Results 5,041-5,060 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

International Agreements (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Deputy is aware, the programme for Government states that Ireland is committed to reaching the target of 0.7% of GDP. All the countries which signed up to the agreement aspire to this goal and we are working very hard to reach it. I acknowledge that there has been a reduction of approximately 30% in the level of our contribution in recent years and that the figure currently stands at...

International Agreements (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: That is a very interesting suggestion.

International Agreements (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: An event which links our development work with the Famine is due to take place shortly. The Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Deenihan, is taking the lead in respect of that event, at which I will be delivering an address. There is a strong folk memory of the Famine and that is why there is such support for our programme across the political parties and among members...

Trade Relations (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: Ireland's trade relations with Turkey are good and levels of trade are increasing. In 2010, Turkey was Ireland's 22nd largest merchandise trading partner, with the bilateral merchandise trade valued at €685 million. This represented an increase of 8% on 2009 figures. Figures for the first six months of this year show a 16% rise in merchandise trade over the same period last year. The...

Trade Relations (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, had a family bereavement at the weekend. That is the reason she is not present today. I am aware of the statement she made in April 2010, but she was an Opposition Deputy at the time. The Government's position is consistent with that of previous Governments, which is that it supports Turkey's candidacy for EU membership. Progress on this requires...

Trade Relations (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I note the Deputy's point but the Government's position is as I outlined, and that includes all members of the Government.

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: Each year my Department publishes a report on the activities supported by Irish Aid, the Government's development aid programme. The focus of the 2010 Irish Aid Annual Report, which I launched two weeks ago, is on demonstrating the impact of Irish Aid funding on the lives of communities where we are working. The theme of the report is that development assistance works. At a time when...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 94, 95, 97,107, 110 and 123 together. The Government is strongly committed to Ireland's overseas development programme, which is central to our foreign policy. It is internationally recognised as one of the best development aid programmes in the world, is clearly focused on the fight against extreme poverty and hunger, and is concentrated in some of the...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: The humanitarian situation across the Horn of Africa is worsening, with more than 13 million people affected by drought and food shortages. The Government has been following and responding to the crisis for many months and has already allocated more than €10 million in emergency assistance. Our funding has been utilised by the UN, the Red Cross and NGOs such as Concern and Trócaire, to...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: One of the most important international meetings on development issues this year will be the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, to be held in Busan, in the Republic of Korea, in November. The Forum will assess progress in implementing the commitments made under the 2005 Paris Declaration on making aid more effective. It will also focus on new global development challenges, such as...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: The international community is facing a grave humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa, with an estimated thirteen million people in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti affected by a long-running drought. The situation is most critical in Somalia, where the United Nations estimates that 750,000 are at imminent risk of starvation and where the conflict and access issues have greatly...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government recognises that trade is an engine for growth which offers a path to development for those most in need, wherever they live. With increased trade, many developing countries have seen incomes and employment grow rapidly and this has resulted in significant reductions in poverty levels. This understanding is clearly reflected in the EU's trade policy which seeks to promote...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 to 113, inclusive, together. As Minister of State with responsibility for Ireland's Official Development Assistance, I am very conscious of the need to ensure that development aid reaches its intended beneficiaries and that it makes a real difference in the lives of the poorest people. The overarching objective of the aid programme is to contribute to the...

Written Answers — Humanitarian Aid: Humanitarian Aid (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: The humanitarian situation across the Horn of Africa is worsening, with over 13 million people now affected by drought and food shortages in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The situation is at its worst in Somalia, where the United Nations has warned that 750,000 are at imminent risk of starvation and where ongoing conflict and access issues have greatly exacerbated the challenge of...

Written Answers — Humanitarian Aid: Humanitarian Aid (4 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: Studies by the United Nations have shown that the last ten years have represented one of the worst decades ever in terms of attacks on humanitarian workers. The situation varies considerably from country to country however and within the Horn of Africa, aid workers can generally go about their business in a protected and unhindered manner across much of the region. The clear exception to...

Seanad: Overseas Development Aid (5 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Senator for raising the issue. I invite him and the disability rights organisations to make submissions on the White Paper review. The consultation process will take place between January and March next year and the review will conclude by next July. I welcome the concept of a rights-based approach. I also welcome this opportunity to address the important issue of how our...

Seanad: Overseas Development Aid (5 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: It is difficult to put a concrete figure on it. I have a figure that more than €6.5 million was provided since 2008 specifically to non-governmental organisations, NGOs, working with people with disabilities. They would be organisations such as Sightsavers, CBM Ireland and Children in Crossfire but there is also a Dóchas disability and development group representatives of which I met...

Disaster Relief (11 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I acknowledge Deputy Costello's interest in this issue for some time. Obviously I am anxious to bring it to fruition. He has outlined the reasons such a humanitarian hub should be located in Shannon. It is an unfortunate fact that the frequency and impact of natural and other disasters has increased dramatically in recent years. From the Asian tsunami of 2004 to the earthquake in Haiti...

Disaster Relief (11 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I take the Deputy's point that the Lisbon treaty adds to the strength of the proposal and also the fact that there is not an Atlantic hub. He suggested that we prepare a template for the United Nations and the EU. We will take all those comments on board. However, we must ensure it fits in with existing facilities. Given that the other hubs are close to where disasters tend to happen...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Oct 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: Approximately 2.5 billion people, roughly one-third of global population, lack safe sanitation facilities and 885 million people lack access to improved sources of drinking water. While progress has been made, only twenty six out of fifty four African countries are on track to meet Millennium Development Goal 7 "to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to...