Results 3,581-3,600 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (2 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: A North South Consultative Forum was provided for in the Good Friday Agreement and the St Andrews Agreement provided further that the Northern Ireland Executive would support the establishment of an independent North/South Consultative Forum. In September 2008, the Irish Government submitted proposals for the role, format, membership and operation of a North South Consultative Forum to the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Religious Persecution (2 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland strongly condemns and attaches great importance to combating all forms of persecution or discrimination based on religion or belief and incitement to religious hatred, irrespective of where they occur or who are the victims. We firmly believe in tolerance, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. Ireland consistently presses...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (2 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Government remains deeply concerned by instances where innocent civilians, including children, have been killed by drone attacks.A panel discussion of experts on the use of armed drones in counter-terrorism and military operations was organised by the UN Human Rights Council on 22nd September 2014. Ireland, in a statement delivered at this panel discussion, said that while armed drones...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I thank Deputy Brendan Smith for his comments and look forward to working closely with him on this important issue. The British and Irish Governments have confirmed their intention to convene all-party talks involving both Governments. Over the recent period, the Northern Ireland Executive has been faced with a number of challenges on which it has been difficult to find agreement. I am...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: To deal with the final issue first, it was not a joint statement because, as the Deputy is aware, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland issued her statement at her party conference. It would not have been appropriate for me to issue a statement at a Conservative Party conference. I issued a statement from New York at precisely the same time. We had been engaged in the process during...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Government is firmly of the view that all commitments undertaken in political agreements from the Good Friday Agreement onwards must be fully implemented by the relevant stakeholders. The Government remains committed to fulfilling all its responsibilities under the agreements. The Deputy will be aware that the Good Friday Agreement, as well as the values and principles underpinning it,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I place on record my appreciation of Deputy Crowe's comments on the talks. I acknowledge the positive engagement on the part of his party and the very important role the Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin McGuinness, MLA, will play in the process. I assure Deputies that the Government will continue to use all appropriate avenues to progress implementation of the outstanding...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The US Administration plays a very important role in respect of ongoing developments in Northern Ireland. In particular, I acknowledge its role in the lead-up to the historic signing of the Good Friday Agreement in the spring of 1998. I took the opportunity last week to have a productive and constructive meeting with the Vice President, Joe Biden, the Secretary of State, John Kerry, and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the Deputy for his question. Since the devolution of policing and justice in 2010, policing, prisons and overall criminal justice policy in Northern Ireland have been the responsibility of the Minister of Justice, David Ford, MLA. The Government has an ongoing engagement with the Minister, Mr. Ford, on a wide range of security and political issues, including most recently, on 1...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I would be happy to keep a close eye on matters and to continue to engage with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the issue. I assure the Deputy that my officials at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat engage very carefully in ongoing monitoring of prison issues, including prisoner conditions, and discuss them regularly with their counterparts. We all have a duty to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I thank Deputy Smith. I do not disagree. As I set out in my previous reply, the Government remains committed to ensuring the Good Friday and St. Andrews Agreements, as well as the other agreements of the peace process, are fully implemented. The Government is determined that the potential of these agreements be fully realised to the benefit of all in the community. In regard to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Matters in the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly present ongoing difficulties and are in something of a gridlock, which is why the current round of talks is taking place. Notwithstanding that, however, I was impressed by the meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council last Friday. It was the first time I had an opportunity for such engagement. All party representatives and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I assure the Deputy that both the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I are actively engaged along the lines he suggested. I stress the importance of the engagement of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock. For the first time in the history of the State we have a Minister with dedicated responsibility for cross-Border trade, economic development and commerce matters....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: UN Reform (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The essential requirement for effective action by the United Nations in the face of any challenge or threat is political will on the part of the member states and particularly the permanent members of the Security Council. The undoubted achievements of the UN Organisation over the years amply demonstrate its capacity to act decisively and effectively when the necessary political will is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: UN Reform (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I recently spent some time in the United States and had the opportunity of spending four days at the UN General Assembly attending several important and positive meetings covering a range of issues. With particular reference to the French proposal on the veto, the permanent five, P5, would make a mutual commitment to the effect that if the council were required to make a decision regarding,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: UN Reform (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I assure the Deputy that we will actively encourage the French authorities to move on their proposal. We acknowledge the support of Mexico. That continues to be our position. We will continue to influence and encourage member states to deal with this issue, which we recognise to be most unsatisfactory in its current format and guise.

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I thank Deputy Durkan. The murders to which he refers have arisen mainly in connection with the campaign of terror waged by ISIS across Syria and Iraq. I have been appalled by these atrocities and am of the view that there must be accountability for all such actions, including through referral to the International Criminal Court. The recent report of the United Nations Human Rights...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Deputy is correct and I believe that Ireland can play an important role, together with other member states of the United Nations and the European Union, in ensuring there is a co-ordinated approach across a range of issues. The Deputy will be aware of the EU approach to combating terrorism in the region, as outlined. Developments, particularly in Iraq and Syria, were discussed at a...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I assure the Deputy that the international community will engage at the highest level. Last week, I had an opportunity of attending a specially convened meeting by the Secretary of State, John Kerry, in the United States at which this matter was discussed. The Deputy will be aware that in terms of our international engagement from a political, security and humanitarian point of view, our...

Other Questions: Shannon Airport Facilities (7 Oct 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Successive Governments have made overflight and landing facilities available at Shannon Airport to the United States for well over 50 years. The Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952 gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in this jurisdiction. Arrangements under which permission is...