Results 23,421-23,440 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

European Council Meeting: Statements (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: To structure a briefing after a debate on it is bizarre.

European Council Meeting: Statements (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: In recent weeks and months I have been critical of the Government with regard to its approach to Brexit. It has been my consistent view that whatever about behind the scenes work, and we cannot obviously know exactly what is going on, there is a need for the Government to expand the concrete visible actions to be taken to protect our nation from the known fall-out of Brexit and do the proper...

European Council Meeting: Statements (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Beyond this, I have also consistently said that Europe must adapt. We have proposed changes to the Stability and Growth Pact and to the fiscal rules, along with the implementation of a European pillar of social rights. It is interesting that there are now voices, even from those who are very pro-European, like Mr. Macron - I see our Minister for Social Protection supporting his campaign...

European Council Meeting: Statements (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: It is slightly surreal that we are asking questions that might be fully addressed in the briefing we are going to have in an hour's time.

European Council Meeting: Statements (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: In my questions, I want to deal with what we can do pro-actively, as I did in my own contribution earlier. I have one observation. I am a little intrigued by the Minister's comment that he expects the UK to accept a liability without quantification.

European Council Meeting: Statements (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: That is the same thing. I cannot imagine any sovereign government accepting liability without quantification. Having been the man responsible for the money for five years, I could not see myself going into any negotiation and saying that the UK will accept the liability, although we will not tell it how much it is until the end of the process. It would be interesting to hear the Minister's...

European Council Meeting: Statements (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: We do not hear that.

European Council Meeting: Statements (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Europe cannot be about Brexit and nothing else.

European Council Meeting: Statements (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Donnelly is ahead of the rest of us then.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (2 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: 447. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 305 of 29 November 2016 and Parliamentary Question No. 53 of 8 February 2017, if the legal advice in this case has been fully analysed and a decision made in the matter of providing ex gratia payments to former employees of LCDP companies made redundant and whereby no moneys...

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Deputy Micheál Martin has already raised a most distressing case. Almost a month has passed since the House debated the urgently needed reform of An Garda Síochána. The Minister will recall that the debate was a bit of a farce in that the amendment tabled by my party was carried while every other amendment and then the substantive motion itself were all defeated. As such,...

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: If we can believe them.

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: I am even more confused. Is the Tánaiste going to embark on hearings?

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Is it listenings or hearings? The bottom line is the Minister listed out exactly the matters that were listed out in the Chamber four weeks ago. My question is what has happened since. Where is the inquiry? Who will chair it? How will it be constructed? We know the issues that need to be addressed. We debated them here four weeks ago. It is progress on these matters now that is...

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: When?

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Let us talk about it.

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: How long?

Questions on Promised Legislation (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: As we approach the first anniversary of the Government and having heard much about new politics, legislative activity has ground to a slow crawl in the Houses. One Private Members' Bill has, however, passed through one House in the past 12 months, namely, the Competition (Amendment) Bill, which aims to give collective bargaining rights to freelance workers. It was championed in the Seanad...

Questions on Promised Legislation (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: I would say the Deputy is still waiting.

Questions on Promised Legislation (3 May 2017)

Brendan Howlin: The Bill has been passed on Second Stage.