Results 101-120 of 2,396 for speaker:Barry Ward

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Apologies have been received from Senator Davitt and Deputy Butterly. I am delighted to say that the committee will today engage with representatives of the European Committee of the Regions. Tá mé thar a bheith buíoch as sin agus tá mé an-sásta go bhfuil siad ann. Mar iar-bhall den choiste, tá mé thar a bheith sásta go bhfuilimid in ann...

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: I thank Ms Tütt. We are looking forward to that discussion, but I invite Councillor Coughlan to make her opening statement now.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Go raibh maith agat, a chomhairleoir. I remind members, I am happy to say, that representatives of the regional assemblies will be in with us next week and many of the issues the councillor raised will be explored in even greater detail on that occasion. I will take members questions now. They will be aware that they have five minutes each. If there is anything left out at the end, we...

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: There is a five-minute slot and the speaker continues whatever way they want to.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Senator Lynch mentioned that she is a former member of Cork County Council and the Southern Regional Assembly and the Committee of the Regions. As I look around at the members here, every one of us is a former local authority member. It shows the connectivity between national and local politics. The next speaker is Deputy Michael Murphy, also a former member of two local authorities...

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: I thank Ms Tütt very much. The next speaker is a former member of South Dublin County Council, Deputy Lahart.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Yes. I apologise.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: I thank Councillor Coughlan. I am amused that she thinks the power that is to be taken is from this building and not the one across the road. We will come to that in a minute. I will move on to Deputy Seán Crowe, who is also a former South Dublin County Council member.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Deputy O'Donoghue, a former member of Fingal County Council, is next.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: I thank Ms Coughlan. Are there any other speakers? I call Senator O’Loughlin.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: I am sorry. I should have said the Senator is a former member of Kildare County Council as well.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: That is very good. I did not know that. I thank the Senator.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: On my own behalf, I will ask a few questions. Subsidiarity is an issue that has arisen quite a lot. I remember when I was a member of the Committee of the Regions. The fact that we have five or six former members of the Committee of the Regions on this committee is a testament to the fact that that interest continues. The disparity between me, as a local councillor in Ireland, and...

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Yes. This discussion has produced a lot of interesting ideas not least of which is the suggestion to have a European officer within each local authority, although that suggestion is not new. There is reporting by the members of the regional assemblies to local authorities. Is there a member from every local authority on the regional assembly? No, there is not.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Yes.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Yes. The idea of a summit between the various people involved in European institutions is a very good idea.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Finally, the enlargement issue is on our work programme. We hope to speak to Commissioner Kos about that as well. It definitely is an issue for this committee. We will have a second round of questions. First is Deputy Ó Murchú and next is Deputy Murphy.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: Councillor Coughlan mentioned that she cannot do it within the municipal districts in Cork County Council; at least it has them. Cork City Council does not have municipal districts and neither does Galway City Council. Cork City Council has local electoral areas. The big difference is local electoral areas do not have devolved decision-making. This is a big complaint I have coming from...

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: It is a waste of the time of those local authorities. Unfortunately I cannot bring in comments from the Gallery. There will final contributions from Deputies Murphy and Gogarty because we will not have time. There will also certainly be an opportunity to discuss issues afterwards.

Committee on European Union Affairs: Engagement with Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (8 Oct 2025)

Barry Ward: I ask Deputy Gogarty to complete his contribution in three minutes.