Results 6,321-6,340 of 6,433 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is an important clarification point, and I understand it. Is it Dr. Burke's position that if he were drafting the general scheme, he would have left the 12-peacekeeper limit alone and kept all the other bits?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That might require parliamentary scrutiny.

Legislative and Structural Reforms to Accelerate Housing Delivery: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will echo the points made by other Deputies because the Minister of State, like his ministerial colleagues, has come in here and talked about the need for the Opposition to bring forward solutions. I understand Ministers and Ministers of State need to put forward their narrative, but in truth they realise there is plenty of substance and detail. The Taoiseach loves that word; he loves to...

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)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I wish to be associated with the remarks on the passport service, which is an excellent service that has gone from strength to strength, as well as with the remarks on our diplomatic staff. The experience of diplomatic staff in Tehran and Tel Aviv in recent days and the incident in the West Bank some weeks ago reflects the fact that serving Ireland internationally on a diplomatic level is...

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)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Just so I understand the Tánaiste clearly, a suspension was the position of the Irish Government at the meeting. Can he confirm that?

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)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: And that was said at the meeting? I know Spain was very vocal at that meeting in saying it should be suspended.

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)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: In my view, the decision that was taken yesterday was absolutely wrong in the context of the severity of what is happening. I invite the Tánaiste’s comment on the issue of aid. Aid should be unmolested and uninterfered with in humanitarian situations. There is a situation now where multilateral organisations – the UN and its aid agencies – are being prevented from...

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)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I take the opportunity to raise an issue that probably does not get enough attention here. We are rightly very exercised by the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is something I speak about very frequently, but there is not a great deal of discussion in these Houses on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. There was an attack on a hospital today, or perhaps it was last night, leading to the...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the Chair. I thank our guests for their time and expertise. We have a serious issue in the neglect of our Defences Forces in personnel and equipment. That needs to be addressed. As answered by Professor Tonra, there is nothing to prevent that except political will. That has been an issue in recent times in the previous two or three governments. I direct my first question to Mr....

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank Mr. Noonan for clarifying that. I was very interested in the points made by Professor Tonra. He has made the point regarding safeguards and that is quite interesting. Does he agree that Irish neutrality is desirable?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: A previous speaker, a similarly eminent academic, made a point about it being questionable whether it did exist or not. Whether it is or it is not, does Professor Tonra believe, speaking frankly, that Irish neutrality is respected in the EU? Senior politicians come in here frequently and say Irish neutrality is respected. I would question that. I know Mr. Murphy said that High...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is my sense of it as well. It comes back to what Mr. Noonan said regarding lawyers moving into absences. We are potentially removing the guardrails and entering into a very wide sphere using narrow exceptions to justify legislation that already the Department of Defence has told us that-----

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will finish on that but I am minded to say that a very clear trend is that people right across the spectrum hold the view that the legislation does not currently contain enough safeguards. Does Professor Tonra think that is fair to say?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I may try to get in again.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (24 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 207. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff in the Passport Service, by role and by year for the years 2020 to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34242/25]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (24 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 208. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the expenditure on staffing of the Passport Service in the years 2020 to date in 2025, by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34243/25]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (24 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 209. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the cost associated with increasing staffing levels in the Passport Service by 10, 50 and 100 WTE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34244/25]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (24 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 210. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the WTE equivalent within the Passport Service, by location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34245/25]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukraine War (24 Jun 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 214. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the plans to further restrict the potential flow of dual use items, technology or otherwise to Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34489/25]