Results 4,581-4,600 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (15 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme, which is at the heart of our foreign policy. “One World, One Future” our policy on International Development, sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, and reaffirms our commitment to achieving the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Product (GNP) for Official Development...

Northern Ireland and the Stormont House Agreement: Statements (20 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: For the record, I am not smirking.

Northern Ireland and the Stormont House Agreement: Statements (20 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: I express the Government's appreciation of the support expressed by some Members of the House today for the Stormont House Agreement and the Government's role in negotiating it. The Stormont House Agreement was a necessity. The months before the political talks began were characterised by political deadlock and a public increasingly disheartened by the inability of the political system to...

Northern Ireland and the Stormont House Agreement: Statements (20 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: In this regard, I am encouraged the recent announcement by the Northern Ireland Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Carál Ní Chuilín, of her intention to proceed with the publication of Irish and Ulster Scots language strategies for public consultation. During the talks, we advanced the view that a bill of rights for Northern Ireland could set out precisely and formally...

Northern Ireland and the Stormont House Agreement: Statements (20 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Yes.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (20 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: For 2014 the Government allocated almost €600 million to Official Development Assistance (ODA). €479 million was allocated to Vote 27 – International Cooperation, managed by the Development Cooperation Division of my Department - better known to the public as ‘Irish Aid’. A further estimated €120 million comprised ODA eligible contributions made by...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Aid (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Ireland is playing a strong role in the international response to the Ebola crisis through the work on the ground of its embassy in Sierra Leone - it is one of very few countries that have such a bilateral relationship with that country in particular - and through its significant financial support. In 2014 alone, the Government provided more than €18 million directly and through...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Aid (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Through the Chair, I wholeheartedly agree with everything Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan has said. In fairness to the Irish response, it has been extremely influential in influencing the United Nations response. There is a United Nations mission on the ground - I was present in Freetown on the very weekend it arrived - and because of the presence of our ambassador and team on the ground, as well...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Humanitarian Aid (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: To their credit, the Irish NGOs are working directly with people and seek to empower people on the very dynamics about which the Deputy has spoken. While I acknowledge the Deputy is not necessarily making this point, Ireland does not take a patronising or patriarchal view in this regard. We help people to empower people to build up capacity in order that they can do it themselves. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Provision (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is continuing to have a devastating impact on the worst-affected countries - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Through the work on the ground of our Embassy in Sierra Leone and our significant financial support, Ireland is playing a leading role in the international response, which is finally beginning to show progress. Each of the three countries now has...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Significant progress has been made in recent years to improve the international response to major disasters. Under the leadership of the UN, clear systems have been put in place to ensure the most effective, efficient and rapid delivery of aid possible. Ireland has been playing our part in ensuring that these reforms are implemented, so that responses are timely and effective and meet the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Expenditure (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Last Year the Government allocated almost €600 million to Official Development Assistance (ODA). €479 million was managed by my Department under Vote 27 – International Cooperation, while a further estimated €120 million comprised of ODA eligible contributions made by other Government Departments and Ireland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation Budget....

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Provision (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is continuing to have a devastating impact on the worst-affected countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Through the work on the ground of our Embassy in Sierra Leone and our significant financial support, Ireland is playing a strong role in the international response. It is clear that progress is at last being made. Each of the three countries has...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms ever recorded, made landfall across the central Philippines on 8 November 2013. It is estimated that it affected more than 14 million people, with almost 4 million displaced, including some 1.5 million children. Over 6,000 lives are known to have been lost with more than 28,000 injured and 1000 people missing. No official pledging conference took...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: On 12 January 2010, Haiti was struck by one of the most devastating earthquakes in recent history, causing some 230,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries. The earthquake destroyed much of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas, left about 1.5 million people homeless and caused losses and damage estimated at approximately €5.9 billion. Two months after the earthquake, an international...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Humanitarian Aid (22 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: The protracted crisis in Syria and the region has resulted in immense humanitarian need. More than 200,000 people have lost their lives, and there are now over 12.2 million people in need of immediate life-saving support within Syria. Due to the violence and the lack of access to aid, 3.8 million people have left Syria for neighbouring countries. Ireland is one of the most generous...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Debt Restructuring (27 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Ireland, in common with all other EU Member States, was unable to support the UN General Assembly resolution on the modalities for the implementation of General Assembly Resolution 68/304 on the establishment of a multilateral legal framework for sovereign debt restructuring processes. The decision to vote against the Resolution was taken on the basis of its substance and the procedural...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: I will take them on the next-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: I thank the Chairman for his kind remarks. With his permission, I will deal with the questions that were asked before I make my statement, as I am conscious that some people need to move on to deal with other issues. On the Palestinian question, the Minister mentioned monetary commitments of €10 million, but there is a further funding commitment in 2015 to the bilateral...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade (Revised) (28 Jan 2015)

Seán Sherlock: Yes - no doubt about it. Since that time, the budget for Uganda has decreased, from €21 million in 2014 to €16.2 million in 2015. An interim programme is in place for Uganda and we are considering developing a new five-year country programme. That process is ongoing as we speak. We are taking a vigilant line in Uganda. A positive result of what happened is that there has...