Results 61-80 of 10,927 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Irish Language (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: As I said, I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this. It is really important that we discuss the funding and vision for our national tongue here in our Parliament. Up to now, it has really been a groundswell of support. Some counties are doing fantastic while others do not have the same opportunities. For example, in County Monaghan, for example, there are four national schools and one...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Services (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Deputies Butterly and O’Rourke for raising this important issue. I think all our offices have been flooded which tells its own story of the concerns and fear out there among SNAs, parents, schools and everyone involved. We need to defuse that but more importantly we need to give the information so that people are clear about what the guidelines will mean. I apologise on...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Irish Language (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. No more than was the case in his area, busloads of people left Cavan-Monaghan at the weekend to support all things Irish language. It is heartening to hear. The Deputy is right. There is a groundswell of support for the Irish language and for seeing it adequately and properly funded as our national tongue. A day of protest, as the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Deputy Wall for raising this important issue. He has raised the issue specifically around Kilcullen in County Kildare. Truthfully, however, the issue he has raised is more widespread than that. It is not so specific to Kilcullen, but I appreciate he is advocating for the parents in that local area who are left without childcare as an opportunity to allow them to go to work and to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Deputy Wall for raising what is a pressing matter for his area and people in Kilcullen. As he said, it has a population of 4,000, but 110 families are affected and 153 children are without a place. Kilcullen has a growing population. When a population is growing, we want to keep that population because of the impact on enterprise, including small and medium businesses, around the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Export Controls (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I do not have exact details on the reasons the application was refused. I will look for clarity on that and furnish the Deputy with the details. There is extensive engagement between my officials and exporters should any questions or concerns arise regarding any application for any destination, including Israel. If, after engagement, there are any outstanding concerns that the goods being...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Export Controls (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I reiterate that I will ask the Department, insofar as it can, to furnish the Deputy with much greater detail on the refusal I indicated and the reasons for it. My officials seek real-time geopolitical observations from the Department of foreign affairs in respect of all applications, and those views inform the final decision to grant or deny a licence. The assessment process is rigorous....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Export Controls (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I wish Deputy Connolly well in her campaign in the weeks ahead. She is a brave lady. As the national competent authority for export controls, my responsibilities centre around the control of exports of dual-use and military items under EU and national legislation. These controls are administered by the Department in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pigmeat Sector (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Deputy Moynihan for his very important question. In June, the Government of China initiated an anti-dumping investigation on imports of pork and beef products from the European Union, and it has now announced provisional duties on imports of pork from the EU. The European Commission is in the process of assessing this announcement and will consider measures to protect EU industry...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pigmeat Sector (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: As the Deputy knows, the Minister, Deputy Burke, launched the Government's Action Plan on Market Diversification recently. It contains important actions aimed at supporting export-orientated sectors, including the agrifood sector. This focus on market diversification for the sector also aligns with the objectives of the Food Vision 2030 strategy, which is led by the Department of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Pigmeat Sector (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: As I said, the Department has encouraged the Irish industry to co-operate fully with the Chinese investigations, and the Commission will support its efforts to defend EU farmers and exporters on the matter. I am cognisant of the fact that the Minister, Deputy Burke, has done a huge amount in terms of particular sectors being able to take shocks like that, having that resilience in place....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for his important question. As somebody from a rural constituency, I am aware of how incredibly important IDA Ireland site visits are. I know the Deputy feels very strongly about those engagements as important opportunities for his county and the midlands. IDA Ireland remains committed to regional development as one of four key strategic objectives of its strategy for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I understand the passion and frustration of Deputy McCormack. While he gives us the figures regarding what is going to Westmeath and Offaly, there can be many reasons for that, although I am not defending it in any way. If the Deputy would like me to facilitate a meeting between him and IDA Ireland regarding the visits to County Offaly to see if there is more we can do to bolster those...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Industrial Development (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The goal in the coming years is to build on the region's strengths and competencies to win that investment. I take the Deputy’s point that you have to have the facilities - sometimes you have to build it and they will come. Very often, the metric that gets people to come is if they see nice facilities and all the wraparound things, such as infrastructure, housing, footfall or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Regulation (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The red-tape challenge will be introduced across Government to significantly reduce regulation for SMEs, because we have to get the balance right. I am glad the Deputy stated that regulation is the third most important issue. Companies and CEOs recognise the importance of regulation without killing businesses with additional burdens. The red-tape challenge will include a review by each...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Regulation (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I agree wholeheartedly with what the Deputy said in terms of digitalisation, and that is not to take away from Deputy Conway-Walsh's point that there are businesses which will struggle with that. That is why the Department launched the digital charter, which is a call to action for bigger companies that are digitally proficient to buddy up with smaller businesses across the country to help...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Business Regulation (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for his really important question. This is something we all hear about regularly in our constituency offices. The action plan on competitiveness and productivity - a commitment in the programme for Government - recently published by the Minister, Deputy Burke, is a whole-of-government strategic response to the challenges that Ireland is facing. A key focus of the action...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Export Controls (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for her question. I know she has raised this matter on a number of occasions before. I too take this risk incredibly seriously. I will speak to officials in the Department in detail in this regard. The Department of Defence currently only facilitates Irish SMEs during their initial interaction with initiatives such as the European Defence Fund. This interaction is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Export Controls (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Applications for dual-use licences in respect of exports to any country are assessed on a case-by-case basis in line with the assessment criteria set out in the regulation and the eight criteria set out in the European Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP defining common rules governing control of exports of military technology and equipment. In addition, my officials seek real-time...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Export Controls (25 Sep 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Deputy Gibney for her question. The Department is the national competent authority with responsibility for the control of exports of dual-use and military items under EU and national legislation. The primary focus of export controls is not to block trade or exports but to enable the free movement of legitimate goods while ensuring that certain sensitive categories are subject to...