Results 9,521-9,540 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Support: Special Olympics Ireland (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: Is Mr. Cassidy the regional manager for the north west?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Support: Special Olympics Ireland (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: Is he regional director for the nine counties of Ulster?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Support: Special Olympics Ireland (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: I remember one time when Cavan was not in Ulster, but I will not go there. We will not talk about the past. I appreciate the attendance of the delegation. The meeting has been a good opportunity for the witnesses to put on public record the good work that they do. If the committee can be of help then our door is open. We appreciate their being here and thank them for their contribution....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Support: Special Olympics Ireland (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: Most of the contributions were observations, and the witnesses do not have to reply to all observations, but I invite Mr. Matt English to comment, and Mr. John McKernan might give an Ulster perspective. I too am interested in the response to Deputy Conlan's question on Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal. Are these counties in Ulster or not in Ulster? I would appreciate specific clarification.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Support: Special Olympics Ireland (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: Thank you, Senator. I also thank you for insisting that both representative groups be invited to appear before the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland - Time to Deal with the Past: Amnesty International (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: I thank the delegation for its presentation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Support: Special Olympics Ireland (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: On behalf of the committee I welcome Mr. Matt English, chief executive, Special Olympics Ireland; Mr. Peter O'Brien, director of training and volunteers; Mr. John McKernan, chairman of Special Olympics Ulster; Mr. Shaun Cassidy, regional director of Special Olympics Ulster; and Mr. Liam McGarry, a family member with Special Olympics Ulster. The committee will hear about the work the group...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland - Time to Deal with the Past: Amnesty International (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: We are under pressure timewise, but perhaps I might throw something into the mix. The Eames-Bradley recommendation of a £12,000 reconciliation payment was controversial and failed. As we have not mentioned money or economics today, I think I should throw it into the mix. Some 3,600 people were killed during the Troubles and 40,000 injured, not to mention those affected psychologically...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland - Time to Deal with the Past: Amnesty International (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: I will allow Deputy Seán Crowe to speak first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland - Time to Deal with the Past: Amnesty International (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: Before going back to the witnesses I commend them on their helpful work. When we consider the absolutes inherent in the dirty war for 30 years, as people had a fixed position and one group was right and another was wrong, bar stool conversations meant everybody had a fixed opinion. We have had many groups before us and some want justice, others want truth and yet others want...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland - Time to Deal with the Past: Amnesty International (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: I am not necessarily referring to parties. As Deputy Smith noted, Justice for the Forgotten has a line regarding what it wants from the process but other groups want other goals. How can such disparate issues be brought together?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Northern Ireland - Time to Deal with the Past: Amnesty International (6 Mar 2014)

Joe McHugh: We are here to discuss the Amnesty International report, Northern Ireland: Time to Deal with the Past. I welcome the following: Mr. Colm O'Gorman, director of Amnesty International Ireland; Mr. Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland programme director of Amnesty International UK; and Mr. Kartik Raj, campaigner, EU team, Amnesty International. The timing of this meeting is quite appropriate. We...

Post Office Network: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (26 Feb 2014)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the opportunity to speak. In any debate it is important to try to be as honest as possible. We can all admit that we have a problem here. The Irish Postmasters' Union and all the staff working in post offices know there is a problem. We will not solve it tonight and this motion will not sort it out, regardless of the outcome of the vote on it. Tomorrow the problem will still be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Review of Foreign Policy and External Relations: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (26 Feb 2014)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister of State, his officials and the members. We will take him up on the offer to have a specific session on the new funding mechanism. We appreciate that offer. I thank the Minister of State for spending more time here than that to which he was committed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Review of Foreign Policy and External Relations: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (26 Feb 2014)

Joe McHugh: I know the Minister of State is pressed for time. He will have noted that brevity is alien to this committee but it reflects the enthusiasm and commitment of the members and shows their personal interest in North-South relations. I commend all members on their ongoing personal interest in the work and their endeavours through their party structures. The interest and enthusiasm is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Review of Foreign Policy and External Relations: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (26 Feb 2014)

Joe McHugh: We will take Senator Moran followed by Deputy Feighan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Review of Foreign Policy and External Relations: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (26 Feb 2014)

Joe McHugh: Do not be looking at Ms Gildernew.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Review of Foreign Policy and External Relations: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (26 Feb 2014)

Joe McHugh: Ms Gildernew covered a good deal of ground. She even strayed into south Donegal. As I am conscious that the Minister of State is facing time constraints, I ask members to be brief.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Review of Foreign Policy and External Relations: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (26 Feb 2014)

Joe McHugh: I agree with the Deputy's comments regarding immigration reform in the United States. There is a renewed focus today with a certain airline proposing that people could get to the United States for €10 in a number of years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Review of Foreign Policy and External Relations: Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (26 Feb 2014)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Minister of State. I welcome that there will be a new strategy for funding, whether through the anti-sectarianism fund or other supports for cross-Border projects. The committee gets representations from many groups seeking funding. We welcome this review and will have an invaluable input into it. Even in assessing funding and the efficiency of funding and especially in light...