Results 721-740 of 18,442 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: I apologise for missing the earlier part of the contributions because I was in the Chamber for questions to the Minister of further and higher education. I welcome the contribution of the witnesses here today. They question a lot of the IIEA report and it is good to have the varied opinions and the questioning. It is extremely important. In Professor Doyle's statement, I notice he refers...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: On the differential in the figures Professor Doyle has just quote, I have often heard from people, particularly those living in Britain who may be home on holidays, talking about the good social protection systems here in comparison to what they are in receipt of in London, for example. I presume Northern Ireland is not better than London regarding state pensions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: Is there no equalisation within pension recipients?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: Professor Doyle is saying there are different levels of payment depending on when someone entered into a pension scheme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: I recall meeting an Irish lady who was a young widow and she told me she was getting a widow's pension in London that was half of what her sister, who lived here in this State, was getting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: Right. Our system, for all its deficits, is much better than that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: Professor Doyle also mentioned economic growth in his opening statement. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to study his opening statements in detail and I missed his oral presentation. None of the presentations referred to the growth in the all-island economy since 1998. I have often said in this committee that one of the unsung successes of the Good Friday Agreement is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: In his presentation, Professor McGuinness referred to the share of educated workers employed. The sectoral productivity in the Republic increases with the share of educated workers employed and levels of investment. Is that investment public sector investment plus foreign direct investment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: Roughly, how does that divide between public, international and domestic investment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: Would Dr. Bergin hazard a guess at it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: Presumably foreign directly investment is a significant part of the whole broad investment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: In Professor McGuinness's paper, he stated: More recent research has found evidence of educational downgrading in both regions, whereby a person’s educational attainment actually falls below that of their parents. I am shocked with that research. In our role, we mix with people. We are very much up to date with what is going on in our communities and across our constituencies....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: I must go to a question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: I am sorry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (23 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: That is okay.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (22 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: 32. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there have been any recent discussions with the United States authorities in relation to immigration reform, with particular reference to the need to regularise the status of the undocumented Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23094/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (22 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: 85. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that teachers who are working in special education and ASD units will have access to suitable courses of particular relevance to their teaching area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23136/24]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (21 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: 268. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if additional measures will be implemented to assist small-scale manufacturing, small-scale hospitality and small-scale retail to meet increased business costs that have occurred over recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22748/24]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (21 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: 269. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if additional measures will be implemented to assist small and medium enterprises to meet increased business costs that have occurred over recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22747/24]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (21 May 2024)

Brendan Smith: 489. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if financial assistance would be given to farmers who do not have forest plantation and are not availing of any forestry schemes, to have ash die back trees removed as such trees are a danger to public safety due to their siting along public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22777/24]