Results 1,461-1,480 of 2,792 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I thank the witness. I appreciate others hope to follow up on that. I have another question linked to a witness coming before the committee later today. The witness mentioned earlier the implications and real dangers of the necessity for a repeated national lockdown or a localised lockdown. Ironically, the SME sector feeds into hotels, restaurants and other businesses in communities and...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: That does not answer the question. Does Mr. Moran mean the second wave is more of a danger and we should not be opening to inward-bound tourism?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: With due respect, I have run an SME in that area. It seems an organisation is speaking for SMEs but does not have a view on this. Grant aid is important but it is also important to know the opinion of an umbrella organisation for SMEs. Many SMEs are very much affected by this but the witness has indicated it is not an area he wishes to discuss.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: What is Mr. Moran's view, or does he have a view?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: So Mr. Moran does not have an answer for me. I thank the witness.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I am taking five minutes. I will follow up on the last question that was asked. It is an awful thing to be saying to people but, unfortunately, this industry group and its representatives face a big problem because of the health regulations and attitudes of the public to the types of events with which our guests are involved. It is optimistic to believe that there will be any substantial...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Arts and Entertainment Sector (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: On the commercial side - on the EPIC side - I have seen the submissions and appreciate the range of issues. So many of the members and the type of people who provide the services EPIC is involved with are small, really get-up-and-go companies and self-employed individuals who work on events. If there were one or two key things that we, as a committee, would be recommending to Government,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Agreements (14 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: Ireland welcomes Costa Rica’s leadership on the Covid-19 Technology Access Pool. We note the leadership role of the EU and its Member States in drafting the Resolution, which recognises extensive immunisation against Covid-19 as a global public good for health, and in funding the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. We share the objectives for the initiative to achieve a common...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (14 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 456 together. Driven by the continued conflict, and worsened by the spread of COVID-19, Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with 80 per cent of the population in need of humanitarian assistance. Ireland has so far this year provided €5 million in funding to the United Nations Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF). This...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (14 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: Annual financial allocations of overseas foreign aid are approved by an Interdepartmental Committee under Vote 27 (International Cooperation). Over the past five-year period (2015 to 2019), aid expenditure totalling €740,975,324has been channelled via thirteen Irish Missions, including Embassies, in Africa, Asia and Palestine. Details are set out below. Allocations managed by...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Referendum Campaigns (14 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: We are committed to holding a referendum on extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State. The Government will shortly restore the Thirty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill to the Dáil Order Paper. The date for the holding of the referendum will be decided once the legislation has been approved by the Oireachtas.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (21 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 338 and 342 together. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade administers and maintains a roster of suitably skilled individuals who are available to deploy on international election observation missions organised, in the main, by the European Union (EU) and the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of Organisation for Security and Cooperation...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Services (21 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: The Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) provides funding to non-profit organisations and projects to support our most vulnerable emigrants overseas, to strengthen Irish communities abroad and to facilitate the development of closer and more strategic links between Ireland and the global Irish. The budget for the programme in 2020 is €12.595 million and is a demonstration of the Government...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The spread of Covid-19 threatens a catastrophic situation in a country where the health system has been shattered by years of conflict. Ireland is deeply concerned by this level of humanitarian suffering, and has provided over €27 million in humanitarian aid...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: Ireland does not have a weapons industry and, therefore, it does not supply military weapons to any party in the conflict in Yemen. Arms exports are a national competence in the EU, as I said, but all member states are subject to a common position on arms exports. Each arms export licence must be assessed on the eight criteria I mentioned, including that the recipient country must respect...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: I reiterate that arms exports is an issue for the independent state. Our main effort is towards bringing about a peace agreement in Yemen. That is what we have been working on consistently. Along with the EU and the UN, Ireland believes that is the only way to bring about a long-term, sustainable improvement in the situation of Yemen. We fully support, therefore, the efforts of the UN...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: As the Deputy is aware, the new Department with responsibility for climate action, communication networks and transport will lead on the Government's participation in the UN's framework for action on climate change. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is actively engaged in this process through its participation in the Irish national delegation. Members of the delegation, including...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: I agree that something can be done on that issue in co-operation with our fellow European countries. Contributing to climate finance is very important. In 2018, Ireland provided €80 million in international climate finance, which mostly focused on adaptation for poor countries. The majority of that money was counted within the official Department assistance and was almost entirely...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Constitutional Amendments (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: The Government is committed to holding a referendum on extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State. We will shortly restore the Thirty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill to the Dáil Order Paper.   The date for the holding of the referendum will be decided once the legislation has been approved by...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the critical need for international collaboration across the scientific community and beyond, including open communication, shared resources and coordinated actions. As Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme, has said, “Nobody is safe until everybody is safe.” Ireland’s...