Results 1-20 of 31 for long speaker:Niall Blaney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Shared Island Unit: Department of the Taoiseach (7 Mar 2024)

Niall Blaney: .... Duffy for being here today and for their presentation. I am sorry I was not here for all of it. The work they do is vital for the future of this island. They are doing some fantastic work and long may it continue. The recent announcement was very good. Following on from their discussion with Deputy Conway-Walsh on research, is there any research on the Protestant communities along...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (21 Feb 2024)

Niall Blaney: ...fantastic that there was an announcement yesterday of €600 million for the A5. It is brilliant news. I would like to know where everything moves from here. The A5 has been the blockage for so long. I remember being told on air by some of the Acting Chair's colleagues in Donegal not to worry about the A5 because Conor Murphy, the Minister in Northern Ireland, was dealing with it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of the UK's Illegal Migration Act 2023 on the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (16 Nov 2023)

Niall Blaney: ...or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Northern Ireland (27 Sep 2023)

Niall Blaney: ...their interests. It is imperative we do not spend too much time doing the paperwork and ensuring our i's are dotted and our t's are crossed. It is imperative that we move in time. We cannot take too long to decide if we are going to take a case to the European Court of Human Rights. It is only right that we do. It is well known and well documented that this legislation breaks many...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jun 2023)

Niall Blaney: ...will have a three-county model and this will lead to a downgrading of the policing services in those counties. I know there is a review of counties in the west and midlands, including Roscommon, Longford and Mayo. We in Donegal, along with Sligo and Leitrim, are in a similar situation. The size of my home county of Donegal is very similar to that of Mayo and it has a long coastline. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Impact of Brexit on the Divergence of Rights and Best Practice on the Island of Ireland: Discussion (29 Jun 2023)

Niall Blaney: .... Are the organisations having much consultation with them, from the point of the view of their approach to what is happening and what they would do? There is going to be no shifting on policy as long as the Tories are in power. I think we need to be looking at the parties that are next in line. We have had a fair bit of contact with Gráinne Teggart from Amnesty International....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Programmes (26 Apr 2023)

Niall Blaney: ...are now starting to get to a better standard. However, we have a fair way to go. With that in mind, we have been waiting since November last year for this next round to be announced. It is long beyond time it was announced. It is starting to become a biannual instead of an annual programme. It used to be an annual programme and it is time we get on with this funding. It is time that...

Seanad: Location of Victims' Remains: Motion (22 Mar 2023)

Niall Blaney: ...Acting Chair for reading the names of those in the Visitors' Gallery into the record, which saves me doing so. I want to thank everyone for joining us, especially the victims' families, who have endured heart-breaking losses and long quests for answers on the whereabouts of their loved ones. Following on from the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains, ICLVR,...

Seanad: Good Friday Agreement and Windsor Framework: Motion (8 Mar 2023)

Niall Blaney: ...and his party for the considered approach that has been taken in the motion to its context and, moreover, the approach the Sinn Féin party has taken to the agreement. Those kinds of approaches will take us a long way into the future in moving the debate in Northern Ireland forward and in getting us to a shared future. The Windsor Framework is a result of a genuine engagement by the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with All-Ireland Cancer Research Institute (23 Feb 2023)

Niall Blaney: ...or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable, or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Mr. Gerry Adams (15 Dec 2022)

Niall Blaney: In the same context, would Mr. Adams agree that seven years for decommissioning was quite a long period of time? On reflection, does he feel that it had any impact on the setting up of the institutions, or the failure to do so?

Seanad: Passport Office: Motion (5 Oct 2022)

Niall Blaney: ...this debate. I commend Sinn Féin on putting forward the motion on passport services on the island. It complements the Fianna Fáil motion brought forward by Senators Wilson and McGreehan not long ago. That is the approach taken by the House on this issue during this term. I could be petty and say we could do with a passport office in the north west where, in conjunction with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Mr. Jonathan Powell (30 Jun 2022)

Niall Blaney: ..., get people to come to the table, speak openly, honestly and with respect for each other and get an agreement done. We need to remember the work involved in the lead in to the agreement and how long the negotiations went on for. How did we get a UK Prime Minister who was so keen to work with an Irish Prime Minister? The relationship between Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern was key. How...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022: Discussion (23 Jun 2022)

Niall Blaney: ...When was the Department first made aware of the presence of pyrrhotite in blocks in Donegal? When was the research tender commissioned? What is the status of, or timeline for, this research? How long will it take the National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, to review results to enable it to amend IS 465? There are a few other bits and pieces regarding the legislation. Last...

Seanad: Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (21 Jun 2022)

Niall Blaney: ...help bridge this representation gap and create space to discuss local representation going forward. Having an electoral boundary committee that will make the right choice for the people will go a long way in addressing this democratic deficit. I also want to strongly commend this Bill on its aim to tackle interference in our elections. We are seeing foreign interference in elections...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Apr 2022)

Niall Blaney: ...Leader to write to An Taoiseach and ask him to join us for a debate on a shared island. Next week, Assembly elections will take place in Northern Ireland and we are all too well aware of how long the parliament in Stormont has not been working. I know from being in Northern Ireland canvassing that people are sick of politics not working there. I believe that it is important that...

Seanad: Credit Union Sector: Statements (2 Mar 2022)

Niall Blaney: ...levelling of the playing field with banks and post offices. The supervision and relentless restrictive regulation are suffocating. We want to see the policy framework strengthen credit unions' long-term viability. Fees are crippling credit unions. Regarding reducing capital requirements, the 10% minimum reserve is totally inappropriate, unnecessary and unrelated to risk. This also...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Solar Panels for Public Buildings, Schools, Homes and Other Premises) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Feb 2022)

Niall Blaney: ...to be real about this, those thresholds need to be reviewed to ensure that solar farming becomes a much more inclusive way of creating energy in the State. I believe that those small steps can go a long way to us meeting our targets. My last point is on the use of roof space and the fact that panels can currently only use 50% of roof space.There is a lot of waste attached to that. There...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Londonderry Chamber of Commerce and Foyle Port (16 Dec 2021)

Niall Blaney: ...speedy rail connectivity between Derry, Belfast and Dublin, and maybe beyond. It is a very exciting time for the north west because we have been cut off, on both sides of the Border, for far too long.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Strand 1 of the Good Friday Agreement: Discussion (13 Jul 2021)

Niall Blaney: I will go first. I greatly welcome Ms Mercer, Professor Tonge and Mr. McCallister. It is a case of "long time no see" to Mr. McCallister. It is good to see him again. This is an interesting debate involving thinking outside of the box. I will ask a number of questions. I do not really have a great deal to ask about and am more interested to see the response of political party members...