Results 681-700 of 1,687 for speaker:Eric Byrne

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Oireachtas Members' Remuneration (11 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: 108. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reasons behind the payment of a whips allowance to the Socialist Party and the People Before Profit Alliance in view of the fact that both of these parties only have one member in Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33989/13]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Oireachtas Members' Remuneration (11 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: 111. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason behind the payment of a whips allowance to the Socialist Party and the People Before Profit Alliance in view of the fact that these parties only have one member in Dáil Éireann and for a group to be recognised for speaking rights in Dáil Éireann it requires seven members; the reason this payment is made...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Oireachtas Members' Remuneration (11 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: 109. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number and names of all Deputies in Dáil Éireann who receive the independent leaders allowance; the amount they receive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33990/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Priorities for Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union: Discussion (11 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: I would like to extend a warm welcome to ambassador Purlys, whom I have met on previous occasions. I applaud him and his embassy staff for liaising with the Lithuanian expatriate community in Ireland. Officially that community is around 37,000 but may be as high as 50,000. I congratulate the embassy for maintaining that cultural link with the Lithuanian diaspora here. They are very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Economic and Monetary Union: Discussion (11 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: I can assure the committee that economics is not my strong point so I shall ask baby questions. I concur with the professor's fearful outline of what might happen if the Conservative Party gains an overall majority in Britain and goes ahead with its opt in or out scenario in regard to Europe. The committee invited a witness here from the British Conservative Party who is a spokesperson on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Applications (16 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: 336. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) was refused a grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34490/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (16 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: In case my silence is misread as a non-congratulatory position, I echo the sentiments expressed by all previous speakers. My sentiments concur with theirs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Democratic Legitimacy and Accountability in the EU: Discussion (Resumed) with Foundation for European Progressive Studies (16 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: I thank Mr. Kitching for his presentation. We have had witnesses from think tanks previously. In so far as someone comes from a think tank, it does force us to think deeply. I am conscious that my colleague, Ms Emer Costello, MEP, is present. It should be obligatory on those of us who are members of the committee to understand the European Union structures. Perhaps those of us who have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Democratic Legitimacy and Accountability in the EU: Discussion (Resumed) with Foundation for European Progressive Studies (16 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: We are debating very serious issues about the role of Europe, national parliaments and us as constituents. I am the first to admit that, in our attempts to examine democratic legitimacy and accountability in the EU, as parliamentarians we must start to look at our own legitimacy and imagery in the eyes of the electorate right across Europe. It seems to me that we are trying to address the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Democratic Legitimacy and Accountability in the EU: Discussion (Resumed) with Foundation for European Progressive Studies (16 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: It is proportional representation. Does the list system have a role to play in that debate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Democratic Legitimacy and Accountability in the EU: Discussion (Resumed) with Foundation for European Progressive Studies (16 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: Is Senator David Norris not a member of this committee?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Democratic Legitimacy and Accountability in the EU: Discussion (Resumed) with Foundation for European Progressive Studies (16 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: I would point out that one of the previous witnesses, a well-known Irish economist, suggested that proportional representation was the problem and that Irish politicians could never complete the project of studying the democratic legitimacy and accountability in the EU because our interests were always elsewhere.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Democratic Legitimacy and Accountability in the EU: Discussion (Resumed) with Foundation for European Progressive Studies (16 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: I am merely quoting what one of our prominent-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Democratic Legitimacy and Accountability in the EU: Discussion (Resumed) with Foundation for European Progressive Studies (16 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: -----economists told us. I am not saying I support him but I am stating that there are two schools of thought.

Leaders' Questions (17 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: Deputy Martin made a hames of his job when he was in government.

Leaders' Questions (17 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: The Deputy is misleading the House.

Leaders' Questions (17 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: The Deputy is still in denial.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Recommendations from AWEPA Conference (17 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for doing a great job in presenting those recommendations to us. I would like to get a handle of the status of these recommendations. Do we transfer them over to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and ask them to look at them? Or will it become policy of this committee? The 12th recommendation is a suggestion that we monitor the development programmes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Presidency Objectives, Foreign Affairs Council and Membership of Human Rights Council: Discussion (17 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: I thank the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for his comprehensive report. I commend him and his officials, as well as the rest of the Government, on the work done during the EU Presidency. Yesterday, I heard the Romanian ambassador openly praise the work of the Irish EU Presidency. There were attempts several years ago by an Irish diplomat to open talks with the...

Leaders' Questions (18 Jul 2013)

Eric Byrne: That is some record.