Results 6,021-6,040 of 18,320 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I was indeed.

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I would appreciate if the Minister would bring it up again.

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: 7. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she will direct the State's industrial promotion agencies to place a particular focus on the needs of the Border region, given the particular challenges that will arise for that region due to Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6175/17]

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: As the Minister is aware, there are particular challenges facing business and commerce in the Border region due to Brexit. We need a particular focus by the State's industrial promotion agencies on assisting companies to maintain and, hopefully, to grow employment. There is a particular need to assist those companies to remain competitive. Many of the companies in the Border region, mainly...

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Minister for her reply. As she is aware, for historic reasons during the awful period of the Troubles, it was extremely difficult to attract inward investment to the Border region, to places like Monaghan, Donegal and Cavan. We had to depend on indigenous industry. By and large the industries in the counties of the Border region, including my own constituency, are small and...

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Minister for her response. I would like to record my appreciation of the work that InterTradeIreland has done since its establishment following the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. It is an all-Ireland body that does exceptionally good work. I hope it is adequately resourced to do the very important work that will be required over the next few years. I have another issue, on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Minister for his presentation. He referred to the expenditure of €3.5 billion through the PEACE and INTERREG programmes over the past number of years. This has been a very welcome investment in the Border communities. The funding has been drawn down by statutory agencies and local community and voluntary groups. In many instances, the funding that became available...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Implications for Good Friday Agreement of UK Referendum Result (Resumed): Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I am moving slightly away from today's specific topic, but there has already been a huge downer for business and communities in the Border region. I know of businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, that are very heavily reliant or totally dependent on the British market and the Northern Ireland market. They have put on hold plans to develop, expand jobs and create...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: In the first part of today's meeting we will meet with representatives of the Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association, including Mr. Neil Richardson, general secretary, Mr. Eugene Gargan, chairperson, and Mr. John Leahy, member of the national executive committee. I welcome the witnesses to this morning's meeting. The format of the meeting is that we will hear the witnesses'...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Mr. Richardson very much. He clearly outlined many matters of concern to us, including poor administrative practices and a Reserve Defence Force which is declining in numbers. He even pointed out the threat to its very existence within the next ten years. I have represented two of the southern Ulster counties, Cavan and Monaghan, for a considerable number of years. I grew up in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I ask the witnesses to respond before we take questions from three other members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I fully concur with Deputy Seán Barrett's proposal and I am sure there will be unanimous agreement from the committee that we act according to it. We can assure our visitors of that. I ask them to respond to the last group of questions. They mentioned that persons in receipt of a social welfare payment come off it for the week or two they are training. By pure bad administration and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Seán Barrett's proposal that we invite the Minister and the Chief of Staff to appear before us has the unanimous agreement of the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: They will both be sent this afternoon.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: The Official Report of today's proceedings, when it is available, will be forwarded to the Minister and the Chief of Staff for their attention.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Reserve: Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I assure Mr. Gargan and his colleagues in the Visitors Gallery and those in the organisation of the interest of committee members and that we will be proactive on the issue. We will do all we can to assist them. I thank the delegates sincerely for their important presentation which gives us real cause for concern.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: The second part of our meeting will involve a discussion with Senator Robbie Gallagher about the increasing workload of the Passport Service due to increased numbers of inquiries and requests for passports, particularly following Britain's decision to leave the European Union. II call on the Senator to make his opening remarks, following which we will have questions and answers and a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Gallagher. It is a very important subject matter. As the Senator quite rightly pointed out, those public representatives who live in the Border region have seen a huge increase in the number of people contacting us from north of the Border about passport services. My office and I have received calls, as I know has the Senator, from a huge number of people from the North of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: Is there anything in particular that Senator Gallagher wishes to add?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Passport Service: Senator Robbie Gallagher (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Smith: Senator Gallagher's proposal, which makes absolute sense, has the unanimous support of the committee. I propose that we should write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to ask him to ensure the proposal gets urgent and favourable consideration. The whole idea of Brexit has knocked the stuffing out of communities. Those of us who grew up in Border parishes thought we had left...