Results 19,621-19,640 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: No, I did not withdraw that. It happened. What happened then? They were acquitted and nothing more was said about it. It was absolutely grand. These are people who give conditional support to our judicial system, and it is they who are supporting the changes being proposed by the Government. The Government is depending on that group of people to get this flawed legislation through the...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: I was watching the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, intently while my colleague, Deputy MacSharry, was putting forward his view and that of our party on this Bill. He seemed to cringe through most of it, possibly because, as a Minister of State at the Department of Justice, he is embarrassed by this legislation. If he were to be very honest about this, he would admit it.

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not bad at reading it, to be honest, and the Minister of State looks most uncomfortable. At least he turned up here today. There is no one on the benches behind him. We, in Fianna Fáil, are here. All of the supporters in government who think-----

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: I will get onto Sinn Féin in a minute. None of the Members who believe this is important, urgent legislation is here. This is not a criticism of the Minister of State but the new Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, should be here to listen to these contributions. I actually think the reason he is not here is because he does not believe in the legislation and because...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: I think it is relevant because Sinn Féin is supporting legislation that is going to fundamentally change how judges are appointed in this country. The Sinn Féin Deputies are probably watching the debate on their monitors so I bet a couple of them will scuttle in here in five minutes or so and take their seats, having been told by the unelected higher powers in their party to get in...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: I am dealing with the contents of the Bill. I can stand over the fact that members of the Provisional IRA-----

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: I respect the Chair.

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: Let me put it this way, let us look back historically. The context in which I raise these points is that our Judiciary operated and continues to operate in a very independent manner. It has stood up to threats to its independence from criminals, criminal gangs and terrorists.

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: I will do so. I am saying this because some of the amendments on which Sinn Féin is insisting on Committee Stage will mean that some of the people who may have tried in the past to tamper with juries and trials and to influence courts in this country and who did not even recognise those courts could actually serve on this lay committee themselves. That will happen because of the deal...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: I cannot do that because it is true.

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: I did not mention any specific Member.

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: Okay. I do not mean to make the Acting Ceann Comhairle's job more difficult. I will simply say that over the 40-year course of the armed conflict, if we want to call it that, there were people in this country who tried on a regular basis to circumvent and undermine the judicial system and to undermine juries. Many of them did not even recognise the courts. This is all factual. There are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (4 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: 230. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to help meet the need for primary school places in Swords, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31334/17]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (4 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: 247. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts being made at EU and international level to prevent the persecution of Christians; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30902/17]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Syrian Conflict (4 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: 249. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the situation in Syria; the recent efforts made by the EU to resolve this conflict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31025/17]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Issues (4 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: 250. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the situation in Hungary; the efforts being made at EU level to address issues such as the curtailment of the media and violations of democratic norms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31026/17]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Conflict Resolution (4 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: 251. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the efforts being made to bring peace to the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31027/17]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (4 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: 252. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the recent efforts that have been made to address the situation of the undocumented Irish in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31028/17]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Migration Crisis (4 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: 253. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the recent efforts being made at EU and international level to address the migration crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31029/17]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid Provision (4 Jul 2017)

Darragh O'Brien: 254. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the situation in South Sudan; the efforts being made to bring an end to the civil war and to address the emerging famine in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31030/17]