Results 21-40 of 4,366 for speaker:Neale Richmond

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Priorities of Slovak Presidency of European Council: Slovak Ambassador to Ireland (8 Sep 2016)

Neale Richmond: I thank the ambassador for his detailed and thorough presentation and congratulate him on the achievements thus far of the Slovak Presidency. I wish it well in its final months. I propose to raise three issues. I will not lie; I was slightly disappointed by some of the comments made by Prime Minister Fico on Brexit. In our discussion in private session before the ambassador joined us,...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: Sticking with the theme of higher education funding, I welcome the announcement earlier this week of €10.5 million in funding for Irish universities through four strands of the Erasmus+ funding scheme.Erasmus+ is one of many EU programmes that Irish universities, institutions and community groups are able to benefit from in terms of funding, such as Horizon 2020, the other streams of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: General Affairs Council: Minister of State at Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (4 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for his contribution. Unlike colleagues, I will not focus on the detail of Brexit, as it has been raised by the other members. The Taoiseach spoke about it in the Seanad last week and the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, will be in the Seanad tomorrow for statements on the issue. We have a fair idea what Ireland's key aims are going into the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Brexit Issues (5 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I welcome the Minister of State and thank her for taking this very important debate. I have said it here and in many other forums that Brexit will be an absolute disaster. It will be massively negative, especially for Ireland, in economic terms. However, it will present a few slim opportunities on which Ireland must capitalise in order to offset the negative economic impacts. In the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Brexit Issues (5 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I welcome the reassurance the Minister of State has provided regarding the great efforts being undertaken by the Minister and his ministerial team to bring the European Medicines Agency to Ireland. I underline my view that we must involve the private and commercial sector and civic society in this process and make clear to them that they have a vested interest in achieving this objective....

Seanad: UK Referendum on EU Membership: Statements (5 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I join colleagues in welcoming the Minister and thank him for his remarks. Most importantly, I thank him and his colleagues in government for their ongoing engagement with the House on this most grave issue. It is refreshing to have such regular interaction with Ministers. It is to the credit not only of the Minister but also of the Government in how it is handling the crisis and it is...

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: It is a pleasure to follow that oration from Senator Norris that was met with such resounding applause. I fear my oration will not be as rousing and will definitely not be met with applause. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for taking this debate. I look forward to his response. I commend Senators Alice-Mary Higgins and Grace O'Sullivan and the other signatories...

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: There you go. It is the easy heckle.

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: It seems to be the case that whenever people decide that they are going to take the self-righteous approach and put themselves on a moral pedestal, when one comes back with a counter argument, one sometimes gets booed. This is an institution of democracy and we are allowed to give our opinions. They are not exactly radical. I am not looking for us to turn our backs on certain sectors of...

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I am. Senator Norris, someone for whom I have huge respect who has been in this House for possibly longer than I have been alive, has no problem heckling others but does not like it when they strike back. Well, I am making a bit of a strike back. I have no problem standing up here. People will heckle me but I have no problem in saying that I am a politician from the centre right. I...

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: There you go - more five-year-old behaviour. Half of the conspiracy theories dreamt up are done so because nobody is prepared to stick up for the other side of the argument. I am issuing a challenge to the Government, the leaders in Europe, business leaders, farm leaders and the vast majority of people this deal will benefit to get out there and tackle the naysayers and the misinformation....

Seanad: Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: No, I absolutely trust the people. I trust them to elect representatives to govern on their behalf based on the mandate they sought. The mandate I sought, when I sought election at local authority and Seanad levels, was to deliver more jobs and a stronger economy. I absolutely disagree with this motion and I compel all sensible-thinking people from all parties and none to vote against it....

Seanad: UK Referendum on EU Membership: Statements (13 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I join in welcoming the Minister to the House. I thank her for her thorough remarks. I am greatly enthused that the suggestion made by Senators from all sides of the House following the outcome of Brexit vote to have a series of debates with the relevant Ministers has been arranged by the Leader of the House, and we have had a debate with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I join colleagues in expressing deep sympathy to the family and friends of Anthony Foley on his untimely and sad passing at the weekend. I never had the fortune or, indeed, misfortune to play against him, but my older brother did. In fact, he dislocated his shoulder trying to tackle him. Many in our club would say my brother never tried to tackle anyone ever again. Anthony Foley was a...

Seanad: Children and Youth Affairs: Statements (18 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I am delighted to join colleagues in welcoming the Minister, Deputy Katherine Zappone. This is the first time I have met her. It is a pleasure to do so and I commend her very sincerely for the work she has done in recent weeks, including on the budget. I will declare my interest. My wife is a Montessori teacher and we are in the process of trying to open a Montessori school in south...

Seanad: Children and Youth Affairs: Statements (18 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Garda Vetting of Personnel (20 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, to the House. This is an issue I have raised before with another Minister of State in the Department and it has not changed. From the outset, I would like to put on record that, when we are dealing with children and the most vulnerable in society, it is vital that the highest level of protection and vetting is afforded. However, that does not...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Garda Vetting of Personnel (20 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I thank the Minister of State for his very detailed response. Some of its elements were reassuring, but I must take issue with other elements of the reply. If it were the case the procedure takes five working days I would not have tabled this Commencement matter. I would not receive so many phone calls from service providers, schools or sports clubs. Does this mean five working days is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: State of the Union 2016: European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (20 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: I join others in welcoming the Commissioner and his team from his cabinet and the Commission office here in Dublin. I will pick up where Deputies Colm Brophy and Bernard Durkan left off. Like Deputy Durkan, I am a committed Europhile, and always have been. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to be the person who sells the European ideal and pushes the EU agenda in the member...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: State of the Union 2016: European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (20 Oct 2016)

Neale Richmond: It is not comparable to Auschwitz. To compare it to Auschwitz is an absolute-----