Results 3,241-3,260 of 4,168 for speaker:Susan O'Keeffe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: There are thousands of planes and troops involved and they have been coming here since the early 2000s. There has to be some benefit to the Irish Government from that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: There is no benefit. The witnesses are satisfied that the Irish Government is turning a blind eye to all of this for nothing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I understand that but, as I have said, that is a separate issue. To be clear, effectively what the witnesses have drawn is a conspiracy which involves the Garda Síochána, the Attorney General, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and GSOC, among others. It is an enormous conspiracy of silence that the witnesses have painted and I am not saying I do not believe them. What I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I wish to draw the attention of the witnesses to the letter from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to this committee regarding Ireland's appearance before the TDIP committee. The letter states very clearly that Ireland's reply was one of only 13 responses from 45 submissions which did not require further clarification. What does that mean? Do the witnesses know what is being said...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I am referring to a letter sent by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Clerk of the Committee on 15 May 2014. The Department is laying out its stall-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: That is not an answer to the question I have just asked. The letter made clear that Ireland's reply was one of only 13 responses from 45 submissions which did not require further clarification. Therefore, the suggestion from the Department is that it's house is effectively in order. I am asking what the Department is saying there because the witnesses are obviously not in agreement with it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I have a further question which relates to the letter referred to earlier which the witnesses understand exists, written by a previous Attorney General. The witnesses have not had sight of it, although I am sure they have asked to see it. Have they requested it under freedom of information legislation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Yes, so have the witnesses made a freedom of information request?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Okay and they have never had sight of the letter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I take it they have asked various people-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Has the Attorney General denied the existence of a letter or just said that she will not share it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Finally, I wish to refer back to the letter from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It states that the Government received clear and categoric assurances from the US that no transfers of prisoners subject to extraordinary rendition had taken place through Ireland. Effectively, the witnesses are profoundly disagreeing with that and saying that it is not true.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I thank the witnesses for being here. I have a number of questions but they are not all in a logical order, so forgive me. The Chairman asked if there was a piece of advice in regard to complaints. Dr. Horgan said the piece of advice relates to lack of inspection of aeroplanes. Is the Chairman also correct that there is a separate piece of advice which relates to gardaí not following...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (18 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: The witnesses talked about the fact that the Garda ignores complaints and does not take them seriously. Have they listed and recorded every complaint? Have they a log of and evidence of those complaints?

Seanad: Order Of Business (12 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I take the opportunity to salute those who came to Leinster House last night and those who came to Galway and Cavan, to honour those babies who died and the mothers who have suffered. I salute the fact they took the time, even though they know the inquiry has already been announced, and I welcome that. They wanted to take the moment to remember the ones who have been lost, and we all have a...

Seanad: Johnstown Castle Agricultural College (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Ar 10.30 a.m. maidin amárach.

Seanad: Johnstown Castle Agricultural College (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I welcome the Minister. The legislation is also welcome. As the Minister outlined, the Bill is a short and enabling piece of legislation. It is very welcome to see evidence of projects that people have wanted to happen and that there has been a groundswell of support for it in County Wexford. Anybody who knows Johnstown Castle knows how extraordinarily beautiful it is and what a generous...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: I want to endorse my colleague’s observations about this weekend’s traffic and thank An Garda Síochána for launching a go slow on our roads day tomorrow. This bank holiday weekend is the one in the year in which, proportionally, most people lose their lives on our roads. Perhaps it is because of the feeling it is the start of summer. The Garda will encourage the go...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Can I finish? I have not even started and you are interrupting me.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2014)

Susan O'Keeffe: Fianna Fáil had immense difficulties in bringing in the national cancer programme and eight centres of excellence, which caused enormous difficulty, particularly in the north west, because it meant services could not be delivered in the way they had in the past. At the time, it relied on the best medical advice available not just in Ireland but across the world. I would have thought...