Results 361-380 of 1,094 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Colm Brophy

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Sustainable Development Goals (18 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 416 and 417 together. The United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a significant and ambitious cross-Government policy agenda coordinated by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC). Within the national coordination structures for delivery of the SDGs, the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (25 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 310 together. The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) manages its election observation mission through a core team of experts, which leads the monitoring and is directly recruited, which can be supplemented by long-term observers (LTOs) and short-term observers (STOs) nominated by OSCE Member States. Applications...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (25 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 304, 305 and 311 together. I refer the Deputies to the comprehensive response to Parliamentary Question No. 777 of 24 March 2021 on international election observation. In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health considerations concerning international travel, Ireland has not nominated volunteer election observers since March 2020....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (25 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: I would like to begin by welcoming the announcement of a ceasefire which began on 21 May. The humanitarian consequences of the hostilities have been devastating and two million people in the Gaza Strip, who were already suffering extreme hardship, including poverty, food insecurity and the Covid-19 pandemic, are now suffering the consequences of another cycle of violence. On 19 May,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (25 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is playing its full part in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all. Last year, Irish funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) was quadrupled, given its role as lead UN agency for health and co-host of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. Launched in April 2020, the ACT Accelerator, is a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (26 May 2021)

Colm Brophy: The plight of children in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) has been at the centre of Ireland’s response to the recent hostilities. As Minister Coveney stated at the UN Security Council on 16 May, children must never be made prisoners of history. Ireland has a longstanding commitment to improving access to and the quality of education in the oPt. Education has been central...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (2 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is a longstanding supporter of the vital work undertaken by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).  UNRWA provides essential services, including healthcare, education and humanitarian relief, to 5.7 million registered Palestine refugees, 1.4 million of whom are in Gaza. So far this year, Ireland has disbursed a total of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Bodies (2 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is recognised as a principled and high-performing provider of official development assistance (ODA). The delivery of Irish ODA follows international best practice approaches and is guided by principles for development effectiveness. A Better World, Ireland's international development policy, outlines the priorities of Ireland's development assistance programme. The Irish Aid...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is playing its full part in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all. Last year, Irish funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) was quadrupled, given its role as lead UN agency for health and co-host of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.  Launched in April 2020, the ACT Accelerator, with...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Priorities (15 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 641 to 643, inclusive, 679 and 682 together. The Generation Equality Forum hosted by the Government of France and convened by UN Women will take place in Paris from 30 June to 2 July. Ireland has engaged closely with the Generation Equality process, including through my participation at the virtual high-level event hosted by the Government of Mexico in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Irish Aid (15 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Counter Fraud policy of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which affirms our zero tolerance towards fraud, sets out the procedures for the prevention, detection and dealing with instances of fraud or suspected fraud, including in partner organisations. Information regarding suspected frauds, along with information regarding recovered and unrecovered funding, in Irish Aid’s areas...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Climate Action Plan (17 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Interim Climate Action Plan presents a number of supporting and enabling actions to advance Ireland’s international role on climate issues. These actions are necessary to support our efforts to coordinate and scale up our international climate finance and to enhance our climate diplomacy efforts. Ireland provides significant international climate finance, the vast majority of which...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Policy (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland is closely following developments in Ethiopia, including on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Tigray and elections. The construction of the GERD in Ethiopia is the cause of escalating tension between Ethiopia on the one hand, and Sudan and Egypt on the other, and poses a significant potential challenge to regional peace and security. As a member of the UN Security...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Programme for Government makes clear that the Government does not support the importation of fracked gas.  Following upon a commitment in the Programme for Government, the Government published a Policy Statement on May 2021 which outlines both constraints and opportunities for Government action in this area, including in the context of Ireland's obligations as a Member State of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Gender Equality (22 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Generation Equality Forum hosted by the Government of France and convened by UN Women will take place in Paris from 30 June to 2 July.  Ireland has engaged closely with the preparatory process, including through my participation at the virtual high-level event hosted by the Government of Mexico in March.  The Paris Forum will launch a series of ambitious actions to further...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (23 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: Ireland strongly supports the civilian-led political transition underway in Sudan. While Sudan has made significant headway in its reform efforts, significant challenges remain, including violence in Darfur, and an economic crisis. There are also significant delays in implementing the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) between the Transitional Government and rebel groups, including on transitional...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The UN Security Council is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security and it is in this context that it addresses climate change. I am deeply concerned about the security impacts of climate change. It is no coincidence that of the 15 countries most susceptible to climate risks, 8 host a UN peacekeeping operation or a special political mission. As a result, we...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I am deeply concerned at the plight of the people of Gaza. Recent hostilities have caused severe damage to infrastructure and the humanitarian consequences have been devastating for a community already enduring both a blockade and the COVID-19 pandemic. According to local authorities, more than 2000 housing units were damaged or destroyed and essential services, including water, sanitation...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Oireachtas Committees (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: I have welcomed the March 2021 report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence on the Distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to Developing Countries. I firmly believe that universal and equitable access to safe, effective, and affordable diagnostics, treatments and vaccines is crucial in the global fight against COVID-19.  I am determined that Ireland, in particular...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: United Nations (24 Jun 2021)

Colm Brophy: The Generation Equality Forum hosted by the Government of France and convened by UN Women will take place in Paris from 30 June to 2 July. Ireland has engaged closely with the preparatory process, including through my participation at the virtual high-level event hosted by the Government of Mexico in March.  The Paris Forum will launch a series of ambitious actions to further...