Results 81-100 of 6,686 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Update on Current Situation in Ukraine: H.E. Larysa Gerasko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland (14 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the ambassador. In the Chamber we previously had the opportunity to address her but this is the first time in the committee that we have done so. I spoke in the Chamber about the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the ambassador has articulated very well here for the Irish public the resilience and courage of the Ukrainian people. Their ingenuity and resourcefulness have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Update on Current Situation in Ukraine: H.E. Larysa Gerasko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland (14 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It seems very clear to me and I think most people in these Houses that at this moment in time, Russia has no intention of negotiating. It is pretending and trying to deceive people but ultimately, it has no interest in negotiation. It seems clear additional pressure is required. Ireland should very much be part of any of the packages of sanctions that are being looked at. In terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (7 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 21. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on the current welfare and position of the Irish nationals detained by Israel following their being detained after participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla. [53801/25]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Access (7 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 22. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the current blockages of aid to locations in Darfur, Sudan, for example, El Fasher; and the position of the Irish Government regarding aid being prevented from accessing locations. [53803/25]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (7 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 23. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether he is aware of breaches of the arms embargo to Sudan; if he has communicated with any governments suspected of breaking the arms embargo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53804/25]

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Can I bring to the Tánaiste's attention something that he would be interested and concerned by? It has been confirmed to me that those Irish citizens detained have been denied access to lawyers. Adalah, which is a legal firm and civil society human rights organisation that represents people in these situations, stated: Adalah has received phone calls from participants reporting that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Very likely.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: On a point of order----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: -----I just want to take the opportunity to make it clear that I was not aware when I rose to my feet of the appalling attack on the Heaton Park synagogue. I add our party's condemnation of an appalling attack on a holy day for the Jewish community. If it emerges that the motive is antisemitic, antisemitism is a scourge that must be rejected by all. Our thoughts go to those affected.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Has the Tánaiste or the Department contacted the families of those who are confirmed to have been detained, or even those who are expected to be detained? Does he have confirmation on when staff on the ground will have access to those who are detained illegally by the Israelis, and when they might have access to lawyers?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Contact with the families is vitally important. It must be of the highest priority. I urge the Tánaiste to be the first to pick up the phone if there is any escalation or downturn in the situation. The families and people generally are concerned about when these Irish citizens can return home. Does he have any sense of a timescale about how long the process is likely to take and when...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: On the wider legal international picture, does the Tánaiste agree that what happened in terms of detaining people in international waters is a breach of international law?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: While I would not necessarily advocate that the Government would do something provocative for the sake of it, ultimately the flotilla is a consequence of what is happening internationally. There has to be a firm response from the Irish Government and from the international community. As a follow-up to the previous question, we rightly recognised the State of Palestine. I welcome that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Tánaiste will be aware that the next ships that are part of the flotilla are only three or four days away. They contain other Irish citizens, including a colleague of ours, Deputy Barry Heneghan. We are all concerned that the same thing will happen. It is reasonable to ask: what action the Department is taking to prepare for this and what actions will be taken to ensure the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: We touched on the proposal yesterday. We all want to see peace. Arab countries may have been part of the process but the Palestinians themselves were not. The Tánaiste made a point in relation to the genocide. This is a fundamental point. In lots of respects, the flotilla is a symptom. Ultimately, the disease needs to be cured. As long as there is a genocide that continues in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will divide my time between some comments and questions. I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating this debate. It is vitally important that we address this issue today on behalf of our colleagues, the Irish citizens and the citizens of the world. For the past number of years, people have monitored and looked at the...

Committee on Defence and National Security: National Maritime Security Strategy: Department of Defence (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I acknowledge the important work the Department is doing and wish you the best of luck with it. The aim of a session like this is for us to ask questions. Dr. Stanley has said the strategy will be published after the consultation and all the work is finished, so I am not totally clear on what questions she can or cannot answer. I certainly agree this needs to be an area of significant...

Committee on Defence and National Security: National Maritime Security Strategy: Department of Defence (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: One of the key elements I imagine is likely to come out of this in the context of our naval capacity and the Commission on the Defence Forces is the development of a 12-ship fleet by 2040. A couple of things occurred to me, and I want to get Dr. Stanley's views on skills shortages that might constrain our ability to come to terms with the threats we face. Generally speaking, across the...

Committee on Defence and National Security: National Maritime Security Strategy: Department of Defence (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I ask Dr. Stanley to take that on board in developing the strategy. The need for more personnel might be happening at the same time as demands on other very important sectors such as renewables and so on. They could be competing for the same skills to expand capacity. There is more and more discussion of the danger of hybrid threats, such as physical interference combined with cyber...

Committee on Defence and National Security: National Maritime Security Strategy: Department of Defence (2 Oct 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It might be useful to put on the record and flesh out what direction this will travel. Sometimes the distinction between our exclusive economic zone and Irish waters is lost. As I understand it, Ireland has a responsibility to monitor what is happening in our exclusive economic zone. This is not strictly speaking our sovereign waters but under international maritime law it is the...