Results 5,521-5,540 of 18,319 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean: Médecins Sans Frontières (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: In part B of today's meeting, we will receive presentations from representatives of Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF. I welcome Mr. Sam Taylor, director of MSF in Ireland, Dr. Conor Kenny, who has recently returned from vital fieldwork aboard a rescue vessel in the Mediterranean, and Mr. Alex Dunne. It is essential for the committee to hear first-hand accounts of the ongoing crisis,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean: Médecins Sans Frontières (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: I sincerely thank both of you for your graphic presentations. Mr. Taylor said the deaths at sea in the Mediterranean now are comparable to those in war zones. That is graphic and demonstrates the huge, needless loss of life. It is a gruesome picture of the horrors being inflicted on innocent people every day, unfortunately. The first group of questioners is Deputies Crowe, Maureen...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean: Médecins Sans Frontières (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: With regard to Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan's Topical Issue debate, I had some contact from some interested parties on the Saturday and Sunday prior to the Council of Ministers meeting held on the Monday morning. Through Marylee Wall, policy adviser to the committee, interacting with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that Sunday, it was raised at the meeting of the Council of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean: Médecins Sans Frontières (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: It was also raised subsequently in parliamentary questions. With regard to the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, Ireland has committed to €3 million for the Horn of Africa.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean: Médecins Sans Frontières (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank the witnesses very sincerely for their presentation. The committee secretariat became aware that Dr. Kenny would be back in Dublin. He mentioned that an opportunity to engage with the committee would be useful in a private capacity. It was my firm opinion that we should meet in a formal capacity because there may be some chance of people listening or watching these proceedings....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean: Médecins Sans Frontières (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: Absolutely, we can do that. We will be asking the Minister, Deputy Coveney to report to us on the European Council meeting as well. We will follow up on that suggestion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Humanitarian Crisis in the Mediterranean: Médecins Sans Frontières (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: We will follow up all those proposals and suggestions. Our thanks to the witnesses again. I remind members that we are meeting as a select committee on Thursday, 13 July at 12.15 p.m. to deal with legislation. As the first half of the year is gone, I thank members for their co-operation. I also wish to record our appreciation of the many groups with whom we have had the opportunity to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 52. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will give urgent consideration to the ongoing requests of the board of management and parents' association to have a building project (details supplied) proceed to construction stage at an early date. [31732/17]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 88. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the increasing concerns of contractors within the construction sector here regarding to the procurement of public contracts due to unfair competition from contractors, particularly from Northern Ireland, which have a lower cost base and continue to gain further advantage with the procurement of...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 89. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to protect businesses in the construction sector which are facing unfair competition from contractors, particularly from Northern Ireland, which have a lower cost base and are tendering and gaining public contracts at costs below those viable for contractors based here that meet all their statutory obligations in terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Migration Crisis (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 129. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the new steps the EU will take to safeguard the human rights of migrants in Libya; if official EU inspections of the human rights conditions in detention centres will take place; if proper systems of registering persons held in detention centres will be implemented in view of the concerns raised regarding the treatment of migrants in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Migration Crisis (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 130. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether it is right for the EU to continue to fund the Libyan coast guard service following reports of the Libyan coast guard physically abusing migrants at sea in view of the evidence of appalling humanitarian conditions in the detention centres to which migrants are returned by the Libyan coast guard and the concerns raised...

Early Childhood Care and Education: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (5 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: I also welcome and am happy to support this motion. As will be obvious from all the contributions here this evening, there are huge pressures on the child care sector. The sector has developed rapidly since the late 1990s, which is a very welcome development. I know from representing two rural counties that up until that time, there were little or no services in rural Ireland. Thankfully,...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: This Bill is all about internal Cabinet politics. It is about Fine Gael’s absolute and urgent need to placate the Minister, Deputy Ross, and to keep him sweet for the coming months. It is why we have been landed with this flawed and poorly constructed Judicial Appointments Commission Bill and it is why we are devoting, if not wasting, so much time on it. The bitter reality is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Dementia Strategy Implementation (5 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 157. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider the issues raised in correspondence by a national organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31580/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (5 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 195. To ask the Minister for Health the status of a project (details supplied); when this project will proceed to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31698/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Provision (5 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 196. To ask the Minister for Health the status of a project (details supplied); when this project will proceed to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31699/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Funding (5 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 208. To ask the Minister for Health if he will ensure an equal distribution of funding throughout a community health area (details supplied) in respect of the provision of health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31743/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Legislative Measures (5 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 209. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the concerns outlined by an organisation (details supplied) regarding the Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31750/17]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Expenditure (4 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: 45. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the level of capital funding available in 2017 for the provision of new or the upgrading of existing child care facilities; her plans for new initiatives in the provision of new child care places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31178/17]