Results 1,281-1,300 of 1,142,634 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Áine Brady OR speaker:Áine Brady85 OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Thomas Byrne OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Áine Brady10 OR speaker:Malcolm Noonan OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Matt Shanahan OR speaker:Ciarán Cannon OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Anne Rabbitte OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Paul McAuliffe OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Carol Nolan OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Áine Brady86 OR speaker:Áine Brady66 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh12 OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Áine Brady49 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh06)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Colm Brophy: On behalf of the committee, I welcome Dr. Shana Cohen and Mr. Tiarnán McDonough of TASC Ireland, the think-tank for action of social change. Today's discussion will be on citizens' attitudes to democracy and the rule of law. I thank them both for joining us today in one of our final meetings as a committee. Before their opening statement, I will go through the note on privilege....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Brendan Howlin: I thank both of our witnesses for their written contribution. I feel a little bit nostalgic, because this will be my last committee meeting of any kind after 42 years in the Oireachtas. I am going to be conceited enough to believe that I have some understanding of the workings of democracy, not only as a representative for 42 years, but being dependent, on very regular intervals, on testing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Brendan Howlin: They were not very successful in either the European or local elections in Ireland but yet, people had those fears. In terms of election results, Dr. Cohen has cited two but of the elections across the country the far right was a tiny fraction of elected members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: This is an issue right across the board. What is democracy? If it is just about elections, we can look at the example in America and the requirements that must be met to be a candidate for president. It is the same at the lower levels if we were to talk about the Senate and Congress races and the lobby groups involved. I am not entirely sure this is exactly what anyone in Greece, where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Colm Brophy: I thank Dr. Cohen. I call Senator Keogan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Colm Brophy: I thank Mr. McDonough. I will move on to Deputy Harkin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Brendan Howlin: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Colm Brophy: We have covered so much and it has been a very discursive type of meeting. There are a few areas I would like to speak about but I will not go on at great length because we all could and I am very conscious of time. There are a couple of areas which I think are important. I really have a problem with this notion that the use of the term "far right" is a throwaway thing. It is not. There...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Brendan Howlin: I want to make a couple of points and we can be very discursive. I want to comment on the strong point that Deputy Harkin made on representative democracy, participative democracy and consultation. My experience is that people argue and, as the point has been made by the Cathaoirleach, when they seek consultation they mean "accept my view". It is not consultation; it is "Accept my view. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Colm Brophy: I invite our witnesses to make a final contribution.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Colm Brophy: I thank our witnesses for their contributions and I also thank all members who participated today. As this is our last meeting, I also want to thank all of those who have participated at meetings throughout this committee's term. I also thank the secretariat and support staff for enabling us, as elected representatives, to work very well on this committee during this Dáil. We are not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Citizens' Attitude to Democracy and the Rule of Law: TASC (23 Oct 2024)

Brendan Howlin: I used to have a colleague who gave his memoir title Finally and In Conclusion because he said that a lot.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (23 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I thank Deputy Connolly. I will read the script I have been provided and then come back in with some other responses. I wrote to Deputy Connolly last week on foot of a question on policy or legislation to the Taoiseach. The supply of public water and provision of water services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance. Uisce Éireann has statutory...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (23 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: There are two siphons under the Corrib and we are saying one of them has been reported as defective.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (23 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I will ask Uisce Éireann to investigate that. The tankering of sewerage is unacceptable in this day and age. We have a way forward here in terms of the longer-term plan. I mentioned the 2025-29 investment cycle in my response to Deputy Cairns. That will be critically important. We took questions from Deputy Connolly last night on housing development in Galway. This issue will...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (23 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I thank the Minister for his comments. This is of critical importance because the growth of Galway, which I believe should be done in a sustainable way, cannot happen. The population is not growing at the rate expected because of the failure to remediate defective infrastructure. I heard the Minister of State say he will go back to Irish Water. I wish him good luck because Irish Water has...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (23 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I have outlined the significant progress that has been made by Uisce Éireann in dealing with the deficits in Galway city and the wider area. I was not aware there were two siphons, as Deputy Connolly has said. My understanding from the response I gave the Deputy last week was that one had been addressed. We will ask Uisce Éireann.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (23 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: There are two siphons and one of them is the major one that has been highlighted.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (23 Oct 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: We will ask Uisce Éireann to come back with a more comprehensive reply on that, if that is of assistance to the Deputy. The opportunity that is there in terms of the public consultation on future needs is really important. It is important that the 2025-29 capital investment cycle identifies the needs for the growth of the greater Galway area and ensures they are included in the capital...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wastewater Treatment (23 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: To be helpful, could the Minister of State come back with commentary on the reports that have been carried out for Uisce Éireann, including the one I mentioned and all other recent reports it has commissioned on this issue?