Results 441-460 of 732 for speaker:Cathal Berry

Support for the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine: Motion (1 Mar 2022)

Cathal Berry: Second, we have a no-fly zone for Russian aircraft over the country at present. As for whether we can enforce it or not, we all know the answer to that. We should explore extending that to shipping as well to ban Russian ships from our ports and from our territorial waters. The Minister, through the European Union, should also have an additional range of sanctions available for...

Support for the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine: Motion (1 Mar 2022)

Cathal Berry: I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I wholeheartedly approve of and endorse the motion. As the House will be aware, I have been raising concerns about the Ukraine situation in recent months. Unfortunately, those concerns were well founded and now we are in a very dodgy place whereby Europe is once again at war, for the first time in the 21st century from the...

Security Situation in Europe: Statements (23 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister, Deputy Coveney, for his opening statement. I welcome the Ukrainian ambassador, Larysa Gerasko, and her wonderful team to the Chamber. I hope they feel welcome because they certainly are. My views on the Ukrainian-Russian conflict and crisis are well-known at this stage from previous contributions on Leaders' Questions prior to and since Christmas and at the Oireachtas...

Citizens' Assemblies: Motion (22 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister of State for his opening statement, which was very useful. I listened to it in great detail. I am delighted to be in the Chamber to make a contribution to this very important debate on establishing two citizens' assemblies, one on a directly elected mayor for Dublin and the other on the biodiversity crisis. As a Deputy representing rural and regional Ireland, I will...

Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Statements (16 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for their detailed opening statements. I am very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate and I very much welcome the publication of the report. I join with other Deputies in commending the 16 commissioners for their hard work over the past 13 or 14 months. They delivered the report pretty much on time, despite the Covid...

Mobility and Transport Supports for People with Disabilities: Motion [Private Members] (16 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister of State for her detailed opening statement. I am again grateful for the opportunity to speak on the topic of disability in the Chamber. People from that group are physically under-represented in Leinster House. It is important that they are not under-represented from an advocacy point of view. That is why I am delighted to be here with my Regional Group colleagues to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Security Situation in Ukraine: Engagement with Ukrainian Ambassador (15 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: The ambassador and her team are most welcome. I have two brief questions. The first is in relation to the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, of 1994. It is a straightforward memorandum and is only one-and-a-half pages long. It is freely available on the Internet. The memorandum was brought in when Ukraine got its independence and when it agreed to hand over all its nuclear...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: I wish the Tánaiste good afternoon. My questions will be focused on the situation in Ukraine and more specifically how it relates to the situation in Ireland. I think every Deputy will recall the dying days of the Celtic tiger, when our financial regulators were utterly clueless about the risks emerging on the horizon and provided absolutely no early warning whatsoever. Even as the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. It is semi-reassuring to know contingency planning has at least commenced. We have a tradition in this House, and perhaps in this country and beyond, of retrospective analysis. We always look back at an event and say we should have done more of this or less of that. Perhaps this is one time we can get ahead of the event and do some proper planning....

Dignity and Equality Issues in the Defence Forces: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: I have already spoken.

Dignity and Equality Issues in the Defence Forces: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: I very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to this very important debate. I thank Deputy Clarke and her party for bringing it forward. It is very important matter to be discussing here this evening. I thank the Women of Honour group and the other groups that came forward to tell their harrowing stories over recent weeks and months. I have three points to make in the time allowed to...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: My question concerns the organisational capacity review of the Department of Defence. It has been ongoing for 12 months now. I would be grateful if the Taoiseach could update the House regarding where the review stands now. Is it complete? Is it going to be published? If so, is there an indicative date regarding when it will be published?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: It is reported that the Commission on the Defence Forces is scheduled to submit its findings shortly. In light of recent and current events in our home waters, the report cannot be issued soon enough. Is there any indicative timing of when the report will be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration? When will it be published thereafter for public consumption?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Russia's Foreign Policy and Security in Europe: Engagement with Ambassador of Russia (2 Feb 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Chairman. I wish the ambassador and his team a good evening and thank him for coming before the committee. It is very useful to have an in-person meeting because we can both listen to the ambassador's words but also read his body language, which is perhaps more revealing and more insightful. I have four questions. The first one is on Ukraine and the remaining three are on...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jan 2022)

Cathal Berry: 110. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the position regarding discussions within his Department to enable sergeants who enlisted in the Permanent Defence Forces after 1 January 1994 to continue in service beyond 50-years of age; when an outcome of these discussions is likely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3899/22]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jan 2022)

Cathal Berry: 116. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the position regarding the Commission on the Defence Forces report; when this report is expected to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3898/22]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jan 2022)

Cathal Berry: 126. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he is satisfied with the daily ration rate for enlisted personnel in the Defence Forces; if it is in line with best practice within the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3900/22]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (27 Jan 2022)

Cathal Berry: 127. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the funds returned unspent to the Exchequer from his Department in 2020 and 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3897/22]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jan 2022)

Cathal Berry: 140. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the Defence Forces are in a position to contribute to operational measures with European Union partners in the event of Russian military aggression against Ukraine from a capability perspective given the outcomes of the most recent European Commission meeting on 16 December 21 at which the European Union expressed readiness to coordinate;...

Youth Mental Health: Statements (26 Jan 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Ministers of State for their detailed opening statements. I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak on this important topic. Considering what we have all been through as a people over the past the past two years, I cannot think of a more appropriate topic to discuss tonight because it is a crosscutting issue that affects every party in the House and every home in this...