Results 18,161-18,180 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: To help everybody, if our two guests have to leave at half past the hour, would it be fair to allow them in-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: While we are recording everything the witnesses have said, if they want to send us in any further ideas or recommendations they think the committee might include in its report, we would be more than happy to try to take them on board if we can.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Mr. Neill and Mr. Roberts for their contributions. I now call Mr. Kelly, after which we will hear from people in the following sequence: Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, as we agreed in the beginning. If anyone wants to change that, we can do that after Mr. Kelly has made his contribution.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Mr. Roberts very much. We look forward to meeting him again. Earlier, in fact, we were talking about, hopefully, having an early visit up to the North, especially if the Assembly and Executive are up and running again. It will be an important opportunity. Obviously, the picture will, hopefully, have changed significantly by then. We certainly appreciate Mr. Roberts giving us his...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Senator Blaney. I call Mr. Kelly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: Many of the issues that have been raised are not political but economic. Some of them exist in the UK as well. While the North remains part of the UK in constitutional terms, the only way we can see light going into that tunnel is a softening of or an improvement in the relationship between the UK Government and Europe. Until we get that, or until we get a different configuration on this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Mr. Kelly and our other guests. The ideas they have put forward have been informative and helpful and we will seek to incorporate them in our report. We will reflect on some of the important points the witnesses made. This engagement has been beneficial to us all. I look forward to meeting the witnesses again. I wish you all a happy Christmas and I hope Santa looks after you.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Mr. Roberts for his constructive suggestions. I now invite Mr. Neill to make his opening address.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: I do not have a problem with that. We will have 15-minute slots. There is no issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: All-Ireland Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: We have Mr. Kelly for the following hour, by the way, I hope. We will allow our two guests online to come in, if that is okay. We will then go back to Mr. Kelly answering questions and everybody can get in then because there is no time pressure. I believe Mr. Neill wanted to say something.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: PEACEPLUS Programme: Special EU Programmes Body (18 Jan 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: We are now in public session. I pay tribute to a former clerk of Oireachtas committees, Mr. Paul Kelly, who passed away. He was a very dedicated servant to all the parties and served as the clerk to several committees. I chaired one of those, the transport committee. I propose a vote of sympathy to his family and especially to his partner, Julie. I understand Senator Niall Ó...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: PEACEPLUS Programme: Special EU Programmes Body (18 Jan 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Ms McIntyre for a comprehensive presentation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: PEACEPLUS Programme: Special EU Programmes Body (18 Jan 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is fine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: PEACEPLUS Programme: Special EU Programmes Body (18 Jan 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: I know Deputy Feighan wants to come back in but I want to call Mr. Huddleston.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: PEACEPLUS Programme: Special EU Programmes Body (18 Jan 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: Senator Currie.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: PEACEPLUS Programme: Special EU Programmes Body (18 Jan 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yes, there is no problem. I will speak if you like. I will respond to the point made about Ukrainians. It is a different issue from the one we are discussing, but I have been doing some research while I have been listening. There are approximately 90,000 Ukrainians in the South and one third of them are working. A significant number, I think it is 10,000, are in the hotel and catering...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: PEACEPLUS Programme: Special EU Programmes Body (18 Jan 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: I appreciate the widespread public communications to the media and so on. Does the special EU programmes body communicate in different new languages as well?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: PEACEPLUS Programme: Special EU Programmes Body (18 Jan 2024)

Fergus O'Dowd: Another point is that about one third of the Ukrainians are children. That is a huge cohort as well.