Results 4,581-4,600 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Missions (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: In the wake of tragic loss of life in the Mediterranean, the European Council in April agreed that the immediate priority is to prevent more people from dying at sea. It undertook to use all tools at the EU’s disposal and to work with countries of origin and transit of migrants to tackle the root causes of the current human emergency. Ireland strongly supports this comprehensive...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Career Breaks (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: A total of 24 officers are currently availing of the Career break scheme in my Department. Details of these officers are set out in the following table: Number of staff Grade Duration of career break 0 - 0 – 6 months 1 1 Counsellor Clerical Officer 6 – 12 months 1 1 3 1 Principal Officer Development Specialist Third Secretary Clerical Officer Up to 2 years 1 1...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: My Department only avails of the services of external photographic agencies where it is warranted, in particular, for major events and State occasions. This is a service which my Department provides so that the media can easily and freely avail of photography where their own staff photographers cannot be fully accommodated. Events such as the visit of the President of Mozambique, the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: A table containing the information requested follows. My Department has not incurred expenditure on external public relations services since my entry into office in July 2014. The expenditure in question has rather arisen in the context of specific initiatives under Ireland’s overseas development programme for which we have from time to time commissioned companies with a public...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 681 and 684 together. While my Department makes use of external IT service providers for various support and maintenance requirements for its data and communications networks, it has not engaged or re-negotiated contracts with any IT consultants since March 2011. In 2010 and 2011, the Department engaged consultants for the purpose of providing infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Parliamentary Questions (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 682 and 683 together. In my Department, answering parliamentary questions is a high priority. In 2014, my Department answered 1304 such questions. In that year, a Departmental notice issued to all staff on the procedures to be followed in dealing with parliamentary questions. The notice served also to re-emphasise to all officers the right of the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Appointments to State Boards (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: There are no State boards under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Freedom of Information Requests (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table following. I also refer the Deputy to the response to Parliamentary Question 49245/14 in which my Department provided him with much of the same information as set out in the table. My Department returns annual figures on Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC). However, the OIC...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Legislative Process (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 687 and 688 together. No Bills have been initiated by my Department since September 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff Allowances (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: My Department comprises two separate votes, Vote 28 Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Vote 27 International Co-operation. The total amount spent in each of the years 2011 to 2014 and to 31 May 2015 on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments is as per the table following. Year Subsistence Taxi fares Reimbursed Total 2011 754,865 151,755 906,620 2012 793,643 166,775...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The Department is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation). The Department commissions external expertise where highly specialised skills are not available within the Department and particularly where ongoing independent evaluation of programmes and projects is required. During the course of their engagements, these...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukrainian Conflict (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The annual summit of G7 countries took place in Elmau, Germany on 7-8 June. The conflict in Ukraine was among a number of important foreign policy issues which was discussed. In their summit declaration, G7 leaders expressed full support for the efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict within the framework of the Normandy format and the OSCE Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications (16 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The Passports Act, 2008 provides, among other things, that only Irish citizens are entitled to be issued with Irish passports. Each application received by the Passport Service must, therefore, contain relevant evidence that clearly demonstrates that person’s entitlement to Irish citizenship before a passport can issue to him/her. The child in question was born in the State in 2013 to...

Topical Issue Debate: Northern Ireland Issues (17 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: This week's RTE documentary, which I watched, presented a shocking account of allegations of collusion that spanned over three decades. In the first instance, my thoughts are with the families and relatives of those who were murdered in these events and for whom the documentary must have been deeply upsetting. The hurt caused by their loved ones being murdered in such vicious circumstances...

Topical Issue Debate: Northern Ireland Issues (17 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: No one who is prepared to deal in any objective way with the facts can be in any doubt about the seriousness and gravity of collusion and the content of that programme and others mentioned by Deputy Smith. I do not dispute anything that has been said by Deputy Smith or Deputy Adams about this issue. The wounds inflicted by collusion, which threaten to destroy trust in the state's most...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Citizenship Applications (17 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: An application for citizenship through Foreign Birth Registration on behalf of the person (details supplied) was received by the Embassy of Ireland in Ottawa on 23 April 2015. The Embassy is currently processing applications received in January. The application has been examined and certain required documentation has not been submitted. The Embassy will advise the applicant regarding the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (17 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of allegations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka in 2009.At the UN Human Rights Council session in March 2014 Ireland voted in favour of a resolution promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. One aspect of that resolution was a request for an investigation by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights into alleged serious violations and abuses of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (17 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Recognition of states is a matter for the national governments of the Member States. Debate continues in the EU, the UN and elsewhere of how best to try to restart and advance the political process to achieve a two state solution, but both the international situation and the domestic position of the parties make this very difficult at present. Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge the Chairman's words of condolence, sympathy and support at this very difficult time for this country, but in particular for those families bereaved and affected by the tragedy in Berkeley, California. We would be happy to keep the Chairman and committee fully updated and informed on this issue. I thank the committee for inviting me to discuss the role of the Department of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Shannon Airport Landings: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jun 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The nub of the argument is a distinction between a policy of military neutrality as opposed to one of political neutrality. In the strict sense of international law and practice, the question of neutrality does not really arise during peacetime but only arises during a state of war or conflict when the neutrality of the state would be embodied in any attitude of impartiality or otherwise...