Results 3,501-3,520 of 5,164 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (5 Dec 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: It is my pleasure to welcome my neighbour, the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee to the House. I applaud the effective way in which she represents our country on the international stage and particularly in Europe. I am impressed by the way in which we are going about this business today because this is an extraordinarily sensitive topic. We are talking here about a very difficult...

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (5 Dec 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I am happy to congratulate Senator Black on bringing forward a major Private Members' motion in her first term in the Seanad. It is a great achievement as a legislator and I wish her well. We approach this from the best perspective and, as a Government, we will work every day to bring peace and justice to the Middle East.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (5 Dec 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Annual National Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister of State. I take the science as a given - there are no climate deniers left - so I will simply mention a few practical issues. We should have community-based local microgeneration in order that, as was the case with the co-ops of old, small communities would have small wind turbines which serve them and which provide them with free electricity. The excess could then...

Seanad: Annual National Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: Reducing CO2 emissions through natural carbon sinks such as forests and permanent pastures should be included in the measurement. Not enough is being done to incentivise small businesses to retrofit their premises to become energy efficient.

Seanad: Annual National Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: There is much more that could be done to make schemes more accessible.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I briefly join with the Cathaoirleach's welcome for the delegation of French parliamentarians. I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting them for conversations on a number of issues. There are long ties of friendship between our two countries. We must put a number of issues on the record before we approach the specifics of the legislation. I want no ambiguity about the position of my...

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: No, it is relevant to the section. The Chair will rule, but my understanding is that we can speak-----

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: We will move on to the specifics, but what I am saying is extraordinarily relevant - if we take a position on a section, there must be a clear understanding as to why. Besides our position on the occupied territories, we are in favour of a two-state solution. In tandem with the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, that has been pursued vigorously by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign...

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: Would it be in order if I went through the technical reasons?

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: It is not.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: It was important that I gave a context. That was a very short aside. One could have gone much more into every subsection. My comments essentially stated our philosophical position and our policy. That is an important context. The difficulty that we have with the Bill is that-----

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: No, it is on the following matters-----

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: The Bill requires the Government to do something which is not in its power. External trade, including the control of goods entering the EU Single Market, is an exclusive EU competence.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: It is about the importation of goods.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: Deciding that is an EU competence.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: Goods from Israeli settlements cannot be excluded at EU level by an individual member state but only as a collective. This is the nub of the issue. Our advice from the Office of the Attorney General and general legal advice say that it would expose the State to the risk of legal action, not only by Israel but by anyone claiming to be affected by the Bill. I am sure nobody in the House...

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: This is not a course that any Government would want to take. In deference to the House I will leave it at that. I will come back to that more substantially in discussions on section 6.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: Yes. I ask the Leas-Chathaoirleach to take Senator Richmond first.

Seanad: Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Nov 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: It is important to note that Ireland is part of and supports EU actions in disputes around the world, such as those in Crimea and Palestine. Also of importance is that, contrary to the point made by Senator Norris, there is an onus on the Government to accept the legal advice of the Attorney General and his office and it generally does so. I will await the summing-up speeches to address my...