Results 21-40 of 1,415 for speaker:Tom Kitt

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: The earliest practicable day.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: My understanding is that the Assembly would be restored and the Executive Ministers would take their positions. They would direct the work of the Implementation Bodies at that stage.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: It is all hypothetical. I think the two Governments would decide what to do in that situation.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: At that stage it would.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: The Parliament of Westminster would receive a report from the Implementation Bodies. We are probably now dealing with issues that are very difficult to predict and I think we have gone as far as we can at this point.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: I thank Members for their salient questions. The requirement for the terms of determination is the making of the expiry order by the Taoiseach. Obviously, that would only be done after the restoration of the Assembly and the North-South Ministerial Council. If the Assembly comes back and cannot elect an Executive, it will be suspended again.

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: Senator Mansergh has dealt with the issue. We are dealing with the de facto and not the de jure suspension by the UK. We have to take remedial action to preserve the North-South—

Seanad: British-Irish Agreement (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Nov 2002)

Tom Kitt: I thank Members for their contributions. They delved, as the Seanad always does, into possible areas at which we will have to look in the future. The main focus of the discussion was that we need to get on with the talks today. I thank Members for their support for what we will do today. The coming weeks and months give us an opportunity to ensure the peace process continues. Many individuals...

Seanad: Iraq Crisis: Statements. (6 Feb 2003)

Tom Kitt: I am happy the House is having this debate and I am anxious to hear what Members have to say. I will be happy to respond if they have particular queries they want addressed. Yesterday the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, presented to the Security Council the evidence which President Bush had promised in his State of the Union Address at the end of January. A considerable volume of...

Seanad: Iraq Crisis: Statements (Resumed). (6 Feb 2003)

Tom Kitt: I am privileged to have been involved in this debate and I am happy to have been present throughout because it has been profound and balanced. There was a diversity of views and opinions, which I expected, but the one over-riding message was that we should do everything possible to avoid war. For that reason, it is important the House debated the issue. It was timely, too, because additional...

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (21 Mar 2003)

Tom Kitt: I am very pleased to have the opportunity to address this House again today on the subject of Iraq. On the previous occasion when we discussed this issue in the Seanad, on 6 February last, I described the background to what was still an impending conflict. I expressed the hope that military action could be averted and I set out what was required of Saddam Hussein's regime. Unfortunately, and...

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (21 Mar 2003)

Tom Kitt: The Government's decision to continue to make the facilities of Shannon available was taken after long and serious consideration. It is a decision taken in Ireland's best interests and does not mark a departure from existing practice extending over several decades. The Government believes that the entire international community must unite in ensuring that the long-suffering people of Iraq...

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (21 Mar 2003)

Tom Kitt: I rarely get the opportunity to address the House.

Seanad: Foreign Conflicts: Motion. (21 Mar 2003)

Tom Kitt: This has been a long and worthwhile debate. I have always respected the views of this House and having listened to both sides of the argument there is no doubt that this has added to debates in the Dáil and those held here previously. This has been a difficult issue from the outset and there are strongly held views on both sides. I explained to Members the reason the Government has adopted a...

Seanad: Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq: Statements. (2 Apr 2003)

Tom Kitt: I welcome this opportunity to debate once again the humanitarian situation in Iraq. We are daily witnessing scenes of conflict and distress in Iraq on our television screens and on my way here I heard about the bombing of a maternity hospital in Baghdad. We do not have the full details, but it is quite harrowing news. Some commentators have suggested that we are becoming used to the 24 hour...

Seanad: Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq: Statements. (2 Apr 2003)

Tom Kitt: I thank Senators for their contributions. I want the issue of the humanitarian situation in Iraq to remain on the political and public agendas. This debate has been helpful in that regard. I thank Senators for giving strong support to the work we are doing. We will continue to play a role in meeting the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people. As many Senators noted, this country is good at...

Seanad: Humanitarian Issues in Post-War Iraq: Statements. (11 Jun 2003)

Tom Kitt: It is good to be back in this House. I am pleased to address this issue of the humanitarian situation in Iraq. I am conscious that the House discussed this matter on the Order of Business. Experience has demonstrated that the humanitarian consequences of conflict continue to be felt long after the images of war have faded from our television screens. In Iraq today, millions of people continue...

Seanad: Humanitarian Issues in Post-War Iraq: Statements. (11 Jun 2003)

Tom Kitt: The two most critical lessons seem to be that the recovery and reconstruction process has to be owned by the population concerned and that high levels of international engagement need to be sustained for many years. We know from our own experience in Northern Ireland how difficult it is to achieve lasting peace where deep divisions and suspicions exist. What is required is motivation and...

Seanad: Humanitarian Issues in Post-War Iraq: Statements. (11 Jun 2003)

Tom Kitt: I may be able to clarify this. Senator Norris is wrong in what he is saying. At the end of the day it is the Minister for Foreign Affairs who is responsible for what is said here.

Seanad: Humanitarian Issues in Post-War Iraq: Statements. (11 Jun 2003)

Tom Kitt: I refer the Senator to my speech in which I used the terms "occupying powers" and "coalition provisional authority" which is actually part of the UN Resolution.