Results 161-180 of 432 for speaker:Niall Blaney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Representatives of the Ballymurphy Families (25 May 2021)

Niall Blaney: I extend a very warm welcome Mr. Teggart, Ms Quinn and Mr. Ó Muirigh. I am delighted to meet them, although nothing beats a face-to-face meeting. Perhaps we will make that happen at a later stage with your assistance, Chairman. I have to say that the campaign is one of bravery. I must agree with Mr. Maskey's comments about the dignity and respect with which the witnesses have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Representatives of the Ballymurphy Families (25 May 2021)

Niall Blaney: I also have a proposal. Following the response from all parties and everybody at the meeting, we should first and foremost write through the Chair to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs opposing the amnesty the British Government currently has on the table. I also propose that he writes on our behalf to Boris Johnson outlining that the committee opposes any amnesty. Given...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Ireland's Future (1 Jun 2021)

Niall Blaney: Senator O'Sullivan is substituting for Deputy Smith, who has had to leave for another meeting. I thank Mr. Murphy for his presentation and for the work his group are doing. They seem to have done considerable work in the recent years. I find the conversation interesting because we are on a similar pathway but we seem to have different concepts of how we get there. We have agreement that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Ireland's Future (1 Jun 2021)

Niall Blaney: Very much so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Ireland's Future (1 Jun 2021)

Niall Blaney: Senator McGreehan will contribute next.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (22 Jun 2021)

Niall Blaney: I will put on record how we can get the current scheme up to 100% redress. There are seven issues involved. The first relates to insurance companies. In the past, insurance companies have been asked by the Government to give lump sums towards redress in the area of health. We are asking the Government to contact the insurance companies and ask them to give a lump sum over the next ten to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (22 Jun 2021)

Niall Blaney: Finally, there are issues with engineers that must be looked at.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (22 Jun 2021)

Niall Blaney: Go raibh maith agat. I will be taking the full-time as Senator Dooley has left to attend a committee meeting. I thank the Minister of State for his reply. We really welcome the moves by the Minister regarding the SEAI. Over and above the issues I mentioned, I wish to discuss the ten-year Government bond I mentioned. There is a fear among homeowners that if they do some remedial works on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Ireland's Future (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Niall Blaney: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their presentations. Following on from some of the comments I made on the previous occasion about the Good Friday Agreement, where we are on this island, the pathway that lies ahead for us and how we create that pathway, there is a lot of responsibility and onus on us all. In reference to this, the battle over many decades was with the British...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Irish Central Border Area Network (22 Jun 2021)

Niall Blaney: I welcome the members of ICBAN to the meeting. I apologise, as I missed the start of the meeting. I was speaking on a Commencement matter in the Seanad on mica. I am aware of the great work done by the organisation through the years with politicians from all persuasions working in collaboration. It is a good example of how this country can come together and make politics work. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Irish Central Border Area Network (22 Jun 2021)

Niall Blaney: I am sure that the Fine Gael and Green Party Government members will be in a position to help the witnesses in any way we can. They should keep up the good work. They have done a lot of good work in the past and long may they continue to do so.

Seanad: Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (15 Jul 2021)

Niall Blaney: I very warmly welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. The Bill before the Seanad today marks an important step in the equal treatment for farmers who cannot realise the value of their assets. The Bill will allow for the continuation of their farms when they are no longer able to work due to advancing age. We must ensure fair treatment of farmers, not just when they are producing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: The Next Generation of Political Representatives in Northern Ireland: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Niall Blaney: I do not think Deputy Brendan Smith is on the line. I know he was going to be late, but he had hoped to make the meeting. I will start for now. I welcome all contributors today. It is good to see young faces with such a keen interest in Northern Ireland politics. They have a diverse range of views. Sometimes, I feel like I am banging my head off a wall, because we are missing that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Strand 1 of the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (13 Jul 2021)

Niall Blaney: I will go first. I greatly welcome Ms Mercer, Professor Tonge and Mr. McCallister. It is a case of "long time no see" to Mr. McCallister. It is good to see him again. This is an interesting debate involving thinking outside of the box. I will ask a number of questions. I do not really have a great deal to ask about and am more interested to see the response of political party members...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Strand 1 of the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (13 Jul 2021)

Niall Blaney: I thank the Chairman. I forgot earlier to pass on Deputy Brendan Smith’s apologies to the Chairman as the Deputy had an appointment in Cavan this morning and could not be here. The conversation has been very good and interesting. The one thing that is still hanging out there for me is how do we go about pulling this together. Have any of our contributors got any vision or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Strand 1 of the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (13 Jul 2021)

Niall Blaney: Senator McGreehan is at another meeting.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Niall Blaney: I welcome both MEPs. This is a vital move to fight the apathy on this island relating to Europe and how we work with it. I will take up some of the remarks already made, particularly relating to agriculture, Brexit and the Border. I am a Border representative and republican at heart and we all know the difficulties we have seen with Brexit. There are counties affected including that of...

Seanad: Housing For All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland: Statements (29 Sep 2021)

Niall Blaney: I welcome the opportunity to make a statement on the Housing for All strategy. I thank the Minister for being present and for his Ministers of State filling in as well. I thank them all for the momentous work done on this document. I refer to putting together the policies that have made it the great document it is. It well deserves the praise it is getting. Everybody agrees that the...

Seanad: National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (29 Sep 2021)

Niall Blaney: I welcome this debate on lottery betting. This Bill is well-intentioned and I support its spirit. The regulation of betting must be carefully managed. Betting cannot be allowed to get out of hand. I have some concerns that I wish to express on behalf of a colleague, Senator Crowe, who cannot be here today. I told him I would pass his wishes to the House. He has fears around some of the...