Results 1,281-1,300 of 3,040 for speaker:Colm Brophy

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The number of people facing acute food insecurity and needing life-saving assistance hit a five-year high in 2020. Conflict, economic shocks related to COVID-19 alongside the impacts of climate change led to 155 million people experiencing acute food insecurity - an increase of 20 million people from the previous year. Across 55 countries, over 75 million children under five were stunted...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 288 together. The UN estimates that, in 2021, 235 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection, equivalent to one in 33 people worldwide. Over 155 million people experienced acute food insecurity at crisis levels, or worse, an increase of around 20 million people from the previous year, Women and children are particularly affected...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland has been a long-standing champion of global efforts to reduce hunger and starvation. The roots of hunger lie in poverty, deprivation and exclusion, exacerbated by conflict, climate change - and now COVID-19. The eradication of hunger and a particular focus on tackling undernutrition has been a cornerstone of Ireland’s development programme since its inception. ‘A...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Irish Aid's objectives are outlined in A Better World, Ireland's international development policy. These reflect Ireland's strong commitment to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and its targets, which remain at the heart of our approach to international development.  The Government's annual report on official development assistance is a useful resource which details the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland's Official Development Assistance (ODA), directed through multilateral and bilateral channels, is directed to countries and people who are in greatest need. A Better World, Ireland's international development policy, re-emphasizes this approach throughout with an overarching principle to reach those that are furthest behind first, as well as achieving the core objective of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Irish Aid currently has 11 bilateral programmes. There are nine in sub-Saharan African countries: Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia; with two further bilateral programmes in Vietnam and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). A number of the Embassies in these countries support development work in countries of secondary...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Safe drinking water is essential in the fight against poverty, hunger, child deaths and gender inequality, and has a renewed importance in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Despite this, 844 million people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. Ireland recognises that ensuring affordable and sustainable access to clean water is a key public health and development issue. The 2030...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland recognises that access to health systems and basic sanitation remain out of reach for many of the world’s poorest communities, despite the progress that has been made in reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and fighting diseases including HIV and AIDS. In Ireland’s international development policy, A Better World, we have committed to continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland strongly condemns the continued violence perpetrated by Boko Haram and Al Shabaab. Ireland supports the EU, UN and other international efforts to reduce the influence of Boko Haram and Al Shabaab and to prevent their attacks, especially against civilians and humanitarian workers and facilities. Ireland continues to monitor the activities of these groups and to assist populations...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (23 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland strongly supports the civilian-led political transition underway in Sudan. While Sudan has made significant headway in its reform efforts, significant challenges remain, including violence in Darfur, and an economic crisis. There are also significant delays in implementing the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) between the Transitional Government and rebel groups, including on transitional...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Official Engagements (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: As the Senator noted, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, travelled to China last month to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Minister Wang Yi, on Sunday, 30 May. The meeting took place in the context of Ireland's membership of the UN Security Council and had an extensive agenda covering bilateral relations and EU-China relations, as well as issues on the agenda of the UN...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Official Engagements (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: It is particularly important that we are aware of, and restate, our membership of the UN Security Council and the importance of that. It is in light of that membership that the engagements take place, which the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has been engaging in. It is through constructive engagement that we find solutions to many of the problems that face us. Senator Mullen seems to be...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Teaching Council of Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which gives me an opportunity to outline the role of the Teaching Council and its current structures and to highlight the role played by the Teaching Council to support teacher supply during Covid-19. The Teaching Council was established in 2006 on a statutory basis through the Teaching Council Acts 2001 to 2015, to promote teaching as a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Teaching Council of Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senator for the views she has outlined, which I will pass on to the Minister for Education. It is an important issue which she raises, and in my constituency office over the years I have been a Deputy, many of the points the Senator has raised about the Teaching Council have also been raised with me. I will make sure the Senator's views are heard by the Minister.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senator for raising this matter and I know the road in question very well. I would like to explain that once funding arrangements have been put in place through the Department of Transport under the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design and construction of an individual national road is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in conjunction with the local authorities....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Senator has made excellent points on this matter in a very strong way, as he always does. I will be delighted to convey to the Minister the Senator's views, and those of the people of Tipperary, on this very important project.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I thank the Senators for raising what they are quite right to say is a very important issue. I acknowledge that they had very limited time in which to make their contributions. I know they would have liked to make more substantial contributions on this but could not do so on foot of the rules governing Commencement matters. The issue of defective concrete blocks, DCBs, is particularly...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I will be conveying the remarks the Senators have made to the Minister, as well as the feeling of urgency about this situation that Senator Chambers mentioned.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is closely following developments in Ethiopia, including on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Tigray and elections. The construction of the GERD in Ethiopia is the cause of escalating tension between Ethiopia on the one hand, and Sudan and Egypt on the other, and poses a significant potential challenge to regional peace and security. As a member of the UN Security...