Results 4,241-4,260 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (25 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question 449 on 10 March, which was as follows: "The Government's approach to the question of the recognition of Palestine was set out in detail during the course of the debate held in the Dáil on 9 and 10 December. The Dáil motion called on the Government to recognise a State of Palestine as a further positive contribution to securing a negotiated...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (25 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I remain deeply concerned at this individual's continued detention as well as the numerous postponements of his trial. The trial is due to be heard this coming Sunday, 29 March; officials of the Irish Embassy in Cairo are scheduled to attend the hearing. I and officials in my Department are monitoring all developments closely. This is a difficult case involving a foreign legal system and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (25 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The new Israeli Government has not yet been formed, although the strong expectation is of a renewed conservative coalition under Prime Minister Netanyahu. It is too early to speculate on what that government might do, or what effects this might have. While some statements made during the campaign were certainly unhelpful, we must pay closest attention to what the incoming Government...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (25 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The effective and expeditious implementation of the Stormont House Agreement is a key priority of the Government. It is disappointing that difficulties have recently arisen around the welfare element of the Stormont House Agreement. The Government has encouraged all parties to stand back and consider the overall potential benefit for the people of Northern Ireland offered by the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (25 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: High Representative Mogherini has expressed her intention of beginning a broad re-examination of EU policy on the Middle East, to see how best we can try and break the stasis in the political process, an intention I have strongly agreed with and supported. Any new initiative which might emerge from that reflection, currently expected to begin at the April Council, is likely to take some...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (25 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The comments of Prime Minister Netanyahu before the recent election, in relation to the two state solution, were both disappointing and unwelcome. Such statements are particularly regrettable in the tense and inflammatory situation in the Middle East. We know from our own peace process how words of supposed comfort to one side can have disproportionately negative impacts on the other side....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Terrorism (25 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: On the day of the attack, I made a public statement, to which I would refer the Deputy. Extracts from that statement are reproduced below. “I condemn the vicious mass killing which took place earlier today in Tunis, targeting Tunisians and tourists alike. This attack is a deliberate attempt to undermine Tunisia's achievements since 2011 in delivering a democratic State, which...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Contracts (25 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The procurement of goods, services and works engaged by the Department is on the basis of competitive tendering procedures. Procurements for contracts above €25,000 are advertised on e-tenders and those over €134,000 are also advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union. Bids are received from a variety of contractors. The most common arrangements under which...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (26 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: In 2014 the Passport Service issued 25 passports to applicants who changed their gender. In 2013 the Passport Service issued 18 passports to applicants in this category. Section 11 of the Passport Act, 2008 provides the framework relating to the processing of passport applications from citizens seeking a gender change on their passport. It allows for a citizen— who has undergone,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (26 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The Passport Service provides application forms and information notes in both Irish and English. However the Passport Service does not record in which language applications completed in a format which allows the production of the statistical reports sought by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Legislative Process (26 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The requirement to have all bills submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny was introduced as part of Dáil Reform in late 2013. My Department is currently working on the preparation of a general scheme of a bill to enable Ireland to ratify the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict and to accede to its 1999 Protocol, and I expect that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Services (26 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Achieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US is a priority for the Government in our contacts with the United States. Throughout his recent visit to the US and in a series of high level contacts with the US Administration, with Congress and at State level, the Taoiseach raised the issue of immigration reform and the plight of the undocumented Irish, stressing that almost every...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Contracts Data (26 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: No contracts have been awarded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the company referred to since 1 January 2004.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Defence Capabilities (31 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of recent comments by the President of the European Commission, Mr. Jean Claude Juncker, in relation to a European Army. There is no European army, nor is there any basis for one. The Protocol on the concerns of the Irish people on the Treaty of Lisbon states explicitlythat the Treaty does not provide for the creation of a European Army. As regards Ukraine, we have consistently...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (31 Mar 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland continues to raise Human Rights issues with other countries including with the People’s Republic of China. Exchanges take place periodically at high levels of state and government and through official channels. The EU and China also have a continuing Human Rights Dialogue, to which Ireland contributes in Europe and in China, alongside its EU partners. On 8-9 December 2014 the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (1 Apr 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The Government believes that addressing the legacy of the past is essential to further progress towards reconciliation in Northern Ireland. For this reason, the Stormont House Agreement provides for the establishment of a number of important new mechanisms, including an independent Historical Investigations Unit, which will take forward investigations into outstanding Troubles-related deaths...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (1 Apr 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The human rights situation in Iran remains a matter of serious concern. This includes freedom of expression and assembly, arbitrary arrest, and torture in detention. There are concerns in particular about the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities, political activists, journalists and bloggers, and human rights defenders. Human rights issues therefore continue to constitute an...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Aircraft Landings (2 Apr 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 201 together. Permission is required for such aircraft to overfly Ireland or to land at Irish airports. Requests for permission submitted to my Department by the Embassy of the country in question are circulated to relevant Departments and agencies, including the Department of Defence. All flights are expected to comply with navigational requirements...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukrainian Conflict (2 Apr 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The next Foreign Affairs Council will take place in Luxembourg on 20 April. The agenda for the meeting will be finalised in due course by EU High Representative Mogherini, in consultation with Member States. The question of whether Ministers will discuss the situation in Ukraine, and the nature of any such discussion, will largely depend on developments there in the meantime.The crisis in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (2 Apr 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I expect that there will be a discussion of the crisis in Libya at the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council and I will participate in that discussion. At the March meeting of the Council, High Representative Mogherini was invited to work on possible EU actions to support a government of national unity, in case such a government is agreed at the UN brokered talks.Regrettably, no such...