to engage. I take on board everything that has been said regarding Ukraine and the need for frozen assets to be put to the benefit of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU-level Policy Response to Current Energy Security Issues: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Seán Haughey: ...of the UK energy market if he is up to speed on that? I appreciate that it is not totally his brief but Ireland is very reliant on the UK and Norway for gas supplies. How does he see that going forward? Is that supply threatened, particularly having regard to the politics in the UK at this time? On Dr. Deane's comments, nobody mentioned data centres here this morning. Data centres...

Recent Developments in Northern Ireland: Statements (25 May 2022)

Seán Haughey: It is fair to say that British-Irish relations are not particularly good at this time. It all started with Brexit in 2016 and things have got steadily worse since then. The Brexit decision, in which the UK decided to disengage from the EU and go its own way, was a shock to the international community. The modus operandiof British Prime Minister and the governing style of the Conservative...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (6 Apr 2022)

Seán Haughey: ...coal imports and on Russian ships entering EU ports, among other things. I understand a ban on Russian oil is also being worked on and I hope this can be agreed on at the earliest opportunity. We got behind the measures proposed under the European peace facility. We fully responded to the enormous humanitarian crisis now unfolding. We wholeheartedly backed Ukraine's application for EU...

Legacy Issues in Northern Ireland and Reports of Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland: Statements (23 Feb 2022)

Seán Haughey: As well all know, on 14 July 2021 the British Government published a command paper outlining plans for legislation providing for a statute of limitations ending criminal investigations and prosecutions in respect of Troubles-related incidents, as well as inquests and civil litigation. One obvious intention of these proposals is to prohibit future prosecutions of military veterans and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol: Discussion (6 Oct 2021)

Seán Haughey: ...good and that that is very detrimental to the centre's work on the issues of the Northern Ireland protocol and the threat to invoke Article 16. I admire the witnesses' statements that they are going to just get on with it and continue to work together. I have two questions. Has there been any feedback to date from the civic society organisations, in particular farmers and businesses,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Developments at European Union Level: Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni (20 Sep 2021)

Seán Haughey: ...dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world. The general consensus is that was not achieved. That strategy was succeeded by Europe 2020. What is the Commissioner's assessment of the European economy going forward on a global scale? Are we on course to be the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy compared to the other economic blocs in the globalised world? Does the...