Results 261-280 of 2,497 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future of the EU-UK Relationship: UK Ambassador to Ireland (12 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: I am going to be a little more definitive now and I am going to ask the ambassador to address the issues that we are primarily here to discuss today. I want to give members a bit of leeway but this is not a discussion on that point. This is a discussion on potential UK-EU future relations. With that, I will hand back to the ambassador.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future of the EU-UK Relationship: UK Ambassador to Ireland (12 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: I will go now to Deputy Haughey but before I do I would say this about the Windsor Framework. It is one of those great ironies because in the Prime Minister's speech he told the people of Northern Ireland that they have the most enviable situation of being in the European Union and in the United Kingdom, which of course was something everybody in the United Kingdom enjoyed until Brexit. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future of the EU-UK Relationship: UK Ambassador to Ireland (12 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: We have concluded our contributions from members. I want to make a couple of points and to ask questions of the ambassador myself. I would be very interested to know where the process lies in terms of the UK moving on the historic EU legislation that is embedded within UK law. As he is aware, there was legislation effectively to scrap that and we know that has now been stepped back. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future of the EU-UK Relationship: UK Ambassador to Ireland (12 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: Before I bring our engagement to a close, it is always worth noting at a point such as this what the relationship will be in the future. One of the key things is that when the UK was a member of the EU, the ability of Ireland and UK to work together was one of the pronounced parts of membership for both countries. We shared some similar goals and a vision for Europe. Extrapolating the new...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency: Discussion with Spanish Ambassador (5 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: On behalf of the committee, I welcome the Spanish ambassador, H.E. Mr. Ion de la Riva. Today's meeting is to discuss the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the European Council, which began on 1 July. Before we begin, I advise the ambassador of the long-standing parliamentary practice that witnesses should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency: Discussion with Spanish Ambassador (5 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: Not at all. I thank the ambassador for his comprehensive presentation of what sounds like an excellent work programme for the upcoming Presidency. A number of Deputies want to come in. I do not usually intervene or make a comment first. However, I want to say one thing that is particular to my way of thinking about things. It is about the relationship between the European Union and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency: Discussion with Spanish Ambassador (5 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: His Excellency has been very comprehensive. There is opportunity for some back and forth on this as we have some flexibility on time. I call Deputy Haughey.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency: Discussion with Spanish Ambassador (5 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: I thank the ambassador. As someone who will be in the ambassador's lovely country for the election, the notion of campaigning in 30°C is not one that any politician, regardless of his or her perspective, would relish. In this country, we would not even think of conducting an election in that heat at the time of year in question. It will be a very interesting experience to watch the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency: Discussion with Spanish Ambassador (5 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: If the ambassador can add to that in five minutes he is a very good man.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency: Discussion with Spanish Ambassador (5 Jul 2023)

Colm Brophy: As someone who has been in Madrid on many occasions, it is a beautiful city at any time. I thank the ambassador for coming before the committee today. We very much appreciate it. The thing I took from a lot of what he was saying, and the way the questions worked and the way he was answering really brought it home, is that interconnectivity between the central themes of the Presidency. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Enlargement and the Western Balkans: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Colm Brophy: On behalf of the committee, I welcome Mr. Miroslav Laják, EU special representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and other western Balkan regional issues who is joining us online. Due to a technical issue, we will have audio but we will not have a visual link for the moment. At today's meeting we will discuss EU enlargement in the western Balkans, focusing on the situation on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Enlargement and the Western Balkans: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Colm Brophy: I thank Mr. Lajcák for his opening remarks. A number of members who would like to ask him questions. It was an interesting contribution. He covered quite a range of areas. I have one comment. I appreciate what he said about examining again at how membership could be developed and the interim stage idea. Perhaps it is something in the Irish way of thinking or whatever, but I always...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Enlargement and the Western Balkans: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Colm Brophy: We appreciate that flexibility.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Enlargement and the Western Balkans: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Colm Brophy: I thank Mr. Laják No one else is indicating they wish to engage, so I will conclude. I return to a central point I raised with Mr. Laják at the start on the risks associated with a temporary solution. I appreciate what he said. I remain of the view, however, that it would quickly evolve into a solution that would work for a time and that it would possibly create more problems...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Enlargement and the Western Balkans: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Colm Brophy: I thank Mr. Laják for joining us. We appreciate it. It is a pity we did not have the video connection working perfectly, but it did not detract in any way from the level of engagement. The conversation we had just was very worthwhile. I thank Mr. Laják on behalf of the committee. We will conclude our first session, go into private sessions briefly and then resume in public...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Enlargement and the Western Balkans: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Colm Brophy: This is our second discussion today on EU enlargement and the western Balkans. We are joined in the committee room by Dr. Gëzim Visoka, who is associate professor of peace and conflict studies at the Dublin City University, DCU, centre for international conflict resolution and reconstruction. I welcome Dr. Visoka and thank him for joining us today. I will briefly read the note on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Enlargement and the Western Balkans: Discussion (28 Jun 2023)

Colm Brophy: Yes. We have approximately 30 seconds.