Results 141-160 of 186 for speaker:Shay Brennan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Israeli Bond Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: I wish to make a correction. Ms Mahony said at the outset that we were funding Israeli bonds; we are clearly not funding them. The Central Bank is reviewing prospectuses. I just wanted to correct the record.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Israeli Bond Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: I fully agree. They cannot be sold without the certification. However, I would like it on record that we are not actually funding them. I take everything else the witness said. Ms Mahony made reference to the Minster for Finance's ability to advise the Central Bank. Does Ms Mahony agree the Minister has absolutely no power or right under Irish or EU law to instruct the Central Bank to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Israeli Bond Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: What does Dr. Nuseibah see as being the consequences of breaching EU prospectus regulations? The boxes being ticked, as the witness described them, are not prescribed by the Irish Government; they are prescribed by the EU under the EU prospectus regulation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Israeli Bond Programme: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: I appreciate Dr. Nuseibah is not an Irish politician and he appreciates I am not an international legal expert, which is why I am asking him questions. He might look at this situation through a purely legal lens but I am looking at the realpolitik of the situation. Hence, my next question. How much value do the witnesses place on Ireland's role within the EU relating to advocacy to fellow...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Tánaiste. I want to focus entirely on Vote 28, if I may, and go through some of the details on that. I had a series of questions but the Tánaiste's very detailed brief answered a lot of those for me. I thank him and his officials for that. If it makes sense, maybe we will just do a quick over-and-back. I am conscious of the time. I think I...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: Okay. That makes sense. Moving to section 9 under administration, €10 million is allocated for the EU Presidency. I will ask the same question I asked at the finance committee. That allocation is a nice round number, which suggests that not a huge amount of planning has gone into it yet. While that is understandable at this stage, where is the bulk of that €10 million...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: I have two follow-on questions. First, is the Department of foreign affairs bearing the brunt of that cost or will other Departments also be involved in that regard? I notice they also have line items related to the EU Presidency.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: When the Minister says the bulk of the €10 million will be spent on additional staff costs, this is clearly a one-off situation. Therefore, will those staff be temporary?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: Okay. I see that staff numbers from 2024 to what is projected for 2025 will go up by approximately 380. I am guessing that is related to the trade function amalgamating with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: In the same section, under promoting Ireland in line A11, there is an increase of approximately €4 million. Is that entirely related to the Expo in Japan?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: Under line A15, Ukrainian assistance totals €100 million. Why is that in Vote 28? It seems to relate to defence expenditure. Why is it taken in the Department of foreign affairs’ Estimate?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: I am watching the time. I have a couple of quick-fire questions. Under line A12, it states that the number of visitors to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's website has decreased dramatically.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: It has decreased dramatically from 18 million to 11 million.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: That makes sense. I have two final questions. Under public policy impact outcomes, B2 and B3 show that we are seeing a substantial increase in the number of foreign birth registration certificates issued. The increase is multifold. It is up to 36,000 in 2023.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: Does the Minister have any thoughts as to what is causing that increase?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: Fair enough.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: With regard to programme C and appropriations-in-aid, we are seeing a €10 million differential, most of which is under a line item, “Mscellaneous”, totalling €7.5 million.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: I thank the Minister.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: I was not planning to come back in on a second round, but I am here now and will absolutely take full advantage of the opportunity. We might turn to Vote 27 this time.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Shay Brennan: Rather than get into the specifics too much, I just want to focus on the climate-related aspect of this Vote. I know there is a target there to take spending to €225 million. In a broader sense, though - and we had this discussion at a separate committee meeting in relation to ODA - there is the need less developed nations have not only for debt forgiveness but for debt forgiveness...