Results 681-700 of 881 for speaker:Peter Power

Written Answers — Humanitarian Assistance: Humanitarian Assistance (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: On 12 May 2008, a major earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale struck Wenchuan County in the Sichuan Province in China. According to official statistics there have been approximately 69,000 deaths, over 366,000 injured and more than 18,000 still missing. A total of 45 million people were affected, including 15 million people evacuated from their homes. Five million people are still...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: I would like to assure the Deputy that it is of particular importance to me that Ireland's overseas aid to African countries is efficiently used for the benefit of the poor. In our bilateral Programme Countries, support is planned in close consultation with national Governments and other partners at country level. We support our partner countries' national poverty reduction plans. These...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: Accountability is one of the most integral elements of the Irish Aid programme. Ensuring that Irish tax payers' money benefits the most vulnerable and poorest people of the countries in which we operate is paramount to my Department. Irish Aid funding is protected by rigorous monitoring, accounting and audit controls which are in place in all countries where we provide development...

Written Answers — Debt Relief: Debt Relief (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: There are two main international instruments which address the problem of the debt burden in the developing world, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). The HIPC Initiative, which was launched in 1996 and strengthened and enhanced in 1999, seeks to reduce the debt burden of qualifying countries to sustainable levels but does...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: As outlined in the White Paper on Irish Aid, the Government's commitment to tackling HIV and AIDS and other diseases of poverty will remain a priority for our aid programme. We are committed to developing programmes that address the key causes of illness and ill health among the poorest and most vulnerable people, and to strengthening health systems in the poorest countries. Following the...

Written Answers — Climate Change: Climate Change (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: Global warming is a serious concern to everyone. We are all increasingly aware of the threat this now poses to humanity. The Government remains committed to fulfilling its international obligations to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. Global warming cannot be solved by one country alone — it requires the commitment of all nations in the world. Rain forests play a...

Lisbon Treaty: Statements (Resumed) (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: I wish to share my time with Deputy Edward O'Keeffe. The result of the referendum represents a major disappointment for those of us who advocated a "Yes" vote in the certain belief that this treaty represented a good deal for Ireland, an Ireland at the heart of Europe and an Ireland shaping events in Europe for our benefit in the way we have done for 20 years. That said, we live in a...

Overseas Development Aid. (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: As Deputy Timmins will be aware, I was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for overseas development last month. I am proud, as I believe the large majority of Irish people are, of our overseas development aid programme and the work of Irish Aid. At the same time, it is my intention to look at all aspects of the programme having due regard to the White Paper on Irish Aid. The...

Overseas Development Aid. (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: First, I share the views of the Deputy on the World Food Programme. This follows on from our discussion on the previous question, that world food prices is a major concern to the Deputy. That concern is very much shared on the Government side for the reasons I have explained. We are already major contributors to the World Food Programme but I also see avenues available to us in terms of...

Overseas Development Aid. (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: I can see the Deputy's point about visas. Certainly, smaller NGOs do not have the capacity, the experience or the logistics of the bigger NGOs and I can see how they would face such problems. The issuing of visas is outside the ambit of the Department as it relates to embassies of other countries and we do not have the power to influence those, but I take Deputy Timmins's point. The issue...

Overseas Development Aid. (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 113 together. Even now, the full extent of the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis is not known. Estimates suggest that more than two million people were affected. Official figures put the death toll at 78,000 people, while a further 56,000 are reported missing. Unofficial estimates suggest that the death toll may be higher. The initial reaction of...

Overseas Development Aid. (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: I will communicate with the Deputy on the question regarding the rapid response unit. The supplies were given to our NGOs and we are confident they went deep into the townships in the delta region. We have been tracking the supplies as we are conscious of the difficulties on the ground.

Overseas Development Aid. (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: There can be no question but that the sharp escalation in the price of staple food commodities such as corn, wheat and rice is a matter for the deepest concern. These price rises are undermining the food security of many millions of individuals and communities throughout the developing world. We already had a situation where over 800 million people were food insecure. With the current...

Overseas Development Aid. (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: I thank the Deputy for his supplementary question. I share his deep concern on this issue, not least because the problem of rising food prices has the capacity to undermine the whole international aid effort. In the first instance, we must examine the causes of the current situation, some of which are man-made and others natural. The man-made aspects of this situation are interesting. They...

Overseas Development Aid. (18 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: I accept the Deputy's thesis that there is a connection between food shortages, agriculture and trade. The WTO talks provide the opportunity to progress this issue. As part of our input into the negotiations at European level, one of our primary concerns has been, and will continue to be, to ensure that the food security and supply of developing countries, but particularly African ones,...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (4 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: Question 389: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of a visa application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22135/08]

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (4 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: Question 390: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick to receive Irish citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22136/08]

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (4 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: Question 391: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status on an application by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick for naturalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22137/08]

Lisbon Reform Treaty Report: Statements (4 Jun 2008)

Peter Power: On behalf of the Government, I thank the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Scrutiny, particularly its chairman, Deputy Perry, for its special report on the enhanced role for national parliaments in the Lisbon treaty. This Parliament, Dáil and Seanad, owes Deputy Perry a debt of gratitude for the production of this concise report in advance of the referendum next week. It dispels...

Written Answers — Disaster Relief: Disaster Relief (27 May 2008)

Peter Power: Irish Aid supports human rights and democratisation in Burma through its Multi-Annual Programme Scheme and Civil Society Fund. For 2008, Irish Aid allocated Trócaire funding of €1.1 million in support of its programme to strengthen civil society in Burma and in support of Burmese refugees in Thailand. Irish Aid is also supporting Trócaire in response to the recent cyclone. Voluntary...