Results 1-20 of 458 for speaker:Niall Blaney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Planning Challenges in Offshore Renewable Energy: Discussion (15 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: The witnesses are all very welcome and I thank them for their presentations. They have been most useful. Like others, I believe fishers are responsible workmen and workwomen. At the end of the day, conservation is in their own interest and the majority of fishers would recognise that. I will ask all my questions if the witnesses do not mind and then they can respond. My first...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Planning Challenges in Offshore Renewable Energy: Discussion (15 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: I am aware of that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Planning Challenges in Offshore Renewable Energy: Discussion (15 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: Is offshore wind generation in Donegal in jeopardy because of that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: Planning Challenges in Offshore Renewable Energy: Discussion (15 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: If we were to set aside the difficulties with the grid, when do we expect the mapping for the north west to be completed?

Seanad: Transport Policy: Statements (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, back to the Seanad. I am delighted to see him being recognised for his Trojan work over the years, with him now being a Minister of State. I wish him well in his term. I wish to raise the issue of the A5. All of today's discussion has been around bus and rail - I will come back to the rail aspect in a bit - but following the national...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: The Minister of State is very welcome. I commend the ongoing efforts at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with the senior Minister and the Ministers of State. I find it laughable to hear some of the comments from the Opposition, particularly the previous speaker, in relation to developers. Who are we going to depend on to build these houses that we all so badly...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: There was reference to a figure of 40% and an all-encompassing remark was made that was on the basis of greed. That is wrong and I would like it withdrawn.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: If she wishes to withdraw, she is welcome to do so.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: We will need to check the record. It is on the record of the House.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: It is on the record of the House. Maybe you want to review that and you can come back at a later stage.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (10 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: Either way, the contribution was reckless. Moreover, this idea that the downsizing of apartments is also in relation to conditions, whether it be in relation to ensuring that developments meet standards or in relation to fire safety in any aspect of a building, is first and foremost a load of nonsense. Second, there is some belief that because the standards are dropped, every apartment in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with British Ambassador (8 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: As he departs in the next number of weeks I wish the ambassador and his wife well on their next chapter. In the past four years, there were times when relations were quite strained and discussions between Ireland and Britain were quite strained due to the legacy issues. We are now on a much more positive trajectory. It is great to see relations now on that platform. We are doing all we can...

Seanad: Sea Fisheries: Statements (2 Jul 2025)

Niall Blaney: I wish to be associated with the welcome to the Clonakilty women's shed group and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, in his new role. It is clear that he is hitting the ground running. I welcome his officials. I will address what the Minister of State finished on relating to the new fisheries EU-UK agreement and that 12-year...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jun 2025)

Niall Blaney: I rise today to raise the decision in recent days on the A5. For us in the north west, it is not just the A5 but is also the N2. The decision by a judge in the Belfast courts has hit the headlines in recent days. It is shocking news for many of us. The first time we had a shock in relation to this was when funding was first put in place for it. The Executive was pulled down in 2016 over...

Seanad: Enterprise Matters and Business Supports for SMEs: Motion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Niall Blaney: I thank the Minister of State for coming here today and wish her the best of luck in her new role. I have no doubt that she will do more than well. I am also delighted to see her mum here. She is keeping a close eye, I am sure, full of pride sitting up behind there. I commend my colleague Senator Ollie Crowe on bringing forward this timely motion. I support the vast majority of what...

Seanad: Balanced Regional Development: Statements (17 Jun 2025)

Niall Blaney: I too welcome the Minister to the House and wish him well in his portfolio. It is appropriate that we are discussing balanced regional development because the Minister is well-equipped to know about balanced regional development and what we in the western and northern and midland regions are missing. Like others, I was at the Northern and Western Regional Assembly presentation last...

Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: The Business of Seafood Report 2024: Bord Iascaigh Mhara (17 Jun 2025)

Niall Blaney: I thank the BIM team for its presentation. I have just one question and it relates to private investment versus public support. I suppose the witnesses would agree that traditionally there was a massive scale of private investment in the fishing sector versus a low level of public support by way of capital grant aid, and I mean that exclusive of the piers, harbours and centres or the...

Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs: The Business of Seafood Report 2024: Bord Iascaigh Mhara (17 Jun 2025)

Niall Blaney: The obvious difficulty there is that fund has to be repaid. That is different from a grant because there is less money available now to invest in the sector. That is the piece I am referring to because there has been that much loss post Brexit. Has the Department any plans to make that up?

Seanad: Breast Cancer Services: Statements (10 Jun 2025)

Niall Blaney: The Minister is welcome. I thank her for staying for the whole debate. I am certainly no expert when it comes to breast cancer diagnosis, but I have been lobbied by people in my constituency, and one in particular in County Donegal who is part of Lobular Ireland. Senator Costello and others discussed breast density. What Lobular Ireland is calling for is the introduction of standardised...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (27 May 2025)

Niall Blaney: I wish the Chair well on his role in the five years ahead. It is great to see such a large gathering here today. I suppose the committee was smaller heretofore, and this augurs well for it over the next term. This is my third time being a member of this committee. I was a member of the first committee in 2007. The committee has done some great work over the years but the piece missing is...