Results 301-320 of 1,981 for speaker:Conor Lenihan

Decentralisation Programme. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: The desire is that whatever accommodation the division concerned decentralises to in Limerick is of a reasonable standard and can accommodate the many different people who want to be there. The Deputy issued a statement earlier today, and this is fully understandable, deriving the figure of 17%. In fact 33% of the required level of staffing that we need——

Decentralisation Programme. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: ——is the actual percentage. It is not the Deputy's fault because he read that directly from the CAF. The CAF would not include——

Decentralisation Programme. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: I ask the Deputy to bear with me. The Central Applications Facility would not reflect the numbers of staff to move within DCI from overseas, or indeed people who did not come through the CAF and came into the Department on promotion. Indeed, in the last few months five people have come into the Department on promotion and indicated a strong willingness to decentralise to Limerick. Of the...

Decentralisation Programme. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: In terms of the overall situation on specialists, a great number of them are willing to travel to Limerick. I understand the figure is in the region of 11 or more among the development specialists who have indicated a willingness to go to Limerick.

Decentralisation Programme. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: The figure is 11 out of 24 development specialists. Obviously there is a shortage of numbers as regards senior development specialists.

Decentralisation Programme. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: Not only is there a risk assessment, but a number of measures have been put in place to avoid the losses the Deputy spoke about as regards corporate memory. We have installed a very strong system which provides for a one-month hand-over period, with new staff coming in. That is not the norm in the rest of the public sector——

Decentralisation Programme. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: ——when positions are being replaced. A number of risk assessments have been done on this. As a result of those a number of specific measures have been put in place to ensure that such damage does not occur.

Decentralisation Programme. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: The data are available on the website, so there is no problem.

Decentralisation Programme. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: If the Deputy wishes to see the data I will try to ensure that he gets them.

Citizenship Applications. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: I will convey the suggestions and thoughts of Deputy Gilmore to the Minister, Deputy McDowell. Let me say at the outset on behalf of the Minister, who cannot be here this evening, that he is sympathetic to the situation of the person concerned and has, with his officials, examined all possible avenues to assist her in obtaining Irish citizenship. Section 8 of the Irish Nationality and...

Citizenship Applications. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: The Minister appreciates that the person concerned has indicated that she is not in a financial position to pay this fee but he regrets he is unable to help in this regard. If the person concerned wishes to proceed with an application for naturalisation, she or the Deputy can contact the Minister's departmental office. The person concerned can then be put in touch with one of the Minister's...

Citizenship Applications. (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: I will urge the Minister to deal directly with Deputy Gilmore on this matter and I will convey to him the Deputy's view that the regulations must be changed. It is somewhat unreasonable that some resolution cannot be reached if the lady concerned does not have the means to submit the fee. I agree with the Deputy that it would be terrible if she could not get her citizenship because she could...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 12, 107 and 166 together. The Taoiseach announced at the UN Millennium Review Summit in New York on 14 September that the Government will reach the target of spending 0.7% of GNP on official development assistance by 2012. This is three years earlier than the agreed EU target date of 2015. It places Ireland in the front rank of donors worldwide, in terms...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: I proposed to take Questions Nos. 26, 47, 167 and 169 together. HIV-AIDS continues to be the single biggest obstacle to reducing poverty and to attaining the millennium development goals, MDGs. Current statistics from the United Nations joint programme on AIDS, UNAIDS, indicate that in 2004 almost 40 million people were living with the HIV virus. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the worst...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 41 and 70 together. Under the Government's decentralisation programme, announced in December 2003, the development co-operation directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs, currently based in Dublin, is scheduled to decentralise to Limerick. This will involve the relocation to Limerick of 123 posts and is scheduled to take place during the first...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 113 together. The combined contributions from official and private source s in responding to the tsunami catastrophe have placed Ireland among the most generous per capita donor nations worldwide. Within a few hours of the onset of the tsunami, the Government pledged €1 million in emergency assistance and this amount was quickly doubled as the death...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Question Nos. 39 and 119 together. Ireland attaches the greatest importance to the millennium development goals and has adopted them as the overarching framework for our development co-operation programme. The goals correspond to Development Co-operation Ireland's focus on reducing poverty and supporting the provision of basic services to the poorest people. Deputies will be...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: Education is one of the most important instruments for reducing poverty and inequality and for laying the basis for sustained economic growth. The importance of every child in every country having the opportunity to complete primary school education forms the basis of the Dakar framework for action agreed in Senegal at the World Education Forum in 2000. The goals agreed in Dakar were...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: The report to which the Deputy refers, Working Together For Better Outcomes — A Public Expenditure Review of Development Co-operation Ireland's Support to Education in Uganda and Zambia 2000-03, was commissioned to provide the Oireachtas with an analytical overview of Ireland's expenditure in the education sectors in Zambia and Uganda for the years 2000-03, in the context of the public...

Written Answers — Humanitarian Situations: Humanitarian Situations (6 Oct 2005)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 84 and 170 together. I remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region of western Sudan. As the Deputy will be aware, there has been a recent escalation in violence in west Darfur with attacks on internally displaced persons, IDPs, humanitarian workers and members of the African Union Mission in Sudan....