Results 1,781-1,800 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I remind members and witnesses of our time restrictions owing to the Covid regulatory framework. I will not ask the ambassador to elaborate on all of the questions from Deputies Gannon and Cowen and Senators Wilson and O'Reilly, many of which were very interesting. Rather, I ask him to briefly comment on them and, if it is not too much of a burden, to send a note to the committee over the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I am reluctant to intervene but I have to bring matters to a conclusion. My apologies to members as wells. As I said, there is a strict time limit on our use of this room and some members are due to attend in the Convention Centre as well. I have asked the ambassador to address the outstanding issues from Senators Wilson and O'Reilly and Deputy Cowen by way of note to the committee and we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the ambassador and his officials. If members are happy, we will move to the next engagement which I know is of interest to all of them. I remind them that we will have to bring matters to a conclusion at 1.30 p.m.. If it is acceptable to members we will hear the opening statement and then move straight to questions. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I welcome the ambassador of Israel, Mr. Ophir Kariv, to brief the committee on the current situation in Israel and the wider region. I welcome the ambassador and his official. I would remark to colleagues that the ambassador is attending with us on the important feast and holiday of Hanukkah. In that regard, we wish members of the Jewish community in Ireland a happy holiday and, indeed,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the ambassador for his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I am reluctant to intervene but I must ask the Deputy to pose questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: We are running out of time and every member wants to contribute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: The Senator should ask a question rather than offering his view.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I thank Senator O'Reilly. I will invite the ambassador to respond to the questions asked by Deputy Brady and Senators Craughwell and O'Reilly and then we will resume with Deputy Gannon and Senator Wilson.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: We have to conclude by 1.30 p.m., which gives us about 16 minutes. I am very keen to give the ambassador time for a closing comment, but I do want to bring in both Deputy Gannon and Senator Wilson, and they could well be joined by way of questions from our colleagues who are joining us remotely. I ask the ambassador to deal with the questions, in particular Deputy Brady's questions, as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I will intervene here. Notwithstanding the fact many of the specific questions were not addressed, I want to give Deputies Clarke and Gannon and Senator Wilson an opportunity to speak. Perhaps then the ambassador can resume. Of course, any issues that have not been addressed, and I am thinking, in particular, of Senators Craughwell and O'Reilly-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: The ambassador will have an opportunity to address these issues and I invite him to do so in writing over the holiday period. I really want to give to Deputies Clarke and Gannon an opportunity to speak.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I am sure we can arrange this for the spring, subject to our work schedule. I want to bring in Deputy Clarke.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I thank Deputy Clarke for being so succinct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I am keen to keep order. Members have the opportunity to ask and pose their questions to the ambassador. We are grateful for his attendance at our committee. Indeed, I will speak on behalf of the members and say that we will have a further opportunity next year to engage with the ambassador on the basis of his assertion that while the peace process is currently stalled, there is a keenness...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: Some of the questions that have been posed by members, not only now, but during our earlier session, might warrant a written note over the holiday period. I invite the ambassador to come back to us on that. I now ask him to address the second round of questions and, perhaps, leave us with some concluding remarks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: His Excellency should continue uninterrupted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: If his Excellency could just give us a note on education investment and the education system-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: -----that would be of benefit to our members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Developments in Georgia: Engagement with Ambassador of Georgia (10 Dec 2020)

Charles Flanagan: I very much regret that I need to bring matters to a conclusion because we have been in this room for more than two hours. I ask His Excellency to drop the committee a note on the educational system in Israel, on the matter of the environment and water and on the current very sensitive political situation, dealing with the issues raised by Senator Craughwell. As His Excellency and members...