Results 21-40 of 1,071 for at speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Seanad: Smartphone and Social Media Use: Motion [Private Members] (24 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: It is a pleasure to welcome the Minister here and, as others have done, to commend the work she has done in this sphere and her commitment to reform in this area. I congratulate my colleague, Senator Seery Kearney, and her assistant with the motion, Senator Dolan, on the work they did to prepare it. I thank them for it. I am not sufficiently narcissistic to claim that I might even have...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defence Forces (23 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach as ucht an ábhar seo a phiocadh amach. Tá sé iontach tábhachtach. Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Browne. Is deas é a bheith linn agus ar ndóigh, cuirfidh sé an méid seo in iúl don Tánaiste. I thank the Minister of State for being here.I rise to address an issue facing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Emergency Alliance: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank the Chair. I welcome our three guests. Ms O'Donnell knows her way around these Houses. I am sure that makes it a little easier. I am obviously very strongly in support of what our guests are doing. It is very important work. It is good the broadcast media are working with them on this. I am impressed with the number of organisations involved. Before I say much more I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Emergency Alliance: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: Will the witnesses comment a bit more on Gaza? I completely agree with their sentiments. I was away last week and watched a BBC World Service piece on Gaza. I commend it to anyone on one level, but it was a horror to see children literally dead in their parents' arms, horrific injuries and complete chaos and dismantling of buildings. It was revolting. I ask about the scale of it. What...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: It is my sad duty to join with the Cathaoirleach and Acting Leader in expressing words of sympathy and condolence on the passing of former Teachta Dála, Senator and councillor, Dick Dowling. Dick was a secondary teacher in De La Salle school in Waterford. He was a mathematician of excellence and an extraordinarily intelligent man. He had a huge reputation for his mathematical skills...

Seanad: Agriculture: Statements (16 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the wonderful people from Limerick. In a few moments they will be able to hear their illustrious Senator Maria Byrne speaking. They should wait for that as loyal Limerick people. I welcome the Minister. I acknowledge his proactivity in all these areas, how close to the farming community he is and how committed to all this. In a moment of great intergovernmental solidarity,...

Seanad: EU Regulations (Police Co-operation on Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings): Motion (11 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: I warmly congratulate my neighbour, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, on her reappointment as Minister for Justice. She is my neighbour from across the fields as they say. It is good to see her in that role in which she has been making huge waves. I formally support the adoption of the regulation enhancing police co-operation in relation to prevention, detection and investigation of human...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Education Policy: Department of Education (11 Apr 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for the opportunity. As he said, the testimony or statement made by Senator Flynn trumps or transcends anything any of us might say. I am a former teacher and taught a specific Traveller class in my day. I agree with my colleague, Deputy Stanton, who said that over the months and years education is a huge key to opening the windows of wonder, if we want to...

Seanad: Situation in the Middle East: Statements (20 Feb 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: I join the Cathaoirleach in his welcome to my good friends and neighbours from St. Anne's, which does us all proud as an education institution in our community. I echo the words of the Tánaiste to the pupils from St. Anne's that we hope and pray for, and it is our business to try to achieve, a situation where they will grow up in a different world from the one that exists at the moment...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: I will begin on a very pleasant note by following my constituency colleague, Senator Gallagher, in wishing Dr. Rory O'Hanlon a very happy 90th birthday and continued good health and enjoyment of life. He is one of the finest people we have ever had in political life and I have valued his friendship and wisdom down the years when we met at many public events. I also put on record my welcome...

Seanad: Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (7 Feb 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: I will speak first, as the previous two speakers did, of my personal connection to and my personal relationship with the late John Bruton. In Meath, he was a neighbour of Cavan, and I knew him as a neighbour. I knew him on a social level. I was in the Seanad while he was deputy leader of the party. He visited my home in Bailieborough on a social basis. In fact, he was a guest at our...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: I, too, rise to join in the words of sympathy to John Connor's family. I knew John very well down the years. I knew him on a number of levels. I knew him politically as an elected colleague. I also knew him through family in that my in-laws are all in Roscommon. They were all friends of his and I knew him in that fashion as well. I had the privilege with my wife of visiting just before...

Seanad: Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2024)

Joe O'Reilly: I acknowledge the Tánaiste's proactive response to the Women of Honour. Indeed, as we welcomed An Tánaiste earlier, I welcome my colleague and Minister of State, Deputy Burke, to the House. It is important to state at the outset for context that the Defence Forces are of the highest calibre, they bring honour to our country and they provide an exceptional service to our country....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Reilly: I wish to join in the remarks about Tom Hickey. He is an absolute gentleman and at all times courteous, highly efficient and very gracious. Tom has a unique wit of his own, and a charm and warmth. I wish him, Lorraine and their family a lot of quality time together, and a great retirement. Knowing Tom, he will find a lot of interesting and good things to do in his retirement. I certainly...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank the Chair and welcome the witnesses. At this stage, there is very little new to be said. Unfortunately, at all these meetings there is very little new to be said. The same issues keep coming up. Many good points have been made by colleagues. I do not propose to go through them all one by one, but I will say a few quick things. It is important, as this is a public meeting, that...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Joe O'Reilly: I have one comment on what my colleague was just saying. It occurs to me that this issue needs to be examined in respect of the area of health and the cases of nurses as well. Specifically in this context, though, concerning young gardaí and Garda recruits, we should consider purpose-built accommodation. Historically, this existed for the members of An Garda Síochána. We...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (30 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the witnesses. Could those from the Irish Traveller Movement provide the committee with their impression and breakdown of each county? The logic of my question is that all of us could use our judgment politically, through councillor networks and colleagues we have, as to how to use that information. If each of us members had the information for our regions, we might be fit to see...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (30 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Reilly: I could look at the counties in my region and see what they say officially to us and what the perspective of the witnesses is on them. It would provide a very interesting contrast. Deputy Buckley raised a point on modular homes. There is great underuse of modular homes in this country. I met the then Minister of State, Deputy English, whom the witnesses referenced earlier, to visit...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Nov 2023)

Joe O'Reilly: I was held up on other business, so I missed what was said earlier. However, I wish to be associated with the words of sympathy to the family of Tras Honan. I had the privilege of serving in the Seanad some time ago with Tras Honan. She was a very distinguished person. She was a person of great eminence, great quality in her own right and great integrity. She had a real presence and...