Results 30,261-30,280 of 33,214 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Forthcoming General Affairs Council: Minister of State (13 Mar 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Vice Chairman. I apologise for delaying the start of the meeting. I had underestimated the travel time, for which I apologise to all members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Forthcoming General Affairs Council: Minister of State (13 Mar 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: Hardly. I thank members for allowing me to hold the meeting at this time to facilitate an event on encouraging more people to consider jobs and roles within the European Union. Let me start, as I normally do, by updating members on the contacts I have had with European colleagues since we last met. I am pleased to say I was able to travel at the end of February to Warsaw where I had a...

Pre-European Council Meeting: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I was keen for Deputy Wallace to come in because I asked him a question and he has responded to it. I will conclude on this point, if I can.

Pre-European Council Meeting: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: The Acting Chairman will thank me for finishing up soon. I wish to respond to the point. We have been trying to put in place inclusive political arrangements. This is why European Union Foreign Ministers, Prime Ministers and Heads of State have been trying to engage directly with Russia. They have tried to put in place arrangements and elections that reflect the complexity of the...

Pre-European Council Meeting: Statements (12 Mar 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputies for their contributions. I will respond to the points they made, in turn, in the context of the agenda for next week's Council meeting. I will begin by addressing some of the questions Deputy Crowe asked in respect of the EU-Africa summit coming up and what will take place there. The Deputy raised several concerns relating to bioethanol and the role of the European Union....

Government's Priorities for the Year Ahead: Statements (Resumed) (5 Mar 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: This week marks the third anniversary of the formation of this Government and the beginning of this Dáil. While many challenges remain, and many of the Deputies in this House have touched on them, there are clear signs of strong and durable progress that has been made in many areas. In this contribution I want to provide an emphasis on what has been achieved by particularly focusing on...

Topical Issue Debate: Foreign Conflicts (5 Mar 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: Three questions were raised by the Deputies. With regard to the Irish involvement in what is taking place at present, which both Deputies raised, an officer of the Irish Defence Forces will participate in an OSCE-led observer mission to Crimea together with officers from a range of countries, including Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, France, Germany and the United States. The reason the...

Topical Issue Debate: Foreign Conflicts (5 Mar 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I welcome the opportunity to respond to both Deputies on what Deputy Dowds called the worst crisis Europe has faced since the end of the Cold War. Both the European Union and the Government have strongly condemned Russia's actions over the weekend and they call on Russia to withdraw troops to their barracks immediately. Russia's actions are in clear breach of international law and its...

Ireland's Engagement with Europe: Statements (27 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: As Deputies will be aware, the concept of Europe is an old convention. As a geographic term it reaches back to the time of Homer in the 5th century B.C. It stretches from the Azores to Severny Island and covers 10 million square miles, 750 million people and 37,000 years of civilization. As impressive as these facts are and as much as they provide a sense of perspective for debate for any...

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: That is not right.

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: That is not right.

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank everybody for their contributions to this debate. I agree with the point made by Deputy Clare Daly on the need to debate all our institutions and the people within them, particularly those who are conferred by society with huge amounts of power. The Deputy is correct in that regard. I wish to participate in such a discussion as much as does the Deputy, albeit I accept we may reach...

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: If Deputy Ross could allow me to finish my sentence-----

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I have read the full Bill and if Deputy Ross would allow me to conclude what I am about to say-----

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: -----Deputy Ross proposes that Members of the Oireachtas should choose our judges, but only those unconnected to political parties in government, which is what is in his Bill. Of course, I read Deputy Ross's Bill before I came into the House.

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: Would Deputy Ross like me to quote the Bill?

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: Indeed, but, as Deputy Ross will be aware, I served with him-----

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I merely want to respond to the point made.

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I ask Deputy Ross to respond to what I say. I have read the Deputy's Bill, I have read the comment, and in terms of what I myself said, I acknowledge that the Bill makes reference to the political parties that are in government. I ask, before he launches any attack on what I have to say, that I might be afforded the luxury of saying it. I can assure the House...

An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Ceapacháin Bhreithiúnacha) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution (Judicial Appointments) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (21 Feb 2014)

Paschal Donohoe: I will conclude on this point.