Results 4,681-4,700 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Three decades of civil war in Sri Lanka, which ended in 2009, caused the internal displacement of tens of thousands of Sri Lankans, many of whom are members of the Tamil population. This remains an issue to the present day. There has been a change in government in Sri Lanka following the presidential election in January 2015, and I welcome the stated commitments by the new President to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I assure the Deputy that we are keeping a very close eye on the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka. We are very concerned at some of the instances of violence that persist. We are ensuring that not only we but also our colleagues in the European Union play a most active role in assisting in the very challenging and difficult situation that persists. As well as Ireland’s...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Foreign Conflicts (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: An EU-Sri Lanka joint commission took place in Colombo on 2 April of this year. The joint commission, which oversees the EU-Sri Lanka co-operation agreement on partnership and development that has been in place for 20 years, deals with a broad range of bilateral and multilateral issues of mutual interest. Ireland and other member states received a request in June from the European...

Other Questions: Eurozone Crisis (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: To address the question as tabled by the Deputy, I have not spoken to the Minister, Mr. Kotzias, since the referendum was held in Greece on 5 July. The Deputy and the House will be aware that, following the referendum, Finance Ministers of the euro area member states and Heads of State or Government have met on numerous occasions. The leaders have agreed in principle that they are ready to...

Other Questions: Eurozone Crisis (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I do not accept that Ireland has been placed in the position alleged by the Deputy. Ireland continues to have great sympathy for the people of Greece. My colleague, the Minister for Finance, has expressed that view publicly on several occasions over the past few weeks, which have been a very challenging period. It has been reported directly that the Minister had been most helpful to the...

Other Questions: Eurozone Crisis (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I do not accept that at all. The agreement concerns the matter of fundamentally rebuilding trust between the authorities in Greece and the 18 other member states of the euro area. In this regard, I urge the Greek authorities to keep their commitments and to legislate without delay - as I understand they are doing - on the first set of trust-building measures. I believe it is important that...

Other Questions: Ministerial Dialogue (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: This seems to be an echo of the identical type of question from Deputy Boyd Barrett. I have not held any discussions with my Greek counterpart or any Greek officials since the referendum was held in Greece on 5 July. The agreement reached on 13 July is not a new deal. Rather, it sets out the modalities for the conduct of negotiations with a view towards the reaching of agreement. I...

Other Questions: Ministerial Dialogue (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I very much reject any assertion that Ireland, its Minister for Finance in particular, or anybody else for or on behalf of this country engaged in the type of behaviour alleged by Deputy Paul Murphy. The agreement is far from humiliating Greece or its people. It is about an attempt to rebuild trust between the Government of Greece on behalf of the people of Greece and the euro state...

Other Questions: Ministerial Dialogue (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge the very positive and helpful contribution by the Minister for Finance, particularly as the talks hit a critical stage over the last few days. While it is in all our interests that Greece remain in the euro area, each fully fledged member has, and will continue to have, obligations. This is no different for the Greek Government, and this is why, following a request on the part...

Other Questions: Foreign Policy (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: My Department has a very clear strategy in place focused on achieving a positive outcome at the earliest opportunity. The strategy is based on two clear objectives, namely, to see the individual released by the Egyptian authorities so he can return to his family and his studies here in Dublin, and to provide consular support for his welfare while he remains in detention. Over the past year,...

Other Questions: Foreign Policy (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The Government takes any allegations of ill treatment or mistreatment very seriously and will ensure these issues are raised at the highest level. We continue to maintain extensive contacts with the Egyptian authorities and other international partners through the EU and beyond, many of which have had citizens in similar circumstances. On examining other similar cases, it remains very clear...

Other Questions: Foreign Policy (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: It is all very fine for Deputy Finian McGrath-----

Other Questions: Foreign Policy (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I retain my view, and if Deputy Finian McGrath wants to engage in correspondence or representations, I will be more than happy to hear from him.

Other Questions: Foreign Policy (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I have not heard from him. It is the Government's considered approach, supported by decades of diplomatic experience in other cases and extensive consultation with people in other states involved in similar situations, that our current objective remains the release and return home of the citizen to his family here in Dublin.

Leaders' Questions (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Allegation time. It is what the Deputy is good at.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland Issues (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The fact that collusion occurred during the Troubles between British State forces and paramilitaries is a matter of public record. Successive Irish Governments, in our ongoing bilateral relations and through the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg, have raised the issue of collusion with the British Government. We continue to do so, including in relation to a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services Availability (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: We have all been deeply shocked and saddened by the recent event in Tunisia, where three Irish citizens lost their lives in this terrible tragedy. I am sure that the whole House will join me in extending our heartfelt sympathy to the families of the deceased at this especially difficult time. In countries where there is no resident Irish mission, diplomatic representation and consular...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of the report produced by Medical Aid for Palestine and other NGOs. This troubling report essentially confirms the view which I and many others expressed in the Dáil during the conflict last year, which was that both the scale and nature of the military action, and the high level of civilian casualties, inevitably led to the conclusion that the principles of distinction and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Undocumented Irish in the USA (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: Achieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US remains a priority for the Government in our contacts with the United States. Through our Embassy in Washington and our Consulates throughout the U.S., we continue to work closely on this agenda with high level Government contacts and with many other individuals and groups across Irish America and beyond. The aim of these contacts...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Consular Services Provision (14 Jul 2015)

Charles Flanagan: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade activated its Emergency Consular Response plan and its standing Emergency Consular Response Centre to give immediate consular assistance to those affected by the tragic events in both Berkeley and Sousse. With regard to the Berkeley balcony collapse, the Consulate General in San Francisco and the Consular Division here in Dublin, remain in...