26/01/2022 | 13:01:46 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) We all know the Latin phrase meno corpore, sana corpore which means healthy mind in a healthy body and all research bears this out that physical exercise is an important and essential part of mental and psychological well-being. We in Ireland love our sport, both participating and watching/supporting – I can tell you that the excitement on All-Ireland days in September for football and hurling are experiences to behold. Of course many other... 25/01/2022 | 10:13:46 Thank you, Mister President, and may I also add my voice of congratulations to your presidency. I look forward to working with you. Contrary to the last speaker, I want to congratulate the rapporteurs of both of these opinions, Mr Fourat BEN CHIKHA and Mr Christophe LACROIX. I think they've done excellent work. I think this is a debate we need to have today and we need to continue to have, because I believe that this debate goes to the very heart and soul of what the Council of Europe stands... 24/01/2022 | 17:04:24 Thank you very much Chair and excuse me because my laptop is powering down and that is exactly where I have my words written down. But just to say at the very start of this, that I really want to thank Baroness Doreen E. MASSEY for her incredible work that she has done and also Ms Jennifer DE TEMMERMAN. The reports and the research that they have done are absolutely top class. And the three speakers that we have had ORNA, JÉRÉMY and the first speaker, I think were absolutely excellent. They... 29/09/2021 | 11:33:26 This is a very interesting and incredibly important debate. Across the world we have to acknowledge that scientific evidence is accumulating on the mass of detrimental effects of environmental degradation, on the health, dignity, and well-being of humans and the stability of our ecosystems. This is a boomerang effect of human economic activities with an excessive and toxic environmental footprint. The next 10 years are absolutely crucial if we are to address the climate and biodiversity... 28/09/2021 | 16:35:55 Thank you, Mister President. In the spirit of all that we represent, here, firstly I'd like to congratulate Switzerland on a resounding victory in their Yes Equality referendum at the weekend. Minister, in your last address to PACE in June, you did give special emphasis on the importance of the rights of all individuals to practice their religion, and I commend you for that, and in speaking about how you protect minorities. The same tolerance, understanding, and compassion is not shown when... 28/09/2021 | 12:02:05 Thank you very much Madam Chair. I would like to commend and congratulate both the Rapporteur on her excellent work, and of course Professor Jeffrey Sachs for his passionate and compassionate presentation before us. There is no doubt that this is a very important agenda debate for us during this week. In the world of fake news, populism and sound bites, we absolutely have to restore social trust, which essentially is the belief in the honesty, integrity, and reliability of others, which acts... 28/09/2021 | 10:29:21 Thank you, Mr President and Madame Commissioner. I commend you for your incredible work in vaccines and of course in cancer strategy as well. You speak about the voice of the citizen and I wish to give a voice to those who don't have a voice, neither here nor in their own home countries, sadly because in many cases their voice is no longer and it remains to families and others to advocate for them. And I'm talking about people living with dementia or Alzheimer's who have been hugely impacted... 24/06/2021 | 09:47:27 Good morning, Mister Chairman, and of course to my colleagues in Strasbourg and around Europe. I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak on this important topic. I want to congratulate Mr PISCO on his report. I think he makes some very sensible suggestions which would be important for us to take on board. He, of course, highlights the very positive contribution of diasporas and their associations to the development of their own country of residence. I think he is correct in calling... 23/06/2021 | 16:40:01 Thank you, Madam President, and good afternoon from a wet Dublin. I look forward to being with you in Strasbourg next September. I would like to congratulate the rapporteur on her excellent report and on the recommendations that she makes. My own party, that of Fianna Fáil, within the ALDE group has a long history of supporting equality policies but it is clear we have a lot of work to do in this area. If we are true to our values that we want to represent, the diverse views and the lived... 22/04/2021 | 12:38:24 Thank you very much, Madam Chair. And I want to commend and support the report from the co-rapporteurs. I think they have done a very valuable job in relation to the report in terms of highlighting what we all need to be incredibly concerned about. The recent developments in Turkey, there is no doubt, further undermined democracy, rule of law, and of course human rights. The crackdown on political opposition is very very concerning. The investigation and prosecution that have targeted...