Results 6,321-6,340 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Other Questions: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Lest there be any doubt, I hope the US Administration recognises that the question of Jerusalem is much broader than the location of the capital of Israel.

Other Questions: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I repeat that this a matter of concern. It is not yet an act and it remains to be seen what will happen. Previous US Presidents have made similar signals but the issue remains as is. I am conscious of repeated calls by the European Union, the Quartet and others in recent years about this. I make a call again this afternoon for all parties involved to avoid any destabilising moves in...

Other Questions: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I recently attended a conference in Paris with representation from over 70 states and organisations. At the conference I restated our firm consensus view that the two-state solution is the only outcome that can result in peace and stability.

Other Questions: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: It is my hope that the US Administration will acknowledge the fact that the question of the status of Jerusalem is more than simply a question of the location of the capital of Israel. There is also the issue that Deputy Bríd Smith and others have raised. The purported annexation of large areas of the West Bank is, in my view, contrary to the fundamental principles of international...

Other Questions: Middle East Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: This is a matter of concern. I have said that publically and I am saying it now in the Dáil. I say as much on behalf of the Government. Let us see what happens.

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51, 54, 79 and 83 together. The UK Prime Minister, Mrs. May, provided some further clarity in her address of 17 January on the objectives on the part of the UK for the negotiations on its withdrawal from the European Union and its future relationship with the EU. It was not the clarity we would have wished for. We regret the fact that the British...

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I have held discussions with each of my 26 EU foreign ministerial colleagues. Indeed, I can add Foreign Secretary Johnson to that list since I have met him on a number of occasions. I have been impressing on them the importance of the trading relationship between Ireland and the UK and the importance of maintaining the common travel area. As the Deputy will be aware, we have enjoyed the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government is constantly engaged with the British Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and the political parties to support the peace process and political progress in Northern Ireland on the basis of the Agreement. In recent weeks, both the Taoiseach and I have had intensified contacts with the parties and the British Government on...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East Peace Process (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I attended the Conference on the Middle East Peace Process in Paris on 15 January, which was hosted by President Hollande. Some 70 countries and international organisations participated in the meeting, which was a follow up to the first conference held in Paris in June 2016, which I also attended. This “French Initiative” was aimed at reviving a stalled peace process, and...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Prisoner Releases (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of the particular case to which the Deputy refers. My officials in the Belfast Secretariat monitor this and other cases as part of their ongoing work around prison issues generally in Northern Ireland. The circumstances of the individual in question, have been raised with the Northern Ireland Office. The Deputy will be aware that the person concerned was detained in March 2016...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: This consular case continues to be a top priority for the Government and substantial resources and time are being devoted to it, by the Taoiseach, by me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, by officials in my Department, by our Ambassador and his team in Cairo, and by the entire Irish diplomatic network. The Government is doing everything it possibly can to ensure that the Egyptian...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: Ireland has been active in raising concerns regarding the treatment of the Rohingya community in Myanmar/Burma at a multilateral level over recent years. In 2016, Ireland supported the EU-led resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar/Burma at the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in March 2016. This resolution conveyed the HRC’s serious concerns over...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I regret the deaths of all civilians in every military conflict. I am conscious of multiple reports, including from civilians in Mosul, claiming that Daesh is deliberately using civilians as human shields. I would also note that the liberation of Mosul, from a terrorist group which a UN body has found responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, has been legally...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of the open letter to which the Deputy refers. The Government remains deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Rakhine State in the wake of attacks on police posts near Myanmar/Burma’s border with Bangladesh in October 2016. Ireland has called for an immediate end to violence in the region, and for an impartial, independent investigation into serious allegations of...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware of the recent executions in Bahrain, and of the allegations that these persons were tortured and subjected to unfair trials prior to the executions. It is disappointing to see Bahrain revert to using the death penalty, which they have not done since 2010. This move is a backwards step in Bahrain’s efforts to improve its human rights record, and only serves to reinforce the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Foreign Conflicts (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The Government continues to support and encourage all efforts aimed at securing peace and stability in the Basque Country. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government welcomed the declaration by ETA of October 2011 that the organisation had decided on “a definitive cessation of its armed activity”. We continue to encourage all those involved to build on this step and work for...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: This long-running and complex consular case continues to be a top priority for the Government and substantial resources and time are being devoted to it, by the Taoiseach, by me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, by officials in my Department, by our Ambassador and his team in Cairo, and by the entire Irish diplomatic network. The Government is doing everything it possibly can to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Meetings (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The next EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting is due to take place on Monday 6th February in Brussels. I will attend the meeting. I expected that Egypt, Libya and Ukraine will be discussed. Libya was last on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council in April 2016. It has been over a year since the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement and the February FAC presents an opportunity to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: This consular case continues to be a top priority for the Government and substantial resources and time are being devoted to it, by the Taoiseach and myself, by officials in my Department, by our Ambassador and his team in Cairo, and by the wider Irish diplomatic network. The Government is doing everything it possibly can to ensure that the Egyptian authorities are in no doubt about our...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights (25 Jan 2017)

Charles Flanagan: The increase in attacks against human rights defenders in Colombia during 2016 is a matter of great concern. The situation is being closely monitored by my Department and by the Embassy of Ireland in Mexico, which is accredited to Colombia. I condemn unreservedly any intimidation or violence perpetrated against human rights defenders in Colombia or elsewhere. I firmly believe that the...