Results 2,021-2,040 of 2,888 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Health Budget and Expenditure Management: Discussion (11 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: I am glad to hear that. I borrow an analogy that is used about speed limits in this country. They are supposed to be guidance as to where one should stop and not a target to aim for, because if one aims for the target, one will overshoot. Without that mindset change irrespective of how big the health budget becomes, the existing management structure will end up overrunning by 5% because it...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Business of Select Committee (5 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: Apologies have been received from Deputies Cowen and Heydon. Today the committee will meet members of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. We will engage with its chairman, Mr. Seamas Coffey, and other council members to discuss the fiscal assessment report that was published on 28 November. Before doing so, we will go into private session to deal with some housekeeping matters.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: Before we begin, I remind the members and witnesses to turn off their mobile phones because the interference by phones affects the sound quality and transmission of the meeting. I welcome Mr. Seamus Coffey to the committee. He is accompanied by his fellow council members, Mr. Sebastian Barnes, Ms Martina Lawless, Mr. Michael Tutty and Mr. Eddie Casey. We are meeting with the Irish Fiscal...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: I thank Mr. Coffey. A number of members have indicated a wish to speak. I remind members that I will, as normal, allow approximately five minutes each and there will be an additional round of questions later. I will allow everyone to make an initial comment. The first person to indicate a wish to comment was Deputy Michael McGrath.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: Deputy Bailey is next.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: That is fine but the Deputy has only five minutes in which to do so.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: At the moment?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: I thank the witnesses and Deputy Doherty. Before we conclude, speaking as a member of the committee more than as the Chairman, I have strong disagreements with some of the views the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has on the budget. I think, as the Minister has indicated, that a solid, prudent approach has been taken on this and a number of budgets. I think various areas have been...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2018: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: I am conscious that it is 4 p.m. There are differences of opinions. Sometimes, one can see things as a glass half-full or a glass half-empty. There are many negatives which the witnesses pointed out in their previous statement. There are many positives in the budget too which is always worth mentioning. I thank the witnesses for their contributions. We will take on what they said. I...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I will be supporting the Bill. I agree with much of what Deputy O'Callaghan outlined so I will be reasonably brief. The first point I would like to make is about whether the Judiciary decides to follow legislation that contains provisions relating to minimum sentences. I do not think that is a reason to oppose legislation. It raises a question about the Judiciary choosing to ignore...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: Can the sitting be suspended to allow committee members to vote in the Dáil?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: We are referring it back, which is what the Chairman was saying.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Chairman for the speedy manner in which he has brought this matter to the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to outline my simple proposal for a Bill which would put a fixed date in place for commemoration of the Famine. The proposals at the heart of the Bill are to have a commemoration day which would occur on the second Sunday of May, that the commemoration would include...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: To try to bring it back to a simple approach, a timeline might help. This Bill has been around for a while - since 2017 - and that is one of the problems. The Government made a decision subsequent to the introduction of the Bill. I like to think the decision was probably partly made because the Bill was there. My clear understanding and indication is that the Government allowed the Bill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I am quite happy to have the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht as the designated Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I have a reservation about that. I am not saying this could or would happen but I would be very disappointed if the day of commemoration became a public holiday that was exploited in a certain way that quickly became something we were not proud of.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: Something like that happens around St Patrick's Day already, which many of us regret. At the heart of this is that it is a day of commemoration and I do not want to get into the issue of making it a public holiday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I am not opposed to having an interfaith element. I think this should be part of the commemoration. I take on board Deputy Ó Cuív's comment, although I am not so sure this was not historically part of inaugurations. If the Bill moves to the next Stage, I will be open to changing that section to allow for greater flexibility in terms of how the commemoration is organised....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I regret the language Senator Warfield used, but I did not say that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I did not actually say that. Apart from Senator Warfield's choice of words, I did not say anything in that regard. He asked if I was in favour of having a public holiday and I indicated, for the reasons stated, that I was not and that it would be more appropriate to have a commemoration day. In response to his second question on the title, while an Gorta Mór is correct, I do not...