Results 4,081-4,100 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (12 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: As provided for under data protection legislation my Department will release a copy of records held in respect of person upon their request. The Deputy, or applicant, should contact the Passport Service, (Ms. Liz Finn, Head of the Molesworth Street Passport Office) to discuss the specifics of this request.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (12 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Passports belonging to a mother and her four children were declared lost in October 2012. As outlined in my recent reply to the house the Passport Office has referred the circumstances of the loss of these passports to An Garda Síochána and investigations are still ongoing regarding this matter. A decision on issuance of any further passports and fees required to the people in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Human Rights Issues (12 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. Mr. Ibrahim Halawa, an Irish citizen, and his three sisters were detained following incidents at the Al Fateh Mosque on Ramses Square in Cairo on 17 August 2013. His sisters were later released, but he remains in detention. His case is a source of concern for me, as I know it is for the Senator and many others. From my first day in office, I...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Human Rights Issues (12 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I assure the Senator this matter is very much on the agenda and I look forward to meeting members of the Halawa family this afternoon and members of Amnesty International.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Certificate of Irish Heritage (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Since the Certificate of Irish Heritage was introduced in September 2011, 3,029 Certificates have been issued – 149 in 2011, 1,317 in 2012, 1,172 in 2013 and 391 in 2014. This overall figure includes 283 promotional Certificates presented to various individuals since 2011. With the vast majority of the global diaspora not eligible for Irish citizenship, the Certificate of Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigration Data (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The issuing of visas is a sovereign matter for the US authorities. However officials in my Department are making enquiries to obtain current figures from their US counterparts and will endeavour to provide the Deputy with an accurate figure once these have been received.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I remain deeply concerned at this individual's continued detention as well as the recent further postponement of his trial. From my first day in office, I have taken an active role in this case and indeed in my first week in office I spoke to Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry setting out my concerns. I have spoken to FM Shoukry on a number of further occasions, stressing that the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukrainian Conflict (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The conflict in eastern Ukraine has escalated rapidly in recent weeks. The upsurge in violence and the increasing number of casualties, in particular innocent civilians caught up in the fighting, has been deeply troubling. I welcome the agreement reached in Minsk on 12 February, following all-night talks involving Chancellor Merkel, President Hollande, President Poroshenko and President...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The Passports Act, 2008 provides, among other things, that only Irish citizens are entitled to be issued with Irish passports. Therefore for the person in question to be issued an Irish passport she must first become an Irish citizen. Citizenship is a matter for the Minister of Justice Equality and Law Reform.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Grant Payments (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 413, 416 and 417 together. On 12 January the Minister for the Diaspora, Jimmy Deenihan T.D., announced that the Government was providing funding of €250,000 to the GAA for Shannon Gaels GAA Club in New York to develop the underage playing field in Frank Golden Park, Queens. This funding marked a contribution towards the capital costs associated...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Grant Payments (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 414 and 415 together. The Emigrant Support Programme (ESP), which is administered by my Department, provides funding to not-for-profit organisations and projects to support Irish communities overseas. The focus of the Emigrant Support Programme is on initiatives that address the needs of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable Irish emigrants; enhance access...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I participated in the most recent meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers in Brussels on 9 February where there was a comprehensive discussion on: the situation in Ukraine; the Union's efforts to combat international terrorism; as well as the continuing crises in Libya and Yemen. Given the developments on the ground in the run up to the Council meeting, the situation in Ukraine was the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Aircraft Landings (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: As I said in my reply to Question number 500, the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952 gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs primary responsibility for the regulation of foreign military aircraft in Ireland. In relation to military personnel travelling on civil aircraft, my reply stated that legislation provides that the Minister for Transport has primary responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Services (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: In the course of a presentation by Crosscare Migrant Project to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade in October 2014 a proposal regarding the creation of an emigrant register was raised. Following this meeting a formal proposal was received from Crosscare for funding from the Emigrant Support Programme towards a Global Networking Hub. This proposal was assessed and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Application Refusals (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: All passport applications are subject to the provision of Passports Act, 2008 (the Act). In cases such as this where the application form has not been correctly witnessed, the applicant is informed and requested to submit a new form suitably witnessed.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: National Postcode System Expenditure (17 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: My Department continues to assess the changes required in its systems to support the rollout of Eircode in 2015. Significant expense is not envisaged. One of the key areas where the Eircode address database will benefit the work of my Department is the Passport Office. The cost of changes to the systems for passport processing is estimated at €60,000.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Citizenship Applications (18 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Irish Embassies and Consulates abroad accept applications for Irish citizenship through Foreign Birth Registration. Some Missions receive few if any applications while others, particularly where there is a large Irish community, receive large numbers of applications. The processing time for citizenship applications varies from place to place, and is dependent on the number of applications...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Relations (18 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The Shannon Airport Authority has confirmed that these two aircraft were at Shannon Airport on 11 February 2015. I can confirm that permission was granted by my Department for the landing of the two aircraft subject to the strict conditions which apply to all foreign military aircraft. These include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Communications (18 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: My Department fully supports the principles of the plain English Policy as outlined by the National Adult Literacy Agency. Our Customer Charter contains a commitment to “write...in simple and clear language and avoid using technical terms unless absolutely necessary”. Communication with the public is an essential part of the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (18 Feb 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I can advise the Deputy that the Embassy of Ireland in London did accept a letter of protest on the afternoon 11 February, having agreed to do so by telephone earlier that day. The Embassy also brought the letter to the attention of the Department in Dublin.