Results 31,161-31,180 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Presidency (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he sees it as a priority during Ireland's Presidency of the EU to initiate a programme of information for the membership of national parliaments with the objective of generating a unified approach to issues currently affecting the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50460/12]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the country's worldwide now deemed to be the top ten world's poorest countries; the extent to which the international community continues to engage in a coordinated effort to address the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50462/12]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which the EU and the UN continues to monitor the situation in the Western Balkans with particular reference to the need to ensure continued stability and progress through democracy in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50463/12]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which he, in conjunction with colleagues at EU and UN level, continues to identify and address areas of conflict, ethnic cleansing and or human rights abuses worldwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50464/12]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will indicate the extent to which he continues at EU and UN level to focus attention on the ongoing situation in the Middle East with particular reference to addressing the complaints on all sides in their respective areas of concern, whether a particular permanent structure exists whereby ongoing grievances can be...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which attention continues to be focused at international level in the matter of achieving progress on the Palestinian Israeli issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50466/12]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the international community continues to monitor the situation regarding alleged human rights abuses in Iran; the progress that has been made to date on such issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50467/12]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the international community continues to monitor the persecution of academics in Iran; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50469/12]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which he continues to galvanise support for the alleviation of starvation, strife and famine in the horn of Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50468/12]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which any progress has been made in the matter of undocumented Irish in the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50470/12]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the situation in Sudan and neighbouring jurisdictions continues to be monitored by the international community; the extent to which this has had a positive bearing on the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50471/12]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Promotion: Discussion (Resumed) with IBEC and IEA (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: I thank our guests for addressing the meeting today and I congratulate them for their positive attitude. It is refreshing to see such a positive attitude displayed by people at the coalface, especially at times of economic difficulty. I congratulate both organisations for their work, especially in respect of the passage of the fiscal stability referendum as well. I greatly appreciate it. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Promotion: Discussion (Resumed) with IBEC and IEA (14 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: Given the need for growth and job creation, even in the difficult situation in which we find ourselves, I ask IBEC to identify two issues it would see as impediments to job creation and I ask the Irish Exporters Association to identify two issues it would see as possible impediments to the development of the export sector. By the same token, I would ask the reverse question, namely, what are...

Order of Business (15 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: On adoption legislation, have the heads of the adoption, tracing and information Bill been approved by the Government? When is the Bill likely to be brought before the House? Similarly, have the heads of the legal aid Bill been approved? Is it intended to bring the Bill before the House in the near future?

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: I wish to share time with Deputies Coffey and Seán Kenny. I am glad to have an opportunity to speak on this important piece of legislation. I agree with many of the sentiments expressed by the previous speaker. This issue has been affecting the people of this country for ten years. The main object of the Bill is to ensure that in the interests of societal and inter-generational...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: I do not intend to retire before Deputy McGrath, if that is all right with him. There is a large cohort of people who have paid for private health insurance for many years but do not get any recognition for that. At least with motor insurance one can get a no-claims bonus if one has been insured for a number of years. It was understood that in the area of health insurance, the no-claims...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Arrears (15 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Minister for Finance the extent to which he continues to be updated by the various lending agencies in the matter of mortgage arrears with particular reference to the extent or arrears and or repossessions in respect of family homes, buy to rent or commercial properties; if he has been apprised of the way lending agencies have addressed the shortfall arising from the situation...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Arrears (15 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Minister for Finance the extent to which lending agencies have insured against bad debt; the extent to which any such claims have been made on an annual basis over the past four years and to date in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50804/12]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Arrears (15 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Minister for Finance the extent to which lending agencies have suffered a loss arising from repossessions of family homes or commercial properties in each of the past four years and to date in 2012; the extent if any to which these losses have been offset by various forms of insurance cover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50805/12]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU-IMF Agreement (15 Nov 2012)

Bernard Durkan: To ask the Minister for Finance the extent to which he continues to receive support from his EU colleagues for the principle of improved terms for interest and repayments of bailout debt which in turn would create the prospect of some economic growth leading to an improvement in debt GDP ratio and economic recovery; if the issue of historical debt remains to be resolved; when he expects...