Results 201-220 of 437 for speaker:Niall Blaney

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (21 Jun 2022)

Niall Blaney: I commend the Bill and the work that has gone into it heretofore. The establishment of an electoral commission under the Bill is monumental and overdue. Any democratic Government must aim to include as many people as possible in the electoral process and remove barriers to voting. There are also welcome changes to incentivise electoral boundary decision-making processes that will hopefully...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Mr. David Donoghue and Mr. Rory Montgomery (2 Jun 2022)

Niall Blaney: I thank the Acting Chairman. Both Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Donoghue are most welcome today. This is a fascinating series for many of us. Many of us feel that this is particularly important work given the background that they themselves have explained in relation to the Good Friday Agreement, and for us to discover how it came about because many of us would like to see this island united as a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Mr. David Donoghue and Mr. Rory Montgomery (2 Jun 2022)

Niall Blaney: Were there are any other parties? Was it just the DUP and UUP that opposed the Good Friday Agreement at that stage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement: Mr. Tim O'Connor (26 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: I welcome Mr O'Connor. I heard him say he is a bit of a nerd. I think that on this topic he is joined by a lot of nerds around the table.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement: Mr. Tim O'Connor (26 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: This is a great session. I welcome the Chairman not intervening when Mr. O'Connor was coming towards his final words, even though it was over the time. It is welcome because what he is contributing here is fantastic stuff.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement: Mr. Tim O'Connor (26 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: There are a number of us on the committee who are very interested in this work leading up to the 25-year anniversary. It is very important this committee does a report, and many of us feel that way. It is very important we get that insight that many people do not know or understand. This is the start of that journey. Mr. O'Connor still has a great insight and it is great to get the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement: Mr. Tim O'Connor (26 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: For me, that is a vital element. Today, different things are going on behind the scenes, such as the protocol, Brexit, the shared island unit and creating shared spaces as we all move forward. For me, this is vitally important. We need to know from the one period of time on this island when they did all agree what was the architecture, what was happening in the room, how trust was gained,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement: Mr. Tim O'Connor (26 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: Yes. Mr. O'Connor mentioned some of the politicians, such as John Hume, Seamus Mallon and David Trimble. Would he agree they paid a price for peace? Would he agree that, by extension, they did that knowingly? I welcome the opportunity to have Mr. O’Connor before the committee today. If needs be, I would love to see him before the committee again. I say this because people like...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: I will start by giving those present a very warm welcome. I thank them for their presentation. As far as I am concerned, the work they are doing is very powerful. We as a committee, or Government members within the committee, can do to help their cause and expand their programme, we absolutely need to do. Some of their testimony today has been very strong and clear. Politicians are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: I thank the Chairman. I also enjoyed this meeting. There is so much more we could explore and discuss. Time has flown by today, so much so that myself and my colleague have spoken a great deal but we only had a minute left. The Chairman moved on and I am unsure if he noticed that we did not receive any response to our questions. Before I go to the two questions, the Chairman raised the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: ----- are, in particular, on the shared island initiative which is very important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: If we want a shared space and a shared Ireland, these organisations are key. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to speak at the meeting today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: If Ms Watters's organisation has an overall plan as to where it needs to go, and it can show our committee where those aspirations are, let us then-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: Are these groups engaging, will they engage and can they be linked up with the shared island unit? Perhaps they are already. This is very important. Moreover, what plans do these groups have to develop because it is important that we as a committee get their plans in order that we can do everything we can to invoke pressure on the Government. This is also important, where there is a...

Seanad: Northern Ireland: Motion (11 May 2022)

Niall Blaney: I welcome the Minister to the House. He has had a very busy day already but it is welcome to see him here to discuss this very important issue for our nation. I would like also to add my congratulations to the Sinn Féin Party on its election results in Northern Ireland, and similarly to the DUP and the Alliance Party which had very successful elections, but also offer commiserations to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Niall Blaney: The Taoiseach, Ms O'Donoghue and Mr. Duffy are most welcome before the committee. I am delighted to have a discussion on this matter because the whole shared island concept has created a non-threatening space on the island, across societies, for the first time. I welcome the Taoiseach's presentation. There was a lot in it and it is a pity that we are constrained by time limits at this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Niall Blaney: What is the Taoiseach's position on dealing with issues of legacy, truth and justice? It has not been mentioned today but we met with a group from the United States yesterday - the Ancient Order of Hibernians, AOH. The UK Government has put proposals out there that the Taoiseach has rejected. What is his opinion in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Work of the Shared Island Unit: An Taoiseach (28 Apr 2022)

Niall Blaney: It would have been 1986-87.