Results 6,261-6,280 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (22 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: As I have said on many occasions in this House, most recently on 24 March, I remain deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka and in particular about the grave humanitarian situation there. Thanks to the efforts of the UN Secretary General and the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, the Government of Sri Lanka announced a two-day ceasefire on 12 April. While...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The total official development assistance budget for 2009 will be €696 million. It is anticipated the aid budget will amount to 0.48% of GNP. This will mean that Ireland will most likely remain the sixth largest aid donor in the world as a percentage of GNP. This remains an enormous achievement in the current economic circumstances. The reduction in the aid budget will necessitate...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy rightly points out that we have had a significant reduction in GNP in 2008 and 2009. While I do not want to go down that road, we are dealing with a net reduction of €80 million from a very substantial budget if we factor in the 2008 reduction and the expected 8% reduction in GNP in 2009. That is the context. We were aiming for 0.54% in 2009. Owing to the reduction in GNP we...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The NGOs will know very soon and we will be communicating with them directly. I point out that we have one of the best records of any donor countries in assisting NGOs and missionaries in that approximately 20% of our aid programme is delivered via civil society organisations with more than €200 million being provided in 2008. No other donor allocates such a high proportion of its aid...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: In my reply to the previous question I set out in some detail the important issues the Government is facing in implementing the adjustments to the aid programme which are now required. As I pointed out, with an overall allocation of €696 million in 2009, Ireland will again be the sixth most generous aid donor internationally in per capita terms. We will deliver on our commitment to resume...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: I would not accept that we were always claiming a lead role. It was only in the recent past that we have been claiming a leading role.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: Back in 2000 we contributed approximately €220 million and we have made dramatic progress since then. Of course our GNP grew dramatically over the same period and the linkage of the amount of aid allocated with GNP was a significant factor in that and agreements we made in that regard. Now that the GNP has reduced very significantly, people are very reluctant to factor in that decline in...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: I am simply saying that there clearly is a cut in the aid programme. Some relates to the reduction in GNP and some relates to additional amounts that have been cut.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The key issue for us is to create a sustainable pattern of finances that will ensure continued sustainable allocations for aid into the future. We are borrowing very significant amounts of money this year to support this programme and other programmes across Government expenditure generally. We are very keen to maintain our relationships and fulfil our commitments to the nine programme...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: We will get in touch quickly with the NGOs. The 70% was an up-front contribution allocation early on. It was acknowledged that it was important to make such a commitment in advance of the budget. I am surprised at the Deputy's comment on value for money. The programme has grown rapidly in a short space of time and any Government expenditure programme that increases so rapidly requires...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: We need to be extremely vigilant in terms of value for money audits on all of the programmes. We are vigilant and work with the OECD in that regard.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: No, I would be concerned if we did not do it. I am surprised the Deputy raised the matter because it is a relatively small amount. The Deputy quoted a percentage, but the base is quite small.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: We have had other examples of Government expenditure where we had to justify the necessity of carrying out some value for money assessments.

Territorial Waters. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: Ireland claims continental shelf extending beyond the standard 200 mile entitlement to both the west and south of the country. Under international law these claims must be examined by the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. For the purposes of our claims, we have divided the extended shelf into three sectors. The first sector is to the south west of the country near the...

Territorial Waters. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: I just did that in my reply and outlined the three areas in which the Department has been involved. With regard to the Porcupine Abyssal Plain, we have now achieved a successful outcome as a result of our submission to the Commission. The second claim relates to the Rockall area of the north-east Atlantic. We are not talking about Rockall itself, as the rock is of no relevance to this at...

Territorial Waters. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: We have now made our submission to the Commission on that. There is a timeframe involved. We had been hoping to reach agreement, but that was impossible. The ten year timeframe for making a submission would have been up in May, so we have made our submission now.

Territorial Waters. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: We endeavoured to get agreement first. We have an agreed Ireland-UK boundary, but the Færoe Islands and Iceland have not accepted that. There have been regular meetings in the intervening period between the four countries to try to resolve the issue, but that has not been possible. It is now a matter for the Commission. We are pursuing the issue and trying to get the correct outcome from...

Territorial Waters. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: We cannot give a timeframe with regard to when the Commission will examine the issue. We have a good record with regard to the manner in which we have pursued the issues and the successes we have had over the years.

Territorial Waters. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: They are all important. All sorts of claims can be made about economic potential, but that all remains to be determined. All of the issues are important. There is a process to be followed and if a mutually satisfactory agreement cannot be reached the best way to pursue the issue is through the UN Commission. That is the route we have taken.

EU-US Relations. (23 Apr 2009)

Micheál Martin: The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament has put forward an interesting set of proposals, which are currently being studied in my Department. Nobody can dispute that the relationship between the European Union and the US is our most important strategic partnership. This remains the case, whatever the personalities or political forces on either side. As regards the idea of a...