Results 12,321-12,340 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (9 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: We are in public session. Apologies have been received from Deputy John Brady. I propose that we go into private session to deal with housekeeping matters.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16): Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (9 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and his officials to the meeting today. Following events surrounding the Northern Ireland protocol, the committee welcomes the opportunity to engage and ask questions about the sequence of events that ultimately led to the European Commission triggering Article 16 before it made a U-turn on that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16): Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (9 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: Go raibh maith agat Aire Stáit Byrne. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as a theachtaireacht agus a óráid. Deputy Calleary will be first to contribute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16): Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (9 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputy. If it is agreeable to the Minister of State, to do justice to the range of questions the members have, I will take them on an individual basis. I therefore ask for his indulgence in relation to replying specifically to the questions. That will potentially allow for members to come in a second time as well. The Minister of State may now reply and Deputy Howlin will follow.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16): Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (9 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister of State. The maths in terms of timing are not good.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16): Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (9 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: If we keep going with the current strategy some members will not get in. With the agreement of members, we will try something different. I have no doubt Deputy Howlin has a number of questions. I suggest he engage in a questions and answers session with the Minister of State as that might lend itself to the answers being more direct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16): Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (9 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: Due to the efficiency of the Minister of State in his answering, we can facilitate a second round of questions, but does Deputy Ó Murchú wish to come in with a supplementary question before I open the meeting up to the floor again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16): Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (9 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to appear before the committee today. I have no doubt he will get a sense from this meeting that this conversation will not finish today. There is an appetite among committee members to ensure we get accountability and transparency. I believe that no single person made a decision of such magnitude and impact. My belief is that a group of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16): Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (9 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: Aontaím leis an Aire Stáit. Leanfaimid i dteagmháil amach anseo agus b’fhéidir go mbeidh seans againn an tseachtain seo chugainn sa díospóireacht le Leas-Uachtarán an Choimisiúin, Maroš Šefovi. B'fhéidir go mbeidh níos mó freagraí ar fáil ansin. I thank members of the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16) (resumed): Engagement with Mr. Maroš Šefovi (16 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: Deputy Duffy and Senator Doherty will join the meeting virtually. I welcome European Commission Vice-President Mr. Maroš Šefovi to our meeting today. We welcome our engagement this morning and the opportunity to ask questions about the sequence of events that ultimately led to the Commission triggering Article 16 before it made a U-turn on the decision. Before we begin, all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16) (resumed): Engagement with Mr. Maroš Šefovi (16 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: I thank Vice-President Šefovi. I will go straight into questions and, with the agreement of members and Vice-President Šefovi, I will take members individually and ask the Commissioner to respond to each member on an individual basis. I encourage everybody to keep it tight, specific and efficient and we may get a chance to come in a second time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16) (resumed): Engagement with Mr. Maroš Šefovi (16 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: I will now pass to Deputy Richmond. Without intervening at this stage, I will say there has to be some clarification. There is an acceptance that the President, Ursula von der Leyen, apologised for triggering Article 16. I know that the language being used today is that it was never activated. We all accept that it was not fully implemented but there has to be an acknowledgement that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16) (resumed): Engagement with Mr. Maroš Šefovi (16 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: Vice-President, I am reverting to Irish because I made a mistake earlier in calling you President. I will call you leas-uachtarán and will refer to Ursula von der Leyen as an t-Uachtarán. Leas-uachtarán is Mr.Šefovi's new title today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16) (resumed): Engagement with Mr. Maroš Šefovi (16 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: Next is Teachta Ó Murchú. We still have four of five people looking to contribute and we have fewer than 50 minutes left. Deputy Ó Murchú will be followed by Senator Regina Doherty.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16) (resumed): Engagement with Mr. Maroš Šefovi (16 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: The Senator can thank this committee because I got a lot of messages on the Friday around 4.30 p.m.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Northern Ireland Protocol (Article 16) (resumed): Engagement with Mr. Maroš Šefovi (16 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: We are very grateful for Mr. Šefovi's time this morning and his participation in the meeting. I acknowledge his contribution and also his willingness to engage with the committee on a more permanent basis in future. I think he gets a sense from this morning's meeting that there is a desire and an appetite to do that. It is very significant to have him with us today, albeit...

Select Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil). (16 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: An féidir liom labhairt ar leasuithe Uimh. 62 agus 63?

Select Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community: Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: Céim an Choiste (Atógáil). (16 Feb 2021)

Joe McHugh: Ba mhaith liom cúpla pointe a dhéanamh faoin ainm cheart a bheith ann. Thar na blianta, bhíodh daoine ag tabhairt amach faoi na botúin atá ag baint leis an Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí. Mar a dúirt mo chomhghleacaí ó Chontae Phort Láirge, is é sin an rud a chuireann isteach ar dhaoine agus bíonn siad iontach míshásta...