Results 14,681-14,700 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: Apologies have been received from Deputies Breathnach and Sherlock; Senators Black, Feighan and Ned O'Sullivan; and Lady Sylvia Hermon, MP. Today, we will resume our discussion on legacy issues and we will hear from Dr. Thomas Leahy from Cardiff University and Ms Margaret Urwin from Justice from the Forgotten. Their presentations will be in public session. First, we will go into private...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: Before we begin, I remind members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery to turn off their mobile phones. Members are requested to ensure that for the duration of the meeting their mobile phones are turned off completely or, depending on the device used, switched to airplane, safe or flight mode. It is not sufficient for members to leave them in silent mode as that would maintain a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: I thank Dr. Leahy very much for his interesting submission and presentation. I call on Ms Unwin to make her presentation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: I thank Ms Urwin for a very interesting and powerful contribution. I call Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: Does Ms Urwin wish to come in?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: Thank you very much, Dr. Leahy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: During his research, did Dr. Leahy conduct interviews with British Government officials or Ministers, past or present?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: Was that in general or on specific incidents?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: Dr. Leahy spoke about the opportunity the committee might have to raise these issues with counterparts in the Welsh and Scottish Assemblies as well as Westminster. We have done that consistently through the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Some members of this committee are also members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, which comprises Members from the Oireachtas, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: No. The Minister answer questions in the format. We get a fudge all the time - that is my only recollection of Mr. Brokenshire. I met Ms Karen Bradley separately from the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly but previous British secretaries of State always gave us a fudge.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: Some members take a keen interest and are supportive. I could not say it is a majority. I do not want to misrepresent anybody but some people from all of the assemblies and parliaments are always supportive.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Legacy Issues Affecting Victims and Relatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: I thank Dr. Thomas Leahy and Ms Margaret Urwin for their presentations. It was a very worthwhile contribution to our work on this important subject. I hope we will have an opportunity to engage with them at a future date.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (25 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: 214. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 122 of 7 February 2019, if funding has been committed in respect of a proposed project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26541/19]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Work Permits Eligibility (25 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: 293. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the healthcare assistant role will be removed from the ineligible categories of employment for permits on a controlled basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27117/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances Provision (25 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: 502. To ask the Minister for Health when the FreeStyle Libre device will be made available to all persons with type 1 diabetes; if consideration will be given to the issues raised in correspondence from a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26774/19]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: European Council Meetings (25 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: 534. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the issues discussed at the recent EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council; if he put forward specific proposals on the need to provide adequate assistance to the agrifood sector due to the adverse impacts of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26307/19]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Supports (25 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: 535. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has had recent discussions with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development on the need to minimise the conditions that will be attached to the beef fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26308/19]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (25 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: 744. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding provided to Cavan and Monaghan county councils in respect of the home loan scheme; when the necessary funding will be put in place to ensure that applications can be processed and finalised without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26314/19]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (26 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: 55. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the need to provide additional staffing resources to the Border region for the remainder of 2019 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26892/19]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (26 Jun 2019)

Brendan Smith: 62. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the need to provide additional staffing resources to the Border region in 2020 in view of the adverse impacts of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26893/19]