Results 1,621-1,640 of 9,894 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Tá mé ag roinnt mo chuid ama le roint Teachtaí eile ach níl na hainmneacha agam. I want to pay tribute to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan. We have heard a lot of people talking about fishing, insulation and rural and urban Ireland, but I have heard very few people...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Brexit Issues (15 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Richmond as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú anocht. The protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland is a joint solution by the United Kingdom and the European Union to the serious challenges raised by Brexit on the island of Ireland. The agreement took more than four years of negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Brexit Issues (15 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: The politics of Brexit are proving to be corrosive in the already sensitive situation in the North of Ireland, polarising opinion and increasing tensions. I reiterate that the protocol makes no change to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. That is set down in the Good Friday Agreement. I want us to get to a place where the implementation of the protocol is fully realised in a...

National Recovery and Resilience Plan: Statements (2 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Tá áthas orm bheith anseo chun freagra a thabhairt ar an díospóireacht seo. To answer immediately the point about Oireachtas scrutiny that Deputy Connolly raised, I will point out that the Minister has in fact been in touch regularly with the Oireachtas finance committee, and that engagement will continue. The Minister will be subject to ongoing scrutiny on this issue....

Situation in Belarus: Motion (1 Jun 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine a labhair sa díospóireacht seo. Members have rightly condemned the actions of the Lukashenko regime. It is important that we have spoken with one voice, across all parties, against the Lukashenko regime and in full support of the ordinary people of Belarus, both those in the country itself and those who can no longer live there and who had to...

Seanad: European Digital Green Certificate: Statements (7 May 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí atá i láthair inniu, agus gabhaim buíochas as an deis seo míniú don Seanad cad atá ag tarlú leis an ábhar fíorthábhachtach seo. The pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the lives of everyone in Ireland. The Government's public health response to the pandemic continues to be...

Seanad: European Digital Green Certificate: Statements (7 May 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht thábhachtach seo inniu. Like everybody who has spoken here today, airport workers and airline workers are my friends, my neighbours, my relations, and my constituents. This is an issue of great importance to me, but also to the Government as well. They have been in such a difficult position for the past...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I am very happy to echo the comments of Deputy McNamara. We were in a state of some disagreement last week but I completely agree with his comments in that the fundamental right of free movement is not only a human right but a legal right. It is one of the benefits of European Union citizenship and the treaties. The Deputy also mentioned free movement of goods, which is another critical...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: If the Greek Government wants to accept something like this, that will be its concern. Currently, the position here is it is an offence to travel abroad unnecessarily. It is complicated. The vaccine roll-out is getting under way fast and we hope we can put this behind us. We must be very careful.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Global solidarity is really important and fair and equitable access to a vaccine is vital, regardless of income, around the world. EU engagement will accelerate global efforts to bring the pandemic under control and scale up the distribution of successful vaccines when available. We strongly believe in a co-ordinated and multilateral response to Covid-19 as an unprecedented global health...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I thank everybody for their statements and questions. As the Taoiseach indicated, I will report on the discussions of the members of the European Council on the two external relations items on the agenda, namely, Russia and Turkey. As the meeting was by videoconference, the discussion on Russia was only an information point. European Council President Charles Michel briefed leaders on...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I am more than happy to answer as many of the questions as I can. Deputy Brady asked about Catalonia. It is a matter for the people of Spain and the people of Catalonia as to how their affairs are dealt with, in accordance with the rule of law. It is a matter for the European Parliament to make decisions regarding the application of its parliamentary privileges and immunities. It is up to...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: Hopefully, the Deputy will give me the opportunity to answer quite a few questions that have been raised in respect of the general issues he has raised. Before Christmas, Deputy O'Donoghue was anti-vaccines. Now he is telling us that we should be going to Russia-----

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: In regard to what Deputy O'Donoghue said about Ireland not being mentioned in the conclusions - or minutes, as the Deputy calls them - of the European Council, he should look back at all the conclusions of previous Council meetings and all the records of discussions at the General Affairs Council and in the European Parliament, particularly since Brexit. I honestly think he will find that no...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: The difficulty is that I have been asked to mention Turkey and Russia in my wrap-up. I want to get through some of the questions now, if I can. In regard to new variants, which were mentioned as a cause for concern, there is a great deal of work under way in the European Union on that issue. The EU's early warning and rapid response system is providing some data on the circulation of...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I can answer the Deputy on this point.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I can answer the Deputy on the issue of the digital green certificate.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: They are not hotels but it involves home quarantining.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: If I may, I am in the hands of the Acting Chairman and those of the Members. Sometimes at this point, I answer the questions that have been raised already. However, if Members wish to ask questions now, I am happy to do it either way.

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Thomas Byrne: I can answer more at the end. If the Acting Chairman wants me to go through the points that have been raised, I am more than happy to do that.