Results 2,161-2,176 of 2,176 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

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

Joe Flaherty: Can Mr. O'Leary say, hand on heart, that there is not another Peter McVerry Trust lurking in the darkness?

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

Joe Flaherty: I have a final question for the moment. The Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority’s final investigation did not focus on anyone individually. Has there been any interaction or has the regulator provided any of its findings to the DPP at this stage?

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

Joe Flaherty: That is the only engagement there has been. The Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority just directed An Garda Síochána to the website.

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

Joe Flaherty: I still think it is an exceptional cost, although I accept what Ms Hayes is saying. What is the vacancy rate across the 1,458 beds at the moment?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I warmly welcome budget 2026. It is fair to say that no one budget can achieve everything a nation aspires to but this is a seismic budget in terms of what we are setting out to achieve on the single biggest challenge we have in the country, which is housing. We will have 10,200 social homes delivered in 2026 and 15,000 starter homes, through a variety of schemes, such as the first home...

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Finance): Statements (7 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I welcome the Minister of State, my constituency colleague, Deputy Troy. I commend him on his very positive input into what is a progressive budget. We have spoken on many of the macro points in the budget but all politics is local and I want to look at it on a more micro level and highlight some of the issues as they continue to pertain to Longford. We would have preferred to see some...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Yesterday was budget day, an important day in the life of any democracy. I assume many other Members, like me, were deeply troubled to see several streets in the perimeter of the Government buildings closed down. There was no protest, and no people were gathering. A small number of businesses on nearby streets were closed off. There were tourists looking at what was going on and wondering...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I was listening to "Morning Ireland" this morning. I think I should write to the director general of RTÉ and ask that, when EPA spokespersons are on, a health warning be given to the farming community. It was the EPA's latest dispatch on its water quality report for 2019 to 2024.If you were to listen to the radio, you would think that farmers are doing absolutely nothing in terms of...

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Enterprise, Tourism and Employment): Statements (14 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Sinn Féin has the next slot, which Senators Collins and Nicole Ryan will share. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Enterprise, Tourism and Employment): Statements (14 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Is that agreed? Agreed.

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Enterprise, Tourism and Employment): Statements (14 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I thank Senator Kennelly for a wonderful account of tourism in County Kerry. We will go to Senator Conway now and see if he can extol the virtues of tourism in Clare.

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Enterprise, Tourism and Employment): Statements (14 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I thank Senator Conway. I do not think we have any more Senators offering to contribute, so before he responds, perhaps the Minister could indulge a few of my queries if he does not mind.As his Westmeath colleague, Senator Davitt, has pointed out, the Minister has delivered enough jobs to Athlone and Mullingar already. I ask him to update us on the plans for the IDA advanced manufacturing...

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Enterprise, Tourism and Employment): Statements (14 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: Thank you, Minister. I was reprimanded for letting in Senator Davitt a second time but I knew it was a very important issue and that the Minister was keen to respond.

Seanad: All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Statements (15 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the Minister of State for facilitating the additional time to hear the very important issues from Longford. I know that is why the time was extended. Obviously, at the risk of giving a history lesson, we could blame Henry Ford for the state of our rail service. That is probably why we have no one from Cork in the Chamber to take responsibility because they claim him as a Cork man....

Seanad: Statement by the Taoiseach (16 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: I also thought it was in order that the Cathaoirleach give €50 to anyone whose birthday it is.

Seanad: Statement by the Taoiseach (16 Oct 2025)

Joe Flaherty: It is deeply disappointing that the previous speaker sought to demean the Taoiseach’s unblemished record on leadership. It is taken as read by every European leader that Ireland has led the way in terms of voicing concerns and fears in the context of what has been happening in Gaza.As a small nation in Europe, Ireland forced Europe to stand up. Ireland was the first voice to raise...