Results 5,101-5,120 of 9,147 for speaker:Pat Breen

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Business of Joint Committee (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: I have received apologies from Deputy Olivia Mitchell. The minutes of the last meeting on 20 February have been circulated to members. Are they agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: I remind members of the committee and people in the Visitors' Gallery to turn off their mobile telephones for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference, even in silent mode, with the recording equipment in the committee room. The first item on the agenda is very important, a discussion with Amnesty International Ireland about its recommendations to the Irish Presidency of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: I thank Ms McGowan and Mr. O'Gorman for outlining those proposals. I invite members to ask questions rather than make a Second Stage speeches and we will start with Deputy Brendan Smith.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: Does Mr. O'Gorman wish to take that question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: Before Mr. O'Gorman answers that question, I wish to inform him that Amnesty International is inviting an LGBT activist from Uganda in April and we will have a formal meeting, in conjunction with Amnesty International, with her.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: We will have that meeting here in April.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: Senator Norris can claim it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: A small delegation from the committee will probably travel to Uganda later in the year. Obviously that issue will be raised in our meeting with parliamentarians, ministers and government officials.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: We will do that and will speak to the witness on that issue before we go.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: Can we leave the internal Seanad out of the debate at the moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: I ask Mr. O'Gorman to respond to those questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: Many questions have been asked.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: I am anxious to move on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: I am anxious to move on from the issue, as we have another-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: Yes. Does Mr. O'Gorman wish to answer? He is not required to.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: I do not want to put anyone on the spot.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: Did Mr. O'Gorman wish to add something further? I asked a question as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: If our guests write to the committee's clerk, their information on the nine cases will be distributed. I will follow up on our meetings with the ambassadors. The committee meets them on a weekly basis. Last Friday, we met the Pakistani ambassador regarding the issue of US drones being used in Pakistan. Yesterday, the secretary general of Morocco's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Discussion with Amnesty International Ireland (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: On behalf of the committee, I thank Mr. O'Gorman and Ms McGowan for having a useful and interesting discussion with us. It has been a good meeting. We will keep in touch with our guests and inform the Tánaiste of their objectives for the Presidency. As to Ireland's membership of the UN Human Rights Council, a small delegation travelled to Geneva last December. We will not officially...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: The Case of Mr. Sergei Magnitsky: Discussion (27 Feb 2013)

Pat Breen: I welcome Mr. William Browder, who is present regarding the case of Mr. Sergei Magnitsky. As members know, Mr. Magnitsky died in police custody in Moscow in November, 2009. This was alarming and gave rise to many disturbing questions over the circumstances of his death that have not been properly answered. On the contrary, subsequent investigations by Russian authorities and their decision...