Results 221-240 of 272 for speaker:Duncan Smith

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: Since the latest meeting of the Business Committee, we have seen the new rules from the US on J1 and other visas. The Taoiseach has described them as excessive, but does he have any words of comfort for the thousands of young Irish people who have to give over five years' worth of social media usernames? This is having a chilling impact on our young people and other applicants for visas....

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: I thank the Minister of State for being here this morning. I represent Dublin Fingal East in north County Dublin, which has a very young and fast-growing population. There is a lack of primary school places in the village of Portmarnock, which is an issue I have been raising for a number of months. I have tabled parliamentary questions to the Minister. Unfortunately the responses have...

Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters: School Accommodation (25 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: I thank the Minister of State. I sit on school boards, as the Minister of State probably does or has done. I am aware of the matter of duplication. This is why we have presented the data in its baldest form. Duplication is not an issue. I know it sometimes is an issue in other towns but it is not an issue in Portmarnock. The development and provision of a large new school building...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: That is all eating into all of our time. It eats into the time of all of us who are coming behind. I intend to use only one minute of my time. Public transport is under huge pressure in our city and surrounding areas. BusConnects, where we desperately need it in north County Dublin, in Donabate and Portrane, has been delayed yet again until autumn 2026. A service there, the 33B, is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: People have previously been rushed towards the end of their contributions.

Committee on Defence and National Security: Recent Air Corps Developments: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: Regarding our air domain, what is our current aircraft capacity? Where do we need to get to with numbers of aircraft in order to provide the optimum level of protection for our air domain?

Committee on Defence and National Security: Recent Air Corps Developments: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: Where does unmanned drone technology fit in with our overall capability in this space?

Committee on Defence and National Security: Recent Air Corps Developments: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: Was there a procurement process last year for drone technology?

Committee on Defence and National Security: Recent Air Corps Developments: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: We have none of those but they would be in the plan?

Committee on Defence and National Security: Recent Air Corps Developments: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: In terms of our drone capability now, which states are the world leaders in developing that and from whom are we purchasing what we have at the moment?

Committee on Defence and National Security: Recent Air Corps Developments: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: Would we have closed any deals with the likes of Israel, Iran or the United States for purchasing drone technology in the previous 12 months?

Committee on Defence and National Security: Recent Air Corps Developments: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: That is good to know. I will move to the ATC issue and the targeting and enticing of skilled staff from our Defence Forces to a private operator. Our party policy is that we would love to see an examination of whether the Coast Guard could be operated through our Defence Forces. I am not asking for a comment on that specifically but could the witnesses comment in some way? Are there...

Committee on Defence and National Security: Recent Air Corps Developments: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: I am not saying that, by the way.

Committee on Defence and National Security: Recent Air Corps Developments: Discussion (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: I thank the Chair.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: I will begin by recognising the work of the Passport Office and how year on year it is improving. The Minister's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Emer Higgins, did the State some service a couple of years ago when she highlighted that "passport express" was an out-of-date title for the service at the time. She may have got some online criticism but she was spot on in what she said....

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: Will it require an extra degree of flexibility and reaction from our own diplomatic service to do this? Are they getting much line of sight in terms of the challenges coming down? What extra pressures are on them in terms of spending the Estimates we have allocated?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: Given the paralysis imposed upon UNRWA, will it be able to put the money we have allocated to it to use in 2025?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: It is worth saying that our commitment to development aid in its many manifestations is one of the twin pillars, along with peacekeeping, in why Ireland is held in such high regard. Does the Tánaiste feel in his relatively short time as Minister so far, that with other states peeling back from commitments to development aid, Ireland's leadership in this area has increased? Perhaps the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: I might come back on another twin pillar on peacekeeping when we are in the defence committee. On subhead A6, contributions to multilateral organisations, notwithstanding our long-term commitment, which the Minister mentioned in his opening statement, our funding has gone down in the area following a review of how we fund them. That review is ongoing. Where is that review at and how...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Duncan Smith: I have two questions. My second one is a bit out of left field, but the Chair might give me a bit of time at the end. My initial question relates to subhead A7 and concerns the measures to support the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy. There is a relatively modest amount of funding compared with other subheads here. I am keen to understand what our approach is going to be to the...