Results 1-20 of 1,253 for speaker:Garret Ahearn

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) (15 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: When Mr. Meehan spoke about a two-state solution, I was thinking that the first thing to be done is to recognise there are two states. That is one element in which Ireland has played a key role. The point was made to Deputy Ó Laoghaire in the previous session that the Bill is only symbolic. In fact, that strengthens the case to do it, as outlined by Ms Crawley. There is a number of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Irish foster carers play a vital role throughout our country in terms of caring for children and the most vulnerable. There are 3,600 foster carers in the country. Unfortunately, this is a reduction from 4,800 five years ago and there are a number of reasons for this. These 3,600 foster carers look after and protect 5,800 children in care. That is approximately 87% of children who need...

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I thank Professor Koutrakos and Professor Tridimas for their contributions. I now call on Ms Ní Ghrálaigh to give her opening statement.

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Senator Higgins is next.

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: There is a minute left if anyone else would like to come in.

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: There are only Senators in the room and I am the only one who has not asked questions so I will take my seven minutes now and then, if everyone in the room agrees, we will do a second round of three minutes each. I hope the Deputies who have not spoken will then come back. I thank all the witnesses for being here and for giving their legal perspectives on the issue and on this very...

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Regarding the ICJ ruling and the advisory opinion, some of the lines from it refer to abstaining "from entering into economic or trade dealings". Can this be interpreted as abstaining from entering into new dealings in trade? When it refers to taking "steps to prevent", we often hear it said in this committee that the ruling was to ban trade, but the wording is "to take steps to prevent"....

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: In her opening statement, Ms Ní Ghrálaigh talked about whether services are included and stated, "It would transform the Bill from what risks being little more than window dressing into a truly impactful, precedent-setting piece of legislation." Has any country gone any further in terms of legislation to prevent goods and services in the occupied territories?

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Would this legislation, therefore, be a precedent already, even if it just included goods? I know it is not what you are calling for, but would it not already be a precedent?

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Compliance with international law, however, is subjective. We have heard the representatives from the Department saying the ruling can be seen differently. In my view, the interesting part of what you said was that the Bill would be transformed from being "little more than window dressing". What do you mean by window dressing?

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Yes, but you are saying the legislation there now is window dressing. That means the people who are forming the legislation. It would sound like a statement that would not come from a lawyer but one that would come from a Chamber in this building. It seems a political statement as opposed to a judgment from a legal perspective.

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: That would mean an inadequate piece of legislation. The phrase "window dressing" comes across as a political statement.

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I will give you 20 seconds.

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: Okay. I am conscious of time. Would Senator O'Reilly like to come in?

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: We will start the second round of questions now. I call Senator Stephenson.

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: We said 15 minutes or so. By the time we have done one round we will be there. I call Senator Higgins who has three minutes.

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: We need to give the witnesses an opportunity to respond because there are only 40 seconds left.

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) (9 Jul 2025)

Garret Ahearn: I thank Professor Koutrakos.