Europe (Houses of the Oireachtas)

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers]...when the €300 million Brexit loan scheme fund announced in budget 2018 will open for applications; the length of time the fund will remain open for applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [Q. No(s) 59 to Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Inn...

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers]...the criteria necessary for persons to apply for loans under the €300 million Brexit loan scheme fund announced in budget 2018; the minimum and maximum amounts permitted to be loaned; the collateral requirements which will be required; and if she will make a statement on the matte...

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers] I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 60 together. The Brexit Loan Scheme will provide affordable working capital financing to Irish businesses that are either currently impacted by Brexit, or will be in the future. The new Scheme will be delivered by the Strategic Banking Corp...

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers]...when the €300 million Brexit loan scheme fund announced in budget 2018 which has 40% ring fenced for food businesses will open for applications; the length of time the fund will remain open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [Q. No(s) 176 to Minister...

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers]...the criteria necessary for persons to apply for loans under the €300 million Brexit loan scheme fund announced in budget 2018 which has 40% ring fenced for food businesses; the minimum and maximum amounts which will be permitted to be loaned; the collateral requirements which wil...

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers]...if farmers will be permitted to apply to the €300 million Brexit loan scheme fund announced in budget 2018; if funds will be loaned to farmers for the purchase of livestock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [Q. No(s) 178 to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Mar...

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers]...when the €25 million allocated in budget 2018 for the development of further Brexit response loan schemes for farmers, fishermen and food businesses in 2018 will open for applications; the length of time the fund will remain open for applications; the minimum and maximum amounts ...

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers] I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 to 179, inclusive, together. I was delighted to announce in the Budget that, in partnership with my colleague, An Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Frances Fitzgerald TD, we had agreed to establish a new “Brexit Loa...

Europe - European security strategy - issues relating to

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers] A proposal to establish a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) with similar objectives to the US 'ESTA' system was put forward by the European Commission on 16 November 2016. The proposal builds upon the measures in the Schengen acquis that concern the cro...

Europe - European security strategy - issues relating to

Sitting date: 19/10/2017
[Written Answers]...his views on whether the European travel information and authorisation system is having a negative effect on civil liberties and on the ability of non EU nationals to visit Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [Q. No(s) 45 to Minister for Justice and Equality ]

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers]...the number of businesses estimated to avail of the new €300 million Brexit loan scheme; the average size of loans envisaged; when the scheme will come into operation; the length of time the scheme will operate for; and if she will provide detailed information on the proposal. [Q....

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers] The Brexit Loan Scheme will provide affordable working capital financing to Irish businesses that are either currently impacted by Brexit, or will be in the future. The new Scheme will be delivered by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) through commercial lenders t...

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers]...the criteria required to apply for the €300 million Brexit loan scheme for SMEs announced in budget 2018; when details of the scheme will become available from the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [Q. No(s) 85 to Tánaiste a...

Europe - Brexit - expenditure

Europe - Brexit - issues relating to

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers]...the implications for the Defence Forces of a hard border post Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [Q. No(s) 210 to Taoiseach and Minister for Defence ]

Europe - Brexit - issues relating to

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers] As part of a whole of Government approach, the Department of Defence is engaged in forward planning for the UK exit from the EU. While the implications for the border will emerge during the course of the negotiations, it is this Government’s stated goal to try to ensure that the c...

Europe - Brexit - negotiations

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers]...if he has communicated a position as to the government's view to the position which should be reflected in the mandate being prepared and is due to be given to the European Commission for trade negotiations with UK; if the government emphasised the importance of ongoing equivalen...

Europe - Brexit - negotiations

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers] The Article 50 negotiations between the EU and the UK are proceeding on the basis of the phased approach set out in the European Council Guidelines of 29 April 2017. Ireland fully supports this approach, which foresees that discussions on the future EU-UK relationship, including ...

Europe - Common Security and Defence Policy - issues relating to

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers] There is significant ongoing engagement by Ireland with the EU Institutions and with other EU member States on the important area of security and defence. These meetings take place both bilaterally, and within the institutional framework of the European External Action Service, th...

Europe - Common Security and Defence Policy - issues relating to

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers]...the contacts he and his department have had with the EU institutions and also with other EU member states in the past six months; the nature of their discussions on defence matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [Q. No(s) 46 to Taoiseach and Minister for Defence ...

Europe - EU - agreements

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers]...her views on the proposed Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights (COM/2017/251 final) that is due to be agreed by the European Parliament, the EU Council and the EU Commission at the Gothenburg Social Summit on 17 November 2017; the issues she has...

Europe - EU - agreements

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Written Answers] The proposed Interinstitutional Proclamation (i.e. between the EU Council, Commission and Parliament) on the European Pillar of Social Rights was published by the Commission in April of this year following an extensive Commission consultation throughout 2016 on the EU Pillar of Soc...

Europe - EU - bodies

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Oral Answers]...if he has satisfied himself that all correct procedures were followed prior to the nomination of a person (details supplied) for election to the position of Chair of the European Union Military Committee. [Q. No(s) 32 to Taoiseach and Minister for Defence ]

Europe - EU - bodies

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Questions] My question is about the procedures followed in making the decision to nominate the Chief of Staff as chair of the European Union Military Committee. The decision was taken on 18 September, two days before we resumed after the summer break, without any consultation with the Dáil. There...

Europe - EU - bodies

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Questions] I am fully satisfied all correct national and EU procedures were followed in the nomination of Vice Admiral Mellett, the current Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, for appointment as chair of the European Union Military Committee, the most senior military establishment within the Euro...

Europe - EU - bodies

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Questions] The Minister of State's response is largely technical, whereas the issue is probably broadly political. I have no problem whatever with the individual involved, which is not at issue. There are implications for Irish neutrality in this nomination to one of the European Union's permanen...

Europe - EU - bodies

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Questions] The timing of the decision coincided with the opening of nominations for the position. The decision does not call into question our policy on neutrality. Ireland has been a member of the European Union Military Committee since its inception in 2001. It was supported by successive Gove...

Europe - EU - bodies

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Questions] I never said he could not. Previous Chiefs of Staff might have something to say about that as they were also capable of being nominated, but that is not at issue. It is not about a skill set but about a political decision. The Minister of State is correct in that the decision is compl...

Europe - EU - bodies

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Questions] It was a Government decision. The Deputy mentioned Operation Sophia. It came within the triple-lock mechanism as it is a UN-mandated mission. It received Government approval and the approval of this House. I have never been afraid to bring decisions to the Chamber, knowing that I cou...

Europe - EU - summits

Sitting date: 18/10/2017
[Statements] The European Council is due to address a range of issues but the two core issues are the future of the EU and Brexit and I will address these in that order. As a result of various speeches and statements by President Macron, Chancellor Merkel, President Juncker and others, a substantiv...