Results 21-40 of 4,792 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (19 Jun 2025)

Neale Richmond: I thank both Senators for their contributions this morning, particularly Senator Crowe for placing this. I will be quite frank; this is the second time I have taken a Commencement matter of this nature. Admittedly, the first time was not in this iteration of the Seanad but it is remarkable that, two years on, we are dealing with the same question. I hope we will be able to give more of a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (19 Jun 2025)

Neale Richmond: The key point is that this will be concluded and communicated in order that it will be in place for the examinations in 2026. We are at an advanced stage. The work is largely done. Let us finish it off. Changing this in order that we implement this in September rather than December will not make a difference for those sitting the State examinations in 2026. Let us make sure that due...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (19 Jun 2025)

Neale Richmond: The Government remains firmly committed to Ireland’s international development assistance programme and to its overriding priority, to reach the furthest behind first. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been closely following the reports and announcements in relation to USAID. Ireland’s Embassies and Missions, particularly in developing countries, have also been...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (19 Jun 2025)

Neale Richmond: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a longstanding and highly valued partner for the Government's international development programme. In 2024 and 2025 to date, Ireland has provided a total of €18 million in support to UNFPA: €13.1 million in 2024 and €4.9 million to date in 2025. The 2024 funding of €13.1 million involved a core grant of €4.5...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (17 Jun 2025)

Neale Richmond: The Government remains deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis as a result of the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, over 15 million people have been forced to flee their homes and over 24 million people are in acute food insecurity, with some facing famine. Working with like-minded EU member states, Ireland has supported strong EU...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (10 Jun 2025)

Neale Richmond: The 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice, from 9 to 13 June. The Conference will be an opportunity to focus on the intrinsic link between our societies and our lives and the the health of the ocean. We believe that it will not be possible to meet the demands on sustainability, food production, and the ambitions for a sustainable blue...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (10 Jun 2025)

Neale Richmond: The promotion and protection of human rights is a foreign policy priority for the Government. LGBTI+ people continue to suffer disproportionate levels of violence and face discrimination in many countries across the world, and we have been active in highlighting and advocating for their rights. The Government condemned the passing by the Ugandan parliament and the signing into law of the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: Do Deputies opposite want an answer?

Seanad: Situation in Gaza: Statements (29 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: I thank Senators from all parties and none for their very thoughtful, considered and genuine contributions here this morning. There is no way I will be able to respond in ten minutes to all the issues raised or be able to give this debate the respect and dignity it deserves. I will endeavour to do my best because I truly appreciate the opportunity to respond to the debate.

Seanad: Situation in Gaza: Statements (29 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: That is very generous of you, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. That is the spirit and the mood of the House. We all recognise that. Before I respond to some of the issues raised and speak about the issue more generally, for the benefit of the House I would like to focus more specifically on humanitarian aid, because it is my specific brief as Minister of State with responsibility for international...

Seanad: Situation in Gaza: Statements (29 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: Senator Andrews took the words out of my mouth. The Lord knows what has befallen most of those children since. I know everyone in this House has a personal commitment, some for different periods and others in various regards. In recent months, more than 54,000 people have been killed, more than 123,000 injured, and 90% of the population has been displaced, some up to 13 times. When we...

Seanad: Situation in Gaza: Statements (29 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: I am trying to be helpful in what I say and not in any way to be combative or to disagree with the point the Senator makes. However, it is useful for me to lay out what the Irish Government is genuinely trying to do to move the European obstacles out of the way and achieve consensus, but also shift the dial regarding the perception of the conflict in certain member states. Two member states...

Seanad: Situation in Gaza: Statements (29 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: I am not trying to open a debate at all; I am just trying to provide the context and, perhaps, a window and passage forward. The Senator and I, and indeed her wonderful former adviser, would have trawled through legal opinions, perhaps more than Senator McDowell goes through in a year. It was absolutely mesmerising. Looking at what was considered last night in the Dáil and the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (29 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 230 together. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been following very closely the reports and announcements in relation to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Ireland’s Embassies and Missions, particularly in developing countries, have also been monitoring developments and the impact on partnerships...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (29 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: I propose to take Questions Nos. 199, 231 and 247 together. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening daily. The entire population is facing high levels of food insecurity. More than 20%t face starvation after 18 months of fighting, and almost 80 days of the Israeli blockade on vital, life-saving, humanitarian aid. The Government has consistently condemned any arrangement for...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Passport Services (27 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: I will reply on two issues. Where an Irish passport is tampered with, it tends not to be a forged or made-up document. It tends to be a stolen passport which someone uses to try to assume the identity of the owner and by trying to say they look like the person in the photo. That is how good the Irish passport is. The Deputy referred to an incident from ten or 12 years ago. I can assure...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Passport Services (27 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: Preach.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Passport Services (27 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: I am delighted to take this question from Deputy Donnelly and I appreciate the constructive manner that it is placed and hopefully I will be able to reply in an equally constructive manner. I will skip over some of the introductory remarks, which he will receive to his place shortly - because the Deputy knows himself the Passport Office is working extremely hard on delivering overall, with...

Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Business of Joint Committee (27 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Cathaoirleach and the entire committee for the invitation to be the committee's first victim. Sorry, I meant witness. I hope I will be back numerous times over the coming months and years. Before I start my remarks, I wish to say directly to the Cathaoirleach, with whom I soldiered, alongside Deputy Brennan, for quite some time in the same part of the world, that and I am...

Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Business of Joint Committee (27 May 2025)

Neale Richmond: For context, in April of last year, the then Taoiseach and the Spanish Prime Minister called for a review of Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement based on our continuing opinion that flagrant human rights abuses are being carried out in Gaza and the West Bank by Israel. We were the only two member states that sought that. This time, 17 member states backed it, in the form of a...