Results 281-300 of 338 for speaker:Patricia Stephenson

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: I wish to follow up on what the Chair said. Mr. O'Brien has talked about the services having additional complexities, both in terms of the political and implementation pieces. On that implementation aspect, I emphasise again there is already a legal obligation for companies under current law to distinguish between trade in goods and services between Israel and the occupied territories...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: We could perhaps follow up on that ourselves but it is available online. Mr. O'Brien also mentioned the number of employees linked to Ireland. Would he accept the vast majority of those companies and their employees have no involvement with the illegal settlements?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: Is that also services or just goods?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: Yes, but going back to that piece, they should be monitoring this. Mr. O'Brien said before that many of IBEC's members - and perhaps all of its members - are horrified by what is happening in Gaza and probably the West Bank as well. With that in mind, there was a report from the UN human rights expert which talked about business activities in illegal settlements and how they enable the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: When I talk about this whole thing of trading with the illegal occupied territories - illegal under international humanitarian law - where there are violations, an apartheid state and genocide ongoing, would IBEC not say it is enabling those states through any type of trade?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: Would IBEC accept grave human rights violations are happening in those places?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: Would IBEC's members also sign up to or align with the UN business and human rights principles?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: I am out of time, thank you.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: I thank Mr. O’Brien. We heard from officials of the Department last week or maybe the week before – I do not remember – that under international law Ireland is legally obliged to end trade in both goods and services. They acknowledged that if we ended trade only in goods, we would be only partially compliant with the ICJ ruling. They said that, to be fully compliant,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: As I am sure all Senators know and as we heard from Senator McCormack, last night there was once again a breach of international law while the Global Sumud Flotilla, a peaceful humanitarian mission sailing in international waters, was attacked by drones. These boats are a threat to absolutely no one. They carry baby formula, water and the most basic forms of aid. The people on board...

Seanad: Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: The revised NDP could and should have been a turning point and a moment to finally reset our approach to housing and infrastructure delivery in Ireland. Unfortunately, I see very little ambition or vision in the revised document. One of the biggest infrastructure challenges we have in Ireland is housing. We have over 16,000 people in homeless accommodation and that includes a horrible...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: I read that MSF report which, I think, came out in July. It was really bleak reading about the Gaza Humanitarian Fund sites. That speaks to a point a Senator made earlier around Israel using the GHF as a cover for this notion of providing aid. I know Mr. Whyte has spoken about the importance of UNRWA for the Palestinian people. It would be helpful, for the purposes of the record, to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: On getting in supplies, is UNRWA impacted by the lack of cash in the Gaza Strip?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: Are there any international staff on the ground from UNRWA since Mr. Whyte left in March? Has that option and accessibility been closed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: If we have more time at the end, I might get Mr. Whyte to speak a bit more about the reregistration that is going on and the risk to national staff.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: I have a quick few questions about the re-registration and the impact that is having on UNRWA and maybe other international NGOs, including Irish Aid-funded NGOs. It is also worth putting on the record that the US sanctions on Palestinian human rights organisations like the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Al-Haq and Al Mezan are basically causing them to close down. It would be good to...

Seanad: Mental Health Bill 2024: Second Stage (24 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: I will be echoing a lot of the things that have already been said. I lend my support as well to Senator Nicole Ryan's powerful contribution. Her contributions are always powerful and today's is no different. I have concerns about the Bill. A Bill on mental health in Ireland is well overdue, but this Bill is flawed in its purpose. The purpose of the Bill is to protect people and to...

Seanad: Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: Motion (25 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: I am sharing my time with Senator Cosgrove.

Seanad: Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: Motion (25 Sep 2025)

Patricia Stephenson: I move amendment No. 1: After the fourth paragraph under "recognises:" to insert the following paragraph: "- the ongoing annexation and apartheid practices in the West Bank and the escalation of settler violence since October 2023 and the genocide in Gaza;"