Results 44,941-44,960 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (6 May 2009)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will be aware, Government Departments do not pay for the legal services provided by the Office of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor's Office or for advice from Counsel briefed by them. My Department has a Legal Division, staffed by qualified legal professionals who provide legal advice on a wide range of international legal issues. Having such 'in-house' legal...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 May 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs is committed to the provision of a quality customer service. All staff are made aware at induction and other training sessions of the need to maintain a high standard in dealing with customers, both at Headquarters and in our Embassies and Consulates abroad. From the general public's perspective, the most familiar aspect of the Department's work is...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (6 May 2009)

Micheál Martin: The processing of applications for citizenship through Foreign Births Registration is an important function of Irish Missions abroad. The majority of applications tend to be lodged with Missions in countries which in the past received large numbers of Irish emigrants. While the vast bulk of applications are lodged in our Missions in the United States, Great Britain and Australia, our Embassy...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (30 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: There are four bodies operating under the responsibility of my Department: three Advisory Committees and one Educational Commission. The Development Education Advisory Committee was established in 2003 following the recommendations of the Ireland Aid Review Committee. Its purpose is to advise the Minister, Minister of State and Irish Aid on development education policy. The members serve in a...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (30 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes: Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Development). Details of reports commissioned by my Department in the past five years are set out as follows. It should be noted that in addition to the reports detailed as follows, my Department produces an Annual Report. It is no longer published in hard copy but, instead,...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (29 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy has previously been informed, Ireland is fully supportive of efforts to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Colombia. The Government of Colombia has repeatedly stated its determination to bring an end to violence within the framework of the Justice and Peace Law, passed in 2005, which provides an overall legal framework for the demobilisation, disarmament and...

Written Answers — Consular Services: Consular Services (28 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: At the outset, I would like to inform the Deputy that my Department is in ongoing contact with the family of the Irish citizen who lost his life in such tragic circumstances in Bolivia. We have liaised with them in relation to securing the release and repatriation of his remains to Ireland and we are continuing to liaise with them on all aspects of his case. As the Deputy will be aware, after...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (28 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Passport Office has no record of an application from the person in question. An officer from my Department has been in touch with her to offer assistance with the urgent processing of a new application should this be required.

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (28 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: In 2007 Dáil Éireann passed the European Communities Bill 2006 which was subsequently enacted as the European Communities Act 2007. This Act was enacted to take account of two landmark Supreme Court judgments (Browne v AG and Kennedy v AG) which required changes to be made in the way Ireland transposes EU measures into domestic law. While the Act related to the European Union, it did not...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (28 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: I am concerned about a number of human rights issues in Pakistan, including the blasphemy laws. The blasphemy laws are designed to punish those judged to have engaged in derogatory behaviour towards Islam, such as insults to the Prophet Mohammed and the Qu'ran. As implemented, the laws can serve to interfere with the right of individuals to practise their religion freely and curtail freedom...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (28 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The current authorised number of staff in the Department of Foreign Affairs is 1578. The following table sets out the number of staff in my Department who are in receipt of long service increments (LSIs), along with the associated cost. Number of staff Total annual cost 241 €633,400 A first long service increment (LSI 1) may be paid after three years' satisfactory service at the...

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 11, 22, 31, 43, 140 and 141 together. The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to developing our bilateral migration arrangements with the United States, including finding a solution for our undocumented citizens. The Taoiseach and I emphasised the importance of this issue in our engagements with the US Administration and Congress during our...

Written Answers — Human Trafficking: Human Trafficking (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was established in 1995. At the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean, held on 13 July 2008, the process was formally re-launched as the Union for the Mediterranean. The Taoiseach attended the summit. The Partnership now includes all 27 Member States, along with sixteen Southern Mediterranean States. Libya remains outside the Partnership. Ministers for Foreign...

Written Answers — Territorial Waters: Territorial Waters (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 27 and 44 together. The regime governing the exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf in international law is set down by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Under that Convention a coastal state is entitled to a continental shelf 200 nautical miles (approx. 370 km) in breadth regardless of whether its continental shelf...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 51, 53, 55, 154, 156 and 157 together. The total Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget for 2009 will be €696 million. €571 million will be administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs with the balance of €125 million being contributions to development co-operation by other Government Departments and through Ireland's allocation to the EU...

Written Answers — Lisbon Treaty Referendum: Lisbon Treaty Referendum (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: At the meeting of the European Council in December, the Taoiseach briefed his colleagues on the issues underlying the outcome in the referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon last June. He did so based on the extensive research and analysis commissioned by the Government in the wake of the vote, and on the excellent report of the Oireachtas sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in Europe. He...

Written Answers — EU Presidency: EU Presidency (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The coalition government led by Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek lost a vote of confidence in the Czech Parliament on 24 March, resulting in the automatic resignation of the Prime Minister, who continued in a caretaker capacity, pending the appointment of a Prime Minister by President Klaus. Negotiations between the two government parties and the Social Democrats, led by Mr. Jirí Paroubek,...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the report of the visit to Spain in May 2008 by the Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Mr. Martin Scheinin, which was presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on 10 March 2009. The Special Rapporteur noted that Spain has a vibrant democracy albeit with a continuing presence of domestic...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The situation of members of the minority Baha'i faith in Iran has long been a matter of serious concern to the Government and to members of the Oireachtas. There is in Iran no tolerance of the Baha'i faith, which is regarded as a heretical or apostate offshoot of Islam. In recent years, there has been a serious and progressive increase in harassment of individual Baha'is, and worrying...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 23 and 47 together. I am very concerned by the situation in Somalia, which has been without an effective government since 1991. Since it was established in 2004, the UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has made little headway in establishing effective control over the country's territory and restoring peace and security. Continuous...