Results 1,421-1,440 of 2,888 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Referendum Campaigns (14 Jul 2020)

Colm Brophy: We are committed to holding a referendum on extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State. The Government will shortly restore the Thirty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill to the Dáil Order Paper. The date for the holding of the referendum will be decided once the legislation has been approved by the Oireachtas.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I wish to raise an issue about that. We need to establish clarity on schedules for this committee and the Dáil as soon as possible. We have a situation where we are about to start a session and Deputies have been notified that should be present for a potential vote in the National Convention Centre at midday. That would run a coach-and-four through the middle of this session.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: It is. This situation is likely to continue.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: Perhaps Deputy Boyd Barrett is able to pull off bilocation. What are we going to do about this situation? Are we as a committee going to request some automatic full pairing? Are we going to just let it happen? We need to deal proactively with the Whip's office in this regard.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I have a second point on the working group. I believe there was a discussion about reports on Friday.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I was wondering when that will come back to us as a full committee, out of a working group discussion, to look at the proposals and make decisions. What is the thinking of the Chair and the working group? While I gather it is progressing quite a bit, I am not sure of the status of that Friday working group. Will the committee as a whole decide what reports we produce, when we produce them...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I have no problem with that at all.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: Is the new system in operation?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: So I can take five minutes, followed immediately by the other five minutes-----

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I believe Deputy Colm Burke wants to contribute after me so I will take five minutes initially and then let him take the other five. I would like Mr. Moran to clarify something in respect of which he might not want to speak or act in a particular way. He keeps saying we want money out as quickly as possible and that there is an estimate of approximately €6 billion. This leads to a...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I am going to interrupt Mr. Moran as I want to ask a specific question. When he states that cash is required in the initial period, I am trying to deduce whether he is seeking a scheme like that in Northern Ireland, where everybody would get €25,000. Is he looking for small and medium enterprises to be able to say very quickly that they need €7,000 or €47,000, for...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: That is the point I was not getting and I apologise for that. I started a business in 1993 and ran it as a small and medium enterprise until 2016. The €25,000 would be absolutely brilliant for some SMEs and absolutely nothing to others. Is this in the first instance to get money out quickly? Is the organisation seeking variable amounts or some type of instant and one-off payment to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: Okay. I thank the witness.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I take it that is the primary proposal that Mr. Moran would like considered in the July statement.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I agree. We know what happened and we cannot go back to May, so is that still Mr. Moran's primary request?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: I thank the witness. I appreciate others hope to follow up on that. I have another question linked to a witness coming before the committee later today. The witness mentioned earlier the implications and real dangers of the necessity for a repeated national lockdown or a localised lockdown. Ironically, the SME sector feeds into hotels, restaurants and other businesses in communities and...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: That does not answer the question. Does Mr. Moran mean the second wave is more of a danger and we should not be opening to inward-bound tourism?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: With due respect, I have run an SME in that area. It seems an organisation is speaking for SMEs but does not have a view on this. Grant aid is important but it is also important to know the opinion of an umbrella organisation for SMEs. Many SMEs are very much affected by this but the witness has indicated it is not an area he wishes to discuss.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: What is Mr. Moran's view, or does he have a view?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: SME Recovery (30 Jun 2020)

Colm Brophy: So Mr. Moran does not have an answer for me. I thank the witness.