Results 141-160 of 2,477 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: The Deputy asked a number of questions, but I cannot let them go without making one of my pet comments. Perhaps so many lobbyists on behalf of the petrochemical industry will not be needed with COP being hosted in one of the largest oil-producing and oil-exporting countries.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: No one seems to get the irony of that. That is by the by, though.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: The focus of the committee is on the audit. That is closer to the motion being debated in the Dáil Chamber than it is our work in this committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: I shall hand over to Mr. Murphy. I do not know how he will deal with that one.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: Sorry Deputy, but we should stick to the format agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: That concludes this round. Before Deputy Howlin comes back in, I want to pose some questions. I do not know if this can be seen as me causing trouble but I want to go back to the point made by Deputy Howlin in respect of the level of debt being incurred, the borrowing that is being done and the ratio involved. There has been exponential growth in that. At what point does the auditing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: What I was getting at with the two questions is at what point the ECA switches from highlighting to calling a halt?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: The ECA does not have the audit function of a private company. I know there was an allusion made to that. It is the job of an auditor of a private company, when management comes out with a line like that, to say “Well, do you know what guys?” There are certain recent examples in this State where perhaps the auditors should have stepped in at an earlier stage and said that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: That brings me to the second part of the point I was going to make specifically on Ukraine. Like others, I am pragmatic on these things. Funding mechanisms are put in place to get around problems that exist on the ground, particularly when a union of 27 sovereign states is trying to figure out how to do something. With regard to the role of the Court of Auditors, looking at one aspect, it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Court of Auditors Annual Report 2022: Discussion (22 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: Yes, we are. With that, I thank Mr. Murphy for the information he has provided and his engagement. It has been useful to the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future Treaty Change in the European Union: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: On behalf of the committee, I welcome Dr. Barry Colfer, director of research at the Institute of International and European Affairs, IIEA. Dr. Colfer is joined by his colleague, Mr. Dylan Marshall. I also welcome Professor Gavin Barrett from the Sutherland School of Law at University College Dublin, UCD. At today's meeting, we will be discussing future treaty changes in the European Union....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future Treaty Change in the European Union: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: I thank the witnesses. Those were two very interesting opening statements covering a wide range of issues. I call Deputy Howlin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future Treaty Change in the European Union: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: Who wishes to come back in first?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future Treaty Change in the European Union: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: No, questions, Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future Treaty Change in the European Union: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: We definitely have to move on. Just to be fair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future Treaty Change in the European Union: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: I thank Deputy Ó Murchú. Dr. Colfer or Professor Barrett, whoever would like to start first. Perhaps Professor Barrett will go first and we will rotate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future Treaty Change in the European Union: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: I cannot remember who went first last time, so since Professor Barrett is nearest to me, I invite him to respond. He can start.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future Treaty Change in the European Union: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: I will go back to Deputy Ó Murchú. He wanted to come in for a quick moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Future Treaty Change in the European Union: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Colm Brophy: The simultaneous joy and problem of being Chair is that by the time you get to make a contribution a lot of ground has been covered. I want to focus or express a view on certain areas and get the witnesses' thoughts on them. We talked a lot about the Franco-German position and axis. I call a spade a spade in that regard because it all hangs off the following. The question of enlargement...