Results 1,541-1,560 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (30 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I will knock on the head the Deputy's claim that this application somehow was late. It was not late. Deputy Mattie McGrath keeps announcing it in the Dáil but that is not the case. As a point of information, therefore, the application was not late. There was no lateness in this regard

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (30 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: The application went in exactly when the European Commission wanted it and it was submitted in conjunction with the European Commission. It was not late.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (30 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I do not have the exact date to hand, but the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, can give that detail. However, I absolutely assure the Deputy and this House that there was no lateness. In fact, no member state was late in submitting an application for the recovery fund. Deputy Mattie McGrath is also implying that only a certain amount of money was applied...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (30 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: There was no delay.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (30 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: If there are not enough Deputies in the Chamber, I am happy to answer the questions that have already been asked.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (30 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I have a script for the last contribution which deals with the issues laid out by the Taoiseach. Almost none of them, except Turkey, has been raised in the debate but they are very important. I will speak on Turkey at the end of the debate as there is quite a detailed script on it. With regard to the vaccines, we are very hard on ourselves in this Chamber as regards what the European...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (30 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: That is not true. We got €2 billion.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Diplomatic Representation (29 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I apologise that I do not have printed copies of my script available for circulation, but that will be rectified shortly. My officials are making arrangements to have some brought here as soon as possible. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú i dtosach an tsuí inniu. The issue of remuneration or benefits for Irish citizens...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Diplomatic Representation (29 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: The Department and I have great respect for Irish citizens working in various institutions around the world. A number of the affected people were in touch with me directly on my appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs. This month, I had a meeting with the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Schmid. I was delighted to note that there a number of Irish people at...

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Tá mé ag roinnt mo chuid ama le roint Teachtaí eile ach níl na hainmneacha agam. I want to pay tribute to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. We have heard a lot of people talking about fishing, insulation and rural and urban Ireland, but I have heard very few people...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Brexit Issues (15 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Richmond as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú anocht. The protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland is a joint solution by the United Kingdom and the European Union to the serious challenges raised by Brexit on the island of Ireland. The agreement took more than four years of negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Brexit Issues (15 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: The politics of Brexit are proving to be corrosive in the already sensitive situation in the North of Ireland, polarising opinion and increasing tensions. I reiterate that the protocol makes no change to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. That is set down in the Good Friday Agreement. I want us to get to a place where the implementation of the protocol is fully realised in a...

National Recovery and Resilience Plan: Statements (2 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Tá áthas orm bheith anseo chun freagra a thabhairt ar an díospóireacht seo. To answer immediately the point about Oireachtas scrutiny that Deputy Connolly raised, I will point out that the Minister has in fact been in touch regularly with the Oireachtas finance committee, and that engagement will continue. The Minister will be subject to ongoing scrutiny on this issue....

Situation in Belarus: Motion (1 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine a labhair sa díospóireacht seo. Members have rightly condemned the actions of the Lukashenko regime. It is important that we have spoken with one voice, across all parties, against the Lukashenko regime and in full support of the ordinary people of Belarus, both those in the country itself and those who can no longer live there and who had to...

Seanad: European Digital Green Certificate: Statements (7 May 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí atá i láthair inniu, agus gabhaim buíochas as an deis seo míniú don Seanad cad atá ag tarlú leis an ábhar fíorthábhachtach seo. The pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the lives of everyone in Ireland. The Government's public health response to the pandemic continues to be...

Seanad: European Digital Green Certificate: Statements (7 May 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht thábhachtach seo inniu. Like everybody who has spoken here today, airport workers and airline workers are my friends, my neighbours, my relations, and my constituents. This is an issue of great importance to me, but also to the Government as well. They have been in such a difficult position for the past...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I am very happy to echo the comments of Deputy McNamara. We were in a state of some disagreement last week but I completely agree with his comments in that the fundamental right of free movement is not only a human right but a legal right. It is one of the benefits of European Union citizenship and the treaties. The Deputy also mentioned free movement of goods, which is another critical...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: If the Greek Government wants to accept something like this, that will be its concern. Currently, the position here is it is an offence to travel abroad unnecessarily. It is complicated. The vaccine roll-out is getting under way fast and we hope we can put this behind us. We must be very careful.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Global solidarity is really important and fair and equitable access to a vaccine is vital, regardless of income, around the world. EU engagement will accelerate global efforts to bring the pandemic under control and scale up the distribution of successful vaccines when available. We strongly believe in a co-ordinated and multilateral response to Covid-19 as an unprecedented global health...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I thank everybody for their statements and questions. As the Taoiseach indicated, I will report on the discussions of the members of the European Council on the two external relations items on the agenda, namely, Russia and Turkey. As the meeting was by videoconference, the discussion on Russia was only an information point. European Council President Charles Michel briefed leaders on...