Results 27,561-27,580 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: I have to get my glasses.

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: The amendment has been rejected. I wish to speak on section 65. As Deputies know, I have served in the House for some time. I have never seen a situation like this. The Minister of State, in the course of a long debate, accepted an amendment and all the contributions were predicated on that acceptance. Then he called a vote and the amendment was voted down. The Minister of State led...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: The transcripts can be read. The words said can be read. There was no conditionality and had the Minister of State made it a condition of us not pressing amendment No. 9 and made his vote for amendment No. 11 conditional on not supporting amendment No. 9, we would not have accepted such conditionality. However, no conditionality was ever made and the transcript, which anybody can read,...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: I wish to ask about the procedure for extraditing someone from a third country, which will include the UK next year. Such an extradition normally goes through diplomatic channels on application to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the Minister for Justice briefly indicate to us the new procedure that this section will provide? Will the Minister for Foreign Affairs devolve authority in...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: I wish to ask a general question about the operation of the Dublin Convention in respect of the UK post January. Is there a bilateral agreement with the UK on accepting asylum applicants back? Will the Dublin Convention's provisions continue to apply?

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: Do we know what will happen from 1 January? I am aware of asylum applicants in my constituency who have transited the UK and would in normal circumstances be subject to being returned to there under the Dublin Convention's provisions. Will that situation continue to operate from January onwards?

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: Will the Minister allow us to see the regulations?

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: There has been an extraordinary sense of common purpose in the approach to Brexit for the past four years. I have been privileged to work on the stakeholders' forum. We were briefed extraordinarily well every step of the way by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and everybody provided their input in common endeavour. That was the approach we took to the two omnibus Bills, which are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Conference on Future of Europe and Related Matters: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus gabhaim míle buíochas leis as ucht an mhéid atá ráite aige. I will divert slightly and say that much of the work of this committee has been focused on Brexit and the impact of Brexit in recent times. One of the areas I have been banging a drum about for two years is connectivity. As an aside, I welcomed the Minister...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Conference on Future of Europe and Related Matters: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: Household names all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Conference on Future of Europe and Related Matters: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: I am tempted to address a number of issues but I will not. On the PEACE funding, the Minister of State will know that up to now the INTERREG and PEACE funding has been overseen by the Special EU Programmes Body, SEUPB, jointly chaired by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the Republic and the Minister for Finance in Northern Ireland. It is a special EU body. How will it fair...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Conference on Future of Europe and Related Matters: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: I know that in regard to the previous PEACE funding the official British Government line was not to ask for it. The official Government line was that it was not going to look for any expenditure item additional because it wanted reductions in the budget but it was agreed that I could make an application on behalf of Ireland to the Commission and they would not object to it. This happened...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Conference on Future of Europe and Related Matters: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: The EU will be in favour of it but the British will not be part of the EU and, therefore, in no way part of that decision.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: EU Issues (26 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: 54. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the action of Poland and Hungary in vetoing the multi-annual budget and recovery programme of the EU; the way in which he sees the requirement for member states to adhere to the common values of the Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37954/20]

Judicial Appointments Process: Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: I warmly welcome today's exercise in proper political accountability. It is one of the core functions of the House to hold the Executive to account for all its actions. I have been privileged to serve in three coalition Governments, two of which were coalitions with Fine Gael. In each Government, all senior Government appointments were subject to cross-party agreement after detailed...

Judicial Appointments Process: Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: We were not in government at the time.

Judicial Appointments Process: Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: The Taoiseach's line of defence is that he could not have done anything improper since he did not know what was going on. He did not know who the contenders were and he did not seek to find out. The Minister for Justice is left having to claim to be, as far as I can determine, the first Minister for Justice in history to determine personally a Supreme Court nomination without reference to...

Judicial Appointments Process: Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: That is not the question.

Judicial Appointments Process: Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: The Minister should not talk down the time. I have laid out the process and I am familiar with it. I served in two Governments with Fine Gael. The Minister for Justice brings a proposal after it has been debated at some length with the leaders of Government. Why did that not happen in this instance? When was the Minister first told of the application of Mr. Justice Woulfe for the...

Judicial Appointments Process: Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: Did the Minister refer to previous memoranda for Government in checking the appropriate and normal form and contents of memoranda in relation to the appointment of judges?