Results 5,701-5,720 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: A number of elements of the Good Friday Agreement and St Andrews Agreement have not yet been fully implemented including an Irish Language Act, a North South Consultative Forum and, a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. The Government’s firm position is that these Agreements must be implemented in full, and this is reflected in the Programme for Government. These Agreements, as...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ukrainian Conflict (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I can confirm that I have received no direct representations relating to the EU sanctions against Russia, which were extended last week for a further six months until 31 January 2017. Unfortunately, key elements of the Minsk agreements, which provide the basis for a comprehensive and lasting political resolution to the conflict, remain far from implementation. These include the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 326 together. The report by the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland into the events surrounding the appalling attack and murder of six men in Loughinisland in 1994 causes deep concerns. My thoughts are first and foremost with the families of these victims for whom this report will be a very difficult reminder of their loss and pain. The...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Dealing with the legacy of the past relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland and pursuing the issue of the Dublin Monaghan bombings is a major priority for me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and for the Government. This commitment is reflected in the Programme for a Partnership Government that was agreed in May. The all-Party Dáil motion on the 1974 Dublin Monaghan...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Issues (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I refer the Deputy to my reply to his Question no 55 (19412/16) today, which was as follows: “The treatment of Palestinian children in the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is of deep concern, and an issue on which Ireland has been active for some time. The significant rise in the number of children arrested, which has been highlighted in reports by UNICEF and others, is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Officials in my Department have recently undertaken a round of consultation meetings with various victims’ groups connected to the Troubles in Northern Ireland to discuss the establishment of the Stormont House legacy framework. As part of this work, officials met with more than 20 victims’ groups who represent those affected by the Troubles. These included groups from both...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The Government committed to full implementation of both the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements, including the establishment of a comprehensive framework for dealing with the legacy of the past, and this is reflected in our Programme for Government. Under the Fresh Start Agreement of last November, the two Governments committed to reflect on options for a process to enable the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Funding (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: In 2011 the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Reconciliation Fund was allocated €3,000,000; in each of the subsequent years, including this year, it was allocated €2.7 million. Detailed lists of the grants awarded through the Reconciliation Fund since 2012 are available on the Department’s website: . The purpose of the Reconciliation Fund is to fund civil...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Data (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: As of 1 July, there were 53,139 passport applications in progress across the Passport Service. While it is not possible to identify which of these applicants also hold British citizenship, I can confirm that of this amount, 6,201 were submitted using Northern Ireland Passport Express. A further 6,659 were submitted via our Embassy in London. Passport applications figures, including...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Data (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Data on the number of Irish citizens currently working in the United Kingdom is not available as the UK Office for National Statistics does not differentiate between EU citizens for the purposes of employment and labour market data. According to the most recent data of 18 May 2016, there is nearly 2.2 million EU citizens working in the UK. The United Kingdom’s 2011 census data,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland, along with the EU, respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia and regards the province of West Papua as being part of Indonesia. Nevertheless, the human rights situation in West Papua remains an issue of concern. This is raised regularly in contacts between the EU and Indonesia, and developments in this area will continue to be monitored closely by the Embassy of Ireland in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Reports (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: On the occasion of Human Rights Day, 10 December 2015, I was pleased to announce the publication of the Working Outline of the National Plan on Business and Human Rights. The Working Outline has provided a basis for further consultations on the development of the National Plan. During the first quarter of 2016 my Department hosted consultations on the Working Outline of Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: International Agreements (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland, in common with our EU partners, the UN and the African Union, considers Somaliland to be a region of Somalia, though with a special autonomous status. Ireland believes a permanent solution to the status of Somaliland should be reached through negotiations between the authorities of Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia. This solution must be acceptable to both parties...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of the situation of the Baha’i in Iran; it is an issue that my Department follows closely. The human rights situation in Iran in general is a matter of serious concern. Freedom of religion and belief, of expression and of assembly are not always upheld, and there are particular concerns about the treatment of some religious and ethnic minorities, political activists,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: The agreement on a definitive bilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities between the Colombian Government and the FARC guerrilla organisation is an important step in bringing to an end more than half a century of conflict in which more than 220,000 people have been killed and 6.4 million people displaced. I congratulate all of the parties to the agreement for their courage in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I share the deep frustrations expressed by the authors of the Taking Sides report. I have previously expressed my strong concerns that the UN Security Council has failed to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court and the lack of measures adopted to constrain the actions by the parties, especially the Assad regime, in their attacks on civilians. I also accept that...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Migration Crisis (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I share the concern about the situation on the ground in Greece, which remains extremely challenging, with over 57,000 refugees and migrants currently dispersed across the country in several sites on the mainland and the islands, despite a reduction in numbers arriving from Turkey. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) updated its regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: Officials in my Department have recently undertaken a round of consultation meetings with various victims’ groups connected to the Troubles in Northern Ireland to discuss the establishment of the Stormont House legacy framework. As part of this work, officials met with more than 20 victims’ groups who represent those affected by the Troubles. These included groups from both...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UK Referendum on EU Membership (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 342 and 344 together. From the moment Prime Minister David Cameron first proposed a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU in 2013, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has worked closely with the Department of the Taoiseach on this important strategic issue for Ireland. Work is underway to ensure that capabilities and resources are put...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: UK Referendum on EU Membership (5 Jul 2016)

Charles Flanagan: A total of 46 officers are based in the Embassy of Ireland in London, including the Passport Office which is part of the Embassy. Of those, 31 staff are posted from Headquarters and 15 are locally recruited staff. The possible resource implications of the UK referendum for the work of our Embassy in London and our other business units are currently being considered by my Department, in...