Results 6,161-6,180 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (19 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: The issues referred to in the Deputy's question relate to policy areas which are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Ireland has successfully applied to participate in certain provisions of the Schengen Convention including those associated with police cooperation, mutual assistance in criminal matters and the Schengen Information System. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (19 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: I am aware of the provisions of Section 7 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2008 which introduced an exemption from income tax in respect of a benefit-in-kind arising from a bicycle or associated safety equipment being provided to an employee by his or her employer for the purposes of commuting to work. My Department is at present studying the detailed arrangements that will be required to...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: No established civil servant employed in my Department is currently in receipt of remuneration in excess of a benchmarking recommendation or a recommendation from the Review Body on Higher Remuneration or which is subject to a personal rate.

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (19 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Government attaches the highest importance to resolving the plight of our undocumented citizens in the United States. In the absence, to date, of comprehensive immigration reform in the United States, we have actively pursued a bilateral approach in this area, aimed at reforming our overall immigration arrangements with the United States and facilitating greater legal migration between...

Written Answers — Emigrant Support Services: Emigrant Support Services (24 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Government attaches the highest importance to resolving the plight of our undocumented citizens in the United States and their welfare, like the welfare of all Irish citizens abroad, is a key priority for my Department. I am aware that concerns have been expressed concerning the length of detention of Irish citizens in the United States, prior to their deportation. While the official...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: There is no civil servant currently employed in my Department who is also in receipt of a civil service pension. However, there are seven employees who are in receipt of pensions relating to their previous service in either the Defence Forces or An Garda Síochána. Details of the salary scales of the staff in question are given below in tabular format. Grade Salary Scale (per week)...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (25 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: The situation in Zimbabwe remains very grave, as the humanitarian and economic crises continue, and the number of cholera victims continues to increase. The formation of a power-sharing government involving Zanu-PF and the MDC is a sign of some progress, and I hope that it will be able to address the significant problems now facing Zimbabwe. However, the continued detention of political and...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (25 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: The situation of members of the minority Baha'i faith in Iran has long been a matter of serious concern to the Government and to members of the Oireachtas. There is in Iran no tolerance of the Baha'i faith, which is regarded as a heretical or apostate offshoot of Islam. Over the last four years, as conservative forces have again asserted control in Iran, there has been a serious and...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (25 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: I visited Cuba from the 17-19 February on what was the first working visit by an Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs. Cuba is undergoing a period of change, and its relations with the EU have entered a new phase. I availed of this new context to discuss a wide range of political, economic and social issues, including human rights. I held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Cuba, Mr. Felipe...

Written Answers — Consular Services: Consular Services (26 Feb 2009)

Micheál Martin: As the Deputy will appreciate, requirements for permission to enter Yemen are solely matters for the Yemeni authorities. Irish citizens require a visa to enter Yemen and the information on the process is available on the website of the Yemeni Embassy http://www.yemenembassy.org.uk/ in London, including the application form. The website indicates that it usually takes 5 working days to...

Written Answers — Foreign Military Personnel: Foreign Military Personnel (3 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: There are two Administrative and Technical officers of military rank from the Embassy of the United States of America based at Shannon. The officers in question liaise with the Irish authorities in relation to US Government or US Government-contracted flights which land in or transit Shannon Airport.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (3 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: As noted in my responses to the Deputy's previous questions about visas for individuals, I am not in a position to support individual visa applications. It is the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform rather than my own Department which has primary responsibility for visa and immigration policy and, in particular, for making decisions on individual visa applications where there is a...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (3 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: The breakdown of deportation figures on an annual basis, on the basis of data provided by the US Department of Homeland Security, is as follows: Year Total Criminal Non-criminal 2000 29 15 14 2001 50 17 33 2002 64 15 49 2003 69 17 52 2004 63 24 39 2005 43 12 31 2006 39 12 27 2007 42 17 25 2008 66 18 48 Citizens in the non-criminal category are usually visa overstays, and come to...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (3 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: Abdullah Öcalan has been held in solitary confinement since his arrest on 15 February 1999. The tenth anniversary of his arrest was marked by disturbances in a number of Turkish towns, mainly in the Kurdish areas. Mr. Öcalan remains the only person detained in the Imrali Island prison near Istanbul. During a visit to the prison in May 2007, the European Committee for the Prevention of...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (3 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: Following the Israeli General Election on 10 February, the leader of the opposition Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been asked by President Peres to try and form a coalition government. We do not yet know if Mr. Netanyahu will succeed in forming a coalition, though any such coalition is increasingly likely to be a narrow one formed with nationalist and religious parties on the right of...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (3 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: Ireland takes an active interest in the successful resolution of the Cyprus problem. We welcomed the resumption of talks last September, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy, Mr. Alexander Downer, aimed at reaching a comprehensive settlement. So far, twenty meetings have been held between President Christofias and Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat, representing the...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (3 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: The agreement between the Governments of Ireland and Belarus signed in Minsk on 23 February concerns the conditions under which children from Belarus may come to Ireland for the purposes of recuperation. I am delighted that this will enable the many Irish charities involved to continue their important and ongoing contribution to assisting Chernobyl children to visit Ireland. Following the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes — Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation). The information requested by the Deputy, together with a brief description of the services provided, is set out in the following table. In accordance with the requirements of the Public Financial Procedures, it is not the Department's practice to pay retainer...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (3 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: Ireland intends to participate in the Durban II Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance which is scheduled to take place in Geneva from 20 to 24 April 2009. The original Durban Declaration and Programme of Action was adopted in 2001. Ireland has participated in the Preparatory Conferences and the recent Intersessional Working Group Meetings for the...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (5 Mar 2009)

Micheál Martin: The St Andrews Agreement of 2006 provided for a review to examine the efficiency and value for money of the North/South Implementation Bodies, including the North/South Language Body, of which Foras na Gaeilge is a part. The Agreement also provided for the review to examine the case for additional North/South Bodies and for additional areas of co-operation within the North/South Ministerial...