Results 15,421-15,440 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The treatment of Palestinian children in the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is of deep concern, and an issue on which Ireland has been active for some time. The significant rise in the number of children arrested, which has been highlighted in reports by UNICEF and others, is largely connected to the wave of violent incidents over the last ten months in which, tragically, many...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Free Trade Area (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is an intergovernmental organisation set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its four Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The European Economic Area Agreement enables three of the four EFTA Member States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) to participate in the EU’s Internal...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Services (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: In September 2014 RTÉ announced plans to shut down their longwave 252 service which enables RTÉ Radio 1 to be broadcast into Britain. While the initial plan was for the longwave service to close on 27 October 2014, this was further deferred until 19 January 2015. On 18 December 2014 a decision was taken to continue Longwave Radio services until 2017. Following this announcement I...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The Government is committed “to recognise the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict”. The Government works consistently to achieve a free, independent and sovereign Palestinian state, not just in theory but in fact, and all of our actions on the Israeli/Palestinian issue are directed to that end. It is central to our objective of a two state...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of the report on Sri Lanka presented by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Ireland is a strong supporter of the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and has welcomed this update on Sri Lanka. On Wednesday 29 June, Ireland delivered a national statement at the Human Rights...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UK Referendum on EU Membership (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: There is no change to the status of the Good Friday Agreement or the workings of the European Court of Human Rights arising from the result of the UK referendum of the EU last week. As reflected in the Programme for a Partnership Government, the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the subsequent agreements, including the 2014 Stormont House and the 2015 Fresh Start...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: A number of elements of the Good Friday Agreement and St Andrews Agreement have not yet been fully implemented including an Irish Language Act, a North South Consultative Forum and, a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. The Government’s firm position is that these Agreements must be implemented in full, and this is reflected in the Programme for Government. These Agreements, as...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukrainian Conflict (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I can confirm that I have received no direct representations relating to the EU sanctions against Russia, which were extended last week for a further six months until 31 January 2017. Unfortunately, key elements of the Minsk agreements, which provide the basis for a comprehensive and lasting political resolution to the conflict, remain far from implementation. These include the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 326 together. The report by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland into the events surrounding the appalling attack and murder of six men in Loughinisland in 1994 causes deep concerns. My thoughts are first and foremost with the families of these victims for whom this report will be a very difficult reminder of their loss and pain. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Dealing with the legacy of the past relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland and pursuing the issue of the Dublin Monaghan bombings is a major priority for me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and for the Government. This commitment is reflected in the Programme for a Partnership Government that was agreed in May. The all-Party Dáil motion on the 1974 Dublin Monaghan...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I refer the Deputy to my reply to his Question no 55 (19412/16) today, which was as follows: “The treatment of Palestinian children in the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is of deep concern, and an issue on which Ireland has been active for some time. The significant rise in the number of children arrested, which has been highlighted in reports by UNICEF and others, is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Officials in my Department have recently undertaken a round of consultation meetings with various victims’ groups connected to the Troubles in Northern Ireland to discuss the establishment of the Stormont House legacy framework. As part of this work, officials met with more than 20 victims’ groups who represent those affected by the Troubles. These included groups from both...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The Government committed to full implementation of both the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements, including the establishment of a comprehensive framework for dealing with the legacy of the past, and this is reflected in our Programme for Government. Under the Fresh Start Agreement of last November, the two Governments committed to reflect on options for a process to enable the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: In 2011 the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Reconciliation Fund was allocated €3,000,000; in each of the subsequent years, including this year, it was allocated €2.7 million. Detailed lists of the grants awarded through the Reconciliation Fund since 2012 are available on the Department’s website: . The purpose of the Reconciliation Fund is to fund civil...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: As of 1 July, there were 53,139 passport applications in progress across the Passport Service. While it is not possible to identify which of these applicants also hold British citizenship, I can confirm that of this amount, 6,201 were submitted using Northern Ireland Passport Express. A further 6,659 were submitted via our Embassy in London. Passport applications figures, including...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Data (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Data on the number of Irish citizens currently working in the United Kingdom is not available as the UK Office for National Statistics does not differentiate between EU citizens for the purposes of employment and labour market data. According to the most recent data of 18 May 2016, there is nearly 2.2 million EU citizens working in the UK. The United Kingdom’s 2011 census data,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland, along with the EU, respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia and regards the province of West Papua as being part of Indonesia. Nevertheless, the human rights situation in West Papua remains an issue of concern. This is raised regularly in contacts between the EU and Indonesia, and developments in this area will continue to be monitored closely by the Embassy of Ireland in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Reports (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: On the occasion of Human Rights Day, 10 December 2015, I was pleased to announce the publication of the Working Outline of the National Plan on Business and Human Rights. The Working Outline has provided a basis for further consultations on the development of the National Plan. During the first quarter of 2016 my Department hosted consultations on the Working Outline of Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Agreements (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland, in common with our EU partners, the UN and the African Union, considers Somaliland to be a region of Somalia, though with a special autonomous status. Ireland believes a permanent solution to the status of Somaliland should be reached through negotiations between the authorities of Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia. This solution must be acceptable to both parties...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of the situation of the Baha’i in Iran; it is an issue that my Department follows closely. The human rights situation in Iran in general is a matter of serious concern. Freedom of religion and belief, of expression and of assembly are not always upheld, and there are particular concerns about the treatment of some religious and ethnic minorities, political activists,...