Results 13,321-13,340 of 15,536 for speaker:Helen McEntee

European Council Meeting: Statements (6 May 2020)

Helen McEntee: I am not sure about the percentage of our overall spend but it is minuscule. In particular, if one looks at our membership PESCO, we are involved in programmes such as maritime surveillance and peacekeeping. We are not in any way moving towards, as is often suggested, an EU army. When one looks at our triple lock system, our neutrality, in the same way as for other member states which have...

European Council Meeting: Statements (6 May 2020)

Helen McEntee: My understanding is that all proposals are being looked at, including the Spanish proposal. It is something our finance ministers are looking at. The recovery fund was to be outlined today but that has been postponed, perhaps until next week. As the Taoiseach said earlier, we support putting a mechanism in place, whether it is a mixture of loans or of grants, that is timely, that will...

European Council Meeting: Statements (6 May 2020)

Helen McEntee: On the Deputy's general comment, while everyone accepts that the initial EU response was not as quick as we would have liked, one of the challenges in responding to Covid-19 is that we are facing a health crisis. What happens in our health system is different from that of Germany, France or Greece. It is a national competency, and trying to respond collectively to the crisis was difficult....

European Council Meeting: Statements (6 May 2020)

Helen McEntee: Unfortunately, I am not able to give the Deputy a detailed response on that. Overall, the judgment of the court is primarily a matter for consideration by the German Government, the Bundestag and the Deutsche Bundesbank. Obviously, the institutions will have to respond to it and we will, perhaps, be able to discuss it in further detail when they do. I understand that other member states...

European Council Meeting: Statements (6 May 2020)

Helen McEntee: Much of that question is for the Minister for Finance and I do not have the level of detail for the Deputy. Whether it is at a national level or throughout the EU we are trying to ensure, through the EU funds being provided, that we provide cheap funding or support to our citizens and to our businesses. The details on the three safety nets that have been set out are still being worked...

European Council Meeting: Statements (6 May 2020)

Helen McEntee: I cannot be confident about anything at the moment because it is still under consideration. We have consistently said - and the Taoiseach repeated it at the European Council last week - that Ireland is willing to pay more when it comes to the next MFF. We said this before the Covid-19 virus hit. Now more than ever it is crucial given the additional challenges we are facing. What has also...

European Council Meeting: Statements (6 May 2020)

Helen McEntee: A number of issues were raised. I have a final statement which I will read after the questions.

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Helen McEntee: I will be as brief as possible, if I may. As I did not have an opportunity earlier, I will take this time to thank all of our front-line workers who are fighting Covid-19. I thank our healthcare workers, the workers in supermarkets and other essential shops that are open, our gardaí and members of the Defence Forces and, in particular, the farmers who are producing the food in our...

Covid-19 (Business, Enterprise and Innovation): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Minister for the work that her, her team and her Department are doing. A huge amount of support has been provided to the business community and employees from the State. What people want to know next is how can their business get going again and how can they start. Obviously, we know it will not be a matter of flicking on a switch and that it will be gradual and that businesses...

European Council Meeting: Statements (5 Mar 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Tánaiste touched on a lot of this but I will reiterate what he said. I share Deputy Crowe's concerns and the concerns that have been expressed by most Deputies who have spoken. It was not outlined in the Taoiseach's speech because it was not an item on the agenda but that is why the Tánaiste in particular wanted to raise this issue. He has consistently showed solidarity and...

European Council Meeting: Statements (5 Mar 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank Members from across the House for their contributions. The cross-cutting nature of the MFF means that it impacts on a wide range of policy areas and political priorities, not just for member states across the Union but also for parties and groupings in this House. As the Taoiseach has noted, there is further work to be done to finalise the MFF package. There remain differences...

European Council Meeting: Statements (5 Mar 2020)

Helen McEntee: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. I dtús báire ba mhaith lion Seachtain na Gaeilge shona a ghuí ar gach duine. Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí ar fad as ucht a gceisteanna. Is iomaí ábhar ata luaite acu agus déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall iad ar fad a fhreagairt. B'fhéidir go dtosóidh mé leis na ceisteanna maidir...

Post-European Council: Statements (18 Dec 2019)

Helen McEntee: I will start with the last questions, around Brexit and when the €100 million funding will be ready. We are still implementing funding from the EU-funded INTERREG and PEACE programmes, which will finish when this current budget term ends. There is a question as to whether the next EU budget will be implemented on time. We are pushing to try to make sure it is ready, which will be...

Post-European Council: Statements (18 Dec 2019)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for his questions. Despite the fact that there was a lack of a conclusion to the COP25 negotiations, the new European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, was positive and made significant steps in the right direction with the launch of the green deal last week. The endorsement by the European Council of the objective of climate neutrality by 2050 was also...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Safety (18 Dec 2019)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, who cannot be here this morning because he is attending a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport. He sends his apologies. The Senator has raised a number of matters and I will try my best to answer them. Where she has...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Safety (18 Dec 2019)

Helen McEntee: I will highlight another few areas, particularly in terms of the overall emissions, to show that a considerable amount of work is being done. The rebate was introduced at a time when the industry was under particular pressure. It was needed to try to ensure that individual businesses did not go under and that they were sustainable. It was acknowledged that they were still in significant...

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (23 Oct 2019)

Helen McEntee: I thank both Deputies. On views on the length of an extension, my understanding is they have sought an extension for the next three months and that is what we are responding to. From our point of view, no counter-proposals or conditions were expressed in the Taoiseach's conversation with Donald Tusk but again, I can only speak for us. I cannot speak for other member states or the...

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (23 Oct 2019)

Helen McEntee: At the moment what we have is a minimal amount of checks in the ports and airports in Northern Ireland. There will be further checks, obviously kept at a minimum, to the level required by the Commission and those who are upholding the letter of the law and the Single Market. There will be a certain level of checks, again that will be kept to a minimum, to ensure that any goods that are...

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (23 Oct 2019)

Helen McEntee: They will be done at the ports and airports and there will be-----

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (23 Oct 2019)

Helen McEntee: I think some of that has to be still worked out at this stage but there will be officials at the ports in Northern Ireland, so they would be Northern Ireland officials. As to it being overseen, as I have said in terms of the Single Market and alignment, there is talk of various bodies but also the ECJ, if it gets to that point. It is important to say that from our point of view and,...