Results 121-140 of 1,077 for long speaker:Brendan Howlin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Impact of the Comprehensive Trade and Economic Agreement on Irish-Canadian Trade and Relations: Discussion (13 Apr 2021)

Brendan Howlin: ...I have been privileged to represent the Irish Government at St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Canada and remember the history of Grosse Île and the implications of the interconnections over a very long time. I will focus on one aspect of our discussions. I believe there is very broad support among most parliamentarians for deep and wide-ranging trade agreements, and even more than...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Mar 2021)

Brendan Howlin: ...Union. These are very profound changes and given the scale of digital company activity in our State, we need to have a clear analysis of the impact of each of the proposals. I clearly stated a long time ago that I am in favour of digital taxes. These companies need to have a clear basis for paying tax but it must be fair to all companies and not simply a transactional tax that will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Commission Rule of Law Report: Discussion (9 Mar 2021)

Brendan Howlin: ...present in the building. Witnesses participating in this committee session from a jurisdiction outside the State are advised to be mindful of their domestic law. 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 identifiable outside the Houses or an official either by name or in...

Criminal Procedure Bill 2021: Second Stage (10 Feb 2021)

Brendan Howlin: ...of serious trials. These are trials under the determination of the Courts Service that cannot commence during a period of level 5 restrictions. We have a serious backlog and we do not know how long either level 5 or analogous restrictions will apply, although it is clear that will be well beyond this month and probably next month. The old adage is "justice delayed is justice denied" and...

Appointment of Member of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority: Motion (10 Feb 2021)

Brendan Howlin: ...a member of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority. Quite clearly, Ms Malone is most qualified to fulfil that role. I agree with Deputy Daly that the Legal Services Regulatory Authority was long overdue in being established. I am delighted to see it functioning. It still has a very demanding agenda of work to be completed. The structure of the authority is a balance between...

Covid-19: Motion [Private Members] (10 Feb 2021)

Brendan Howlin: I know the Labour Party thought long and hard about tabling this motion. There is almost a weariness in this House, as there is across the nation, about this terrible disease that has taken such a terrible toll on all of us. We have had a shockingly dreadful January, particularly for those who have lost loved ones. There has been a terrible rate of infection and death. We must ask...

Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (27 Jan 2021)

Brendan Howlin: ...the arrival of the Bill 2020 into the Dáil. The Minister of State said in his opening statement that it is not a complicated nor a particularly lengthy Bill. One wonders why it has taken so long to arrive before us. We seem to be always at the end of the timelines for the transposition of EU directives. Again and again, that seems to be the situation and we are presented with...

Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2020)

Brendan Howlin: People will know this Bill has been a long time in gestation since I introduced it three years ago. Technology has changed as well and so we need to look very carefully at every aspect of it. All of the debate thus far on the Bill has focused on the sharing of intimate images. That element is only one part of the Bill but a very important part, and one that has come into greater focus in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Movement of Goods throughout Europe post-Brexit: Irish Maritime Development Office (16 Dec 2020)

Brendan Howlin: .... Persons giving evidence from another jurisdiction should also be mindful of their domestic statutory regime, which obviously does not apply at this session. 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 House or an official either by name or in such a way as to...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2020)

Brendan Howlin: I will say a few general words about the Bill and the about structure of the committee. First, I am grateful to be here. It has been a long three years since April 2017 and the Private Members' Bill. Not too many get in sight of the finishing line and I hope we can get it there. As the Chairman rightly said, the Bill builds on the work of the LRC and deals with regulating a public...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2020)

Brendan Howlin: It is odd to debate an amendment to the amendment before the amendment is put but if that is in order, I will do it now. As I said, I have no stylistic preference as to whether the Long Title and Short Title are put at the front or the back of the Bill, as long as they explain to any reader what the Bill is about. The amendment I am putting now is important because it has an enormous...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: ...been rejected. I wish to speak on section 65. As Deputies know, I have served in the House for some time. I have never seen a situation like this. The Minister of State, in the course of a long debate, accepted an amendment and all the contributions were predicated on that acceptance. Then he called a vote and the amendment was voted down. The Minister of State led the House to...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: On this grouping of amendments, if the Long Title got any longer it would be a Bill in its own right. As to the amendment to include the United Kingdom in the current provisions of defamation, is that provision being reciprocated? Will European Union citizens have the same rights in the United Kingdom as the Government is conferring on the United Kingdom citizens here?

Community Safety and Preventing Crime: Statements (18 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: ...through effective policing and we have had much debate in the last decade in this Chamber on effective policing and on how to go about it. We have tried different initiatives. I have argued for a long time for an independent policing authority, a Garda ombudsman and so on and eventually versions of that were put in place. More recently, a comprehensive Commission on the Future of...

Regulation of Private Security Firms Bill 2019: Second Stage [Private Members] (12 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: ...did not command a clear majority it allowed people actually to look at gaps in the law and propose legislation. The Oireachtas itself armed Deputies not to be as passive as they had been for a very long time and to be proactive in producing legislation. It has taken a long time for the Government actually to get up to pace with that and to accept legislation from the other side. I have...

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Second Stage (11 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: ...which not only has to be maintained but which must also be codified for the first time in light of the fact that we have obligations to our EU partner nations and their citizens. Codifying any long-standing relationship like that is a difficult thing to do in law but this Bill and the previous legislation, and all the bilateral treaties and agreements that had been drawn up bilaterally...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Act 2020: Motion (4 Nov 2020)

Brendan Howlin: ...House already. The only issue at stake in this debate is that of time. I have listened to the very reasonable case put forward by our Sinn Féin colleague that an extension until next June is far too long. I am sympathetic to that view but I am also sympathetic to the view which the Minister put to yesterday's briefing to Members that we need to make all the regulations...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: EU Response to Covid-19: Discussion (28 Oct 2020)

Brendan Howlin: ...also mentioned the stability and growth pact relaxation or suspension. As someone who had to grapple with the stability and growth pact in the last crisis, that is a welcome development, but how long will that last? I am interested in Mr. Kiely's perspective. We need to rebuild even after the virus is defeated. That will mean economic supports and the capacity to do that might be...

Financial Resolutions 2020 - Financial Resolution No. 7: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2020)

Brendan Howlin: It is very difficult to make a substantial contribution to a budget debate in five minutes. There was a time when Members took hours to analyse the impact of a budget and I regret this is no longer the case. As someone who has some experience of budgets, yesterday's announcement was by any measure an extraordinary one. It included the provision of €17 billion in expenditure and...

EU-UK Negotiations on Brexit: Statements (24 Sep 2020)

Brendan Howlin: ...ensure seamless border crossings just didn't happen and there is still no clarity over the questions that we have raised. Although I don’t think we are quite back to square one, we are certainly not much further along. After the same meeting, the chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation of the United Kingdom said, "There is no point pretending it’s going to be smooth...