Results 241-260 of 432 for speaker:Niall Blaney

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (18 Nov 2021)

Niall Blaney: I welcome the Taoiseach. We are very proud to have him here as our Taoiseach. I was equally as proud on the day he asked me to be his spokesperson on Northern Ireland. Considering what he has done and the republican approach he has taken in the context of the shared island unit and what he is trying to do there, he is setting up an approach to deal with issues in this country in an...

Seanad: Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland: Statements (17 Nov 2021)

Niall Blaney: I, too, thank the Minister for coming to the House again with a fresh update on the Brexit negotiations and the protocol. It is fair to say we must thank the US Administration for its steady and supportive hand throughout this process. As I have said in this House before, the Minister has built up a number of contacts over the years and been a steady hand throughout this process. Our...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (2 Nov 2021)

Niall Blaney: Leading on from Senator Chambers's question, I will follow in the same vein. We have spoken about representation and disparity around human rights in different parts of Union. Many of those rights are visible on a daily basis in Northern Ireland. Mr. Cuffe mentioned earlier the mayoral positions in Galway, Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Waterford. There is a major disparity in this country,...

Seanad: British Government Legacy Proposals: Motion (13 Oct 2021)

Niall Blaney: I thank the Minister for coming before us today. It is appropriate he is here for the debate on this motion. I wish him well over the next few weeks with his deliberations on the workings of the protocol. I thank Senator Currie for bringing the motion before the House and sharing a little insight into her background. It is appropriate that she has led the debate given the background of...

Seanad: British Government Legacy Proposals: Motion (13 Oct 2021)

Niall Blaney: At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (6 Oct 2021)

Niall Blaney: I welcome the Minister to the House to discuss the mica and pyrite redress scheme. I thank him for the time and attention he has given us thus far and I also thank the Taoiseach and other parties to Government. The report of the working group released last week has caused an awful lot of distress to families in County Donegal and probably County Mayo. The Minister is well aware of the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (6 Oct 2021)

Niall Blaney: I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. It is very welcome, as is the Minister's first-hand engagement on the scheme from day one. It is very much appreciated. I do not believe we would be where we are today without his input and dedication. I wish to refer again to the planning exemption. Is there any further detail about that, particularly whether somebody who is downsizing...

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...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Ad-Hoc Group for North-South and East-West Cooperation (28 Sep 2021)

Niall Blaney: There are apologies from Deputy Brendan Smith. He is running late but hopes to join the meeting at some point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Ad-Hoc Group for North-South and East-West Cooperation (28 Sep 2021)

Niall Blaney: I welcome Dr. Soares, Mr. Quinn, Ms Farrell and Dr. Ní Lochlainn here this morning to what is turning out to be an interesting debate, and which becomes more interesting the further we delve into these issues. I would first like to establish what the impact of the protocol has been on the business interests with which the ad hocgroup engages? Does the group see itself as an information...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Ad-Hoc Group for North-South and East-West Cooperation (28 Sep 2021)

Niall Blaney: I thank the witnesses for the replies. I was interested in what Mr. Quinn had to say in regard to the feedback from young people and also his views on the protocol. The protocol is a conversation we could have all day. I am very interested in getting more feedback from young people and youth forums on both sides of the divide in Northern Ireland. They could teach us all a lesson or two...

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: 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: 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.

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...