Results 841-860 of 2,792 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Commemorative Events (15 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: 40. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the proceedings of the international famine commemoration 2018 in Australia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47336/18]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Chairman for the speedy manner in which he has brought this matter to the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to outline my simple proposal for a Bill which would put a fixed date in place for commemoration of the Famine. The proposals at the heart of the Bill are to have a commemoration day which would occur on the second Sunday of May, that the commemoration would include...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: To try to bring it back to a simple approach, a timeline might help. This Bill has been around for a while - since 2017 - and that is one of the problems. The Government made a decision subsequent to the introduction of the Bill. I like to think the decision was probably partly made because the Bill was there. My clear understanding and indication is that the Government allowed the Bill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I am quite happy to have the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht as the designated Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I have a reservation about that. I am not saying this could or would happen but I would be very disappointed if the day of commemoration became a public holiday that was exploited in a certain way that quickly became something we were not proud of.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: Something like that happens around St Patrick's Day already, which many of us regret. At the heart of this is that it is a day of commemoration and I do not want to get into the issue of making it a public holiday.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I am not opposed to having an interfaith element. I think this should be part of the commemoration. I take on board Deputy Ó Cuív's comment, although I am not so sure this was not historically part of inaugurations. If the Bill moves to the next Stage, I will be open to changing that section to allow for greater flexibility in terms of how the commemoration is organised....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I regret the language Senator Warfield used, but I did not say that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I did not actually say that. Apart from Senator Warfield's choice of words, I did not say anything in that regard. He asked if I was in favour of having a public holiday and I indicated, for the reasons stated, that I was not and that it would be more appropriate to have a commemoration day. In response to his second question on the title, while an Gorta Mór is correct, I do not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I wish to comment on a couple of things Deputy O'Cuiv said. There is a lot more agreement on this issue than we think, although one can look for disagreement. The heart of the matter is that there should not be a competing set of priorities. We must work together on the issue. I accept that communities should be at the heart of the event. I agree with Deputy Ó Cuív that it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I think the key element is included in the Bill, but I am open to looking again at ways to make it as inclusive as possible in order that it will meet the requirements of Members of the Houses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: The Chairman is right there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: The Chairman did a very good job encapsulating the matter. There is no problem with amendments. The spirit of the Bill, as he said, is there, and there was a very good exchange today, including what the Chairman has just outlined, with which we can work to progress the Bill after the committee makes its decision.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I suggest the Senator definitely go.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I am willing to look at amendments I consider appropriate and right. It is up to the committee to decide whether it is going to give-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: National Famine Commemoration Day Bill 2017: Discussion (28 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: We can work out a solution on how to do that.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: I will be supporting the Bill. I agree with much of what Deputy O'Callaghan outlined so I will be reasonably brief. The first point I would like to make is about whether the Judiciary decides to follow legislation that contains provisions relating to minimum sentences. I do not think that is a reason to oppose legislation. It raises a question about the Judiciary choosing to ignore...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: Can the sitting be suspended to allow committee members to vote in the Dáil?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (29 Nov 2018)

Colm Brophy: We are referring it back, which is what the Chairman was saying.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Business of Select Committee (5 Dec 2018)

Colm Brophy: Apologies have been received from Deputies Cowen and Heydon. Today the committee will meet members of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. We will engage with its chairman, Mr. Seamas Coffey, and other council members to discuss the fiscal assessment report that was published on 28 November. Before doing so, we will go into private session to deal with some housekeeping matters.