Results 1-20 of 282 for speaker:Ryan O'Meara

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I thank the witnesses for their time this morning and for the genuinely informative submissions they have made. I will begin with Professor Tonra and the four points he set out, point No. 2 in particular - the "broadened range of potential deployment scenarios to include counter-narcotics, embassy security, hostage rescue" and so on. If the triple lock were to be retained, would we be able...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I thank Professor Tonra. I have a question for Mr. Murphy. A couple of times he mentioned the phrase, "to put trust back in this House". I think that was the phrase he used. This is a question I asked a couple of sessions ago of others who were before the committee. For me, the argument for retaining the triple lock at the moment is that we would rather trust the likes of warmongers like...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: Absolutely. It was these Houses that established our neutrality and these Houses that, I believe, still firmly stand by it today. I will turn to Mr. Noonan about the points in his paper about Palestine and, essentially, the EU's failings in regard to that. I have said that in the Chamber myself and history will judge that, regardless of the fact that Ireland has been at the forefront of...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: Some of the recommendations made by both witnesses and by Professor Tonra, in particular, are very welcome in regard to what else could be done. Following from Deputy Brabazon's questions about joining NATO, I guess the triple lock is seen as a safeguard. Is it Mr. Noonan's point about not being able to join NATO because of the constitutional requirements around that not a safeguard in...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: Ireland could not join NATO without a referendum.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: From Senator Craughwell's point about sovereignty, it was mentioned that Ireland perhaps lost some sovereignty or diminished our sovereignty when we joined the European Union but that was through a vote of the people. Is there not an argument that the creation of the triple lock to begin with should have been by a vote of the people also if that was going to diminish our sovereignty?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: However, it was not a direct question in a referendum to the people.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I would like to come back to Professor Tonra for my next question. He made the point that some countries in recent times have reversed decades, if not centuries, of defence policy or points of neutrality. Finland and Sweden are two prime examples of this that were very dramatic in nature. Were Ireland to remove the triple lock, would our change in policy be any way compared to a move as...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I would probably have agreed with Professor Tonra before I asked that question, but particularly today with regard to Mr. Noonan's point that it seems we would need a referendum to join NATO, that makes that dramatic change even less severe.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: In his opening statement, Mr. Murphy discussed the changes and amendments that have been made to legislation over the years and the number of times the Act has been amended. We are now looking at another amendment that is getting a lot of attention and controversy from some parts. At any point during discussion of those previous amendments, was there discussion of our neutrality and the...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 : Discussion (Resumed) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: Will we be less neutral if we remove the triple lock?

Select Committee on Education and Youth: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I welcome the Minister back. I have seen a lot of some of the witnesses recently. It is great to see the committee getting so much work done. I wish to start with the teacher fee refund scheme. A teacher contacted me recently having appealed a decision. This teacher is a guidance counsellor in a secondary school and has done a counselling course. They applied to the teacher fee refund...

Select Committee on Education and Youth: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I wish to return to the issue of school transport, about which there has been a bit of discussion. Last week, before my time ran out, I briefly raised with the Minister the mandatory retirement age of 70 for Bus Éireann drivers. This is something I have raised in the Dáil a number of times. I wish to address this issue in more detail. A lot of bus operators are in contact with...

Select Committee on Education and Youth: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: When do we expect that assessment to be completed?

Select Committee on Education and Youth: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: We do not know if it will be before September.

Select Committee on Education and Youth: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I thank the Minister.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: 64. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the primary care centre in Nenagh; when it will be completed; the services that will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34754/25]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (26 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: 356. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps being taken by his Department to encourage Irish businesses to provide bilingual labelling on product packaging, which would promote the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35168/25]

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I welcome the Minister of State and his officials. I acknowledge the work he has done to date since his appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for special education. I know from talking to him that he genuinely has a commitment and passion for the portfolio. I wish to discuss general learning needs and will probably give my full time to that because of the importance of...

Committee on Education and Youth: Education for Children with Special Educational Needs: Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (25 Jun 2025)

Ryan O'Meara: I would appreciate that, and I thank the Minister of State for his response and his work on it. I recognise the incredible work that is being done for complex needs and the provision of spaces for children with an autism diagnosis. We see that in Nenagh and across north County Tipperary with the number of classes announced both at primary and secondary level. However, this is one area...