Results 461-480 of 2,477 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Brophy: Ireland's Official Development Assistance (ODA), directed through multilateral and bilateral channels, is provided to countries and communities in greatest need. Our cross-government international development policy, A Better World, is underpinned by the commitment to reaching the furthest behind first.  The OECD Development Assistance Committee's latest peer review, in May 2022,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (6 Oct 2022)

Colm Brophy: In Budget 2023, the Government allocated a total of €1.22 billion for Official Development Assistance (ODA).  This is the highest ever allocation, representing an increase of 17% on 2022.  It includes an increase of €100 million for the international development programme administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs.   In the context of serious budgetary...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (4 Oct 2022)

Colm Brophy: Ireland's current International Election Observation Roster of 197 volunteers, which is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, is in effect from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023. Roster members are available to participate at short notice in Election Observation Missions organised by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the EU. Recruitment of...

Financial Resolutions 2022 - Financial Resolution No. 6: General (Resumed) (29 Sep 2022)

Colm Brophy: I want to make reference, in the context of my portfolio, to the experience I had in the past month. I visited the Horn of Africa, in particular Kenya and South Sudan, and witnessed first-hand the absolute devastation that is happening there. People are at risk of famine of a scale we have not perhaps seen since the mid-1980s. People are currently dying. There were children suffering from...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (29 Sep 2022)

Colm Brophy: In Budget 2023, the Government has made provision for the largest ever allocation to Official Development Assistance:  over €1.20 billion, an increase of 17% on the 2022 allocation. The overall increase of €177 million includes €100 million for Irish Aid in the Department of Foreign Affairs. 2022 was the first time Ireland’s development assistance budget...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (21 Sep 2022)

Colm Brophy: The Department of Foreign Affairs administers and maintains a roster of suitably skilled volunteers, who are available to participate in international election observation missions organised by the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). These election observation missions play an important role in the promotion of democracy, human rights and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (20 Sep 2022)

Colm Brophy: The Government is committed to achieving the UN Official Development Assistance (ODA) target of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2030, as set out in A Better World, Ireland's International Development Policy, and in the Programme for Government. For 2022, the Government allocated €1.044 billion to ODA, a 20% increase on the 2021 allocation. This is the highest ever amount...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (14 Sep 2022)

Colm Brophy: The Horn of Africa is facing a rapidly deteriorating food security crisis, as a result of a four-season drought, protracted and new conflicts, and the global impact of the war in Ukraine. The Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Irish Aid programme, has responded over the past eighteen months with over €74 million in direct humanitarian aid to countries in the region, working...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (14 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: Ireland has consistently expressed concern at the conflict and insecurity in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during our term to date. Unfortunately, recent months have seen an increase in insecurity and violence in eastern DRC and a worrying escalation of tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. At the most recent discussion on the DRC...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Union (14 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is a recognised champion of international food security and global efforts to reduce hunger. In light of the deepening global food security crisis, we are actively engaged in discussions on these matters at a range of EU fora. We are particularly concerned at the situation in least developed, and import-reliant developing countries, including in the Horn of Africa. These countries are...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (14 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: Global food insecurity is at record levels and has worsened with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Rising global food prices have been exacerbated by the effective blockade on shipping from Ukraine's ports which has restricted access to wheat and fertilisers. The United Nation’s outlook for the coming months highlights twenty global hunger hotspots where humanitarian action is an...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Lobbying Reform (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Transport. Regarding current media reports on Uber, following a request from the company, officials from the then Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport met Uber representatives in mid-December 2015 to discuss Uber's proposal to undertake a Limerick pilot cab hailing scheme. The proposal involved...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Lobbying Reform (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: To make it absolutely clear, I am answering as a Minister of State on behalf of the Minister for Transport. Ireland's SPSV regulatory framework requires that all drivers and vehicles be licensed as a means of protecting the consumer and helping to ensure public safety. Furthermore, no special regulations have been developed to govern the carriage of passengers by passenger cars that are not...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Insurance (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: I am aware the Deputy raised this matter directly with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, at an earlier meeting. I am taking this Topical Issue matter on her behalf. Social insurance coverage was extended to self-employed workers in 1988. Since then, self-employed workers whose income is €5,000 or more in a contribution year, are liable to pay a social insurance contribution at the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Insurance (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: I hear very clearly what the Deputy said about clarity around the information. I will raise this with the Minister on behalf of the Deputy, as I know he did earlier. As I outlined, there are parameters within which this takes place, in particular, the four-year time limits, which is consistent with the process in other areas. The Deputy's key point on providing clarity of information and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Public Transport (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: I thank Senator Wall for his question. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic with Members of the House today on behalf of the Minister for Transport. I reassure the Senator that the Government is strongly committed to helping to combat the rising cost of living being experienced throughout the country. A cost-efficient public transport sector including affordable and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Public Transport (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senator for his remarks. I will of course bring his message back to the Minister. I have heard this issue raised by a number of colleagues. I heard the Minister, Deputy McEntee, raise it with regard to her constituency and area. There is no question but that there is an issue there, which the Senator has very clearly highlighted today. Obviously, there is the 20% reduction....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Naval Service (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: Or the capital of Ireland.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Naval Service (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: As the Senator mentioned, the Minister is attending the launch today. The Minister welcomed the publication of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces in February. The establishment of the commission was set out in the programme for Government. The members of the commission were drawn from a wide range of national and international experts. The publication of the report...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Naval Service (13 Jul 2022)

Colm Brophy: I will convey the Senator's views to the Minister, as he has done himself on many occasions. I will also add my own personal take, since we have both known Dún Laoghaire Harbour since childhood. I agree with the Senator that it is underutilised. It is a tremendous facility. For as long as I can remember, the association between the Naval Service and Dún Laoghaire has been...