Results 1-20 of 1,280 for speaker:Garret Ahearn

Seanad: Statement by the Taoiseach (16 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: The Taoiseach is very welcome to the Chamber and I thank him for his contribution. He spoke about the budget first and I acknowledge the budget. It seems from the outside that the budget seeks to protect the economy, jobs, FDI, that this is one of five budgets and that not all measures that were in the programme for Government can be delivered. Initially, some were, such as 9% VAT rate for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Tillage Sector (15 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber this morning and thank him for agreeing to take this Commencement matter. It is important to point out that, in last week's budget, the Department of agriculture - the Minister of State's Department - received a 9% increase in its overall budget. Aside from the Department of Defence, which was obviously going to get a massive increase, it is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Tillage Sector (15 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I thank the Minister of State for his detailed reply. He is correct. His Department has been very supportive over the past number of years in introducing new schemes to support the tillage sector, in particular the straw incorporation measure and the protein aid scheme. Those schemes, in the last year, amounted to roughly €10 million each. The announcement of the €50 million...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó – Order of Business (15 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I follow on from colleagues who have spoken on the motion of confidence in the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, in the Dáil today. This is clearly a populist move at a time when a presidential election is happening and there is only one candidate from the Government side - from Fine Gael - running in the election. This is being used to try to attack Heather Humphrey's campaign and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Update on Current Situation in Ukraine: H.E. Larysa Gerasko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland (14 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I thank the Cathaoirleach. Ms Gerasko is very welcome to the new committee on foreign affairs. I thank her for that work she has done in recent years in Ireland in supporting those Ukrainian citizens who are temporarily here to help them to make lives of their own. Does she know how many Ukrainian citizens are here at present? From my experience of speaking with them, especially mothers...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Update on Current Situation in Ukraine: H.E. Larysa Gerasko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland (14 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Update on Current Situation in Ukraine: H.E. Larysa Gerasko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland (14 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: It is funny Ms Gerasko says that because President Zelenskyy said the same thing on 24 August, when I represented the committee at a one-hour meeting with him. The resilience of President Zelenskyy, all elected members and the people is phenomenal. Ms Gerasko speaks about Ukraine rebuilding itself. The difference between Kyiv two months ago and Kyiv when I was there three years ago is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Update on Current Situation in Ukraine: H.E. Larysa Gerasko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland (14 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: The rebuilding is happening as the war continues. That seems abnormal, but it is happening. Ms Gerasko spoke about Ireland's role as part of the EU in helping to rebuild Ukraine. Ms Aliona Shkrum, is involved in the rebuilding of Ukraine as a new minister. She was speaking about the EU countries. She said that ten of the 27 had appointed envoys to Ukraine on behalf of their countries. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Update on Current Situation in Ukraine: H.E. Larysa Gerasko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland (14 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Almost the only issue that seems to resonate with the President of America is displaced children who have been lost during the war. Returning those children seems to be the only issue on which the President is constantly supportive. What role can Ireland, as part of the EU, play in bringing back those children? They number more than 20,000 at this stage.

Seanad: Support for Ukraine: Motion (14 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber, his old home. I thank my Fianna Fáil colleagues for tabling this very important motion. Obviously, we in Fine Gael support it. As Senator O’Loughlin mentioned, we had a very good and productive meeting with the Ukrainian ambassador here in Ireland that finished about an hour ago. I welcome her and thank her for all of the work...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Oct 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Opening up new markets across the world was mentioned in the budget statements yesterday, and one aspect of that is getting direct flights between different countries. I ask that we have a debate with the Minister for Transport about that. Obviously, relationships with America are unstable - that is probably the best way to put it - and we need to diversify our markets. Tokyo and Japan are...

Seanad: Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: Motion (25 Sep 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and thank him for being here for this very important debate. I thank my Fianna Fáil colleagues for putting forward this motion today. As has been said, it is important to acknowledge that what happened on 7 October was wrong. It was outrageous. More than 2,000 people were murdered.Hostages were taken and that was all done by a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Mr. Whyte is very welcome. As everyone else has, I acknowledge the good work that he and his colleagues do. I have heard what he and his team have gone through. One must be a special person and unique individual to be able to give that service to the Palestinians and the world in general. Few people have the capabilities to be able to do that. I acknowledge what UNRWA is doing. Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Why are they hesitant in the Middle East?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Garret Ahearn: -----to 2.1 million people. Israel is talking about how it is delivering aid. It is obviously doing almost nothing but it cannot be doing absolutely nothing if it is claiming it is doing something. On the ground, what is Israel doing? I do not think anyone knows. Mr. Whyte mentioned that 2.1 million people are now living in 18% of the Gaza Strip. This might be a silly question, but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Garret Ahearn: It is almost like a room closing in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Garret Ahearn: What about Israel's claim that it is providing aid to the Palestinian people?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Engagement with UNRWA Deputy Director John Whyte (23 Sep 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Mr. Whyte said the humanitarian aid that UNRWA gives is one element of its work. Being witnesses on the ground is another element. He said that since 2 March, UNRWA has not been able to give humanitarian aid to Gaza. He said UNRWA has three months of food supplies that it could give-----

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: As it is 1.15 p.m., according to the order of the House, progress must be reported.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: General Scheme of Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill 2025: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I thank Mr. O'Brien for coming this evening. It is important to clarify that we have had a lot of committee meetings on legal issues and civil society groups coming in from a humanitarian perspective. The reason Mr. O'Brien is here is to give us a broad overview of what impact this could have on businesses. It is nothing to do with personal views or anything like that. It is just so we as...