Results 3,541-3,560 of 5,112 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Order of Business (23 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the extension of the hours during which rural link buses operate. They are extending until 11 p.m. at night on a couple of days at the weekend on a pilot basis over a considerable part of the country, including five routes in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. It is a good initiative because we have a real problem with rural isolation and people who are not able to access a social...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Implementation of National Mitigation Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome our guests and will begin with a comment. We have to strike a balance. Effectively, we are close to full employment. A few days ago approximately 800 permits were permitted for non-EU nationals to come to work in Ireland. That is a wonderful development for them and the country. It is part of our responsibilities, as legislators and leaders, to balance the need to have people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Implementation of National Mitigation Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: A motion on my area of responsibility will be taken in the Seanad at 5.30 p.m. and I have no option but to leave. I will read the responses to my question in the Official Report. It is a pity that is how it worked out. I had asked about microgeneration and wind energy. The areas the North-South interconnector will pass through are Monaghan, north Meath and part of Cavan. The people...

Seanad: European Court Decision: Motion (16 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: One has to recognise that these men were detained in the absence of any due process, judicial process or a proper charging system. It is very important to recognise that. Torture is not acceptable in any way, but it is important to say that what happened in this case is aggravated by the fact that no proper processes were observed. There were no procedures adhered to and the men were not...

Seanad: European Court Decision: Motion (16 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I want to make the House aware that the Attorney General and Government have to factor that in. My party will accept the motion. It understands the gravity of the situation and has no objection, in principle, philosophically or any other way, to going through the advanced process. There are, however, limits to the potential of that process. That is clear to everyone. We want to exhaust...

Seanad: European Court Decision: Motion (16 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (15 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: As foreign affairs spokesperson for my party, I would like to address the atrocities of the past few days. We utterly condemn as outrageous, inhumane and unacceptable the firing on protesters and the mass killings that have resulted from such action. A total of 60 were killed yesterday and, as I understand from earlier remarks, more people have died today. There has been a multitude of...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I join others who have said the cervical smear issue constitutes a huge tragedy and is quite dreadful. It will be addressed later by the Fine Gael spokesperson on health, Senator Colm Burke, the Leader of the House and others in the Fine Gael Seanad group. I raise another health related issue. Sadly, each health issue has stand-alone importance. I want to speak about the 12,000 people...

Seanad: Europe Day 2018: Statements (10 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I warmly welcome my close neighbour, friend and colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Helen McEntee, to the Chamber and congratulate her on the outstanding job she has been doing in her ministry, to the great credit of Ireland. Her extraordinarily strong performances in the British media, in particular, is very important for our image abroad. As we celebrate Europe Day, it is important...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: Might I begin where the last speaker left off and support Senator Ó Donnghaile in those remarks?The behaviour of Lord Kilclooney, who is a very experienced politician of many years standing, was infantile, racist and wrong, and beyond what should be done by an experienced politician or indeed by any person of mature years or of any cop-on. I join in the universal welcome for our two new...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Statements (1 May 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I am happy to go along with that. Perhaps the Acting Chairman might indicate to me. At the outset, I thank the Tánaiste for his attendance and for his continuing commitment to getting this process right. If it is difficult to make these points in eight minutes, it is more difficult in three but I will try. At the civic engagement yesterday, I was chatting to somebody about how the...

Seanad: Public Service Broadcasting and Social Media Regulation: Statements (19 Apr 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: Hear, hear. I agree.

Seanad: Public Service Broadcasting and Social Media Regulation: Statements (19 Apr 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister and thank him for doing the House the courtesy of making a statement on recent events. Without engaging in wrong practice in respect of the event, all I can say, as Senators Leyden and Boyhan have said, is that as a member of the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment and having had the privilege of working with the Minister in both Houses of...

Seanad: Northern Ireland and 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement: Statements (18 Apr 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the Tánaiste to the House and I salute his hugely patient efforts in Northern Ireland. We have picked up anecdotally, and from various trips to the North and to London, that there is no doubt the Minister, Deputy Coveney, is winning the confidence of all the actors and major political figures in this whole drama. This is due to the Minister's sincerity, patience and genuine...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I rise today to speak of one matter alone. I express my deepest sympathy to the family of Big Tom McBride. As a neighbour from Cavan and as someone who had the privilege of meeting him on a couple of occasions, I can testify to the fact that he was one of nature's gentlemen. All of the things that have been said about his benign nature, his goodness of personality, the way in which he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Influence of Social Media on Elections and Referenda: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the witnesses. The commercial premise on which social media are based is to get the names of people and their data and advertise to them. This is how they get a commercial return. Given this is the case, obviously the onus on their side is to make the data available and attractive and use it as effectively as possible and attract advertisers. In this context, will Ms Dixon go...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Influence of Social Media on Elections and Referenda: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: I appreciate Ms Dixon's response. However, are these accessible and easy to use for the average citizen?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill 2017 and the Influence of Social Media: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: At the outset, if the Chair will indulge me for 30 seconds I want to congratulate the colleague on my right, Deputy Lawlor, on his excellent and timely legislation. In the context of this discussion, it is extraordinarily relevant. I welcome our guests. I note at the outset that during the celebrated hearings in the USA, when the witnesses' CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked by an Illinois...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Mar 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: On this day, one year from Brexit, it is worth recalling in this House that one of the great successes of the EU has been the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. The Common Agricultural Policy has ensured an adequate supply of food at all times at a reasonable, affordable price for consumers, and a high standard of food. That is a misunderstood aspect of the Common Agricultural Policy at...

Seanad: Councillors' Conditions: Statements (29 Mar 2018)

Joe O'Reilly: With the Leas-Chathaoirleach's permission, I wish to give two minutes to my colleague, Senator Kieran O'Donnell. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and acknowledge that since he came into office, he has taken this subject by the scruff of the neck and has been proactive. I know from private conversations with him, and from his returning the €1,000 lost to councillors, that...