Results 5,841-5,860 of 7,777 for speaker:Joe Costello

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Millenium Development Goals (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 73 together. The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme. Our new international development policy, "One World, One Future", clearly sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, and our goals and areas of focus for the coming years. It reaffirms the Government’s commitment to international...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Election Monitoring Missions (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has recently carried out a review of the election observation roster. Following a call for applications, which was issued by the Department, a total of 295 applications were received. 100 were from female applicants and 195 from male applicants. Applications were appraised against the four published criteria: language skills (in particular a...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The Government’s development cooperation programme, Irish Aid, reflects the values and experience of the Irish people and is dependent on their continued support. An important element of the programme is support for public information and engagement, including development education in Ireland. Ireland’s new Policy for International Development, One World, One Future, reflects...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Ethiopia has been a priority country for Ireland’s aid programme since 1994. Ireland has made a significant contribution to development and the fight against poverty and hunger in Ethiopia. In the past decade Ethiopia has recorded remarkable improvements in human development, as measured by the UN Human Development Index. This progress is a strong example of the success of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Food Security (18 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Ireland and the United States have been working together towards the shared goal of ending extreme poverty and hunger in the world. Ireland has developed an important partnership with the United States on the 1,000 Days initiative to address the continuing crisis of maternal and child under-nutrition in some of the poorest countries and communities. The first thousand days, from pregnancy to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Provision (19 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 69 and 74 together. The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme. Our new Policy on International Development, “One World, One Future”, clearly sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, and our goals and areas of focus for the coming years. It reaffirms the Government’s commitment to...

Seanad: Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Bill 2011: Second Stage (20 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: It gives me great pleasure to be able to introduce this legislation on Second Stage in the Seanad. The regulatory failures of the financial crisis have been the subject of extensive and objective analysis. The reports of Professor Patrick Honohan, Messrs. Regling and Watson, the Nyberg commission and the Moriarty tribunal have pointed out the problems that need to be addressed, namely, poor...

Seanad: Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Bill 2011: Second Stage (20 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I thank all Senators who contributed to the wide-ranging debate on this legislation. I also welcome the complimentary remarks they had for the text of the legislation and the manner in which the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, dealt with it. It is positive that several Private Members’ Bills from various parties covering the regulation of bill payment firms and the publishing of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid Issues (25 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: Since the Millennium Development Goals were agreed by the global community in 2000, the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen significantly – including in sub Saharan Africa where rates were highest. Since this time many more children have access to safe water; more girls and boys are attending school, and far fewer people are dying of preventable illness such as...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Africa Ireland Economic Forum (25 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The Third Africa Ireland Economic Forum will take place on the 3rd of October 2013. This date will coincide with the next meeting of the Global Irish Network. Both events involve the building and strengthening of networks and connections between Ireland and important trading partners, including Africa. The event is organised by my Department in close consultation with the African Embassies...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 31 and 64 together. With the death toll in the Syrian crisis now estimated at more than 93,000 and an unprecedented humanitarian emergency affecting Syria and its neighbours, it is more urgent than ever that everything possible be done to de-escalate the crisis and to promote a political settlement. That is why Ireland and its EU partners fully support...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The European Union did not consider that no-fly zones necessarily offered a way forward. In many cases, such zones could only be created after specific authorisation by a resolution of the UN Security Council. As I have indicated earlier, given that the Security Council has been unable to agree on any resolution in respect of this matter, it is unlikely that it would agree on a proposal to...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: That is the issue. The Tánaiste has been arguing that point much more than I have, for example at the Foreign Affairs Council when it considered whether it would be appropriate to lift the arms embargo to allow the opposition to acquire some weapons. While member states agreed to look for a solution, they could not agree fully on the way forward. It was eventually decided to lift the...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: On 27 May last, the Ministers agreed to extend the restrictive measures for 12 months but without the arms embargo, on which no further agreement could be reached. It was also agreed that the high representative will draw up a special report on political developments in advance of the Council meeting on 1 August next. That will give Ministers an opportunity to review the situation. It...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I am not sure of the extent to which consideration has been given to the western Balkans as a possible safe haven.

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The areas on the borders of Syria are safe havens, in effect.

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: There is the Zaatari camp in Jordan, the camp in Turkey and the camp in Lebanon. A number of the neighbouring countries, most notably Jordan, have taken a large number of Syrian nationals into their communities. They have been located in people's homes, especially where there is a sort of racial connection. There has been a good response from the neighbouring countries that are under...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: The EU has been concerned about the situation in Mali for some time, notably following the army coup in March 2012 and the takeover at around the same time of much of the north of the country by a range of armed groups. Recognising that the crisis in Mali cannot be addressed through military means alone, the EU has implemented a comprehensive approach to the situation which encompasses...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: I would be reasonably confident that the roadmap that has been put in place, which culminates in elections taking place on 28 July, will be achieved. The EU was very quick to respond to the situation. France intervened in January and at the informal meeting of the Development Ministers on 9-10 February in Dublin Castle, the first real discussion of the issue took place. It was decided at...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (26 Jun 2013)

Joe Costello: With regard to the Green Paper on Defence, that question could be more usefully put to the relevant Minister, who I am sure will give him a thorough and comprehensive response.