Results 1,401-1,415 of 1,415 for speaker:Tom Kitt

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: The Assembly would be restored and the Executive would be formed. There would be no need for the exchange of letters and the expiry order would be made by the Taoiseach. That is the sequence of events.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: The Bill does not fall until the Taoiseach makes an order.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: The earliest practicable day.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: My understanding is that the Assembly would be restored and the Executive Ministers would take their positions. They would direct the work of the Implementation Bodies at that stage.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: It is all hypothetical. I think the two Governments would decide what to do in that situation.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: At that stage it would.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: The Parliament of Westminster would receive a report from the Implementation Bodies. We are probably now dealing with issues that are very difficult to predict and I think we have gone as far as we can at this point.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: I thank Members for their salient questions. The requirement for the terms of determination is the making of the expiry order by the Taoiseach. Obviously, that would only be done after the restoration of the Assembly and the North-South Ministerial Council. If the Assembly comes back and cannot elect an Executive, it will be suspended again.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: Senator Mansergh has dealt with the issue. We are dealing with the de facto and not the de jure suspension by the UK. We have to take remedial action to preserve the North-South—

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: I thank Members for their contributions. They delved, as the Seanad always does, into possible areas at which we will have to look in the future. The main focus of the discussion was that we need to get on with the talks today. I thank Members for their support for what we will do today. The coming weeks and months give us an opportunity to ensure the peace process continues. Many individuals...

Seanad: Overseas Development Aid: Motion. (27 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: I thank the Senators who contributed. This has been a helpful debate. Having been a Minister of State in a previous Government, I believe we should discuss issues such as this more often. I thank the Senators who tabled the motion and those who supported it. I, too, agree with those who said that this is an issue we should not politicise, if possible.

Seanad: Overseas Development Aid: Motion. (27 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: Maintaining our contribution as a proportion of GNP in these difficult times is a measure of the Government's clear commitment to increasing the aid programme and achieving the UN target of 0.7% on schedule. This commitment has been confirmed on many previous occasions and is part of the programme for Government. As the motion correctly implies, the value of Ireland's aid should not be viewed...

Seanad: Overseas Development Aid: Motion. (27 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: There has been a letter writing campaign against the fund, which has been accused of supporting abortion. This is not the case and the US has investigated the fund, which Senator Lydon has accepted. I was a Minister of State in the previous Administration and I attended the population conference in Cairo where agreement was reached regarding the need to deal with the world's population. There...

Seanad: Overseas Development Aid: Motion. (27 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: That will happen because the agreement reached at the last major meeting of the WTO in Doha referred to the eventual elimination of subsidies and these policies will have to be brought together sooner rather than later. Agreements were made at Doha, by which we will abide, regarding the CAP but we will have to face up to the merger of development and agricultural policies. However, European...

Seanad: Northern Ireland: Statements. (23 Oct 2002)

Tom Kitt: I am pleased to be part of this debate and to listen to the views of so many people. I acknowledge the work of many individuals who are Members of the Seanad, in particular, the Leader of the House, Senator O'Rourke, who did trojan work with her counterpart, Sir Reg Empey, on the issue of gas interconnection and an all-island gas energy market and, indeed, Senator Mansergh who, as others have...