Results 3,141-3,160 of 9,147 for speaker:Pat Breen

Post Office Network: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: I welcome the opportunity to speak. I was very pleased to hear the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, confirm last night that the Government has no programme in place to close our post offices. Indeed the Government is ensuring that the post office network is positioned to maintain its vital economic and social importance to our local communities. I welcome the many post office workers who have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: While today's discussion has focused on Africa, Trócaire's Latin American division is also highly active. Ms Sally O'Neill and Ms Hilary Daly have engaged with the joint committee, for example, in bringing various visitors from Colombia to discuss human rights in that country. Is Trócaire still active in Colombia and, if so, with which Colombian agencies or non-governmental...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: How does Mr. Meehan expect Trócaire's forthcoming Lenten campaign will fare?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: I thank the witnesses for coming before the joint committee and enlightening members on the activities of Trócaire. We support Irish Aid funding for Trócaire and similar agencies. Members have seen at first hand the good work done by the organisation and its benefits. We look forward to continued dialogue with Trócaire. While the word "Trócaire" is pronounced slightly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: Thank you. Some of Deputy Crowe's questions remain to be answered and there were also questions on Uganda and Palestine. Obviously, we are all concerned at recent developments in Uganda. The Minister of State, Deputy Costello, said yesterday he is waiting for a report from our embassy in Uganda in order to comment further on what action will be taken. It is obviously quite serious. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: I call Mr. Meehan to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: Does Deputy Mitchell want to come in on that point?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: Some of the questions will overlap. Reference was made to the Palestinian issue. Perhaps Mr. Meehan could answer all of them in the one go. There is a vote in the Seanad as well. Did Senator Mullins want to come in before he goes to the Seanad?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: Mr. Meehan might answer those questions, as four more members wish to get involved.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: Mr. Meehan should hold back some of his answers. I am sure that some of the questions will overlap. Regarding the Israeli Embassy's memo, while it acknowledges the fact that Trócaire does good work throughout the world, it claims that Trócaire's policy is unfair and imbalanced and does not take into account the complexities of the situation on the ground. What is Mr. Meehan's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: I thank Mr. Meehan for his informative presentation on Trócaire's work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: I invite Deputy Crowe to make his contribution before I invite Mr. Meehan to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Business of Joint Committee (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: The first item on the agenda is the minutes of the meeting of 19 February, which have been circulated. Are they agreed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Business of Joint Committee (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: If the matter relates to correspondence, I would prefer the Deputy to leave it until we get to correspondence.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Business of Joint Committee (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: I will allow the Deputy to raise it when we deal with correspondence.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Business of Joint Committee (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: If there are no matters arising from the minutes, we will proceed with the main purpose of this afternoon's meeting. I remind members, witnesses and those in the Visitors Gallery to ensure their mobile telephones are switched off completely for the duration of the meeting as they cause interference, even on silent mode, with the recording equipment in committee rooms. Before commencing I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Business of Joint Committee (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: He is not retiring.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Business of Joint Committee (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: His term is completed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: We will move to the main item on the agenda, which is a meeting with the new executive director of Trócaire, Mr. Éamonn Meehan. He is joined by his colleagues, Dr. Lorna Gold and Ms Caoimhe de Barra. We are pleased to have the witnesses before us and I have known Mr. Meehan a long time, as we attended St. Flannan's College in Ennis for five years in Ennis. I was delighted to see...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Role and Functions: Trócaire (26 Feb 2014)

Pat Breen: You have not changed a bit.