Results 5,641-5,660 of 18,449 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Other Questions: Schools Building Projects Status (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: As the Minister, Deputy Bruton, is well aware, this project, the Holy Family School at Cootehill, is of utmost importance. This school was established in 1966 and one of its founders was our former colleague in this House, Dr. Rory O'Hanlon. It serves the catchment area of Cavan and Monaghan and it is the only special needs school we have in either county. Since 2002, the school population...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Organ Harvesting in China: Discussion (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: I extend a warm welcome to the witnesses for this part of the meeting which is on the matter of organ harvesting in China: Mr. David Matas, Mr. Ethan Gutmann, Dr. Enver Tohti Bughda, Dr. James McDaid, Dr. Conall O'Seaghdha and Ms Dongxue Dai. We will hear their opening statements before going into a question and answer session with the members of the committee. Before we begin I remind...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Organ Harvesting in China: Discussion (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: We work late here every night.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Organ Harvesting in China: Discussion (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank all the witnesses for their presentations. They have outlined circumstances which would trouble anyone with a shred of decency or concern for human rights. It is horrific to consider the number of people involved. I recall that Mr. Gutmann made a presentation to the committee some years ago. He indicated this morning that he underestimated the numbers of victims of this particular...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Organ Harvesting in China: Discussion (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: Do colleagues of Dr. O'Seaghda and Dr. McDaid in Britain and other northern and central European countries have concerns that persons in those countries are participating in transplant tourism?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Organ Harvesting in China: Discussion (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: Before inviting members to contribute, is the violation of vulnerable individuals primarily carried out to facilitate kidney transplants?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Organ Harvesting in China: Discussion (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: Whichever witnesses wish to respond to the various questions can do so now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Organ Harvesting in China: Discussion (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: Would anyone else like to comment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Organ Harvesting in China: Discussion (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Dr. McDaid for his contribution. There are medical councils in each jurisdiction. It would be important that they would communicate the concerns of the physicians and medical professionals to their relevant health departments and governments. The representative organisations would have ongoing contact with their relevant government department on a regular basis. Regardless of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Organ Harvesting in China: Discussion (6 Jul 2017)

Brendan Smith: The joint committee is aware some local authorities passed this motion. The local authorities which passed it should convey that message to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is important the message is sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It would be no harm if the said local authorities communicated directly...

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...