Results 1,921-1,940 of 8,947 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Breeding (30 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: 773. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if consideration is being given to restricting the type of dog that can be bred in Ireland on the basis that they are excessively dangerous; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18933/24]

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Taoiseach and his officials are very welcome. I raised a couple of issues with him. One is that his Department has responsibility for commissions of investigation. I think there are two under his control at present. One is the NAMA commission and the other is the IBRC commission. I am conscious that the IBRC commission has concluded. It delivered its report in July 2022. Where are...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Whatever way the Taoiseach wants to do it.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Taoiseach. I am conscious as well that both commissions of investigation have taken seven years. It is something that we should reflect on as policy-makers and Members of the Oireachtas. When we call for commissions of investigation, they are very well-intentioned calls. The objective of all Members of the Dáil or Seanad when we call for commissions is that we can get a...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Deputy English referred to the pandemic review process. I am sure the Taoiseach is concerned about calling it a Covid inquiry but, certainly, it would be beneficial to have some type of Covid review process. The Government is committed to doing so. I agree with Deputy English that there is no intention on the part of any Member of the Oireachtas to turn it into a sort of show trial or try...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does the Taoiseach agree with me that politicians who made the crucial decisions at the time should not be fearful of a review body recommending that some of those decisions might, and perhaps should, have been made differently? That would not be a criticism of the judgment calls made by people at the time.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Of course.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The final issue I want to raise is migration. I agree with the Taoiseach that migration has been very good for this country. In fact, we sometimes do not give ourselves praise for handling well issues with which other countries have had difficulty. We have handled immigration particularly well in this country over the past 25 years, since it began to happen. Before then, it was something...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is a fair comment. The reason the accommodation starting point is used a lot is that people see, with the situation like that on Mount Street, that there is a great and demonstrable difficulty in providing accommodation. The numbers of people seeking international protection are increasing significantly. I would say there will be 20,000 applicants this year. Does the Taoiseach agree...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: It looks that way. At some stage, as well as frantically trying to provide accommodation for the people coming in and joining the application process, there is a legitimate entitlement to look at the other end of the equation to see what steps we can take to try to reduce the numbers coming here. People may be offended by that statement but I say it because it is not fair on the individuals...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Chief State Solicitor's Office (Revised) (24 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: One of the interesting points the Minister for Justice made yesterday was that more than 80% of the people seeking international protection in Ireland are coming over the Border from the United Kingdom. That presents a very challenging circumstance, because if people arrive into our ports, there are circumstances where we can have some level of control in respect of that. Are there any...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (23 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome Mr. Moore. How much is in the European Defence Fund for the seven-year period?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (23 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: If the programmes are merged, they will have access to more than €100 billion. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (23 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: If the programmes are merged, presumably military defence funding will have access to a greater pot. Is that fair to say?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (23 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: That is okay. In terms of the politics of this, is this being urged by the Commission? Is the policy to review it being urged by the Commission because of pressure from more eastern countries on the European Commission?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (23 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: If the Commission were to put forward a proposal that Ireland does not like, what would the consequence of that be? Will it be through qualified majority voting? How will that issue be determined?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (23 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes, but it would be a fund that would have a dual-use purpose.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (23 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: There is therefore very little we can do about it, if that is ultimately the decision that is made by the Parliament on the recommendation of the Commission.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (23 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes, if that is what is decided.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: European Year of Skills 2023: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome all the witnesses. I will start with Mr. McLoughlin. What was his pathway in becoming an apprentice electrician? Did he go straight into that after school?