Results 921-940 of 1,212 for speaker:Dara Murphy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - Draft National Reform Programme 2015: Discussion (23 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: There was a broad range of questions. To start with the question on broadening the tax base, we welcome the fact that the Commission and the Council have acknowledged that Ireland has made significant progress in this regard. I will not go through the property tax and the other ways in which we have broadened it to date. Development in the future will be in the space of getting more people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - Draft National Reform Programme 2015: Discussion (23 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: Yes. It is a very important part of my job to bring to the General Affairs Council the observations and deliberations of this committee, so I will continue to ensure that process works. There was a strong intervention on Monday evening from Bulgaria. Many countries from the southern Mediterranean are deeply affected and concerned for the poor individuals involved, who continue to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - Draft National Reform Programme 2015: Discussion (23 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: It is very much on the agenda. As the Deputy will know, the broader issue underlying the migration we are now seeing is the significant state failings in countries like Syria and Libya. They are the consequence of many factors, over many years, which have now reached the point of significant conflict. I am not going to comment on the broader foreign policy actions taken by other countries,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - Draft National Reform Programme 2015: Discussion (23 Apr 2015)

Dara Murphy: I thank the Chairman.

Challenges Facing the European Union: Statements (7 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: In marking Europe Day in the House today, it is appropriate to begin by surveying the political and economic European landscape. Our Union, it is fair to say, is in a very different position from where it was a decade ago. Financial uncertainty, conflict on our borders and a heightened threat from terrorism mean that the EU is facing challenges beyond what we could have imagined in 2005....

Challenges Facing the European Union: Statements (Resumed) (7 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: I thank Deputies from all sides who contributed to the debate which was a good debate. I note the comments by two Deputies, Deputy Paul Murphy and Deputy Shane Ross, who started by describing the debate as a waste of time and yet contributed. Everybody else who contributed did so in a very productive fashion. Europe Day is an opportunity to consider in a small way the importance of the EU...

EU Scrutiny Work Programme 2015: Motion (7 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: I move:That Dáil Éireann adopts, in accordance with Standing Order 102A(2)(c), the ‘EU Scrutiny Work Programme 2015, Joint Committees’ Priorities’ which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 9th April, 2015 by the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs.

Seanad: Europe Day and European Commission Work Programme: Statements (7 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: It is a great pleasure to be here for statements on Europe Day and the European Commission's work programme. I am very grateful to the House for giving me the opportunity to contribute to these exchanges in the run up to Europe Day. The work programme produced by the new Commission last December, A New Start, sets out the actions the Commission intends to take this year to make a real...

Seanad: Europe Day and European Commission Work Programme: Statements (7 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: I thank Senators for their constructive contributions to this debate on the European Union. The main benefit of Europe Day is that it gives people an opportunity to think about Europe and how important it is in our lives. Senator van Turnhout suggested that on Saturday people might take the time to engage with friends and family and talk about the European union. Naturally, much of the time...

Topical Issue Debate: Domestic Violence Refuges (13 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Health, who is not available at present. I thank Deputy Rabbitte for raising this topical and important issue and I welcome the opportunity to clarify the Government's approach to the funding of domestic violence services generally. Cuan Álainn, as Deputy Rabbitte has said, provides second-stage accommodation for women and children who are...

Topical Issue Debate: Domestic Violence Refuges (13 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: I would agree with the Deputy's comments. Respond! does excellent work and any suggestion of any ulterior motives, as the Deputy said, would be erroneous in the extreme. I take on board the point about the ambition for future years that is clearly expressed in the reply I gave to the Deputy's important Topical Issue matter. I will raise the issue, responsibility for which is spread...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: It was two years after I was born.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: It is a privilege to be in the House today. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, who was unavoidably absent for some of the contributions. This legislation, which has been moving through the Houses for a long number of years, represents the fulfilment of one of the country-specific recommendations that we have inherited and that we continue to work towards. Given...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Council Meeting: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (14 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: I thank the Vice Chairman. It is a great pleasure to be here this afternoon. I acknowledge the members of the diplomatic corps who are here this afternoon and who always have great engagement in the operations of the committee. As the Vice Chairman correctly stated, I will brief the committee on the agenda for next week's meeting of the General Affairs Council, GAC. I will also touch on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Council Meeting: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (14 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: Detailed questions covering a number of areas have been raised. I will start by responding to the measures taken to deal with the migration and the humanitarian crisis. We would all acknowledge the loss of life in this crisis and Senator Leyden contrasted such loss to the centenary commemoration of the loss of life on the Lusitaniain Cork last week, and we had the recent centenary...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Council Meeting: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (14 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: There will be significant benefits for the broader agricultural industry through TTIP. We must all take every opportunity to point out when we talk about the dangers of lower standards being associated with TTIP that in no way is it going to be or allowed to be a vehicle for lower standards to be introduced in either direction. In fact, TTIP gives the opportunity for the European Union and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Council Meeting: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (14 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: It is. I have not forgotten that all members asked about the United Kingdom. I might come to that next. Up to last week we had two questions. First, who would govern in the United Kingdom and how the election would evolve. We now know that. I congratulate David Cameron on the achievement of his re-election as Prime Minister. We were all interested in watching events evolve, but that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Council Meeting: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (14 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: When the committee goes to Germany it will become particularly aware that the view of Ireland in this discussion is much sought and much respected. What we are aware of is that in some initial commentary that has come from the United Kingdom, we share their concerns on many areas. In terms of ease of business, regulation and growth, in the past 12 months we have seen significant progress,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Council Meeting: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (14 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: Yes, there will be interesting times ahead. I am certain that the UK and its relationship with Europe will be mentioned again at this committee in the future. We will wait and see what happens. It is very important for Ireland that the Government continues to focus on this country and what we can achieve for ourselves within the European Union in terms of continuing to create jobs and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Council Meeting: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (14 May 2015)

Dara Murphy: In terms of the country-specific recommendations, we welcome the fact that there was a reduction in them. We also welcome the fact that the Commission seems to have had a far more concise approach generally to the recommendations. Your analysis, Vice Chairman, is accurate. We did not foresee any surprises. There are no surprises in our recommendations and they relate to the four areas of...