Results 641-660 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: President Bush met with the EU Council, Commission and Troika on 22 February 2005. Among the topics discussed at the meeting with the Council were the Middle East peace process, Iraq, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, the Western Balkans and the UN summit scheduled for September 2005. During the meeting each EU head of state or government focused on a particular agenda item, with the Taoiseach, at the...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: As I said in my reply of 2 February 2005, the Good Friday Agreement provides that the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister should be jointly elected by a cross community vote in the Assembly. The revised arrangements, outlined in the comprehensive agreement published on 8 December last, would, in addition to the First and Deputy First Ministers, include the other Ministers being...

Written Answers — Middle East Peace Process: Middle East Peace Process (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: While I have not had the opportunity in recent weeks to meet my colleagues in the Israeli and Palestinian Governments, regular contact is maintained between our governments including through diplomatic channels. I intend to visit the Middle East region in the near future. The Government both bilaterally and within the framework of the EU and UN is continuing its efforts to encourage progress...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 140 together. As the House is aware, I met with Robert McCartney's sisters and his partner two weeks ago. The family were very clear in their desire to have the killers and their accomplices charged and tried in court. Their public campaign has been necessitated by the fact that the police were being hindered in their investigation as a result of the...

Written Answers — Ukrainian Presidential Election: Ukrainian Presidential Election (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Viktor Yushchenko was inaugurated as President of Ukraine on 23 January following the rerun of the second round of presidential elections. On 4 February Ms Yulia Tymoshenko was appointed as Prime Minister and a new Government took office. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our warm congratulations to the President and Prime Minister of Ukraine as well as the Government and to...

Written Answers — EU Membership: EU Membership (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The June 2004 European Council considered Croatia's application for membership of the EU on the basis of the Commission opinion presented in April 2004. The European Council agreed that Croatia meets the Copenhagen political criteria. It decided that Croatia is a candidate country for membership and that a bilateral intergovernmental conference should be convened early in 2005 in order to...

Written Answers — United Nations Reform: United Nations Reform (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy is referring to the report of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, which was issued on 2 December 2004. The high level panel was established in November 2003 by the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to examine how best collective action can meet current and future threats to peace and security. Specifically the panel was tasked with analysing current...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 147 together. On 10 January 2005 Mr. Jean Arnault, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, UNSRSG, for Afghanistan reported to the UN Security Council. The Special Representative said that the security situation in Afghanistan had shown signs of improvement in recent weeks. He cautioned, however, that the...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Government is committed to the active promotion of full observance of universal human rights standards and seeks the elimination of all forms of contemporary slavery including bonded labour. Through our participation in international fora such as the UN General Assembly, the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe,...

Written Answers — Foreign Conflicts: Foreign Conflicts (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The outbreak of ethnically motivated violence in March 2004 was a serious setback to the work of building a multiethnic society in Kosovo. In a series of attacks across Kosovo on 17 March, 19 people were killed and widespread damage was caused to homes and other property, most of which were owned by members of the Kosovo Serb community. The security situation is now calm but it remains tense....

Written Answers — Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe: Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: In addition to meeting Ireland's obligatory assessed contributions to the organisation my Department assists the OSCE in a number of ways by contributing financially to programmes in its various fields of activity, notably democratisation and rule of law. My Department also nominates Defence Forces personnel who have been identified for deployment by our Defence authorities to the OSCE for...

Written Answers — Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe: Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: As the Taoiseach underlined at the EU-US Summit on 22 February, Russia is an important and strategic partner of the European Union. This partnership is moving forward rapidly in the economic area. However, there are difficulties in the relationship at this time and these include the question of Russia's attitude to the OSCE. The Government is concerned that the attitude of the Russian...

Written Answers — Travel Safety: Travel Safety (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: My Department has issued detailed travel advice for the benefit of those intending to travel to Tel Aviv for the forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Israel. This advice can be viewed on the Department's website www.dfa.ie. The Department is not advising against Irish citizens travelling to attend this fixture. However, it is stressing the need for extra vigilance on the part of travellers...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: As stated previously and on many occasions, the Government continues to take concerns about human rights in China very seriously. We have an ongoing dialogue with the Chinese authorities at both the national and the European Union level. Human rights issues are on the agenda of all bilateral meetings with senior Chinese leaders. While recognising that respect for human rights in China is not...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy will no doubt be aware, the treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was signed by Ireland in Rome on 29 October 2004. In addition a number of international organisations and bodies of which Ireland is a member are governed by instruments which are described in their titles as being constitutions including the Constitution of the International Labour Organisation, the...

Written Answers — Common Foreign and Security Policy: Common Foreign and Security Policy (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Ireland's position is absolutely clear. The amendment to Bunreacht na hÉireann approved by the people in October 2002 at the initiation of the Government precludes Ireland from participating in a common defence. It is the Government's intention that this prohibition be carried over in the context of the ratification of the European Constitution. I am not aware of any proposals under...

Written Answers — United Nations Missions: United Nations Missions (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy will be aware that members of the Permanent Defence Force are currently serving overseas in eight UN missions in Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Western Sahara, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cyprus, Lebanon, Kosovo and the Middle East as well as in multi-national forces authorized by the Security Council in Kosovo, KFOR, Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFOR, Afghanistan, ISAF and with the...

Written Answers — Naturalisation and Immigration Service: Naturalisation and Immigration Service (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: The establishment of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service and the transfer to it of the visa section of the Department of Foreign Affairs has been the subject of intensive consultation between my Department and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in recent months. Further consultations will take place on the detailed arrangements for the assignment of staff and...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: I am currently scheduled to represent the Government at St. Patrick's Day events in Boston before accompanying the Taoiseach to Washington. I very much welcome the opportunity to promote Ireland in the city during the St. Patrick's Day period. While arrangements are not yet fully finalised, the programme in addition to meetings with Irish immigration groups currently includes promotional...

Written Answers — Common Foreign and Security Policy: Common Foreign and Security Policy (8 Mar 2005)

Dermot Ahern: Since the entry into force of the Amsterdam treaty in May 1999 the EU has worked to make a constructive reality of the treaty's provisions on the Petersberg Tasks through the development of the European security and defence policy (ESDP). The challenge of ensuring that the EU makes an effective contribution for a stable Europe and a more secure and just world is a significant one and ESDP has...