Results 34,161-34,180 of 34,956 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: Ethiopia. It was signed by the World Bank and by me on behalf of the Irish State two weeks ago with its finance minister. We were very pleased that the World Bank was sitting at the table with us. It will oversee supervision of the spending of the funds because we personally could not do it. Those countries need a strong mechanism, normally through an organisation like the World Bank, to...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: To conclude on the Horn of Africa, last year we allocated and delivered more than €100 million on behalf of Ireland to that region. That is the scale of funding we are regularly providing to the region through UN bodies, or their EU counterparts, because sometimes our NGOs do not have the ability to deliver those types of projects on the ground. On Israel's actions, Ireland is one...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: The high number of civilian casualties is deeply shocking and needs to be criticised outright. We have been clear in that. Israel has a right to protect itself but that is not an unfettered right. It must do so in line with international humanitarian law. It is essential that it does that. We continually remind Israel of its international legal obligations. As people know, the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: The Government was extremely surprised by the Israeli reaction to the tweet the Deputy referenced. We have to say that. Our approach, including the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and everybody else who has spoken on this issue, has been very firm. If the entire content of the overall statement that was issued is considered, as well as other statements we have consistently issued, we believe...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: No. That has not happened.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: At this point in time, we do not think there is a particular reason that specifically merits it. However, the one point I will make on all that is we-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: People say lots of things in difficult situations. While some people might like to have a binary situation of communications or no communications, Ireland's basic position is we have always wanted to maintain diplomatic links.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: That might be interpreted as a tit-for-tat. Truthfully-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: Fine, but we are taking a more principled approach, rather than one based on specific comments or rumours in different situations. We would want very hard evidence before raising-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: Okay.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: We are not satisfied that the specifics of that have been adequately demonstrated from our point of view.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: There is ongoing communication. The ambassador has been in the Department on a number of occasions and is not-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: The straight answer to that is "Yes". We will be looking for compensation. That is the standard modus operandi in these situations. We have done so in the past and will do so again.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: This is an issue we raise consistently and regularly with Israel. Some of the damage caused is a relatively small proportion of the structures that have been built. However, we do not have powers of enforcement. We have requested and raised the issue of compensation very strongly but we do not have the legal powers to enforce it. That is where the position is.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: It is. As I said, we do not have powers of enforcement.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: Ireland continues to trade with most countries around the world-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: We have sought that but we are not in a position to enforce-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: That is okay.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: Okay. I will just finish on that.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Supplementary)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Seán Fleming: I will be brief. I thank the Deputy for his comments. He mentioned the work through trusted partners. I appreciate his positive comments on our embassy and diplomatic staff. On the funding, I can assure the Deputy that in respect of everything that is cleared at this Estimates meeting and cleared hopefully by the Dáil tonight, the cheques will go out in the morning. They are...