Results 1,981-2,000 of 5,165 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Situation in Belarus: Statements (5 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: I am sharing time with Senator Conway.

Seanad: Situation in Belarus: Statements (5 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and I commend his empathetic involvement with this abhorrent state of affairs. There are 650 political prisoners in prison in Belarus. Not only are they in prison in the normal sense, they are subject to torture and sexual assault. As cited by the Minister, the threat to the children of the female prisoners is a horror. It is all a horror. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Reserve Defence Force: Discussion (5 Oct 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome Mr. Richardson to the meeting. I have always felt that the members of the Reserve Defence Forces were motivated by a great patriotism and sense of volunteerism in that it was not just a career for them but a way for them to give to society on top of their normal jobs and lives. That is an admirable quality and something that merits recognition. It is the kind of resource and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: Some of my areas will overlap a little with Deputy McAuliffe's. Naturally, there are common themes. Having said that, there are a number of questions I want to put. I notice in Mr. Benson's submission he says the underspending has been eliminated. As he is well aware, a common matter that arises at this and similar committees and in similar discussions is that local authorities are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: I assume Mr. Benson would agree that the best option is Traveller-specific accommodation and that, as Deputy McAuliffe said, RAS and HAP payments in estates on a temporary basis after great efforts to get the accommodation are not ideal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: There is good consultation with them on that, is there? Okay. It can be difficult to get rented accommodation and Travellers need a lot of support in that exercise. Our social workers work with the councils, etc., but it is very difficult. It is a terrible market. It is difficult for anybody, even rich people or whatever way we describe people. There needs to be support there. Are Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: Sure. Estate management is important. Where Travellers are part of an estate, they need support. Does Mr. Curran think there is adequate investment in estate management and enough personnel on the ground in that area?

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: Is Mr. Curran confident this priority is across all local authorities?

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: Absolutely. I have experience as a local authority member and a member of the Traveller accommodation committee of a local authority for many years so I relate to many of these issues that apply on the ground. I relate to the practical working out of these issues. The identifier, Mr. Benson said, is not an ethnicity identifier per se. Would there be a problem that Travellers expect the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: What I am saying is when there is a housing support application form, a Traveller might feel, because of his or her culture and dreadful experiences historically, that he or she should not identify himself or herself. It is difficult, therefore, to get the identifier to work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: I think so, and it should be encouraged. Mr. Benson mentioned new designs of Traveller-specific accommodation. Does he want to elaborate on that? Is he looking at new models beyond the traditional halting site or modifications of that? It is important there be ongoing imaginative work in this area and not to stay static in terms of design and solutions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: Yes. In conclusion the immediate linkage to the housing estate with gradual integration is an interesting model. Other issues may arise later. I thank the Vice Chairman for the opportunity to contribute and the witnesses for their answers.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: Sula dtosaíonn an chéad chainteoir, gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht a fhocal deasa níos luaithe. Is cúis áthais dom é a bheith leis na Seanadóirí inniu agus beirt bhall de Pharlaimint na hEorpa in éineacht linn, Mr. Colm Markey agus Ms Maria Walsh. Is aoibhinn liom iad a bheith anseo. Is tionscnamh tábhachtach dearfach...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank Senator Chambers for those remarks. We will wait for all the statements of Members to be made before the MEPs can incorporate their responses to that later into subsequent remarks. I acknowledge yet again the excellent work that Senator Chambers has done for this country and Parliament as Chair of the Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU. It is...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank Senator Kyne for his in-depth speech where he has raised a wide range of very important issues which will emerge again in questioning and summations by our guests. I now invite Senator Mullen to make some opening remarks on behalf of the Independent Group.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: I now call on the leader of the Green Party in the Seanad, Senator Pauline O'Reilly, whose voice is very important here in the context of some of the remarks that have been made.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: The MEPs will have summation time at the end in which they might address the global questions being raised by the leaders. We will have the specific questions before then. They will also raise some of the same subjects. Our next speaker is a very distinguished member of the Seanad who was referred to by Ms Walsh, namely Senator Black. She is speaking on behalf of the Civil Engagement Group.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank Senator Black for that provocative and interesting contribution. I now move to questions and ask our MEPs if they might agree to hold back on the global themes until their concluding remarks. Perhaps they might answer the interlinking specific questions now. They will have two minutes to do that. Before inviting questions, I thank our colleagues for their contributions. Our MEPs...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Joe O'Reilly: Ms Walsh will also have two minutes but she is used to that.