Results 6,301-6,320 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The House will be aware that dealing with the legacy of the past relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland is a major priority for me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and for my Government colleagues. This commitment is reflected in the Programme for a Partnership Government, which makes specific reference to pursuing the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Deputy is right that there have been contacts between senior officials of both Governments over recent times to explore whether a response to the Dáil motion that would be mutually acceptable to both sides can be found. As Minister, I continue to engage with the Secretary of State and with the Northern Ireland parties to ensure we can proceed to report progress on the wider legacy...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I do not envisage the Brexit negotiations will impact directly on issues pertaining to the Stormont House Agreement in respect of the setting up of the legacy institutions. However, I would point out that there is an election in Northern Ireland. I urge all the parties involved in that campaign to ensure nothing is said in the course of the campaign that might make more difficult the...

Other Questions: Military Aircraft Landings (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 86 together. The Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952, made under the Air Navigation and Transport Act 1946, gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in Ireland. As the Deputy will be aware, permission must be sought in advance for landings...

Other Questions: Military Aircraft Landings (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Our monitoring is robust. I reiterate that my Department at all times has thorough and robust procedures in place with a view towards ensuring the laid down legal conditions for securing permission for foreign military aircraft to overfly or to land in this State are clearly understood and properly applied. These procedures are kept under review. My responsibility as Minister for Foreign...

Other Questions: Military Aircraft Landings (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I am satisfied that when these requests are received by my Department, the regulations are fully complied with and the law is adhered to. Our focus is on ensuring that the information sought and provided regarding flights and aircraft fully demonstrated full compliance with the conditions as applicable. I can point to matters such as the times at which the landings take place. These are...

Other Questions: Military Aircraft Landings (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: -----are strict and robust and that the information we seek-----

Other Questions: Military Aircraft Landings (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: -----is supplied accordingly.

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 62 together. I assure the Deputies that I have taken careful note of recent reports of the use of cluster munitions, including their use in Yemen. These well-documented reports of the use of cluster munitions by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen are a cause of deep concern. Ireland's concern has been expressed by my officials at the sixth meeting...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I share the Deputy's concern about the harm to civilians caused by the use of explosive weapons with wide-area impacts in populated areas in recent times, particularly in Yemen. Ireland is engaged with other states and civil society on approaches to establish strict compliance with international obligations on this issue. Ireland will continue to play a leading role in this regard, and I...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland continues to play a positive and active role in that regard. It recently issued a statement strongly condemning the use of cluster munitions in Yemen and Syria and we expressed our concern at reports of their use in Libya, Ukraine and Sudan. We also spoke of the challenges facing the convention in terms of new contamination sites and new victims from the use of these weapons in the...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Government and I want to see an end to the conflict in Yemen. I regret to say that the situation has not progressed for some time. I understand, however, that the peace roadmap, as set out by the UN special envoy and his team, remains on the table. He continues to work to bring the parties together. I exhort all parties not only here but also at the table of the EU Foreign Affairs...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: We will continue to encourage other states to join and ensure there can be an international consensus on a ban on cluster bombs. There are now 119 states and there are others which could be encouraged to join them. I underline that those states which are party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, CCM - as Ireland has been for some time and as has its neighbour, the United Kingdom - will...

Other Questions: EU Agreements (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The European Commission set out a new results-oriented concept of co-operation with third countries on 7 June 2016, known as the migration partnership framework. Draft migration compacts were drawn up for the first five priority countries identified: Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal and Ethiopia. The objective of these migration compacts is to: improve co-operation on readmission and return...

Other Questions: EU Agreements (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Negotiations are ongoing on the migration compacts, as agreed through the EU and partner countries. They should certainly be supported. Operational results have most notably been demonstrated, for example, in areas like Niger in Africa. The number of migrants crossing the Sahara via Niger has been reduced from a high of 70,000 in 2015 to a low of 1,500 in November 2016. In addition, over...

Other Questions: EU Agreements (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I will drop a note to the Deputy on the point he has raised. I also wanted to refer to Calais which was mentioned by him previously, so I will drop him a note on that as well.

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Recent developments in Turkey have brought the country to international attention frequently over recent months, and I remain very concerned about the situation there. Turkey has been the victim of many terrorist attacks over the past year, carried out by ISIS or by the PKK and its affiliates. Over the course of 2016, more than 600 people lost their lives through acts of terrorism in...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I condemn human rights abuses in Turkey and have already expressed that concern on behalf of Ireland at meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels and also at the Council of Europe in the presence of the Turkish Foreign Minister. I have also had an opportunity for direct engagement with Turkish representatives recently. The EU member states, including Ireland, are keeping the...

Other Questions: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 71 together. President Trump has signalled on a number of occasions that he intends to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem as a signal that it is the capital of Israel. This would be a matter of real concern but it remains to be seen what actually happens. Previous US presidents have signalled the same intention but in office have recognised the...

Other Questions: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I have consistently called for the Israeli Government to cease demolishing Palestinian structures, including houses and infrastructure such as water and power networks, as well as animal housing, in the West Bank and elsewhere. The European Union has raised the issue of demolitions with the Israeli authorities, condemning them on behalf of EU member states. EU missions, including our own,...