Results 1,021-1,040 of 2,771 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland strongly condemns the continued violence perpetrated by Boko Haram and Al Shabaab. Ireland supports the EU, UN and other international efforts to reduce the influence of Boko Haram and Al Shabaab and to prevent their attacks, especially against civilians and humanitarian workers and facilities. Ireland continues to monitor the activities of these groups and to assist populations...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (23 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland strongly supports the civilian-led political transition underway in Sudan. While Sudan has made significant headway in its reform efforts, significant challenges remain, including violence in Darfur, and an economic crisis. There are also significant delays in implementing the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) between the Transitional Government and rebel groups, including on transitional...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Official Engagements (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: As the Senator noted, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, travelled to China last month to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Minister Wang Yi, on Sunday, 30 May. The meeting took place in the context of Ireland's membership of the UN Security Council and had an extensive agenda covering bilateral relations and EU-China relations, as well as issues on the agenda of the UN...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Official Engagements (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: It is particularly important that we are aware of, and restate, our membership of the UN Security Council and the importance of that. It is in light of that membership that the engagements take place, which the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has been engaging in. It is through constructive engagement that we find solutions to many of the problems that face us. Senator Mullen seems to be...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Teaching Council of Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which gives me an opportunity to outline the role of the Teaching Council and its current structures and to highlight the role played by the Teaching Council to support teacher supply during Covid-19. The Teaching Council was established in 2006 on a statutory basis through the Teaching Council Acts 2001 to 2015, to promote teaching as a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Teaching Council of Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senator for the views she has outlined, which I will pass on to the Minister for Education. It is an important issue which she raises, and in my constituency office over the years I have been a Deputy, many of the points the Senator has raised about the Teaching Council have also been raised with me. I will make sure the Senator's views are heard by the Minister.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senator for raising this matter and I know the road in question very well. I would like to explain that once funding arrangements have been put in place through the Department of Transport under the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design and construction of an individual national road is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in conjunction with the local authorities....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Senator has made excellent points on this matter in a very strong way, as he always does. I will be delighted to convey to the Minister the Senator's views, and those of the people of Tipperary, on this very important project.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senators for raising what they are quite right to say is a very important issue. I acknowledge that they had very limited time in which to make their contributions. I know they would have liked to make more substantial contributions on this but could not do so on foot of the rules governing Commencement matters. The issue of defective concrete blocks, DCBs, is particularly...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I will be conveying the remarks the Senators have made to the Minister, as well as the feeling of urgency about this situation that Senator Chambers mentioned.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is closely following developments in Ethiopia, including on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Tigray and elections. The construction of the GERD in Ethiopia is the cause of escalating tension between Ethiopia on the one hand, and Sudan and Egypt on the other, and poses a significant potential challenge to regional peace and security. As a member of the UN Security...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Programme for Government makes clear that the Government does not support the importation of fracked gas.  Following upon a commitment in the Programme for Government, the Government published a Policy Statement on May 2021 which outlines both constraints and opportunities for Government action in this area, including in the context of Ireland's obligations as a Member State of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Gender Equality (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Generation Equality Forum hosted by the Government of France and convened by UN Women will take place in Paris from 30 June to 2 July.  Ireland has engaged closely with the preparatory process, including through my participation at the virtual high-level event hosted by the Government of Mexico in March.  The Paris Forum will launch a series of ambitious actions to further...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defence Forces (21 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank Senator Crowe for raising the matter and I am here to represent the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, who, unfortunately, cannot attend. I acknowledge the service given by current and former members of the Defence Forces who have devoted their time to serving our country and thank them for it. I hope to provide some clarity on the protocols for military funerals and where it is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defence Forces (21 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I have listened to the Senator's remarks. There is much to consider in what he has said and I will convey his remarks to the Minister, Deputy Coveney. Many military families will be interested in his remarks. As it stands, that is the procedure in place, but I will convey the Senator's remarks and the contents of our exchange to the Minister.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Climate Action Plan (17 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Interim Climate Action Plan presents a number of supporting and enabling actions to advance Ireland’s international role on climate issues. These actions are necessary to support our efforts to coordinate and scale up our international climate finance and to enhance our climate diplomacy efforts. Ireland provides significant international climate finance, the vast majority of which...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Priorities (15 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 641 to 643, inclusive, 679 and 682 together. The Generation Equality Forum hosted by the Government of France and convened by UN Women will take place in Paris from 30 June to 2 July. Ireland has engaged closely with the Generation Equality process, including through my participation at the virtual high-level event hosted by the Government of Mexico in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (15 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Counter Fraud policy of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which affirms our zero tolerance towards fraud, sets out the procedures for the prevention, detection and dealing with instances of fraud or suspected fraud, including in partner organisations. Information regarding suspected frauds, along with information regarding recovered and unrecovered funding, in Irish Aid’s areas...

Maritime Jurisdiction Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (3 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This Bill is being brought forward to consolidate in one stand-alone enactment the State's maritime jurisdiction legislation and to update it to reflect recent developments in international law. It is a technical Bill that establishes in domestic law the framework of different maritime zones of national jurisdiction recognised by...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is playing its full part in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all. Last year, Irish funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) was quadrupled, given its role as lead UN agency for health and co-host of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.  Launched in April 2020, the ACT Accelerator, with...