Results 5,621-5,640 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Common Security and Defence Policy: Common Security and Defence Policy (9 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Battlegroup concept is designed to provide the European Union with the capacity to respond rapidly to emerging crisis situations, within the overall context of the European Union's security and defence policy. Battlegroups are designed to participate in time-limited missions of 30 days, extendable to a maximum of 120 days, by which time the operation would have concluded, or the...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (9 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: Ireland has a network of 75 resident diplomatic and consular Missions abroad, as well as the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Secretariat in Belfast and the North-South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat in Armagh. While the opening of new Embassies abroad is considered by the Government on an ongoing basis, any expansion of our diplomatic network can, as I am sure the Deputy will...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (9 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: The December 2007 European Council reaffirmed that the future of the Western Balkans lies within the European Union. The countries within that region (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) continue to feature on the agenda of the General Affairs and External Relations Council. The European Union's Stabilisation and...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (14 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: There have been no new agencies established under the aegis of my Department since 1997.

Written Answers — Information Obligations: Information Obligations (14 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: My colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, TD, has the lead role in this matter and has tasked her Department with coordinating the overall process to measure and reduce regulatory burdens across Government. My own Department has engaged with the identification, prioritisation and measurement process, an exercise in which all Departments are...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (14 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department has not had any EU measures which required transposition into primary or secondary legislation in the past 12 months. While my Department has an overall coordinating role in EU matters, the core responsibility for transposing EU measures into Irish law rests with those Departments which oversee and maintain our national legislative and regulatory framework in the policy areas...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (14 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: While my Department has an overall coordinating role in EU matters, the core responsibility for transposing EU measures into Irish law rests with those Departments which oversee and maintain our national legislative and regulatory framework in the policy areas covered by individual EU measures. There are currently no Directives awaiting transposition in my Department. My colleague, Mr. Dick...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (14 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: I met with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mr. Mottaki, in New York on 29 September, during my attendance at the General Assembly of the United Nations. The main topics discussed were regional issues, such as recent events in the Caucasus, the Middle East Peace Process and the issue of Iran's nuclear programme, where I restated Ireland and the EU's full support for the approach of the 'EU3 +...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (14 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department, through Irish Aid, is not involved in the direct contracting of air transport for the shipment of relief supplies to international crises. A number of Irish Aid's partners in the UN and Red Cross families, as well as some of our NGO partners, arrange for the transport by ship, by road and by air of essential supplies as part of their ongoing operations in emergencies. On...

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (15 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: There have been no payments or contracts between this company and my Department, or any bodies operating under the aegis of my Department, from 2000 to date.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: All amounts assessed on Ireland to cover the expenses of UN peace-keeping operations are paid directly by the Department of Foreign Affairs to the UN on behalf of the Government. The total amounts paid in such obligatory assessed contributions from 1996 to 2008 are as follows: 2008 (to date) â'¬16,160,648 2007 â'¬20,610,666.85 2006 â'¬11,680,561 2005 â'¬11,172,638 2004...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (16 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy is aware, Grupo Raíces is a group of Latin American and Irish citizens concerned about the situation in Colombia. In relation to the first part of the Deputy's question, the Irish government supports both the Colombian government and civil society groups in their efforts to support the peace process in Colombia. Irish Aid currently funds local NGOs working to protect...

Written Answers — Diplomatic Representation: Diplomatic Representation (16 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: My Department became aware on 11 September of this case mentioned by the Deputy when the person concerned emailed our Embassy in Paris outlining the incident as set out in the letter by the Deputy. Our Embassy immediately contacted JWT on the same day to ensure that the person concerned had filled out a police report with one of their representatives. The Embassy also then contacted the...

Written Answers — Icelandic Investments: Icelandic Investments (16 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: There are no investment funds operating under the responsibility of my Department.

Written Answers — US Higher Education Grants: US Higher Education Grants (21 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: The Fulbright Commission (Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange) provides scholarships to Irish citizens to lecture, research or study in the United States and for US citizens to lecture, research or study in Ireland. The Commission has supported more than 1,600 Irish postgraduate students, academics and professionals who have studied in top US colleges and research...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (21 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 and 372 together. Under the Government's decentralisation programme announced in 2003, 125 posts attached to the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs were to decentralise to Limerick. Following sanction of additional posts by the Department of Finance in 2005, the total number of posts from the Division transferring to...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (21 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 373, 374 and 378 together. In 2006, one member of staff of my Department retired early under the terms of the Cost Neutral Early Retirement Scheme. No other officers have availed of early retirement within the last five years. The Deputies will appreciate that, since we had only one individual availing of early retirement, to release any further information...

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (21 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: All data held in my Department, including personal data, is protected by both physical and technical safeguards. My Department's policy is that all portable electronic data devices are encrypted. Full hard disk encryption has been implemented on all laptops issued by my Department in the past three years. The Department does not issue blackberry devices and the small number of hand held...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (21 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: The average levels of absenteeism within my Department, for each of the five years from 2003 to 2007 inclusive, are set out below. Each figure given is the total number of days lost to absence expressed as a percentage of the total available working days for staff in the Department. 2003: 1.98% 2004: 2.28% 2005: 2.57% 2006: 2.76% 2007: 3.58%

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (21 Oct 2008)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 377 and 379 together. There are currently no agencies operating under the aegis of my Department.