Results 1,741-1,760 of 9,894 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Post-European Council Meeting on 15 and 16 October: Statements (Resumed) (20 Oct 2020)

Thomas Byrne: What I am saying is-----

Post-European Council Meeting on 15 and 16 October: Statements (Resumed) (20 Oct 2020)

Thomas Byrne: I am saying that as of-----

Post-European Council Meeting on 15 and 16 October: Statements (Resumed) (20 Oct 2020)

Thomas Byrne: I am not giving detailed information about what other countries are doing because I do not have it. In the past few days, governments all around Europe have been taking significant and serious steps.

Post-European Council Meeting on 15 and 16 October: Statements (Resumed) (20 Oct 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Portugal has a state of calamity, for example.

Post-European Council Meeting on 15 and 16 October: Statements (Resumed) (20 Oct 2020)

Thomas Byrne: The mood at the European Council and the General Affairs Council regarding Covid-19 was extremely grim. The pattern is the same all over Europe in terms of how health systems are coping, how countries are dealing with Covid-19 and what the worries are. Deputies Boyd Barrett and Ó Murchú and others questioned Deputy Richmond on Covid-19 engagement. The European Union does not have...

Post-European Council Meeting on 15 and 16 October: Statements (Resumed) (20 Oct 2020)

Thomas Byrne: I propose to read my response regarding Africa first and then to go through the questions Deputies have asked. There will probably still be time at the end if any of the Deputies wish to ask further specific questions. One of the points made was that I am not the Minister for Health so I cannot answer questions relating to health. I can answer on what I did at the General Affairs Council...

Financial Resolutions 2020 - Financial Resolution No. 7: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Ba mhaith liom mo chuid ama a roinnt leis an Teachta Flaherty. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, opened his budget speech yesterday by saying "The backdrop for budget 2021 is a truly remarkable one", and never was a truer word spoken. When the budget last year was presented, it had been developed by the then Government in the shadow of Brexit. It was...

Pre-European Council Meeting on 15 and 16 October: Statements (7 Oct 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta a bhí ag labhairt agus ag cur isteach sa díospóireacht. Bhí pointí an-tábhachtacha déanta maidir leis an Eorap agus maidir leis an tír seo. Táim buíoch do na Teachtaí a rinne cur síos ar roinnt de na ceisteanna tábhachtacha a bhaineann le caidreamh seachtrach na hEorpa, ceist a pléadh...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Northern Ireland (30 Sep 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach as an bhfáilte a chur sé romham anseo ar maidin. Ba mhaith liom freisin mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Seanadóir McCallion ós rud é gur ardaigh sí na hábhair tábhachtacha seo ag tús an tSeanaid inniu. The New Decade, New Approach agreement, as the Senator said, was published...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Northern Ireland (30 Sep 2020)

Thomas Byrne: I will pass on the Senator's request to the Taoiseach and the Ministers. We have a Taoiseach who is probably the most committed to education we have ever seen. He is also committed to breaking down the barriers between people within the North and between North and South. That is what this Taoiseach is about. One way of doing that is expanding access to education, both regionally for the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Foreign Policy (30 Sep 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht an fháilte a chuir sé romham inniu. Nuair a tháinig mé isteach mar Aire Stáit níor cheap mé go mbeinn, ar mo chéad lá sa Seanad, díreach ar ais i Seomra na Dála. Tá taithí agam anseo ach bhí mé i mo Sheanadóir ar feadh cúig bliana freisin. Gabhaim...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Foreign Policy (30 Sep 2020)

Thomas Byrne: We will maintain our call for the authorities to engage in meaningful dialogue. To be clear, the Government led by the Taoiseach does not accept the results of the election. I want to be absolutely clear. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, of which Belarus is a member, has offered to visit Minsk and help facilitate talks. We will continue to encourage the...

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (22 Jul 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Of course.

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (22 Jul 2020)

Thomas Byrne: I thank both Deputies for the questions. Deputy Brady's question on the national recovery and resilience plans is very helpful. With the greatest respect, I have to say that there has been a lot of confusion about this issue today. To obtain the grants, member states are required to prepare national recovery and resilience plans setting out their reform and investment agendas for the years...

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (22 Jul 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Yes, but I am answering the questions. Some issues have been put forward that are not correct. I want to be very clear about the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, and I will answer Deputy Marian Harkin's question in this context. The CAP budget for Ireland is protected. Damaging cuts were originally proposed during the negotiations and they have been reversed. The starting point back in...

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (22 Jul 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Can I just answer the last question?

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (22 Jul 2020)

Thomas Byrne: I thank Deputy Brady for giving way. I fully accept the bona fides of Deputy Healy-Rae raising this issue. Taxpayers' money is a very important issue. He is right to be cautious, as the Government is also, but that does not fall under my area of responsibility in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is an issue for the Department of Health. I will pass on Deputy Healy-Rae's...

Post-European Council Meetings: Statements (22 Jul 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine as an seans an buiséad agus na rudaí tábhachtacha seo a phlé inniu. I want to thank everybody who has come into the Chamber today to discuss the particular issues. Different views have been expressed, and some have been put forward in the best-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: EU Bodies (21 Jul 2020)

Thomas Byrne: Since taking up office as Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, I have met my officials on this issue. It is a priority to address the decreased number of Irish people working in the institutions. With that in mind, I have had extensive meetings on this to continue to develop the strategy that is already under way thanks to my predecessor. I have arranged a number of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Data Protection (21 Jul 2020)

Thomas Byrne: As I outlined, the Government is fully committed to the highest standards of data protection being in place for the benefit of Irish and other EU citizens. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, supports the entitlement of people across the EU to exercise their rights of data protection. However, the independence of our courts and the European Court of Justice must be respected, as must the...