Results 12,281-12,300 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I fully concur with Deputy Seán Barrett's proposal and I am sure there will be unanimous agreement from the committee that we act according to it. We can assure our visitors of that. I ask them to respond to the last group of questions. They mentioned that persons in receipt of a social welfare payment come off it for the week or two they are training. By pure bad administration and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Seán Barrett's proposal that we invite the Minister and the Chief of Staff to appear before us has the unanimous agreement of the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: They will both be sent this afternoon.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: The Official Report of today's proceedings, when it is available, will be forwarded to the Minister and the Chief of Staff for their attention.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I assure Mr. Gargan and his colleagues in the Visitors Gallery and those in the organisation of the interest of committee members and that we will be proactive on the issue. We will do all we can to assist them. I thank the delegates sincerely for their important presentation which gives us real cause for concern.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: The second part of our meeting will involve a discussion with Senator Robbie Gallagher about the increasing workload of the Passport Service due to increased numbers of inquiries and requests for passports, particularly following Britain's decision to leave the European Union. II call on the Senator to make his opening remarks, following which we will have questions and answers and a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Gallagher. It is a very important subject matter. As the Senator quite rightly pointed out, those public representatives who live in the Border region have seen a huge increase in the number of people contacting us from north of the Border about passport services. My office and I have received calls, as I know has the Senator, from a huge number of people from the North of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: Is there anything in particular that Senator Gallagher wishes to add?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: Senator Gallagher's proposal, which makes absolute sense, has the unanimous support of the committee. I propose that we should write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to ask him to ensure the proposal gets urgent and favourable consideration. The whole idea of Brexit has knocked the stuffing out of communities. Those of us who grew up in Border parishes thought we had left...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Daly for that suggestion. I thank Senator Gallagher for his contribution to today's proceedings.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: We can do that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Consular Service: Motion (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: Senator Daly wishes to make a proposal with regard to the consular service.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Consular Service: Motion (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: It is not a paid position.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Consular Service: Motion (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I understand there is some allowance to cover some costs.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Consular Service: Motion (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: Could I propose that we amend the motion? If we were to request a meeting with the Minister, it could take a considerable time to arrange due to diary commitments. May I suggest that it would be better if we were to ask the director of consular services to come and brief us at an informal meeting. Is Senator Daly in agreement that we invite the director of consular services to brief us and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Consular Service: Motion (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I remember a few times coming across people who had been approached to take up the position of honorary consul, but they could not take it up because of work commitments. Where there is a large Irish population and strong Irish groups and cultural organisations, maybe there has been a kind of tardiness in appointing honorary consuls in such areas. I do not know. It would be useful if we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Consular Service: Motion (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: We will amend the motion to read: In respect of the recent review of consular and honorary consular services and the importance that appointments are based on reliable information this committee: agrees that the Head of the Consular Section meet with members of the joint committee to provide briefing on the method in which consuls and honorary consuls are appointed; is concerned over the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Consular Service: Motion (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: We will proceed as I suggested and as agreed with the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Minister for his presentation. He referred to the expenditure of €3.5 billion through the PEACE and INTERREG programmes over the past number of years. This has been a very welcome investment in the Border communities. The funding has been drawn down by statutory agencies and local community and voluntary groups. In many instances, the funding that became available...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I am moving slightly away from today's specific topic, but there has already been a huge downer for business and communities in the Border region. I know of businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, that are very heavily reliant or totally dependent on the British market and the Northern Ireland market. They have put on hold plans to develop, expand jobs and create...