Results 361-380 of 1,687 for speaker:Eric Byrne

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: I wish to speak on this particular section and the particular issue.

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: I am talking about the amendment.

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: Amendment No. 37 is still on the table.

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: I could be creating a precedent in the House if I read into the Official Report my PPS number. I do not mind. If anyone wants to know my PPS number, they can give me a shout. In the case of almost every constituent for whom I undertake political queries, whether relating to medical cards, housing or other difficulties, part and parcel of the request involves their PPS number. They all...

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: What is this business of a song and dance about PPS numbers? If Deputy Cowen wishes I will give him my PPS number or read it into the record and the whole world can see it.

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: This is the greatest deviation from a theoretical debate that I have ever heard. Everyone has a PPS number. There is no big fear about giving a PPS number.

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: I would love to ask my constituency colleagues whether they ever ask their constituents for their PPS numbers when making representations on their behalf. If they told me that they do not, they would be telling me lies. Would it be appropriate for me to read into the Official Report my PPS number?

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: Very well. I will not do so.

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: If it is against the rules of the House I will not do so, but if any of my constituents want to ring me to ask my PPS number, I will be glad to give to them.

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: If this water authority accidentally forgets to delete my PPS number, which I have registered, I will not take it to court. I am happy for the company to keep it in the records.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Year for Development: Dóchas (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: Ok.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Year for Development: Dóchas (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: I conclude on that and I look forward to the witnesses monitoring us in the course of the year on this vast range of topics.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Year for Development: Dóchas (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: Who tasked Dóchas with this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Year for Development: Dóchas (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: Very briefly. I thank the witnesses. Frankly, I did not know next year was the European Year for Development. Having heard the witnesses' contributions, I am still not quite sure what is the lead agency. I hear the witnesses presenting a number of jobs for this committee to do, so I hope the Chairman was listening, but I do not know that questions are being posed to the witnesses as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report of the European Court of Auditors 2013 and Related Matters: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: I am sorry my two colleagues have left; they represent rural Ireland. I want to admire the farming community, the farmers who farm properly and in accordance with the directives, be it the Habitat Directive or whatever, because biodiversity is a hugely important thing. Deputy Durkan came across, sadly, with a eurosceptic position on biodiversity and habitat directives. He insulted----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report of the European Court of Auditors 2013 and Related Matters: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: I am concluding now. He insulted the snails by calling them slugs, but both have a very important role to play in biodiversity. I praise the directives that have now managed to allow us to reintroduce species that had been eradicated in the past by incorrect application of agricultural methods. I praise the grant assistance to the farming community to reintroduce the corncrakes. I praise...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report of the European Court of Auditors 2013 and Related Matters: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: To follow on, we in urban Ireland, particularly in Dublin, have an acute interest in agricultural issues, given the importance of the agricultural sector and the history of abuses within this sector. We would be extremely disturbed that yet again in the reports we see of, for example, farmers claiming ownership of more land than they possess.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report of the European Court of Auditors 2013 and Related Matters: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: Let me continue. I read in the report that perhaps they are reporting scrubland as viable agricultural land, for example. The first question, which has been provoked by the previous speaker from me, as an urban representative, is whether Mr. Cardiff thinks there is a culture of defrauding the EU in the field of agriculture.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report of the European Court of Auditors 2013 and Related Matters: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: For example, is it urban myth or actual fact-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Annual Report of the European Court of Auditors 2013 and Related Matters: Discussion (16 Dec 2014)

Eric Byrne: -----that there is a huge amount - there has been in the past, although hopefully it will not continue - of movement of cattle illegally across various landmasses, switching and cutting, or whatever they do, with the ear tags on sheep or cattle, for which Ireland must be infamous? To ask, therefore, have-----