Results 21-40 of 2,167 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Before I go to the Minister, are there any other Senators offering on this amendment? No. Would the Minister like to respond?

Seanad: Agricultural Sector: Motion (1 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I will try not to go over the many points that have already been made but it would be remiss of me not to address some of the issues in relation to the Mercosur deal. The Opposition seems to take the position that the Mercosur deal is bad but the Opposition has never had to negotiate a trade deal. The success of Irish agriculture is based on trade deals made through the EU. We have a team...

Seanad: Agricultural Sector: Motion (1 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: It is a starting point. With all due respect, the Senators will not decide the Mercosur deal here. It will be negotiated at a higher level. These things need to be looked at in the round. It was the Senator's party that said we should not go into the EU. If we had not gone into the EU, where would Irish farmers be now?

Seanad: Agricultural Sector: Motion (1 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Sinn Féin did an about-face and accepted the EU after a while. The nitrates derogation is a big issue looming for farmers. In the agriculture committee of the previous Dáil, I said that there was an onus on us to engage proactively with the EPA. The biggest threat to our holding onto our nitrates derogation is the EPA not giving us timely information. Most of the water quality...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I welcome the representatives from the International Police Association. I am glad the Cathaoirleach clarified who they are because when I saw all the uniforms, I thought it was a coup. I am reassured to know that there will not be a coup here today.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I call on the Leader to draw to the attention of his party colleague the Minister for education details of a bizarre case that unfolded in County Leitrim recently regarding a venerable and much-respected former school principal, who is 66 years of age and who dedicated his life to education and to rural Ireland. He was in the vanguard of the delivery of special education. I was shocked to...

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Unfortunately, Senator Craughwell is not here. I am not sure of his position on Fianna Fáil but not only did it introduce free school transport but it also introduced free schoolbooks and free school lunches. I am sure he will check the record because I know he likes to hear the virtues of Fianna Fáil. I am a bit alarmed as I am probably starting to sound like my colleagues...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Petition on Reform of Pet Laws (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: So it is more often now a case of domestic theft.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Petition on Reform of Pet Laws (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Okay.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Petition on Reform of Pet Laws (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I am thinking about the situation in England. Pet insurance is more popular in the UK and is something we do not look at all. I would say that is one of the reasons why, if your dog is stolen in the UK, you have to report it for the insurance company. Maybe that is part of the education too, to try to get more people here to insure their dogs.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Petition on Reform of Pet Laws (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I appreciate it puts an additional cost on people, but that is probably why we are behind the UK on this. That is an important first step for us and then the legislation afterwards. If you have to pay for insurance for you dog, you are certainly then going to report it to An Garda when it is stolen. I also have an observation in defence of Ballinasloe. That would not be a cover for any...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Petition on Reform of Pet Laws (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: We did not buy any dogs in Ballinasloe.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Petition on Reform of Pet Laws (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I thank Louise O'Tuama, Brenda Fitzpatrick and Lisa O'Connor for coming in. It has been a very informative meeting. The witnesses do an awful lot of work voluntarily. It is great to see it and I commend them on that. It is fair to say that dog theft probably spiked around the time of Covid when many other criminal opportunities were closed down. Criminals diverted their interest and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the witnesses for being here. I commend them on taking on a very difficult challenge. Much of what we say here today does not reflect on the witnesses but what went before them. I ask them to help me to get some sense around some of the figures. We have a briefing document and the opening statement. This says that the trust's services are supporting 714 adults, etc. When I total...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Would it be maxed out at about 2,500?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Peter McVerry Trust: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Joe Flaherty: For the purpose of this, if I go with what was on the opening statement, it is 2,707 people and a budget of €60 million. It is costing €22,000 per person to run the service. To give a comparable example of a local authority, I would say that what the trust has to do is comparable with County Longford. It has a population of 40,000 and, between revenue and capital a budget of...