Results 3,661-3,680 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the table below. The Deputy may wish to note that, in addition to the figures requested, it is also possible for Irish citizens to apply for a passport in person at the public offices in Dublin and Cork or to drop their applications into designated collection points or 'drop boxes' at these offices. The combined total for these was some...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: In 2005, the Government decided that, building on the existing free transport, television licence, phone and electricity schemes for older people, passports should also be available free to persons aged 65 and over. This was warmly welcomed at the time. The reality now is that, if this attractive scheme is to work satisfactorily, there clearly has to be a fixed starting date and fixed...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: At the Headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs, a small number of staff in specialised areas are retained on a contract basis. No agency workers are employed at Headquarters, though 26 members of local staff at Missions abroad are engaged through employment agencies. No State agencies fall under the auspices of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 and 314 together. No disks, laptops or memory storage devices containing personal information about members of the public have been lost or stolen from the Department of Foreign Affairs. There are no agencies attached to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Written Answers — Consular Services: Consular Services (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Requests to the Consular Section of the Department for financial assistance are usually made by telephone and sometimes by different relatives of the same person. It is not possible for the Department to give a breakdown on the number of representations we have received over the past four years as statistics are only kept in cases where funds are actually advanced for payment. The...

Written Answers — Consular Services: Consular Services (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The funds referred to by the Deputy were repaid in full on 20th August, 2004 by the 'Bring Them Home Campaign'.

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I share deep concerns regarding the welfare of vulnerable children in the Mogilino social care home. The need for action to address this disturbing legacy of past policies and attitudes is acknowledged by the Bulgarian authorities. In view of Irish concerns, I asked our Ambassador to Bulgaria to meet with the Minister who has responsibility for institutional care and to raise with her these...

Written Answers — Passport Applications: Passport Applications (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: There are a number of ways in which a person, who is born outside Ireland, can obtain an Irish passport through establishing his/her citizenship. These include that of a person who has one Irish born parent, irrespective of where he/she was born. This may well be the case of the person in question. However, as we understand he was born in the UK, the first step in establishing his...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: No member of the Department of Foreign Affairs has been dismissed since the introduction of the Civil Service Regulation Act 2005.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have detailed below the amounts of travel subsistence payments made to Civil Servants in my Department, both at Headquarters and in our 75 Missions abroad, over the past five years. Subsistence Allowances (2002 to 2007) 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Travel Subsistence €1,319,001 €1,229,711 €1,247,823 €1,215,206 €1,246,823 €1,198,049 In addition to the figures outlined...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Under the Government's decentralisation programme, the Development Cooperation Directorate of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is Irish Aid's Headquarters, will decentralise to Limerick. Good progress has been made and personnel have either been assigned to, or identified for, 103 posts or approximately 83% of the 124 posts scheduled to be decentralised. An advance party staff has...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (13 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Atlantic Corridor project is a transatlantic, cross-border initiative designed to encourage the economic and social advancement of the regions of the participating partners. These are: Atlantic Corridor, USA, Inc, the Niagara Economic and Tourism Corporation, the Atlantic Corridor, Northern Ireland (covering the area of the Lower Bann), and Atlantic Corridor, Ireland (covering the...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (13 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Cultural Relations Committee was established in 1949 to advise the Minister for Foreign (then External) Affairs on support for cultural projects, 'with a view to the enhancement of Ireland's image and reputation abroad, and the promotion of friendly relations and of mutual knowledge and understanding with other countries'. In 2001 agreement was reached between the Minister for Arts,...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (13 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The nature and scale of capital projects being undertaken by my Department has not required it to engage any full time specialists in the area of information technology procurement and capital project evaluation and management. As my Department has a full-time procurement management officer, there has not to date been a business need to second IT procurement specialists from the private sector.

Written Answers — Compulsory Purchase Orders: Compulsory Purchase Orders (13 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The management of the business of my Department does not require it to use compulsory purchase orders.

Written Answers — Consular Services: Consular Services (14 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy will be aware from my reply to him of 27 September 2007, my Department has provided extensive consular assistance to the family of the person concerned since his tragic death in Lanzarote on 1 August 2007. Officials from our Consular Section, our Embassy in Madrid and our Honorary Consulate in Lanzarote have maintained direct contact with the family and have assisted in making...

Written Answers — Manchester Martyrs: Manchester Martyrs (19 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Excellent and painstaking research by a number of independent groups and individuals continues in an effort to identify the precise location of the remains of Michael Larkin, William O'Brien and William Allen, known collectively as the Manchester Martyrs. Following their hanging on 23 November 1867, the remains of the three men were buried in Strangeways prison. To facilitate construction...

Written Answers — Percent for Art Scheme: Percent for Art Scheme (19 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 357 and 358 together. Please find below information relating to the capital construction projects funded by my Department and, related to those projects, the amount spent on artworks for each year since 2002 to date in 2008. The artworks in question are primarily for our 75 Missions abroad. Year Capital Construction Projects Artwork Purchased € 2002...

Written Answers — Financial Management Systems: Financial Management Systems (19 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: My Department has two financial management systems in operation, one for Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and one for Vote 29 (International Cooperation). There are two systems in place as the financial management of the two is kept separate, to take account of different requirements and, in particular, the specific needs of the aid programme. Both systems are versions of SUN software. They are...

Written Answers — Conflict Resolution: Conflict Resolution (19 Feb 2008)

Dermot Ahern: It is my firm view that if Ireland is to play a more active role in international conflict prevention and resolution, it will be necessary to mobilise the conflict resolution expertise that already exists in the country. Placing our experts within international agencies or in conflict related programmes and projects will allow Ireland to extend its reach on conflict resolution and contribute...