Results 2,381-2,400 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: A City West cheque.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy is on his seventh party.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Is that a big tongue in Deputy Rabbitte's cheek?

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte was not there.

Leaders' Questions (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: He has been in so many parties he cannot remember.

Written Answers — Middle East Peace Process: Middle East Peace Process (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 354, 357, 364 and 367 together. The situation in the Middle East, especially in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, remains at the top of the foreign policy agendas of Ireland nationally and of the European Union. The conflict in Lebanon this summer and the continuing crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, serve to underline that there is no military or...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: When they met on 6 April last in Armagh, the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Blair set out the Governments' joint strategy for achieving a fully functioning Assembly and Executive this year. Since then, the Taoiseach and I have been engaged in intensive efforts, in conjunction with the British Government, to achieve restoration of the institutions by the 24 November deadline. This has involved...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: While there are no plans at present to open further passport offices, it is the policy to keep the operation of the passport service under on-going review. As background, I should say that the majority of passports are now issued through the "Passport Express" service which is operated jointly by my Department and An Post. This service is available in over 1,000 post offices throughout the...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The situation to which the Deputy refers relates to the recent intensification of violence in the Catatumbo region of north-eastern Colombia located close to the western border of Venezuela. This region has suffered greatly from violence throughout the period of internal strife in Colombia, compounded by resistance on the part of irregular armed groups to Government attempts to eradicate...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Government has consistently made clear that it is gravely concerned about the continuing humanitarian and political crisis in Darfur and is using all avenues to urge concerted international action to resolve it. We have been very active bilaterally, at EU level and in the UN context. We will continue to use every opportunity to persuade the Government of Sudan to accept a UN force in...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy will be aware, Kosovo has been under UN administration since the end of the conflict there in 1999, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has been working with the Provisional Institutions of Self Government to bring about the implementation of European Standards in areas such as minority...

Written Answers — International Relations: International Relations (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The EU's restrictive measures against Zimbabwe were initially imposed in February 2002 and were renewed for a further twelve months in February 2006. The restrictive measures involve a travel ban, assets freeze and arms embargo and are very much targeted at the leading members of the ZANU-PF government, and not at the people of Zimbabwe. The EU has also suspended its development cooperation...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I am concerned about the situation in Thailand and am carefully monitoring developments there. I had been aware of the political difficulties in that country and, indeed, had had an opportunity to discuss the situation there with the then Foreign Minister of Thailand, when he visited Ireland a few weeks ago, but the staging of a coup was unexpected. Ireland, along with our EU partners,...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: In my statement on behalf of Ireland to the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly on 26 September, I referred to the particularly grave human rights situation in Burma. I called, once again, on the Burmese régime to move towards democracy and to release all political prisoners, in particular Aung San Suu Kyi. At the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit held in Helsinki earlier in September,...

Written Answers — EU Enlargement: EU Enlargement (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 366 together. Accession negotiations were opened with both Turkey and Croatia on 3 October 2005. An extensive screening process is currently underway, in which experts from the Commission explain EU rules to the two countries and examine their strategies for adopting and implementing them. It is expected to take until the end of 2006 to complete the...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: The Government has raised the issue of the detainees in Guantanamo Bay with the US Authorities on numerous occasions, with concerns being raised at the highest level when the Taoiseach, accompanied by myself, met with President Bush in Washington on 17 March 2006. We have always made it clear that we believe that detainees must be treated in accordance with the requirements of international...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: While significant progress has been achieved in Afghanistan over the past four years very considerable challenges still remain, above all on the security front. In any country, developing the democratic structures, institutions and administrative systems necessary to provide essential public services and to ensure a secure environment for all its people is a process that takes time. The...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (3 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: In accordance with the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Acts, 1956 to 2004, the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is responsible for determining entitlement to post-nuptial citizenship. This includes post-nuptial declarations made by persons resident abroad that were submitted to our Embassies and Consulates. The statutory provisions providing for post-nuptial...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (4 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: I am aware of the violent incidents which occurred in February this year in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, and then elsewhere in Nigeria. These regrettable incidents occurred following protests in Maiduguri on 18 February against the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The violence in Maiduguri resulted in at least eighteen confirmed fatalities and the burning of...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (4 Oct 2006)

Dermot Ahern: In my statement on behalf of Ireland to the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly on 26 September, I referred to the particularly grave human rights situation in Burma. I called, once again, on the Burmese régime to move towards democracy and to release all political prisoners, in particular Aung San Suu Kyi. At the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit held in Helsinki earlier in September,...