Results 221-240 of 6,614 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: One of the types of missions that it is most likely Irish troops would be sent on in the event of the removal of the triple lock would be an EU-led mission. Would that be fair to say?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Yes, but under a UN mandate. I understand. Would Mr. Andrews be confident that the institutions of the EU, including the treaties, are robust enough to ensure that EU missions without a UN mandate would be human rights compliant and would not be involved in acts of aggression or anything like that?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am not.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Yes, perfect. My next question is for Ms Boylan. The EU could deploy without a UN mandate but it is bound by its treaties and so on. In her experience, is the EU and its Commission currently abiding by the rules of the treaties?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Is it fair to say, however, that at times the European Commission has not abided by its own treaties? At times, it has disregarded the rules.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Perfect. My next question is for both witnesses. I was unimpressed with Commissioner Kallas's comments. I recognise and am happy to say that her country suffered oppression during the 20th century under the Soviet Union. I have no problem saying that whatsoever, but it was wrong of her to denigrate what was experienced in Ireland. She used that to strike out against Ireland's policy of...

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: In this instance, it was specific to neutrality, rather than defence spending.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am glad to hear that.

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: In that context, there is certainly an attitude that it is a questionable policy. Given that EU battle groups can be deployed within five days, do the witnesses think Ireland could come under considerable pressure to deploy as a battle group in the absence of the triple lock?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Why does Mr. Andrews not believe it will?

Committee on Defence and National Security: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will not be around for the second round.

Middle East: Statements (2 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Like most political representatives, one of the first things I do when I get up in the morning is to check the news headlines. It is a grim reality that on any given day for the past year and a half it is almost a certainty that we will wake up to fresh horrors from Gaza and Palestine. One could nearly set one's watch by it, it is that deplorably consistent in terms of the horrors we are...

All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Statements (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I support my colleague. I well understand why Waterford people might want to come to Cork. I do not think we should deprive them of that opportunity at all. Any time there is a debate on rail infrastructure, there is a fair bit of interest right across the country. That reflects a significant shift in people's mentality in the last 20 or 30 years. If we go back 50 or 60 years or even...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the witnesses for being here and I thank them very much for their work on this over many years. We are all very keen to work through the detail of this. The purpose of these committee meetings is to try to flesh out that debate on goods and services. It might be no harm to maybe draw back for a second. Why does Senator Black believe the occupied territories Bill is important? Why...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the Senator. That is absolutely right. For me it is about Ireland using what levers it has, and this legislation in one. It is also about representing consequences for actions because there is just impunity on a grand scale. I will direct my next question to Mr. O'Neill, but also for any other speaker. In concrete terms at this moment in time what kinds of goods and services...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: For those companies trading currently, or those individuals who are trading, between Ireland and the settlements and vice versa, are there risks already? Do they potentially face criminal sanction from existing legislation? Does the Department of enterprise provide any advice on it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will pick up on the points Mr. Liston made about the International Criminal Court Act and the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act. Under those Acts, as I understand it, a person or company based in Ireland could currently be prosecuted for trading with the occupied territories. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: People can take cases in all sorts of ways. Could it be argued that someone who was subject to such a prosecution could seek to take a case of infringement proceedings against EU legislation on that basis? It is a difficult question to phrase. Could someone take a case or infringement proceedings to the European Court of Justice that it is a legitimate or wrongful interference with trade...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is precisely-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is precisely the point. The Irish Government would presumably adopt the same defence it might to infringement proceedings, if someone were to take a case on the basis of services under this legislation. Would it be fair to say that the defence of the Irish Government would be precisely the same if it were defending this legislation, if it were to include services, that is arguing there...