Results 5,261-5,280 of 18,319 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank all of the witnesses for their presentations. With regard to Mr. MacSorley's concluding remarks on the 20 million people facing starvation at present and 65 million refugees worldwide, there really is a crisis. There are so many crises throughout the world at present. In our engagement with the Secretary General of the Department and Irish Aid officials, we spoke at some length...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: In his earlier contribution, Mr. Meehan mentioned that we need to focus funding where it is needed most. At times, all of us ask why humanitarian aid does not reach particular areas or regions. Do the UN-based organisations and other transnational organisations not have greater capacity than NGOs to get assistance to the most needy in a quicker manner? I am posing this as a question and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: No, because I must go back to my colleagues then.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Mr. Meehan's colleagues will get a chance to come back in but I want to bring in my colleagues first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Mr. Meehan. Our colleague, Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan, does excellent work for the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa, AWEPA. She is a great champion of the organisation and does a huge amount of work to facilitate meetings. Many of us would like to give more time to it but pressures on time from committees and other commitments do not allow us to give as much time...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Thank you, Senator Bacik. I call Senator Lawless.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I call Deputy Seán Barrett.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Thank you very much, Deputy Barrett. We need to take the questions individually. One person can respond to each of the subjects. I call Ms Keatinge.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Mr. Meehan. I call Ms Foster-Breslin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Thank you, Ms Foster-Breslin. I call Mr. MacSorley.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Thank you very much. On Deputy Barrett's question, can any of the witnesses give a rough estimate of what percentage of Irish Aid goes to education?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Ms Gumbo. On Senator Lawless's question in regard to relationships with the US and recent political developments there over the past 12 months to 18 months or so, does anybody want to venture into that territory? Does Ms Finan wish to respond?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: That is a good position to hold. We all played our under-aged football in that position.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Thank you, Mr. MacSorley. I call Ms Finan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Thank you very much, Ms Finan. Deputy Grealish and other members referred to the outstanding work that your organisations and other sister NGOs or missionaries do abroad. We want extend to all the people working out there our very best wishes. We understand and appreciate they are working in the most difficult of conditions in so many parts of the world where there are crises and are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: In the second part of today's meeting we will hear from Mr. David Donoghue, former Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Mr. Donoghue is very welcome to today's meeting. He has joined us on many previous occasions, most recently in 2015 in his role as co-facilitator in the negotiations on sustainable development goals. On behalf of the joint committee, and indeed the Oireachtas,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (Resumed) (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Mr. Donoghue very much, and again I compliment him on the excellent work he has done in taking this project so far. I call Senator Ivana Bacik.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: 26. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if consideration is being given to a substantial increase in resources for the Cavan-Monaghan Garda division in view of the policing needs of this Border division and additional demands that may arise for the security services due to Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44266/17]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: 44. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if particular consideration will be given to the policing needs of the Cavan Monaghan garda division in the allocation of garda resources in view of the long land border with a neighbouring jurisdiction and the reduction in garda personnel since 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44265/17]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Supervision and Substitution Scheme (19 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: 72. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the guidelines in place in respect of substitution or replacement cover for local authority members who are also primary and post-primary school teachers, in view of the fact his Department's circulars state they are entitled to ten days leave per school year for local authority duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44304/17]